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house, where he met an old woman in a HAVING endeavoured in my last Saturtattered raiment, who had been his guest day's paper to show the great excellency for many years, and whose name was Po- of faith, I shall here consider what are the verty. The old woman refusing to turn out proper means of strengthening and confirmso easily as he would have her, he threat-ing it in the mind of man. Those who deened to banish her, not only from his own light in reading books of controversy which house, but out of all Greece, if she made are written on both sides of the question on any more words upon the matter. Poverty points of faith, do very seldom arrive at a on this occasion pleads her cause very fixed and settled habit of it. They are one notably, and represents to her old landlord, day entirely convinced of its important that should she be driven out of the coun-truths, and the next meet with sometry, all their trades, arts, and sciences,thing that shakes and disturbs them. The would be driven out with her; and that, if doubt which was laid revives again, and every one was rich, they would never be shows itself in new difficulties, and that supplied with those pomps, ornaments, and generally for this reason, because the mind, conveniences of life which made riches de- which is perpetually tost in controversies sirable. She likewise represented to him and disputes, is apt to forget the reasons the several advantages which she bestowed which had once set it at rest, and to be upon her votaries in regard to their shape, disquieted with any former perplexity, their health, and their activity, by pre- when it appears in a new shape, or is startserving them from gouts, dropsies, un-ed by a different hand. As nothing is more wieldiness, and intemperance. But what- laudable than an inquiry after truth, so noever she had to say for herself, she was at thing is more irrational than to pass away last forced to troop off. Chremylus imme- our whole lives, without determining ourdiately considered how he might restore selves, one way or other, in those points Plutus to his sight; and, in order to it, con- which are of the last importance to us. veyed him to the temple of Esculapius, There are indeed many things from which who was famous for cures and miracles of we may withhold our assent; but in cases this nature. By this means the deity re- by which we are to regulate our lives, it is covered his eyes, and began to make a the greatest absurdity to be wavering and right use of them, by enriching every one unsettled, without closing with that side that was distinguished by piety towards the which appears the most safe and the most gods and justice towards men: and at the probable. The first rule, therefore, which same time by taking away his gifts from I shall lay down is this; that when by readthe impious and undeserving. This pro- ing or discourse we find ourselves thoduces several merry incidents, till in the roughly convinced of the truth of any artilast act Mercury descends with great com-cle, and of the reasonableness of our belief plaints from the gods, that since the good in it, we should never after suffer ourselves men were grown rich, they had received to call it in question. We may perhaps forno sacrifices; which is confirmed by a priest get the arguments which occasioned our of Jupiter, who enters with a remonstrance, conviction, but we ought to remember the that since the late innovation he was re-strength they had with us, and therefore duced to a starving condition, and could not still to retain the conviction which they live upon his office. Chremylus, who in once produced. This is no more than what the beginning of the play was religious in we do in every common art or science; nor his poverty, concludes it with a proposal, is it possible to act otherwise, considering which was relished by all the good men the weakness and limitation of our intellecwho had now grown rich as well as himself, tual faculties. It was thus that Latimer, that they should carry Plutus in a solemn one of the glorious army of martyrs, who procession to the temple, and install him in introduced the reformation in England, bethe place of Jupiter. This allegory_in-haved himself in that great conference structed the Athenians in two points: first as it vindicted the conduct of Providence in its ordinary distributions of wealth; and, in the next place, as it showed the great tendency of riches to corrupt the morals of those who possessed them.

C.

No. 465.] Saturday, August 23, 1712.

Qua ratione queas traducere leniter ævum;
Ne te semper inops agitet vexetque cupido;
Ne pavor et rerum mediocriter utilium spes.
Hor. Ep. xviii. Lib. 1. 97.

