they do not take in anything for their own use, but merely to pass it to another: they are the channels through which all the good and evil that is spoken in town are conveyed. Such as are offended at them, or think they suffer by their behaviour, may themselves mend that inconvenience; for they are not a malicious people, and if you will supply them, you may contradict anything they have said before by their own mouths. A further account of a thing is one of the gratefullest goods that can arrive to them; and it is seldom that they are more particular than to say, 'The town will have it,' or, I have it from a good hand': so that there is room for the town to know the matter more particularly, and for a better hand to contradict what was said by a good one.

I have not known this humour more ridiculous than in a father, who has been earnestly solicitous to have an account how his son has passed his leisure hours; if it be in a way thoroughly insignificant, there cannot be a greater joy than an inquirer discovers in seeing him follow so hopefully his own steps. But this humour among men is most pleasant when they are saying something which is not wholly proper for a third person to hear, and yet is in itself indifferent. The other day there came in a well-dressed young fellow, and two gentlemen of this species immediately fell a-whispering his pedigree. I could overhear, by breaks, She was his aunt'; then an answer, 'Ay, she was of the mother's side.' Then again in a little lower voice, 'His father wore generally a darker wig.' Answer, 'Not much. But this gentleman wears higher heels to his shoes.'

As the inquisitive, in my opinion, are such merely from a vacancy in their own imaginations, there is

nothing, methinks, so dangerous as to communicate secrets to them; for the same temper of inquiry makes them as impertinently communicative. But no man though he converses with them need put himself in their power, for they will be contented with matters of less moment as well. When there is full fuel enough, no matter what it is thus the ends of sentences in the newspapers, as ‘This wants confirmation,' 'This occasions many speculations,' and Time will discover the event,' are read by them, and considered not as mere expletives.

One may see now and then this humour accompanied with an insatiable desire of knowing what passes, without turning it to any use in the world but merely their own entertainment. A mind which is gratified this way is adapted to humour and pleasantry, and formed for an unconcerned character in the world; and, like myself, to be a mere spectator. This curiosity, without malice or self-interest, lays up in the imagination a magazine of circumstances which cannot but entertain when they are produced in conversation. If one were

to know, from the man of the first quality to the meanest servant, the different intrigues, sentiments, pleasures, and interests of mankind, would it not be the most pleasing entertainment imaginable to enjoy so constant a farce, as the observing mankind much more different from themselves in their secret thoughts and public actions, than in their nightcaps and long periwigs?

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

PLUTARCH tells us that Caius Gracchus, the

Roman, was frequently hurried by his passion. into so loud and tumultuous a way of speaking, and

so strained his voice, as not to be able to proceed. To remedy this excess, he had an ingenious servant, by name Licinius, always attending him with a pitch-pipe, or instrument, to regulate the voice; who, whenever he heard his master begin to be high, immediately touched a soft note; at which, 'tis said, Caius would presently abate and grow calm.

'Upon recollecting this story, I have frequently wondered that this useful instrument should have been so long discontinued; especially since we find that this good office of Licinius has preserved his memory for many hundred years, which, methinks, should have encouraged some one to have revived it, if not for the public good, yet for his own credit. It may be objected, that our loud talkers are so fond of their own noise, that they would not take it well to be checked by their servants. But granting this to be true, surely any of their hearers have a very good title to play a soft note in their own defence. To be short, no Licinius appearing, and the noise increasing, I was resolved to give this late long vacation to the good of my country; and I have at length, by the assistance of an ingenious artist (who works to the Royal Society), almost completed my design, and shall be ready in a short time to furnish the public with what number of these instruments they please, either to lodge at coffee-houses, or carry for their own private use. In the meantime I shall pay that respect to several gentlemen who I know will be in danger of offending against this instrument, to give them notice of it by private letters, in which I shall only write, "Get a Licinius."

'I should now trouble you no longer, but that I must not conclude without desiring you to accept

one of these pipes, which shall be left for you with Buckley; and which I hope will be serviceable to you, since as you are silent yourself, you are most open to the insults of the noisy. I am, SIR, &c.,

W. B.

'I had almost forgot to inform you, that as an improvement in this instrument there will be a particular note which I call a hush-note; and this is to be made use of against a long story, swearing, obsceneness, and the like.'

No. 229.

T.

Thursday, Nov. 22, 1711

Spirat adhuc amor

Vivuntque commissi calores

Eolia fidibus puellæ.

[ADDISON.

-HOR., 4 Od. ix. 10.

MONG the many famous pieces of antiquity

Α A which are still to be seen at Rome, there is

the trunk of a statue 2 which has lost the arms, legs, and head, but discovers such an exquisite workmanship in what remains of it, that Michael Angelo declared he had learned his whole art from it. Indeed he studied it so attentively, that he made most of his statues, and even his pictures in that gusto, to make use of the Italian phrase; for which reason this maimed statue is still called Michael Angelo's school.

A fragment of Sappho, which I design for the subject of this paper, is in as great reputation among poets and critics as the mutilated figure above

the

1 See vol. i. p. 7.

2 The Belvedere torso.

mentioned is among the statuaries and painters. Several of our countrymen, and Mr. Dryden in particular, seem very often to have copied after it in their dramatic writings, and in their poems upon love.

Whatever might have been the occasion of this ode, the English reader will enter into the beauties of it, if he supposes it to have been written in the person of a lover sitting by his mistress. I shall set to view three different copies of this beautiful original. The first is a translation by Catullus, the second by Monsieur Boileau, and the last by a gentleman whose translation of the 'Hymn to Venus has been so deservedly admired.

My learned reader will know very well the reason why one of these verses is printed in roman2 letter;" and if he compares this translation with the original, will find that the three first stanzas are rendered almost word for word, and not only with the same 1 Ambrose Philips. See No. 223.

2 Italic, in this edition.

3 It is wanting in the original; the reading here given was supplied by conjecture by Parthenius.