their tempers will only create variety of pleasures. Bat as there always will arise, among the same people, either for want of diversity of objects, or the like causes, a certain satiety, which may grow into ill humour or discontent, there is a large wing of the house which they design to employ in the nature of an infirmary. Whoever says a peevish thing, or acts anything which betrays a sourness or indisposition to company, is immediately to be conveyed to bis chambers in the infirmary; from whence he is not to be relieved, till by bis manner of submission, and the sentiments expressed in his petition for that purpose, he appears to the majority of the company to be again fit for society. You are to understand that all ill-natured words or uneasy gestures are sufficient cause for banishment; speaking impatiently to servants, making a man repeat what he says, or any thing that betrays inattention or dishumour, are also criminal without reprieve. But it is provided, that whoever observes the ill-natured fit coming upon himself, and voluntarily retires, shall be received at his return from the infirmary with the highest marks of esteem. By these and other wholesome methods, it is expected that, if they cannot cure one another, yet at least they have taken care that the ill humour of one shall not be troublesome to the rest of the company. There are many other rales which the society have established, for the preservation of their ease and tranquillity, the effects of which, with the incidents that arise among them, shall be communicated to you from time to time, for the public good, by

" Sir, Your most humble servant,

"R. 0."

STEELE. T.

No. 425. TUESDAY, JULY 8, 712.

Frieora mitescunt zephyris; vcr proterit sestas

Interitura, simul
Pomifer autumnus fruges effuderit; et mox

Bruma recurrit inerj. HOE. 4 0D. VII. 9.

The cold grows soft with western gales,
The summer over spring prevails,

But yields to autumn's fruitful rain,
As this to winter storms and hails ;

Each loss the hasting moon repairs again. sia w. Temple.

" Mr. Spectator, " There is hardly any thing gives me a more sensible delight than the enjoyment of a cool still evening after the uneasiness of a hot sultry day. Such a one I passed not long ago, which made me rejoice, when then the hour was come for the sun to set, that I might enjoy the freshness of the evening in my garden, which then affords me the pleasantest hours I pass in the whole four-andtwenty. I immediately rose from my couch, and went down into it You descend at first by twelve stone steps into a large square divided into four grass plots, in each of which is a statue of white marble. This is separated from a large parterre by a low wall; and from thence, through a pair of iron gates, you are led into a long broad walk of the finest turf, set on each side with tall yews, and on either hand bordered by a canal which on the right divides the walk from a wilderness parted into a variety of alleys and arbours, and on the left from a kind of amphitheatre, which is the receptacle of a great number of oranges and myrtles. The moon shone bright, and seemed then most agreeably to supply the place of the sun, obliging me with as much light as was necessary to discover a thousand pleasing objects, and at the same time divested of nil power of heat. The reflection of it in the water, the fanning of the wind rustling on the leaves, the singing of the thrush and nightingale, and the coolness of the walks, all conspired to make me lay aside all displeasing thoughts, and brought me into such a tranquillity of mind, as is, 1 believe the next happiness to that of hereafter In this sweet retirement I naturally fell into the repetition of some lines out of a poem of Milton's, which he entitles 11 Penseroso, the ideas of which were exquisitely suited to my present wanderings of thought.—

' Sweet bird ! that shun'st the noise of folly.
Most musical! most melancholy !
Thee, chauntress, oft, the woods among,
I woo to hear thy even-song;
And missing thee I walk unseen
On the dry smooth-shaven green,
To behold the wand'ring moon,
Riding near her highest noon,
Like one that hath been led astray,
Through the heaven's wide pathless way,
And oft, as if her head she bow'd,
Stooping through a fleecy cloud.

' Then let some strange mysterious dream
Wave at his wings in airy stream
Of lively portraiture display'd.
Softly on my eyelids laid :
And as I wake, sweet masic breathe
Above, about, or underneath.
Sent by some Spirit to mortals good,
Or the unseen Genius of the wood.'

" I reflected then upon the sweet vicissitudes of night and day, on the charming disposition of the seasons, and their return again in a perpetual circle : and oh ! said I, that I could from these my declining years return again to my first spring of youth and vigour; but that, alas! is impossible: all that remains within my power, is to soften the inconveniences I feel, with an easy contented mind, and the enjoyment of such delights as this solitude affords me. In this thought 1 sat me down on a bank of flowers, and dropt into a slumber, which, whether it were the effect of fumes and vapours, or my present thoughts I know not; but methought the genius of tha garden stood before me, and introduced into the walk where I lay, this drama, and different scenes of the revolution of the year, which, whilst I then saw, even in my dream, I resolved to write down, and send to The Spectator.