How you may glide with gentle ease
Adown the current of your days;
Nor vex'd by mean and low desires,
Nor warm'd by wild ambitious fires;

By hope alarm'd, depress'd by fear,

For things but little worth your care.-Francis.

which was managed between the most learned among the protestants and papists in the reign of Queen Mary. This venerable old man, knowing his abilities were impaired by age, and that it was impossible for him to recollect all those reasons which had directed him in the choice of his religion, left his companions, who were in the full possession of their parts and learning, to baffle and confound their antagonists by the force of reason. As for himself, he only repeated to his adversaries the articles in which he firmly believed, and in the profession of which he was determined to die. It is in this manner that the mathematician proceeds upon propositions which he has once demonstrated: and though the demonstration may have slipped out of his me

mory, he builds upon the truth, because he knows it was demonstrated. This rule is absolutely necessary for weaker minds, and in some measure for men of the greatest abilities; but to these last I would propose, in the second place, that they should lay up in their memories, and always keep by them in readiness, those arguments which appear to them of the greatest strength, and which cannot be got over by all the doubts and cavils of infidelity.

rally grow in the mind of every reasonable man, who sees the impressions of divine power and wisdom in every object on which he casts his eye. The Supreme Being has made the best arguments for his own existence, in the formation of the heavens and the earth; and these are arguments which a man of sense cannot forbear attending to, who is out of the noise and hurry of human affairs. Aristotle says, that should a man live under ground, and there converse with the works of art and mechanism, and should afterward be brought up into the open day, and see the several glories of the heaven and earth, he would immediately pronounce them the works of such a being as we define God to be. The psalmist has very beautiful strokes of poe

But, in the third place, there is nothing which strengthens faith more than morality. Faith and morality naturally produce each other. A man is quickly convinced of the truth of religion, who finds it is not against his interest that it should be true. The pleasure he receives at present, and the happiness which he promises him-try to this purpose, in that exalted strain: self from it hereafter, will both dispose him very powerfully to give credit to it, according to the ordinary observation, that we are easy to believe what we wish.' It is very certain, that a man of sound reason cannot forbear closing with religion upon an impartial examination of it; but at the same time it is certain, that faith is kept alive in us, and gathers strength from practice more than from speculation.

There is still another method, which is more persuasive than any of the former; and that is an habitual adoration of the Supreme Being, as well in constant acts of mental worship, as in outward forms. The devout man does not only believe, but feels there is a deity. He has actual sensations of him; his experience concurs with his reason; he sees him more and more in all his intercourses with him, and even in this life almost loses his faith in conviction.

The last method which I shall mention for the giving life to a man's faith, is frequent retirement from the world, accompanied with religious meditation. When a man thinks of any thing in the darkness of the night, whatever deep impressions it may make in his mind, they are apt to vanish as soon as the day breaks upon him. The light and noise of the day, which are perpetually soliciting his senses, and calling off his attention, wear out of his mind the thoughts that imprinted themselves in it, with so much strength, during the silence and darkness of the night. A man

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handy work. One day telleth another; and one night certifieth another. There is neither speech nor language; but their voices are heard among them. Their sound is gone out into all lands; and their words into the ends of the world.' As such a bold and sublime manner of thinking furnishes very noble matter for an ode, the reader may see it wrought into the following one.

I.

"The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim:

Th' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an almighty hand.

II.

"Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the list'ning earth
Repeats the story of her birth:
Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

III.

"What though, in solemn silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever singing, as they shine,
The hand that made us is divine."

-Vera incessu patuit dea.-Virg. Æn. i. 409. And by her graceful walk the queen of love is known Dryden.

finds the same difference as to himself in a No. 466.] Monday, August 25, 1712. crowd and in a solitude: the mind is stunned and dazzled amidst that variety of objects which press upon her in a great city. She cannot apply herself to the consideration of those things which are of the utmost concern to her. The cares or pleasures of the world strike in with every thought, and a multitude of vicious examples give a kind of justification to our folly. In our retirements, every thing disposes us to be serious. In courts and cities we are entertained with the works of men; in the country with those of God. One is the province of art, the other of nature. Faith and devotion natu

WHEN Æneas, the hero of Virgil, is lost in the wood, and a perfect stranger in the place on which he is landed, he is accosted by a lady in a habit for the chase. She inquires of him, whether he has seen pass by that way any young woman dressed as she was? whether she were following the sport in the wood, or any other way employed, according to the custom of huntresses? The hero answers with the respect due to the

