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day,

Sept, 3,

1712,

This

No. 474. at Neighbours' Houses. There is in particular a young Wednes Hound of great Expectation, Vivacity, and Enterprize, that attends my Flights where ever he spies me, Creature observes my Countenance, and behaves himself accordingly, His Mirth, his Frolick, and Joy upon the Sight of me has been observed, and I have been gravely desired not to encourage him so much, for it spoils his Parts; but I think he shews them sufficiently in the several Boundings, Friskings, and Scourings, when he makes his Court to me: But I foresee in a little time he and I must keep Company with one another only, for we are fit for no other in these Parts. Having inform'd you how I do pass my Time in the Country where I am, I must proceed to tell you how I would pass it, had I such a Fortune as would put me above the Observance of Ceremony and Custom.

My Scheme of a Country Life then should be as follows. As I am happy in three or four very agreeable Friends, these I would constantly have with me; and the Freedom we took with one another at School and the University, we would maintain and exert upon all Occa sions with great Courage. There should be certain Hours of the Day to be employ'd in Reading, during which Time it should be impossible for any one of us to enter the other's Chamber, unless by Storm. After this we would communicate the Trash or Treasure we had met with, with our own Reflections upon the Matter; the Justness of which we would controvert with good humour'd Warmth, and never spare one another out of that com plaisant Spirit of Conversation, which makes others affirm and deny the same Matter in a Quarter of an Hour. If any of the neighbouring Gentlemen, not of our Turn, should take it in their Heads to visit me, I should look upon these Persons in the same Degree Enemies to my particular State of Happiness, as ever the French were to that of the Publick, and I would be at an annual Expence in Spies to observe their Motions. Whenever I should be surprized with a Visit, as I hate Drinking, I would be brisk in swilling Bumpers, upon this Maxim, That it is better to trouble others with my Impertinence, than to be troubled my self with theirs. The Necessity of an

Infirmary

Infirmary makes me resolved to fall into that Project; and No. 474. as we should be but Five, the Terrors of an involuntary Wednes day, Separation, which our Number cannot so well admit of, Sept. 3, would make us exert our selves, in Opposition to all the 1712. Particulars mentioned in your Institution of that equitable Confinement. This my Way of Life I know would subject me to the Imputation of a morose, covetous, and singular Fellow. These and all other hard Words, with all Manner of insipid Jests, and all other Reproach. would be Matter of Mirth to me and my Friends: Besides, I would destroy the Application of the Epithets Morose and Covetous, by a yearly Relief of my undeservedly neces sitous Neighbours, and by treating my Friends and Domesticks with an Humanity that should express the Obligation to lie rather on my Side; and as for the Word Singular, I was always of Opinion every Man must be so, to be what one would desire him.

Your very humble Servant,

J. R.'

'Mr. SPECTATOR, About two Years ago I was called upon by the younger Part of a Country Family, by my Mother's Side related to me, to visit Mr. Campbell, the dumb Man; for they told me that That was chiefly what brought them to Town, having heard Wonders of him in Essex. I, who always wanted Faith in Matters of that Kind, was not easily pre vailed on to go; but lest they should take it ill, I went with them; when, to my Surprize, Mr. Campbell related all their past Life, (in short, had he not been prevented, such a Discovery would have come out, as would have ruined the next Design of their coming to Town, viz. buying Wedding Cloaths). Our Names-though he never heard of us before-and we endeavoured to con ceal-were as familiar to him as to our selves. To be sure Mr. SPECTATOR, he is a very learned and wise Man. Being impatient to know my Fortune, having paid my Respects in a family Jacobus, he told me (after his Manner) among several other Things, that in a Year and nine Months I should fall ill of a new Fever, be given over by my Physicians, but should with much

Difficulty

day, Sept. 3,

1712,

No. 474. Difficulty recover: That the first Time I took the Air Wednes afterwards, I should be address'd to by a young Gentle man of a plentiful Fortune, good Sense, and a generous Spirit. Mr. SPECTATOR, he is the purest Man in the World, for all he said is come to pass, and I am the happiest She in Kent. I have been in Quest of Mr. Campbell these three Months, and cannot find him out. Now hearing you are a dumb Man too, I thought you might corre spond, and be able to tell me something; for I think my self highly oblig'd to make his Fortune as he has mine, 'Tis very possible your Worship, who has Spies all over this Town, can inform me how to send to him: If you can, I beseech you be as speedy as possible, and you will highly oblige

Your constant Reader and Admirer,
Dulcibella Thankley,'

Ordered, That the Inspector I employ about Wonders, enquire at the Golden Lion, opposite to the Half-Moon Tavern in Drury Lane, into the Merit of this silent Sage, and report accordingly.

