would deftroy the Comeliness of his Shape, or Goodness of his Understanding. I fay the Goodness of his Underftanding, for it is no lefs common to fee Men of Senfe Commence Coxcombs, than beautiful Women become immodeft. When this happens in either, the Favour we are naturally inclined to give to the good Qualities they have from Nature fhould abate in Proportion. But however juft it is to meafure the Value of Men by the Application of their Talents, and not by the Eminence of thofe Qualities abftracted from their Ufe; I fay however just fuch a Way of judging is, in all Ages as well as this, the Contrary has prevailed upon the Generality of Mankind. How many lewd Devices have been preferved from one Age to another, which had perished as foon as they were made, if Painters and Sculptors had been esteemed as much for the Purpofe as the Execution of their Defigns? Modeft and well-governed Imaginations have by this Means loft the Reprefentations of Ten Thousand charming Portraitures, filled with Images of innate Truth, generous Zeal, courageous Faith, and tender Humanity; in ftead of which, Satyrs. Fi

mended by thofe Artses, and iioniers are recom

to a fhameful Eternity.

2

THE unjuft Application of laudable Talents, is tolerated in the general Opinion of Men, not only in fuch Cafes as are here mentioned, but also in Matters which concern ordinary Life. If a Lawyer were to be esteemed only as he ufes his Parts in contending for Juftice, and were immediately despicable when he appeared in a Caufe which he could not but know was an unjust one, how honourable would his Character be? And how honourable is it in fuch among us, who follow the Profeffion no otherwife, than as labouring to protect the Injured, to fubdue the Oppreffor, to imprifon the careless Debtor, and do right to the painful Artificer? But many of this excellent Character are overlooked by the greater Number; who affect covering a weak Place in a Client's Title, diverting the Courfe of an Inquiry, or finding a skilful Refuge to palliate a Falfhood: Yet it is still called Eloquence in the latter, though thus unjustly employed: But Refolution in an Affaffin is according to Reafon quite as laudable, as Knowledge and Wifdom exercifed in the Defence of an ill Caufe.

WERE

WERE the Intention ftedfaftly confidered, as the Measure of Approbation, all Falfhood would foon be out of Countenance: and an Address in impofing upon Mankind, would be as contemptible in one State of Life as another. A Couple of Courtiers making Profeffions of Efteem, would make the fame Figure after Breach of Promife, as two Knights of the Poft convicted of Perjury. But Converfation is fallen fo low in point of Morality, that as they fay in a Bargain, Let the Buyer look to it; fo in Friendship, he is the Man in Danger who is most apt to believe: He is the more likely to fuffer in the Commerce, who begins with the Obligation of being the more ready to enter into it.

BUT thofe Men only are truly great, who place their Ambition rather in acquiring to themselves the Confcience of worthy Enterprizes, than in the Profpect of Glory which attends them. Thefe exalted Spirits would rather be fecretly the Authors of Events which are ferviceable to Mankind, than without being fuch, to have the publick Fame of it. Where therefore an eminent Merit is robbed by Artifice or Detraction, it does but increafe by fuch Endeavours of its Enemies: The impotent Pains which are taken to fully it, or diffufe it among a Crowd to the Injury of a fingle Perfon, will naturally produce the contrary Effect; the Fire will blaze out, and burn up all that attempt to fmother what they cannot extinguish.

THERE is but one Thing neceffary to keep the Poffeffion of true Glory, which is, to hear the Oppofers of it with Patience, and preferve the Virtue by which it was acquired. When a Man is throughly perfuaded that he ought neither to admire, wifh for, or purfue any thing but what is exactly his Duty, it is not in the Power of Seafons, Perfons or Accidents to diminish his Value. He only is a great Man who can neglect the Applaufe of the Multitude, and enjoy himself independent of its Favour. This is indeed an arduous Task; but it fhould comfort a glorious Spirit that it is the highest Step to which human Nature can arrive. Triumph, Applaufe, Acclamation, are dear to the Mind of Man; but it is ftill a more exquifite Delight to fay to your felf, you havề done well, than to hear the whole human Race pronounce

you

you glorious, except you your felf can join with them in your own Reflexions. A Mind thus equal and uniform may be deferted by little fashionable Admirers and Followers, but will ever be had in Reverence by Souls like it felf. The Branches of the Oak endure all the Seafons of the Year, though its Leaves fall off in Autumn ; and these two will be reftored with the returning Spring.

T

re

No 173. Tuesday, September 18.

I

Remove fera monftra, tuæque

Saxificos vultus, quæcunque ea, tolle Medufæ. Ov. Met.

Na late Paper I mentioned the Project of an ingenious, Author for the erecting of feveral Handicraft Prizes to be contended for by our British Artifans, and the Influence they might have towards the Improvement of our, feveral Manufactures. I have fince that been very much furprised by the following Advertisement which I find in the Poft-Boy of the 11th Inftant, and again repeated in the Poft-Boy of the 15th.