beautiful appearance she made; tells her, woman, whom I entertained to take care he saw no such person as she inquired for; of her, to be very watchful in her care and but intimates that he knows her to be one attendance about her. I am a man of busiof the deities, and desires she would con- ness, and obliged to be much abroad. The duct a stranger. Her form, from her first neighbours have told me, that in my abappearance, manifested she was more than sence our maid has let in the spruce sermortal; but, though she was certainly a vants in the neighbourhood to junketings, goddess, the poet does not make her known while my girl played and romped even in to be the goddess of beauty till she moved. the street. To tell you the plain truth, I All the charms of an agreeable person are catched her once, at eleven years old, at then in their highest exertion, every limb chuck-farthing among the boys. This put and feature appears with its respective me upon new thoughts about my child, and grace. It is from this observation that II determined to place her at a boardingcannot help being so passionate an admirer school; and at the same time gave a very as I am of good dancing. As all art is an discreet young gentlewoman her mainteimitation of nature, this is an imitation of nance at the same place and rate, to be her nature in its highest excellence, and at a companion. I took little notice of my girl time when she is most agreeable. The from time to time, but saw her now and business of dancing is to display beauty; and then in good health, out of harm's way, and for that reason all distortions and mimick- was satisfied. But, by much importunity, I ries, as such, are what raise aversion in- was lately prevailed with to go to one of stead of pleasure; but things that are in their balls. I cannot express to you the themselves excellent, are ever attended anxiety my silly heart was in, when I saw with imposture and false imitation. Thus, my romp, now fifteen, taken out: I never as in poetry there are labouring fools who felt the pangs of a father upon me so write anagrams and acrosticks, there are strongly in my whole life before; and I pretenders, in dancing, who think merely could not have suffered more had my whole to do what others cannot, is to excel. Such fortune been at stake. My girl came on creatures should be rewarded like him who with the most becoming modesty I had ever has acquired a knack of throwing a grain seen, and casting a respectful eye, as if she of corn through the eye of a needle, with a feared me more than all the audience, I bushel to keep his hand in use. The gave a nod, which I think gave her all the dancers on our stage are very faulty in this spirit she assumed upon it: but she rose kind; and what they mean by writhing properly to that dignity of aspect. My themselves into such postures, as it would romp, now the most graceful person of her be a pain for any of the spectators to stand sex, assumed a majesty which commanded in, and yet hope to please those spectators, the highest respect; and when she turned is unintelligible. Mr. Prince has a genius, to me, and saw my face in rapture, she fell if he were encouraged, would prompt him into the prettiest smile, and I saw in all her to better things. In all the dances he in- motions that she exulted in her father's vents, you see he keeps close to the cha-satisfaction. You, Mr. Spectator, will, betracters he represents. He does not hope to ter than I can tell you, imagine to yourself please by making his performers move in all the different beauties and changes of a manner in which no one else ever did but aspect in an accomplished young woman by motions proper to the characters he re-setting forth all her beauties with a design presents. He gives to clowns and lubbards to please no one so much as her father. My clumsy graces: that is, he makes them girl's lover can never know half the satispractise what they would think graces; and faction that I did in her that day. I could I have seen dances of his, which might not possibly have imagined that so great give hints that would be useful to a comic improvement could have been wrought by writer. These performances have pleased an art that I always held in itself ridiculous the taste of such as have not reflection and contemptible. There is, I am conenough to know their excellence, because vinced, no method like this, to give young they are in nature; and the distorted mo- women a sense of their own value and tions of others have offended those who dignity: and I am sure there can be none so could not form reasons to themselves for expeditious to communicate that value to their displeasure, from their being a con- others. As for the flippant insipidly gay, tradiction to nature. and wantonly forward, whom you behold among dancers, that carriage is more to be attributed to the perverse genius of the performers, than imputed to the art itself. For my part, my child has danced herself into my esteem; and I have as great an honour for her as ever I had for her mother, from whom she derived those latent good quali'MR. SPECTATOR,-I am a widower with ties which appeared in her countenance but one daughter: she was by nature much when she was dancing; for my girl, though inclined to be a romp; and I had no way ofI say it myself, showed in one quarter of an educating her, but commanding a young | hour the innate principles of a modest vir

When one considers the inexpressible advantage there is in arriving at some excellence in this art, it is monstrous to behold it so much neglected. The following letter has in it something very natural on this subject.

gin, a tender wife, a generous friend, a kind mother, and an indulgent mistress. I'll strain hard but I will purchase for her a husband suitable to her merit. I am your convert in the admiration of what I thought you jested when you recommended; and if you please to be at my house on Thursday next, I make a ball for my daughter, and you shall see her dance, or, if you will do her that honour dance with her. I am, sir, your humble servant,

'PHILIPATER.'

to give elegant delight. It may possibly be proved, that vice is in itself destructive of pleasure, and virtue in itself conducive to it. If the delights of a free fortune were under proper regulations, this truth would not want much argument to support it; but it would be obvious to every man, that there is a strict affinity between all things that are truly laudable and beautiful, from the highest sentiment of the soul to the most indifferent gesture of the body. T.

