AS for the various Turns of Eye'fight, fuch as the voluntary or involuntary, the half or the whole Leer, 'I shall not enter into a very particular "Account of them; but let me obferve, that oblique Vifion, when natural, was anciently the Mark of Bewitchery ' and magical Fascination, and to this Day 'tis a malignant ill Look; but " when 'tis forced and affected it carries a wanton Defign, and in Play-houses, ' and other publick Places, this ocular Intimation is often an Affignation for 'bad Practices: But this Irregularity in Vifion, together with fuch Enor'mities as Tipping the Wink, the Circumfpective Rowl, the Side Peep through a thin Hood or Fan, must be 'put in the Class of Heteropticks, as all wrong Notions of Religion are ranked under the general Name of 'Heterodox. All the pernicious Applications of Sight are more immediately under the Direction of a SPECTATOR; and I hope you will 'arm your Readers against the Mischiefs which are daily done by killing Eyes, ' in which you will highly oblige your ' wounded unknown Friend, T. B.. Mr. Mr. SPECTATOR. You OU profeffed in feveral Papers your particular Endeavours in the • Province of SPECTATOR, to correct the Offences committed by Starers, who difturb whole Affemblies without any Regard to Time, Place, or Modefty. You complained alfo, 'that a Starer is not ufually a Perfon to be convinced by the Reafon of the Thing; nor fo eafily rebuked, as to amend by Admonitions. I thought 'therefore fit to acquaint you with a 'convenient Mechanical Way, which may eafily prevent or correct Staring, by an Optical Contrivance of new 'Perspective-Glaffes, fhort and commodious like Opera-Glaffes, fit for fhortfighted People as well as others; these Glaffes making the Objects appear, either as they are feen by the naked Eye, or more diftinct, though fomewhat lefs than Life, or bigger and nearer. A Perfon may, by the help of this Invention, take a View of another, without the Impertinence of Staring; at the fame time, it fhall not be poffible to know whom or what he is looking at. One may look towards his Right or Left-hand, when 'he he is fuppofed to look forwards. This is fet forth at large in the printed Proposals for the Sale of these Glaffes, to be had at Mr. Dillon's in Long-Acre, next Door to the White-Hart. Now, Sir, as your Spectator has occafioned the Publishing of this Invention for the Benefit of modeft Spectators, the Inventor defires your Admonitions 'concerning the decent Ufe of it; and hopes by your Recommendation, that for the future Beauty may be beheld " without the Torture and Confufion which it fuffers from the Infolence of Starers. By this means you will relieve the Innocent from an Infult 'which there is no Law to punish, tho' it is a greater Offence than many 'which are within the Cognizance of Justice. I e am, SIR, Your most humble Servant, Abraham Spy. Tuesday, No 251. Tuesday, December 18. Ferrea Vox. Lingua centum funt, oraque centum, T HERE is nothing which more astonishes a Foreigner, and frights a Country Squire, than the Cries of London. My good Friend Sir ROGER often declares, that he cannot get them out of his Head, or go to Sleep for them, the first Week that he is in Town. On the contrary, WILL. HONEYCOMB calls them the Ramage de la Ville, and prefers them to the Sounds of Larks and Nightingales, with all the Mufick of the Fields and Woods. I have lately received a Letter from fome very odd Fellow upon this Subject, which I shall leave with my Reader, without faying any thing further of it. SIR, .I Am a Man out of all Bufinefs, and would willingly turn my Head to any C any thing for an honeft Livelihood. I have invented several Projects for raifing many Millions of Money without burthening the Subject, but I cannot get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me, forfooth, as a Crack, and a Projector; fo that despairing to enrich either my felf or my Country by this Publick-fpiritedness, I would make fome Proposals to you relating to a Defign which I have very much at Heart, and which may procure me an handfome Subfiftance, if you will 'be pleased to recommend it to the Cities of London and Westminster. THE Poft I would aim at, is to be 'Comptroller-general of the London Cries, which are at prefent under no ❝ manner of Rules or Difcipline. I think "I am pretty well qualified for this Place, as being a Man of very ftrong Lungs, of great Infight into all the Branches "of our British Trades and Manufactures, and of a competent Skill in Mufick. THE Cries of London may be di'vided into Vocal and Inftrumental. As for the latter they are at present under a very great Disorder. A Freeman "of London has the Privilege of disturbing a whole Street for an Hour toge ther, |