Till four. At dinner. Mem. Mr. Froth passed by in his new liTeries. From four to six. Dressed; paid a visit to old Lady Blithe and her sister, having before heard they were gone out of town that day. From six to eleven. At basset. Mem. Never set again upon the ace of diamonds. Thursday. From eleven at night to eight in the morning. Dreamed that I punted* to Mr. Froth. From eight to ten. Chocolate. Head two acts in " Aurcngzebe" ».bed. From ten to eleven. Tea-table. Sent to borrow Lady Faddle's Cupid for Veny. Read the play bills. Received a letter from Mr. Froth. Mem. Locked it up in my strong box. Rest of the morning. Fontange, the tire-woman, her account of my Lady Blithe's wash. Broke a tooth in my little tortoise-shell comb. Sent Frank to know how my Lady Hectic rested after her monkey's leaping out at window. Looked pale. Fontange tells me my glass is not true. Dressed by three. From three to four. Dinner cold before I sat down. From four to eleven. Saw company. Mr. Froth's opinion of Milton. His account of the Mohocks His fancy of a pincushion. Picture in the lid of his snuffbox. Old Lady Faddle promises me her woman to cut my hair. Lost five guineas at crimp. Twelve o'clock at night. Went to bed. Friday. Eight in the morning. A-bed. Read over all Mr. Froth's letters. Cupid and Veny. Ten o'clock. Stayed within all day, not at home. From ten to twelve. In conference with my mantua-maker. Sorted a suit of ribbons Broke my blue china cup. From twelve to one. Shut myself up in my chamber, practised I-ady Betty Modely's skuttle. One in the afternoon. Called for my flowered handkerchief. Worked half a violet leaf in it. Eyes ached and hend out of order. Threw by my work, and read over the remaining part of " Aurengzebe " From three to four. Dined. From four to twelve. Changed my mind, dressed, went abroad, and played at crimp till midnight. Found Mrs. Spitely at home. Conversation: Mrs. Brilliant's necklace false stones. Old Lady Ix)veday going to be married to a young fellow that is not worth a groat. Miss Prue gone into the country. Tom Townly has red hair. Mem. Mrs. Spitely whispered in my ear that she * A term in the game of Basset. bad something to tell me about Mr. Froth; I am sure it is not true. Between twelve and one. Dreamed that Mr. Froth lay at my feet, and called me Indamora.* Saturday. Rose at eight o'clock in the morning. Sat down to my toilette. From eight to nine. Shifted a patch for half an hour before I could determine it. Fixed it above my left eye brow. From nine to twelve. Drank my tea and dressed. From twelve to two. At chapel. A great deal of good company. Mem. The third air in the new opera. Lady Blithe dressed frightfully. From three to four. Dined. Miss Kitty called upon me to go to the opera before I was risen from table. From dinner to six. Drank tea. Turned off a footman for being rude to Veny. Six o'clock. Went to the opera. I did not see Mr. Froth till the beginning of the second act. Mr. Froth talked to a gentleman in a black wig: bowed to a lady in the front box. Mr. Froth and his friend clapped Nicolini in the third act. Mr. Froth cried out " Ancora." Mr. Froth led me to my chair. I think be squeezed my hand. Eleven at night. Went to bed. Melancholy dreams. Methought Nicolini said he was Mr. Froth. Sunday. Indisposed. Monday. Eight o'clock. Waked by Miss Kitty. Aurengzebe lay upon the chair by me. Kitty repeated without book the eight best lines in the play. Went in our mobs to the dumb manf according to appointment. Told me that my lover's name began with a G. Mem. The conjurer was within a letter of Mr. Froth's name, &c. " Upon looking back into this my journal, I find that I am at a loss to know whether I pass my time well or ill; and indeed never thought of considering how I did it before I perused your speculation upon that subject. I scarce find a single action in these five days that I can thoroughly approve of, except the working upon the violet leaf, which I resolved to finish the first day I am at leisure. As for Mr. Froth and Veny, I did not think they took up so much of my time and thoughts as I find they do upon my journal. The latter of them I will turn off, if you insist upon it; and if Mr Froth does not bring matters to a conclusion very suddenly, 1 will not let my life run away in a dream. " Your humble servant." " ClARINDA." • A captive queen in the tragedy of " Aurengzebe." To resume one of the morals of my first paper, and to confirm Clarinda in her good inclinations, I would have her consider what a pretty figure she would make among posterity, were the history of her whole life published like these five days of it. I shall con elude my paper with an epitaph written by an uncertain author on Sir Philip Sidney's sister, a lady who seems to have been of a temper very much different from that of Clarinda. The last thought of it is so very noble, that I dare say that my reader will pardon me the quotation. ON THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF PEMBROKE. " Underneath this marble hearse Lies the subject of all verse, Sidney's sister, Pembroke's mother: Death, ere thon hast kill d another, Fair and learn'd, and good as she, Time shall throw a dart at thee." ADDISON. L. No. 324. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1711-12. 