able to write the Phaedra and Hippolitus) for a People to No. 18. be so stupidly fond of the Italian Opera, as scarce to Wednesgive a third Day's Hearing to that admirable Tragedy? March 21, day, Musick is certainly a very agreeable Entertainment, but 1711 if it would take the entire Possession of our Ears, if it would make us incapable of hearing Sense, if it would exclude Arts that have a much greater Tendency to the Refinement of Human Nature; I must confess I would allow it no better Quarter than Plato has done, who banishes it out of his Common-wealth. At present, our Notions of Musick are so very uncertain, that we do not know what it is we like; only, in general, we are transported with any thing that is not English: So it be of foreign Growth, let it be Italian, French, or High-Dutch, it is the same thing. In short, our English Musick is quite rooted out, and nothing yet planted in its stead. When a Royal Palace is burnt to the Ground, every Man is at liberty to present his Plan for a new one; and though it be but indifferently put together, it may furnish several Hints that may be of Use to a good Architect. I shall take the same Liberty in a following Paper, of giving my Opinion upon the Subject of Musick; which I shall lay down only in a problematical Manner, to be con sidered by those who are Masters in the Art. No, 19, Envy Thursday, March 22. Di bene fecerunt, inopis me quodque pusilli C OBSERVING one Person behold another, who was an utter Stranger to him, with a Cast of his Eye, which, methought, expressed an Emotion of Heart very different from what could be raised by an Object so agree able as the Gentleman he looked at, I began to consider, not without some secret Sorrow, the Condition of an Envious Man. Some have fancied that Envy has a cer tain Magical Force in it, and that the Eyes of the Envious have by their Fascination blasted the Enjoyments of the Happy, Sir Francis Bacon says, Some have been so curious No. 19. curious as to remark the Times and Seasons when the Thursday, Stroke of an envious Eye is most effectually pernicious, March 22, and have observed that it has been when the Person 1711. envied has been in any Circumstance of Glory and Triumph. At such a time the Mind of the prosperous Man goes, as it were, abroad, among things without him, and is more exposed to the Malignity. But I shall not dwell upon Speculations so abstracted as this, or repeat the many excellent Things which one might collect out of Authors upon this miserable Affection; but keeping in the Road of common Life, consider the Envious Man with relation to these three Heads, His Pains, His Reliefs, and His Happiness. The Envious Man is in Pain upon all Occasions which ought to give him Pleasure, The Relish of his Life is inverted; and the Objects which administer the highest Satisfaction to those who are exempt from this Passion, give the quickest Pangs to Persons who are subject to it. All the Perfections of their Fellow-Creatures are odious: Youth, Beauty, Valour and Wisdom are Provocations of their Displeasure. What a Wretched and Apostate State is this! To be offended with Excellence, and to hate a Man because we approve him! The Condition of the Envious Man is the most emphatically miserable; he is not only incapable of rejoicing in another's Merit or Success, but lives in a World wherein all Mankind are in a Plot against his Quiet, by studying their own Happiness and Advantage. Will. Prosper is an honest Tale-bearer, he makes it his Business to join in Conversation with Envious Men. He points to such an handsom young Fellow, and whispers that he is secretly married to a great Fortune: When they doubt, he adds Circumstances to prove it; and never fails to aggravate their Distress, by assuring 'em, that to his Knowledge he has an Uncle will leave him some Thousands, Will. has many Arts of this kind to torture this sort of Temper, and delights in it. When he finds them change Colour, and say faintly they wish such a Piece of News is true, he has the Malice to speak some good or other of every Man of their Acquaintance. The Reliefs of the Envious Man are those little Blemishes and Imperfections that discover themselves in No. 19. an Illustrious Character. It is a matter of great Consola Thursday, March 22, tion to an Envious Person, when a Man of known 1711 Honour does a thing unworthy himself: Or when any Action which was well executed, upon better Informa tion appears so altered in its Circumstances, that the Fame of it is divided among many, instead of being attributed to One. This is a secret Satisfaction to these Malignants; for the Person whom they before could not but admire, they fancy is nearer their own Condition as soon as his Merit is shared among others. I remember some Years ago there came out an excellent Poem without the Name of the Author. The little Wits, who were incapable of Writing it, began to pull in Pieces the supposed Writer, When that would not do, they took