the fame figure as the bags that were really filled with money, had been blown up with air, and called into my memory the bags full of wind, which Homer tells us his hero received as a prefent from Eelus. The great heaps of gold on either fide the throne, now appeared to be only heaps of paper, or little piles of notched ficks, bound up together in bundles, like Bath-faggots.

Whilft I was lamenting this fudden defolation that had been made before me, the whole fcene vanished: In the room of the frightful spectres, there now entered a fecond dance of apparitions very agreeably matched together, and made up of very amiable phantoms. The first pair was Liberty with Monarchy at her right hand: The fecond was Moderation leading in Religion; and the third a person whom I had never feen, with the genius of Great Britain. At the first entrance the Lady revived, the bags fwelled to their former bulk, the pile of fag gots and heaps of paper changed into pyramids of guineas: And for my own part I was fo tranfported with joy, that I awaked, though I must confefs, I would fain have fallen afleep again to have clofed my vifion, if I could have done it.

N° 4

Monday, March 5.

-Egregii mortalem altique filenti?

Hor. Sat. 6. 1. 2. ver. 58.

One of uncommon filence and referve.

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N author, when he first appears in the world, is very apt to believe it has nothing to think of but his performances. With a good share of this vanity in my heart, I made it my bufinefs these three days to liften after my own fame; and as I have fometimes met with circumstances which did not displease me, I have been encountered by others which gave me as much mortification. It is incredible to think how empty I have in this time obferved fome part of the fpecies to be, what mere blanks they are when they firft come abroad

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in the morning, how utterly they are at a ftand until they are a fet a going by fome paragraph in a news-paper: Such perfons are very acceptable to a young author, for they defire no more in any thing but to be new to be agreeable. If I found confolation among fuch, I was as much difquieted by the incapacity of others. Thefe are mortals who have a certain curiofity without power of reflection, and perufed my papers like fpectators rather than readers. But there is fo little pleafure in enquiries that fo nearly concern ourselves, (it being the worft way in the world to fame, to be too anxious about it) that upon the whole I refolved for the future to go on in my ordinary way; and without too much fear or hope about the business of reputation, to be very careful of the defign of my actions, but very negligent of the confequences of them.

It is an endless and frivolous purfuit to act by any other rule than the care of fatisfying our own minds in what we do. One would think a filent nan, who con→ cerned himself with no one breathing, fhould be very little liable to misinterpretations; and yet I remember I was once taken up for a Jefuit, for no other reafon but my profound taciturnity. It is from this misfortune that to be out of harm's way, I have ever fince affected crowds. He who comes into affemblies only to gratify his curiofity, and not to make a figure, enjoys the pleafures of retirement in a more exquifite degree, than he poffibly could in his clofet; the lover, the ambitious, and the mifer, are followed thither by a worfe crowd than any they can withdraw from. To be exempt from the paffions with which others are tormented, is the only pleafing folitude. I can very juftly fay with the ancient fage, I am never lefs alone than when alone. As I am infignificant to the company in publick places, and as it is visible I do not come thither as most do, to shew myself, I gratify the vanity of all who pretend to make an appearance, and have often as kind looks from well-drefs'd Gentlemen and Ladies, as a poet would bestow upon one of his audience. There are fo many gratifications attend this publick fort of obfcurity, that fome little diftaftes I daily receive have loft their anguifh; and I did the ether day, without the leaft

displeasure, overhear one fay of me, That ftrange fellow; and another anfwer, I have known the fellow's face thefe twelve years, and fo must you; but I believe you are the first ever asked who he was. There are, I

muft confefs, many to whom my perfon is as well known as that of their nearest relations, who give themfelves no farther trouble about calling me by my name or quality, but fpeak of me very currently by Mr. What d'ye call him.

To make up for these trivial disadvantages, I have the highest fatisfaction of beholding all nature with an unprejudiced eye; and having nothing to do with mens paffions or interefts, I can with the greater fagacity confider their talents, manners, failings, and merits.

It is remarkable, that thofe who want any one fenfe, poffefs the others with greater force and vivacity. Thus my want of, or rather refignation of speech, gives me all the advantages of a dumb man. I have, methinks, a more than ordinary penetration in feeing; and flatter myself that I have looked into the highest and lowest of mankind, and make fhrewd gueffes, without being admitted to their conversation, at the inmost thoughts and reflections of all whom I behold. It is from hence that good or ill fortune has no manner of force towards affecting my judgment. I fee men flourishing in courts, and languishing in jails, without being prejudiced from their circumftances to their favour or difadvantage; but from their inward manner of bearing their condition, often pity the profperous, and admire the unhappy.