-Quodcunque mere poterunt audere Camœnæ,
Seu tibi par poterunt; seu, quod spes abnuit, ultra:
Sive minus; certeque canent minus: omne vovemus
Hoc tibi: ne tanto careat mihi nomine charta.

I have some time ago spoken of a treatise No. 467.] Tuesday, August 26, 1712. written by Mr. Weaver on this subject, which is now, I understand, ready to be published. This work sets this matter in a very plain and advantageous light; and I am convinced from it, that if the art was under proper regulations, it would be a mechanic way of implanting insensibly, in minds not capable of receiving it so well by any other rules, a sense of good-breeding and virtue.

Were any one to see Mariamne* dance, let him be never so sensual a brute, I defy him to entertain any thoughts but of the highest respect and esteem towards her. I was showed last week a picture in a lady's closet, for which she had a hundred different dresses, that she could clap on round the face on purpose to demonstrate the force of habits in the diversity of the same countenance. Motion, and change of posture and aspect, has an effect no less surprising on the person of Mariamne when she dances.

Chloe is extremely pretty, and as silly as she is pretty. This idiot has a very good ear, and a most agreeable shape; but the folly of the thing is such, that it smiles so impertinently, and affects to please so sillily, that while she dances you see the simpleton from head to foot. For you must know (as trivial as this art is thought to be,) no one was ever a good dancer that had not a good understanding. If this be a truth, I shall leave the reader to judge, from that maxim, what esteem they ought to have for such impertinents as fly, hop, caper, tumble, twirl, turn round, and jump over their heads; and, in a word, play a thousand pranks which many animals can do better than a man, instead of performing to perfection what the human figure only is capable of performing.

It may perhaps appear odd, that I, who set up for a mighty lover, at least of virtue, should take so much pains to recommend what the soberer part of mankind look upon to be a trifle; but, under favour of the soberer part of mankind, I think they have not enough considered this matter, and for that reason only disesteem it. I must also, in my own justification, say, that I attempt to bring into the service of honour and virtue every thing in nature that can pretend

* Probably Mrs. Bicknell.

Tibull. ad Messalem, Eleg. iv. Lib. 1. 24.
Whate'er my muse adventurous dares indite,
Whether the niceness of thy piercing sight
Applaud my lays, or censure what I write:
To thee I sing, and hope to borrow fame,
By adding to my page Messala's name.

THE love of praise is a passion deeply fixed in the mind of every extraordinary person; and those who are most affected with it, seem most to partake of that particle of the divinity which distinguishes mankind from the inferior creation. The Supreme Being himself is most pleased with praise and thanksgiving: the other part of our duty is but an acknowledgment of our faults, whilst this is the immediate adoration of his perfections. 'Twas an excellent observation, that we then only despise commendation when we cease to deserve it; and we have still extant two orations of

Tully and Pliny, spoken to the greatest and best princes of all the Roman emperors, who, no doubt, heard with the greatest satisfaction, what even the most disinterested persons, and at so large a distance of time, cannot read without admiration. Cæsar thought his life consisted in the breath of praise, when he professed he had lived long enough for himself, when he had for his glory. Others have sacrificed themselves for a name which was not to begin till they were dead, giving away themselves to purchase a sound which was hot to com mence till they were out of hearing. But by merit and superior excellencies, not only to gain, but, whilst living, to enjoy a great and universal reputation, is the last degree of happiness which we can hope for here Bad characters are dispersed abroad with profusion; I hope for example's sake, and (as punishments are designed by the civil power) more for the deterring the innocent than the chastising the guilty. The good are less frequent, whether it be that there are indeed fewer originals of this kind to copy after, or that, through the malignity of our nature, we rather delight in the ridicule than the virtues we find in others. However, it is but just, as well as pleasing, even for variety, sometimes to give the world a representation of the bright side of human nature, as well as the dark and

gloomy. The desire of imitation may, perhaps, be a greater incentive to the practice of what is good, than the aversion we may conceive at what is blameable: the one immediately directs you what you should do, whilst the other only shows what you should avoid; and I cannot at present do this with more satisfaction than by endeavouring to do some justice to the character of Manilius.