ON the 9th of October next will be run for upon Coleshill

Heath in Warwickshire, a Plate of 6 Guineas Value, 3 Heats, by any Horfe, Mare or Gelding that hath not won above the Value of $1. the winning Horfe to be Sold for 101, to carry 10 Stone Weight, if 14 Hands high; if above or under, to carry or be allowed Weight for Inches, and to be entered Friday the 5th at the Swan in Coleshill, before Six in the Evening. Alfo a Plate of lefs Value to be run for by Affes. fame Day a Gold Ring to be Grinn'd for by Men.

The

THE first of thefe Diverfions that is to be exhibited by the 107. Race-Horfes, may probably have its Ufe; but the two laft, in which the Affes and Men are concerned, feem to me altogether extraordinary and unaccountable. Why they fhould keep running Affes at Coleshill, or how making Mouths turns to account in Warwickshire, more than in any other Parts of England, cannot comprehend. I have looked over all the Olym

I

pick

pick Games, and do not find any thing in them like an Afs-Race, or a Match at Grinning. However it be, I am informed that several Affes are now kept in Body-Clothes, and fweated every Morning upon the Heath, and that all the Country Fellows within ten Miles of the Swan, grinn an Hour or two in their Glaffes every Morning, in Order to qualify themfelves for the 9th of October. The Prize which is propofed to be Grinn'd for, has raifed fuch an Ambition among the Common People of Out-grinning one another, that many very difcerning Perfons are afraid it should spoil most of the Faces in the County; and that a Warwickbire Man will be known by his Grinn, as RomanCatholicks imagine a Kentih Man is by his Tail. The Gold Ring which is made the Prize of Deformity, is just the Reverse of the Golden Apple that was formerly made the Prize of Beauty, and should carry for its Pofey the old Motto inverted.

Detur tetriori.

Or to accommodate it to the Capacity of the Combatans, The frightfull ft Grinner,

Be the Winner.

IN the mean while I would advise a Dutch Painter to be prefent at this great Controverfy of Faces, in order to make a Collection of the most remarkable Grinns that fhall be there exhibited.

I must not here omit an Account which I lately received of one of thefe grinning Matches from a Gentleman, who upon reading the abovementioned Advertisement, entertained a Coffee-houfe with the following Narrative. Upon the taking of Namure, amidst other publick Rejoicings made on that Occafion, there was a Gold Ring given by a Whig Juftice of Peace to be grinn'd for.. The firft Competitor that entered the Lifts, was a black fwarthy Frenchman, who accidentally paffed that way, and being a Man naturally of a wither'd Look, and hard Features, promifed himself good Succefs. He was placed upon a Table in the great Point of View, and looking upon the Company like Milton's Death,

Grinn'd horribly a Gafly Smile

HIS

HIS Mufcles were fo drawn together on each Side of his Face, that he fhew'd twenty Teeth at a Grinn, and put the Country in fome Pain, left a Foreigner fhould carry away the Honour of the Day; but upon a farther Trial they found he was Mafter only of the merry Grinn.

THE next that mounted the Table was a Malecontent in thofe Days, and a great Mafter in the whole Art of Grinning, but particularly excelled in the angry Grinn. He did his Part fo well, that he is faid to have made half a dozen Women mifcarry; but the Justice being apprifed by one who stood near him, that the Fellow who grinn'd in his Face was a Jacobite, and being unwilling that a Difaffected Perfon fhould win the Gold Ring, and be looked upon as the best Grinner in the Country, he ordered the Oaths to be tendered unto him upon his quitting the Table, which the Grinner refufing, he was fet afide as an unqualified Perfon. There were feveral other Grotefque Figures that prefented themselves, which it would be too tedious to defcribe. I muft not however omit a Ploughman, who lived in the farther Part of the Country, and being very lucky in a Pair of long Lanthorn-Jaws, wrung his Face into fuch an hideous Grimace, that every Feature of it appeared under a different Distortion. The whole Company stood astonish'd at fuch a complicated Grinn, and were ready to affign the Prize to him, had it not been proved by one of his Antagonifts, that he had practifed with Verjuice for fome Days before, and had a Crab found upon him at the very time of Grinning; upon which the beft Judges of Grinning declared it as their Opinion, that he was not to be looked upon as a fair Grinner, and therefore ordered him to be fet afide as a Cheat.

many

THE Prize, it feems, fell at length upon a Cobler, Giles Gorgon by Name, who produced feveral new Grinns of his own Invention, having been used to cut Faces for Years together over his Laft. At the very first Grinn he caft every human Feature out of his Countenance, at the fecond he became the Face of a Spout, at the third a Baboon, at the fourth the Head of a Base-Viol, and at the fifth a Pair of Nut-crackers. The whole Affembly wondered at his Accomplishments and beftowed the Ring on him unanimoufly; but, what he esteemed more

than