Those who converfe with the dumb, know from the turn of their eyes, and the changes of their countenance, their fentiments of the objects before them. I have indulged my filence to fuch an extravagance, that the few who are intimate with me, anfwer my fmiles with concurrent fentences, and argue to the very point I shaked my head at, without my fpeaking. WILL HONEYCOMB was very entertaining the other night at a play, to a Gentleman who fat on his right hand, while I was at his left. The Gentleman believed WILL was talking to himself, when upon my looking with great approbation at a young thing in a box before us, he faid,

• I am

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• I am quite of another opinion. She has, I will al low, a very pleafing afpect, but methinks, that fimplicity in her countenance is rather childish than innocent.' When I obferved her a fecond time, he faid, "If grant her dress is very becoming, but perhaps the merit of that choice is owing to her mother; for though, continued he, I allow a beauty to be as much to be commended for the elegance of her drefs, as a wit for that of his language; yet if he has ftolen the colour of her ribbands from another, or had advice about her trimmings, I fhall not allow her the praife of dress any more than I would call a plagiary an author." When I threw my eye towards the next woman to her, WILL fpoke what I looked, according to his romantick Imagination, in the following manner.

Behold, you who dare, that charming virgin; behold the beauty of her perfon chaftifed by the ianocence of her thoughts. Chastity, good-nature, and affability, are the graces that play in her countenance; fhe knows fhe is handfome, but he knows he is good. * Confcious beauty adorned with confcious virtue! what a fpirit is there in thofe eyes! what a bloom in that perfon! how is the whole woman expreffed in her appearance! her air has the beauty of motion, and her look the force of language.'

It was prudence to turn away my eyes from this object, and therefore I turned them to the thoughtless creatures who make up the lump of that fex, and move a knowing eye no more than the portraiture of infignificant people by ordinary painters, which are but pictures of pictures.

Thus the working of my own mind is the general entertainment of my life; I never enter into the commerce of difcourfe with any but my particular friends, -and not in publick even with them. Such an habit has perhaps raised in me uncommon reflections; but this effect I cannot communicate but by my writings. As my pleasures are almost wholly confined to thofe of the fight, I take it for a peculiar happiness that I have always had an easy and familiar admittance to the fair fex. If I never praised or flattered, I never belied or contradicted them. As these compofe half the world, Vor. I. B

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and are, by the just complaifance and gallantry of our nation, the more powerful part of our people, I fhall dedicate a confiderable fhare of thefe my fpeculations to their service, and fhall lead the young through all the becoming duties of virginity, marriage, and widowhood. When it is a woman's day, in my works, I fhall endeavour at a ftile and air fuitable to their underftanding. When I fay this, I must be understood to mean, that I fhall not lower but exalt the subjects I treat upon. Difcourfe for their entertainment, is not to be debased but refined. A man may appear learned without talking fentences, as in his ordinary gefture he difcovers he can dance, though he does not cut capers. In a word, I fhall take it for the greatest glory of my work, if among reasonable women this paper may furnish teatable-talk. In order to it, I fhall treat on matters which relate to females, as they are "concerned to approach or fly from the other fex, or as they are tied to them by blood, intereft, or affection. Upon this occafion I think it but reasonable to declare, that whatever skill I may have in fpeculation, I fhall never betray what the eyes of lovers fay to each other in my prefence. At the fame time I fhall not think myself obliged, by this promife, to conceal any falfe proteftations which I obferve made by glances in publick affemblies; but endeavour to make both fexes appear in their conduct what they are in their hearts. By this means, love, during the time of my speculations, fhall be carried on with the fame fincerity as any other affair of less consideration. As this is the greatest concern, men fhall be from henceforth liable to the greateft reproach for misbehaviour in it. Falfhood in love fhall hereafter bear a-blacker afpect than infidelity in friendship, or villainy in bufinefs. For this great and good end, all breaches against that noble paflion, the cement of fociety, fhall be feverely examined. But this and all other matters loosely hinted at now, and in my former papers, fhall have their proper place in my following difcourfes: The prefent writing is only to admonish the world, that they fhall not find me an idle but a busy spectator.

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Tuesday,