0 enrvw in tcrris animce, et ccelestium inanes! PERS. SAT. II. 61. O souls, in whom no heavenly fire is found, DRTDIK. " Mr. Spectator, " The materials you have collected together towards a general history of clubs, makes so bright a part of your speculations, that I think that it is but a justice we all owe the learned world, to furnish you with such assistance as may promote that useful work. For this reason I could not forbear communicating to you some imperfect informations of a set of men (if you will allow them a place in that species of being) who have lately erected themselves into a nocturnal fraternity, under the title of the Mohock Club, a name borrowed, it seems, from a sort of cannibals in India, who subsist by plundering and devouring all the nations about them. The president is styled ' Emperor of the Mohocks,'* and his arms are a Turkish crescent, which his imperial majesty bears at present in a very extraordinary manner engraven upon his forehead. Agreeable to their name, the avowed design of their institution is mischief; and upon this foundation all their rules and orders are framed. An outrageous ambition of doing all possible hurt to their * The title of one of the four Indian kings who visited England in the reign of Queen Anne. See No. 60, and Tat. No. 171. fellow-creatures, is the great cement of their assembly, and the only qualification required in the members. In order to exert this principle in its full strength and perfection, they take care to drink themselves to a pitch, that is, beyond the possibility of attending to any motions of reason or humanity; then make a general sally, and attack all that are so unfortunate as to walk the streets through which they patrole. Some are knocked down, others stabbed, others cut and carbonadoed. To put the watch to a total rout, and mortify some of those inoifensive militia, is reckoned u coup d' ticlat. The particular talents by which these misanthropes are distinguished from one another, consist in the various kinds of barbarities which the execute upon their prisoners. Some are celebrated for a happy dexterity in tipping the lion upon them; which is performed by squeezing the nose fiat to the face, and boring out the eyes with their fingers. Others are called the dancing-masters, and teach their scholars to cut capers, by running swords through their legs; a new invention, whether originally French I cannot tell. A third sort are the tumhlers, whose office it is to set women on their heads, and commit certain indecencies, or rather barbarities, on the limbs which they expose. But these I forbear to mention, because they cannot but be very shocking to the reader as well as the Spectator. In this manner they carry on awar against mankind ; and, by the standing maxims of their policy, are to enter into no alliances but one. and that is offensive and defensive with all bawdy-houses in general, of which they have declared themselves protectors and guarantees. “ I must own, Sir, these are only broken incoherent memoirs of this wonderful society; but they are the best I have been yet able to procure: for, being but of late establishment, it is not ripe for ajust history: and, to be serious, the chief design of this trouble is, to hinder it from ever being so. You have been pleased, out of a concern for the good of 'our countrymen, to act, under the character of Spectator, not only the part of a looker-on, but an overseer of their actions; and whenever such enormities as this infest the town, we immediately ily to you for redress. I have reason to believe, that some thoughtless youngsters, out of a false notion of bravery, and an immoderate fondness to be distinguished for fellows of fire, are insensibly hurried into this senseless scandalous prqiect, Such will probabl stand corrected by your reproofs, es ecially if you inform them that it is not courage for half ascore fellbws, mad with wine and lust, to set upon two or three soberer than themselves ; and that the manners of Indian savages are not becoming accomplishments to an English fine gentleman. Such of them as have been bullies and scowerers of a long standing, and are grown veterans in this kind of service, are, I fear, too hardened to receive any impressions from your admonitions. But I beg you would recommend to their perusal your ninth speculation. They may there be taught to take warning from the club of Duellists; and be put in mind, that the common fate of those men of honour was to be banged. " I am, Sir, " Your most humble servant, " Philanthropos. "March the 10th, 1711-12." The following letter is of a quite contrary nature ; but I add it here, that the reader may observe, at the same view, how amiable ignorance may be when it is shown in its simplicities, and how detestable in its barbarities. It is written by an honest countryman to his mistress, and came to the hands of a lady of good sense, wrapped about a thread-paper, who has long kept it by her as an image of artless love. " To her I very much retpect, Mrs. Margaret Clark. " Lovely, and oh that I could write loving Mrs. Margaret Clark. I pray you let affection excuse presumption. Having been so happy as to enjoy the sight of your sweet countenance and comely body, sometimes when I had occasion to buy treacle or liquorish powder at the apothecary's shop, I am so enamoured with you, that I can no more keep close my flaming desires to become your servant And I am the more bold now to write to your sweet self, because I am now my own man, and may match where I please ; for my father is taken away, and now I am come to my living, which is ten yard land, and a house; and there is never a yard land* in our field but it is as well worth ten pounds a year as a thief is worth a halter, and all my brothers and sisters are provided for: besides I have good household-stuff, though I say it, both brass and pewter, linens and woollens; and though my house be thatched, yet, if you and I match, it shall go hard but I will have one half of it slated. If you think well of this motion, I will wait upon Tou as soon as my new clothes are made, and hay-harvest is in. I could, though I say it, have good " The rest is torn off: and posterity must be contented to know, that Mrs. Margaret Clark was very pretty, but are left in the dark as to the name of her lover.f STEELE. T. * A yard land (virgata feme) in some counties contains 20, in some 24, sad in others 30 acres of land. See Let Termet de la Ley. t See another edition of this letter, No. *328. |