No. 475,
[ADDISON.]

Thursday, September 4.

-Quae res in se neque consilium neque modum
Habet ullum, eam consilio regere non potes-Ter.

IT is an old Observation, which has been made of

Politicians who would rather ingratiate themselves with their Sovereign, than promote, his real Service, That they accommodate their Counsels to his Inclinations, and advise him to such Actions only as his Heart is naturally set upon. The Privy-councellor of one in Love must observe the same Conduct, unless he would forfeit the Friendship of the Person who desires his Advice, I have known several odd Cases of this Nature. Hipparchus was going to marry a common Woman, but being resolved to do nothing without the Advice of his Friend Philander, he consulted him upon the Occasion, Philander told him his Mind freely, and represented his Mistress to him in such strong Colours,

that

that the next Morning he received a Challenge for his No. 475. Pains, and before Twelve a Clock was run through the Thursday, Body by the Man who had asked his Advice, Celia was Sept. 4, 1712. more prudent on the like Occasion; she desired Leonilla to give her Opinion freely upon a young Fellow who made his Addresses to her. Leonilla, to oblige her, told her with great Frankness, that she looked upon him as one of the most worthless - Celia, foreseeing what a Character she was to expect, begged her not to go on, for that she had been privately married to him above a Fortnight. The Truth of it is, a Woman seldom asks Advice before she has bought her Wedding-Cloaths. When she has made her own Choice, for Form's Sake, she sends a Congé d'élire to her Friends.

If we look into the secret Springs and Motives that set People at Work in these Occasions, and put them upon asking Advice, which they never intend to take, I look upon it to be none of the least That they are incapable of keeping a Secret which is so very pleasing to them. A Girl longs to tell her Confident, that she hopes to be married in a little Time, and, in order to talk of the pretty Fellow that dwells so much in her Thoughts, asks her very gravely, what she would advise her to in a Case of so much Difficulty. Why else should Melissa, who had not a Thousand Pound in the World, go into every Quarter of the Town to ask her Acquaintance whether they would advise her to take Tom Townly, that made his Addresses to her with an Estate of Five Thousand a Year? 'Tis very pleasant, on this Occasion, to hear the Lady propose her Doubts, and to see the Pains she is at to get over them.

I must not here omit a Practice that is in Use among the vainer Part of our own Sex, who will often ask a Friend's Advice, in relation to a Fortune whom they are never likely to come at. WILL HONEYCOMB, who is now on the Verge of Threescore, took me aside not long since, and asked me in his most serious Look, Whether I would advise him to marry my Lady Betty Single, who, by the Way, is one of the greatest Fortunes about Town. I stared him full in the Face upon so strange a Question; upon which he immediately gave me an Inventory of her Jewels

Now, Sir, the Thing is this: Mr. Shapely is the prettiest
Gentleman about Town. He is very tall, but not too tall
neither. He dances like an Angel. His Mouth is made
I don't know how, but 'tis the prettiest that I ever saw in
my Life. He is always laughing, for he has an infinite
Deal of Wit. If you did but see how he rolls his Stockings!
He has a thousand pretty Fancies, and I am sure, if you
saw him, you would like him. He is a very good Scholar,
and can talk Latín as fast as English. I wish you could
but see him dance. Now you must understand poor Mr.
Shapely has no Estate; but how can he help that, you
know? And yet my Friends are so unreasonable as to be
always teizing me about him, because he has no Estate,
But, I am sure, he has that that is better than an Estate;
for he is a good-natured, ingenious, modest, civil, tall,
well-bred, handsome Man, and I am obliged to him for
his Civilities ever since I saw him. I forgot to tell you
that he has black Eyes, and looks upon me now and then
as if he had Tears in them. And yet my Friends are so
unreasonable, that they would have me be uncivil to him,
I have a good Portion which they cannot hinder me of,
and I shall be Fourteen on the 29th Day of August next,
and am therefore willing to settle in the World as soon as
I can, and so is Mr. Shapely. But every Body I advise

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