"The first person whom I saw advancing towards me, was a yonth of a most beautiful air and shape, though he seemed not yet arrived at that exact proportion and symmetry of parts which a little more time would have given him; but, however, there was such a bloom in his countenance, such satisfaction andjoy, that I thought it the most desirable form that I had ever seen. He was clothed in a flowing mantle of green silk, interwoven with flowers: he had a chaplet of roses on bis head, and a narcissus in his hand; primroses and violets sprang up under his feet, and all nature was cheered at his approach Flora was on one hand, and Vertumnus on the other, in a robe of changeable silk. After this I was surprised to see the moon-beams reflected with a sudden glare from armour, and to see a man completely armed, advancing with his sword drawn. I was soon informed by the genius it was Mars.who had long usurped a place among the attendants ot the spring. He made way for a softer appearance. It was Venus, without any ornament but her own beauties, not so much as her own cestus, with which she had encompassed a globe, which she held in her right hand, and in her left she had a sceptre of gold. After her followed the Graces, with their arms entwined within one another: their girdles were loosed, and they moved to the sound of soft music, striking the ground alternately with their feet. Then came up the three months which belong to this season. As March advanced towards me, there was, methought, in his look a louring roughness, which ill befitted a month which was ranked in so soft * season ; but as he cam9 forwards, his features became insensibly more mild and gentle; he smoothed his brow, and looked with so sweet a countenance, that I could not but lament his departure, though he mode way for April. He appeared in the greatest gaiety imaginable, and had a thousand pleasures to attend him : his look was frequently clouded, but immediately returned to its first composure, and remained fixed in a smile. Then came May, attended by Cupid, with his bow strung and in a posture to let fly an arrow: as lie passed by, methought I heard a confused noise of soft complaints,

314 'ran sracraron. [No. 425.

gentle ecstacies, and tender sighs of lovers: vows of constancy.
and as many complainings of perfidiousness; all which the winds
wafted away as soon as they had reached my hearing. After these
I saw a man advance in the full rime and vigour of his age; his
complexion was sanguine and rudidy, his hair black, and fell down
in beautiful ringlets beneath his shoulders; a mantle of hair-
coloured silk hung loosely upon him: he advanced with a hasty
step after the Spring, and sought out the shade and cool fountains
which played in the ,garden. He was particularly well leased
when a troop of Zephyrs fanned him with their wings. He had
two companions who walked on each side, that made him appear
the most agreeable: the one was Aurora with fingers of rom,
and her feet dewy, attired in gre ; the other was Vesper. in a robe
of azure beset with drops of go%, whose breath be caught whilst
it passed over a bundle of honeysuckles and tube-roses which he
he d in his hand. Pan and Ceres followed them with four reapers.
who danced a morrice * to the sound of oaten pi es and cym als
Then came the attendant months. June retained) still some small
likeness of the Spring: but the other two seemed to step with a
less vigorous tread, especially August who seemed almost to faint.
whilst, for half the steps he took, the dog star levelled his rays full
at his head. They passed on, and made way for a person that
seemed to bend a little under the weight of years; his beard and hair.
which were full grown, were composed of an equal number of black
and grey; he wore a robe which he had girt round him, of a vel-
lowish cast, not unlike the colour of fallen leaves, which he walked
upon. I thought he hardly made amends for expelling the fore-
going scene by the large quantity of fruits which he bore in hrs
hands. Plenty walked by his side with an healthy fresh counte-
nance, ppuring out from an horn all the various products of the
year. omona followed with a glass of cyder in her hand, with
Bacchus in a chariot drawn by tigers, accompanied by a whole
troop of satyrs, fauus, and sylvans. September, who came next.
seemed in his looks to promise a new Spring, and wore the livery
of those months. The succeeding month was all soiled with the
juice of grapes, as if he had just come from the wine-press. No-
vember, though he was in this division, yet by the many stops he
made seemed rather inclined to the Winter, which followed close
at his heels. He advanced in the shape of an old man in the ex-
tremity of age: the hair he had was so ve? white, it seemed a real
snow; his eyes were red and piercing, an his beard hung with |-
great quantity of icicles; he was wrapped up in furs, but yet F0
pinched with excess of cold, that his limbs were all contracted. and
his body bent to the ground, so that he could not have mpporwfl

" An account of the morrice-dance may be seen in Hawkins: History J Music, vol. ii.

himself had it not been for Comns, the god of revels, and Necessity the mother of Fate, who sustained him on each side. The shape and mantle of Comus was one of the things that most surprised me ; as he advanced towards me, his countenance seemed the most desirable I had ever seen. On the forepart of his mantle, was pictured joy, delight, and satisfaction, with a thousand emblems of merriment, and jests with faces looking two ways at once; but as he passed from me, I was amazed at a shape so little correspondent to his face : his head was bald, and all the rest of his limbs appeared old and deformed. On the hinder part of his mantle was represented Murder with dishevelled hair and a dagger all bloody. Anger in a robe of scarlet, and Suspicion squintingwith both eyes; but.uboveall the most conspicuous was the battle of the Lapithee and the Centaurs. I detested so hideous a shape, and turned my eyes upon Saturn, who was stealing away behind him, with a scythe in one hand and an hour glass in the other, unobserved. Behind Necessity was Vesta, the goddess of fire, with a lamp which was perpetually supplied with oil, and whose flame was eternal. She cheered the rugged brow of Necessity, and warmed her so far as almost to make her assume the features and likeness of Choice. December, January, aud February, passed on after the rest, all in furs ; there was little distinction to be made amongst them; and they were more or less displeasing, as they discovered more or less haste towards the grateful return of Spring." [Supposed to be by Pope.] £■

No. 420. WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1712.

-Quid non mortnlia jectora cogis,

Auri aacra fames

VIRd. J1R. III. 56.

0 aacred hunger of pernicious gold !

What bands of faith can impious lucre hold?

DRYPBN.

A Very agreeable friend of mine, the other day, carrying me in his coach into the country to dinner, fell into discourse concerning the " care of parents due to their children," and the " piety of children towards their parents." He was reflecting upon the succession of particular virtues and qualities there might be preserved from one generation to another, u these regards were reciprocally held in veneration; but as he never fails to mix an air of mirth •nd good humour with his good sense and reasoning, he entered into the following relation.—