Heart on the fame Things which the Generality doat on. By this Means, and with this eafy Philosophy, I am never lefs at a Play than when I am at the Theatre; but indeed I am seldom fo well pleafed with the Action as in that Place, for moft Men follow Nature no longer than while they are in their NightGowns, and all the bufy Part of the Day are in Characters which they neither become or act in with Pleasure to themselves or their Beholders. But to return to my Ladies, I was very well pleased to fee fo great a Croud of them affembled at a Play, wherein the Heroine, as the Phrase is, is so just a Picture of the Vanity of the Sex in tormenting their Admirers. The Lady who pines for the Man whom she treats with fo much Impertinence and Inconftancy, is drawn with much Art and Humour. Her Refolutions to be extremely civil, but her Vanity arifing juft at the Inftant that she refolved to exprefs herfelf kindly, are described as by one who had ftudied the Sex. But when my Admiration is fixed upon this excellent Character, and two or three others in the Play, I must confefs I was moved with the utmoft Indignation at the trivial, fenfeless, and unnatural Representation of the Chaplain. It is poffible there may be a Pedant in Holy Orders, and we have feen one or two of them in the World; but fuch a Driveler as Sir Ro ger, fo bereft of all Manner of Pride, which is the Characteristick of a Pedant, is what one would not believe could come into the Head of

the

the fame Man who drew the rest of the Play. The Meeting between Welford and him fhews a Wretch without any Notion of the Dignity of his Function; and it is out of all common Senfe, that he should give an Account of himself as one fent four or five Miles in a Morning on Foot for Eggs. It is not to be denied, but his Part, and that of the Maid, whom he makes Love to, are excellently well performed; but a Thing which is blameable in it felf, grows ftill more fo by the Succefs in the Execution of it. It is fo mean a Thing to gratify a loose Age with a fcandalous Representation of what is reputable among Men, not to say what is facred, that no Beauty, no Excellence in an Author ought to atone for it; nay, fuch Excellence is an Aggravation of his Guilt, and an Argument that he errs against the Conviction of his own Understanding and Confcience. Wit fhould be tried by this Rule, and an Audience should rise against fuch a Scene, as throws down the Reputation of any Thing which the Confideration of Religion or Decency should preferve from Contempt. But all this Evil arifes from this one Corruption of Mind, that makes Men refent Offences against their Virtue, less than those against their Understanding. An Author fhall write as if he thought there was not one Man of Honour or Woman of Chastity in the Houfe, and come off with Applaufe: For an Infult upon all the Ten Commandments, with the little Criticks, is not fo bad as the Breach of an Unity of

Time or Place. Half Wits do not apprehend the Miseries that muft neceffarily flow from Degeneracy of Manners; nor do they know that Order is the Support of Society. Sir Roger and his Mistress are Monsters of the Poets own forming; the Sentiments in both of them are fuch as do not arife in Fools of their Education. We all know that a filly Scholar, instead of being below every one he meets with, is apt to be exalted above the Rank of fuch as are really his Superiors: His Arrogance is always founded upon particular Notions of Diftinction in his own Head, accompanied with a pedantick Scorn of all Fortune and Preheminence when compared with his Knowledge and Learning. This very one Character of Sir Roger, as filly as it really is, has done more towards the Difparagement of Holy Orders, and confequently of Virtue it felf, than all the Wit that Author or any other could make up for in the Conduct of the longeft Life after it. I do not pretend, in saying this, to give my felf Airs of more Virtue than my Neighbours, but affert it from the Prin ciples by which Mankind must always be governed. Sallies of Imagination are to be over looked, when they are committed out of Warmth in the Recommendation of what is praife-worthy; but a deliberate advancing of Vice with all the Wit in the World, is as ill an Action as any that comes before the Magiftrate, and ought to be received as fuch by the People.

T

Thursday,

N° 271. Thursday, January 10.

Mille trahens varios adverfo fole colores. Virg.

I'

Receive a double Advantage from the Letters of my Correspondents; firft, as they Thew me which of my Papers are most acceptable to them; and in the next Place, as they furnish me with Materials for new SpeculatiEns. Sometimes indeed I do not make Use of the Letter it felf, but form the Hints of it into Plans of my own Invention; fometimes I take the Liberty to change the Language or Thought into my own Way of fpeaking and thinking, and always (if it can be done without Prejudice to the Senfe) omit the many Compliments and Applauses which are usually bestowed upon me.

BESIDES the two Advantages above-mentioned, which I receive from the Letters that are fent me, they give me an Opportunity of lengthning out my Paper by the Skilful Management of the fubfcribing Part at the End of them, which perhaps does not a little conduce to the Eafe, both of my felf and Reader.

SOME will have it, that I often write to my self, and am the only punctual Correfpondent I have. This Objection would indeed be material, were the Letters I communi

cate

cate to the Publick stuffed with my own Commendations, and if, instead of endeavouring to divert or inftruct my Readers, I admired in them the Beauty of my own Performances. But I fhall leave these wife Conjecturers to their own Imaginations, and produce the three following Letters for the Entertainment of the Day.

SIR,

'I

Was laft Thursday in an Affembly of Las

dies, where there were thirteen diffe rent coloured Hoods. Your Spectator of that Day lying upon the Table, they ordered me to read it to them, which I did with a very clear Voice, till I came to the Greek Verse at the End of it. I must confefs I was a little ftartled at its popping upon me fo unexpect edly: However, I covered my Confufion as ⚫ well as I could, and after having muttered two or three hard Words to my felf, laught heartily, and cryed A very good feft, Faith. The Ladies defired me to explain it to them, but I begg'd their Pardon for that, and told 'them that if it had been proper for them to hear, they may be fure the Author would not have wrapt it up in Greek. I then let drop feveral Expreffions, as if there was fomething in it that was not fit to be spoken before a Company of Ladies. Upon which 'the Matron of the Affembly, who was dreffed in a Cherry-coloured Hood, commended the Discretion of the Writer, for having

'thrown