of People of little Wit and no Underftanding. I own to you, I have learned of the Vicar's Wife all you tax me with She is a difcreet, ingenious, pleafant, pious Woman; I wifh fhe had the handling of you and Mrs. Modifh; you would find, if you were too free with her, fhe would 'foon make you as charming as ever you were, he would make you blush as much as if you never had been fine Ladies. The Vicar, Madam, is fo kind as to vifit my Husband, and his agreeable Converfation has brought him to enjoy many fober happy Hours 'when even I am hut out, and my dear Mafter is entertained only with his own Thoughts. These things, dear Madam, will be lafting Satisfactions, when the fine Ladies and the Cox'combs by whom they form themselves are irreparably ridiculous, ridiculous in old Age. I am, Madam, Your most humble Servant, Dear Mr.SPECTATOR, YOU have no Goodness in the Yo any any thing you fay that is ferious, if you do not fend me a plain Anfwer to this: I happened fome Days paft to be at the Play, where, during the 'time of Performance, I cou'd not keep my Eyes off from a beautiful young Creature who fat juft before me, and who I have been fince in'formed has no Fortune. It would utterly ruin my Reputation for Difcretion to marry fuch a one, and by what 'I can learn fhe has a Character of great Modefty, fo that there is nothing to be thought on any other Way. My Mind has ever fince been fo wholly bent on her, that I am much in Danger of doing fomething very extravagant without your speedy Ad ❝vice to, SIR, Your moft bumble Servant. I am forry I cannot answer this impa tient Gentleman but by another Queftion. Dear Correfpondent, WOULD you marry to please other People or your self? T Saturday, Landis amore tumes? funt certa piacula quæ tè Ter pure lecto poterunt recreare libello. T Hor. HE Soul confidered abftra&tedly from its Paffions, is of a remifs and fedentary Nature, flow in its Refolves, and languishing in its Executions. The Use therefore of the Paffions is to stir it up, and put it upon Action, to awaken the Understanding, to enforce the Will, and to make the whole Man more vigorous and attentive in the Prosecution of his Defigns. As this is the End of the Paffions in gene ral, fo it is particularly of Ambition, which pushes the Soul to fuch Action's as are apt to procure Honour and Reputation to the Actor. But if we carry our Reflections higher, we may difcover further Ends of Providence in implanting this Paffion in Mankind. IT was neceffary for the World, that Arts should be invented and improved, Books written and transmitted to Pofterity, Nations conquered and civilized: Now fince the proper and genuine Motives to these and the like great Actions, would only influence virtuous Minds; there would be but small Improvements in the World, were not there fome common Principle of Action working equally with all Men. And fuch a Principle is Ambition or a Defire of Fame, by which great Endowments are not fuffered to lie idle and useless to the Publick, and many vicious Men over-reached, as it were, and engaged contrary to their natural Inclinations in a glorious and laudable Course of Action. For we may further obferve, that Men of the greateft Abilities are moft fired with Ambition: And that, on the contrary, mean and narrow Minds are the leaft actuated by it; whether it be that a Man's Senfe of his own Incapacities makes him defpair of coming at Fame, or that he has not enough Range of Thought to look out for any Good which does not more immediately relate to his Interest or Convenience; or that Providence, in the very Frame of his Soul, would not fub 6 ject ject him to fuch a Paffion as would be useless to the World, and a Torment to himfelf. WERE not this Defire of Fame very ftrong, the Difficulty of obtaining it, and the Danger of lofing it when obtained, would be fufficient to deter a Man from fo vain a Purfuit. HOW few are there who are furnished with Abilities fufficient to recommend their Actions to the Admiration of the World, and diftinguish themfelves from the reft of Mankind? Providence for the most part fets us upon a Level, and obferves a kind of Proportion in its Difpenfations towards us. If it renders us perfect in one Accomplishment, it generally leaves us defective in another, and feems careful rather of preferving every Perfon from being mean and deficient in his Qualifications, than of making any single one eminent or extraordinary. AND among thofe, who are the moft richly endowed by Nature, and accomplished by their own Industry, how few are there whofe Virtues are not obfcured by the Ignorance, Prejudice or Envy of their Beholders? Some Men cannot difcern between a noble and a |