Swear, that none e'er had such a graceful art, Fortune's free gifts as freely to impart, With an unenvious hand, and an unbounded heart.' Never did Atticus succeed better in gaining the universal love and esteem of all men; nor steer with more success between the extremes of two contending parties. "Tis his peculiar happiness that, while he espouses neither with an intemperate zeal, he is not only admired, but, what is a more rare and unusual felicity, he is beloved and caressed by both; and I never yet saw any person, of whatever age or sex, but was

It would far exceed my present design, to give a particular description of Manilius through all the parts of his excellent life. I shall now only draw him in his retire-immediately struck with the merit of Mament, and pass over in silence the various arts, the courtly manners, and the undesigning honesty by which he attained the honours he has enjoyed, and which now give a dignity and veneration to the ease he does enjoy. 'Tis here that he looks back with pleasure on the waves and billows through which he has steered to so fair a haven: he is now intent upon the practice of every virtue, which a great knowledge and use of mankind has discovered to be the most useful to them. Thus in his private domestic employments he is no less glorious than in his public; for it is in reality a more difficult task to be conspicuous in a sedentary inactive life, than in one that is spent in hurry and business: persons engaged in the latter, like bodies violently agitated, from the swiftness of their motion, have a brightness added to them, which often vanishes when they are at rest; but if it then still remain, it must be the seeds of intrinsic worth that thus shine out without any foreign aid or assistance.

His liberality in another might almost bear the name of profusion: he seems to think it laudable even in the excess, like that river which most enriches when it overflows. But Manilius has too perfect a taste of the pleasure of doing good, ever to let it be out of his power; and for that reason he will have a just economy and a splendid frugality at home, the fountain from whence those streams should flow which he disperses abroad. He looks with disdain on those who propose their death as the time when they are to begin their munificence: he will both see and enjoy (which he then does in the highest degree,) what he bestows himself; he will be the living executor of his own bounty, whilst they who have the happiness to be within his care and patronage, at once pray for the continuation of his life and their own good fortune. No one is out of the reach of his obligations; he knows how, by proper and becoming methods, to raise himself to a level with those of the highest rank; and his good-nature is a sufficient warrant against the want of those who are so unhappy as to be in the very lowest. One may say of him, as Pindar bids his muse say of Theron,

'Swear, that Theron sure has sworn, No one near him should be poor.

nilius. There are many who are acceptable to some particular persons, whilst the rest of mankind look upon them with coldness and indifference; but he is the first whose entire good fortune it is ever to please and to be pleased, wherever he comes to be admired, and wherever he is absent to be lamented. His merit fares like the pictures of Raphael, which are either seen with admiration by all, or at least no one dare own he has no taste for a composition which has received so universal an applause. Envy and malice find it against their interest to indulge slander and obloquy. 'Tis as hard for an enemy to detract from, as for a friend to add to, his praise. An attempt upon his reputation is a sure lessening of one's own; and there is but one way to injure him, which is to refuse him his just commendations, and be cbstinately silent.

It is below him to catch the sight with any care of dress; his outward garb is but the emblem of his mind. It is genteel, plain and unaffected; he knows that gold and embroidery can add nothing to the opinion which all have of his merit, and that he gives a lustre to the plainest dress, whilst 'tis impossible the richest should communicate any to him. He is still the principal figure in the room. He first engages your eye, as if there were some point of light which shone stronger upon him than on any other person.

He puts me in mind of a story of the famous Bussy d'Amboise, who, at an assembly at court, where every one appeared with the utmost magnificence, relying upon his own superior behaviour, instead of adorning himself like the rest, put on that day a plain suit of clothes, and dressed all his servants in the most costly gay habits he could procure. The event was, that the eyes of the whole court were fixed upon him; all the rest looked like his attendants, while he alone had the air of a person of quality and distinction.

Like Aristippus, whatever shape or condition he appears in, it still sits free and easy upon him; but in some part of his character, 'tis true, he differs from him; for as he is altogether equal to the largeness of his present circumstances, the rectitude of his judgment has so far corrected the inclinations of his ambition, that he will

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