great Pains to suppress the Opinion that it was his. That again failed. The next Refuge was to say it was overlooked by one Man, and many Pages wholly written by another. An honest Fellow, who sate among a Cluster of them in debate on this Subject, cryed out, Gentlemen, if you are sure none of you your selves had an hand in it, you are but where you were, whoever writ it. But the most usual Succour to the Envious, in cases of nameless Merit in this kind, is to keep the Property, if possible, unfixed, and by that means to hinder the Reputation of it from falling upon any particular Person. You see an Envious Man clear up his Countenance, if in the Relation of any Man's Great Happiness in one Point, you mention his Uneasiness in another. When he hears such a one is very rich he turns Pale, but recovers when you add that he has many Children. In a word, the only sure Way to an Envious Man's Favour, is not to deserve it. But if we consider the Envious Man in Delight, it is like reading the Seat of a Giant in a Romance; the Magnificence of his House consists in the many Limbs of Men whom he has slain, If any who promised themselves Success in any Uncommon Undertaking miscarry in the Attempt, or he that aimed at what would have been Useful and Laudable, meets with Con tempt and Derision, the Envious Man, under the Colour of No. 19. of hating Vain-glory, can smile with an inward WantonThursday, ness of Heart at the ill Effect it may have upon an honest March 22, Ambition for the future. 1711. Having thoroughly considered the Nature of this Passion, I have made it my Study how to avoid the Envy that may accrue to me from these my Speculations; and if I am not mistaken in my self, I think I have a Genius to escape it. Upon hearing in a Coffee-house one of my Papers commended, I immediately apprehended the Envy that would spring from that Applause; and there fore gave a Description of my Face the next Day; being resolved, as I grow in Reputation for Wit, to resign my Pretensions to Beauty. This, I hope, may give some Ease to those unhappy Gentlemen, who do me the Honour to torment themselves upon the Account of this my Paper. As their Case is very deplorable, and deserves Compassion, I shall sometimes be dull, in Pity to them, and will from time to time administer Consolations to them by further Discoveries of my Person, mean while, if any one says the SPECTATOR has Wit, it may be some Relief to them, to think that he does not shew it in Company, And if any one praises his Morality, they may comfort themselves by considering that his Face is none of the longest No. 20, [STEELE.] V's don't "Starens" In the Friday, March 23. Κυνὸς ὄμματ ̓ ἔχων- -Hom. MONG the other hardy Undertakings which I have proposed to myself, that of the Correc tion of Impudence is what I have very much at Heart, This in a particular Manner is my Province as SPECTATOR; for it is generally an Offence committed by the Eyes, and that against such as the Offenders would perhaps never have an Opportunity of injuring any other Way. The following Letter is a Complaint of a young Lady, who sets forth a Trespass of this kind, with that Command of herself as befits Beauty and Innocence, and yet with so much Spirit as sufficiently expresses her Indignation. The whole Transaction is performed with the Eyes; and the No. 20. 'Sir, There never was (I believe) an acceptable Man, but had some awkard Imitators, Ever since the SPECTATOR appeared, have I remarked a kind of Men, whom I chuse to call Starers; that without, any regard to Time, Place, or Modesty, disturb large Company with their impertinent Éyes. Spectators make up a proper Assembly for a Puppet-Show or a Bear Garden; but devout Supplicants and attentive Hearers are the Audience one ought to expect in Churches. I am, Sir, Member of a small pious Congregation near one of the North Gates of this City; much the greater Part of us indeed are females, and used to behave ourselves in a regular attentive Manner, till very lately one whole Isle has been disturbed with one of these monstrous Starers; He's the Head taller than any one in the Church; but for the greater Advantage of exposing himself, stands upon a Hassock, and commands the whole Congregation, to the great Annoyance of the devoutest Part of the Auditory; for what with Blushing, Confusion, and Vexation, we can neither mind the Prayers nor Sermon. Your Animad version upon this Insolence would be a great Favour to, Sir, Your most humble Servant, S. C I have frequently seen of this sort of Fellows; and do not think there can be a greater Aggravation of an Offence, than that it is committed where the Criminal is protected by the Sacredness of the Place which he violates, Many Reflections of this sort might be very justly made upon this kind of Behaviour, but a Starer is not usually a Person to be convinced by the Reason of the thing; and a Fellow that is capable of shewing an impudent Front before a whole Congregation, and can |