ftood at the feet of a bed, or walked over a churchyard by moon-light: And of others that had been conjured into the Red-Sea, for disturbing people's reft, and drawing their curtains at midnight; with many other old womens fables of the like nature. As one spirit raised another, I obferved that at the end of every story the whole company closed their ranks, and crouded about the fire: I took notice in particular of a little boy, who was fo attentive to every ftory, that I am miftaken if he ventures to go to bed by himself this twelvemonth. Indeed they talked fo long, that the imaginations of the whole affembly were manifeftly crazed, and, I am fure, will be the worfe for it is as long as they live. I heard one of the girls, that had looked upon me over her fhoulder, afking the company how long I had been in the room, and whether I did not look paler than I used to do. This put me under fome apprehenfions that I fhould be forced to explain myfelf if I did not retire; for which reafon I took the candle in my hand, and went up into my chamber, not without wondering at this unaccountable weaknefs in reasonable creatures, that they fhould love to astonish and terrify one another. Were I

a father, I fhould take a particular care to preferve my children from thefe little horrors of imagination, which they are apt to contract when they are young, and are not able to fhake off when they are in years. I have known a foldier that has entered a breach, affrighted at his own fhadow; and look pale upon a little feratching at his door, who the day before had marched up against a battery of cannon. There are inftances of perfons, who have been terrified even to distraction, at the figure of a tree, or the shaking of a bull-rufh. The truth of it is, I look upon a found imagination as the greateft bleffing of life, next to a clear judgment and à good confcience. In the mean time, fince there are very few whofe minds are not more or lefs fubE 3 ject

ject to these dreadful thoughts and apprehenfions, we ought to arm ourselves against them by the dictates of reafon and religion, to pull the old woman out of our hearts (as Perfius expreffes it in the motto of my paper) and extinguish those impertinent notions which we imbibed at a time that we were not able to judge of their abfurdity. Or, if we believe, as many wife and good men have done, that there are fuch phantoms and apparations as those I have been speaking of, let us endeavour to establish to ourselves an intereft in him who holds the reins of the whole creation in his hand, and moderates them after such a manner, that it is impoffible for one being to break loofe upon another without his knowledge and permiffion..

For my own part, I am apt to join in opinion with those who believe that all the regions of nature fwarm with fpirits; and that we have multitudes of fpectators on all our actions, when we think ourfelves most alone: But, instead of terrifying myfelf with fuch a notion, I am wonderfully pleased to think that I am always engaged with fuch an innumerable fociety, in fearching out the wonders of the creation, and joining in the fame confort of praise and adoration.

Milton has finely defcribed this mixed communion of men and fpirits in paradife; and had doubtlefs his eye upon a verfe in old Hefiod, which is almoft word for word the fame with his third line in the following paffage.

-Nor think, though men were none,

That heav'n would want fpectators, God want praife:
Millions of fpiritual creatures walk the earth
Uafeen, both when we wake and when we fleep;
All thefe with ceaseless praise his works behold
Both day and night. How often from the steep
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or refponfive each to other's note,

Singing

Singing their great Creator? Oft in bands,
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,
With heav'nly touch of inftrumental founds,
In full harmonick number join'd, their fongs
Divide the night and lift our thoughts to heav'n.

No 13. THURSDAY, MARCH 15.

C

-MART.

Dic mihi, fi fueris tu leo, qualis eris?
Were you a lion, how wou'd you behave?

THE

HERE is nothing that of late years has afforded matter of greater amufement to the town than Signior Nicolini's combat with a lion in the Hay-market, which has been very often exhibited to the general fatisfaction of most of the nobility and gentry in the kingdom of Great Britain. Upon the first rumour of this intended combat, it was confidently affirmed and is ftill believed by many in both galleries, that there would be a tame lion fent from the Tower every opera night, in order to be killed by Hydafpes; this report, though altogether groundlefs, fo univerfally prevailed in the upper regions of the play-houfe, that fome of the most refined politicians in thofe parts of the audience gave it out in whisper, that the lion was a coufin-german of the tiger who made his appearance in King William's days, and that the ftage would be fupplied with lions at the public expence, during the whole feffion. Many likewife were the conjectures of the treatment which this lion was to meet with from the hands of Signior Nicolini; fome fuppofed that he was to fubdue him in Recitativo, as Orpheus ufed to serve the wild beasts in his time, and afterwards to knock him on the head; fome fancied that the lion would not pretend to lay his paws upon the hero, by reafon of the received opinion, that a lion will not hurt a virgin: Several

who

who pretended to have feen the opera in Italy, had informed their friends, that the lion was to act a part in High-Dutch, and roar twice or thrice to a Thorough-Bass, before he fell at the feet of Hydafpes. To clear up a matter that was fo varioufly reported, I have made it my bufinefs to examine whether this pretended lion is really the favage he ap pears to be, or only a counterfeit.

But before I communicate my discoveries I must acquaint the reader, that upon my walking behind the scenes laft winter, as I was thinking on fome thing elfe, I accidently juftled against a monstrous animal that extremely ftartled me, and upon my nearer furvey of it, appeared to be a lion rampant. The lion seeing me very much furprised, told me, in a gentle voice, that I might come by him if I pleafed For (fays he) I do not intend to hurt any body. I thanked him very kindly, and paffed by him: And in a little time after faw him leap upon the stage, and act his part with very great applaufe. It has been obferved by feveral, that the lion has changed his manner of acting twice or thrice fince his firft appearance; which will not feem ftrange, when I acquaint my reader that the lion has been changed upon the audience three feveral times. The firft lion was a candle-fnuffer, who, being a fellow of a tefty cholerick temper, overdid his part, and would not fuffer himself to be killed fo eafily as he ought to have done; befides, it was obferved of him, that he grew more furly every time he came out of the lion; and having dropt fome words in ordinary converfation, as if he had not fought his beft, and that he fuffered himself to be thrown upon his back in the fcuffle, and that he would wrestle with Mr. Nicolini for what he pleased, out of his lion's skin, it was thought proper to discard him And it is verily believed, to this day, that had he been brought upon the ftage another time, he would certainly have done mifchief. Befides it

was

was objected against the first lion, that he reared himself so high upon his hinder paws, and walked in fo erect a pofture, that he looked more like an old man than a lion.

The fecond lion was a tailor by trade, who belonged to the play-houfe, and had the character of a mild and peaceable man in his profeffion. If the former was too furious, this was too fheepifh, for his part; infomuch, that after a fhort modeft walk upon the ftage, he would fall upon the first touch of Hydafpes, without grappling with him, and giving him an opportunity of fhewing his variety of Italian trips: It is faid, indeed, that he once gave him a rip in the flesh-colour doublet; but this was only to make work for himself, in his private character of a tailor. I muft not omit that it was this fecond lion who treated me with fo much humanity behind the fcenes.

The acting lion at present is, I am informed, a country gentleman who does it for his diverfion, but defires his name may be concealed. He fays very handfomely, in his own excufe, that he does not act for gain, that he indulges an innocent pleasure in it; and that it is better to pafs away an evening in this manner, than in gaming and drinking: But at the fame time fays, with a very agreeable rallery upon himself, that if his name fhould be known, the ill-natured world might call him, The afs in the lion's fkin. This gentleman's temper is made out of fuch a happy mixture of the mild and the cholerick, that he outdoes both his predeceffors, and has drawn together greater audiences than have been known in the memory of man.

I must not conclude my narrative, without taking notice of a groundless report that has been raised to a gentleman's difadvantage, of whom I muft declare myfelf an admirer; namely, that Signior Nicolini and the lion have been feen fitting peaceably by one another, and finoking a pipe together