centre to a tragic audience. Upon the entering of Pyrrhus, the knight told me that he did not be lieve the king of France himself had a better strut. I was indeed very attentive to my old friend's remarks, because I looked upon them as a piece of natural criticism; and was well pleased to hear him at the conclusion of almost every scene, telling me that he could not imagine how the play would end. One while he appeared much concerned for Andromache, and a little while after as much for Hermione; and was extremely puzzled to think what would become of Pyrrhus.

6

When Sir Roger saw Andromache's obstinate refusal to her lover's importunities, he whispered me in the ear, that he was sure she would never have him; to which he added, with a more than ordinary vehemence, You can't imagine, sir, what it is to have to do with a widow.' Upon Pyrrhus's threatening afterwards to leave her, the knight shook his head, and muttering to himself, Ay, do if you can.' This part dwelt so much upon my friend's imagination, that at the close of the third act, as I was thinking of something else, he whispered in my ear, These widows, sir, are the most perverse creatures in the world. But pray,' says he, you that are a critic, is the play according to your dramatic rules, as you call them? Should your people in tragedy always talk to be understood? Why, there is not a single sentence in this play that I do not know the meaning of."

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The fourth act very luckily began before I had time to give the old gentleman an answer. "Well,' says the knight, sitting down with great satisfaction, I suppose we are now to see Hec

tor's ghost.' He then renewed his attention, and, from time to time, fell a praising the widow. He made indeed a little mistake as to one of her pages, whom at his first entering he took for As. tyanax; but he quickly set himself right in that particular, though at the same time he owned he should have been very glad to have seen the little boy; who, says he, must needs be a very fine child, by the account that is given of him. "Upon Hermione's going off with a menace to Pyrrhus, the audience gave a loud clap; to which Sir Roger added, 'On my word, a notable young baggage!'

As there was a very remarkable silence and stillness in the audience during the whole action, it was natural for them to take the opportunity of the intervals between the acts, to express their opinion of the players, and of their respective parts. Sir Roger hearing a cluster of them praise Orestes, struck in with them, and told them that he thought his friend Pylades was a very sensible man: as they were afterwards applauding Pyrrhus, Sir Roger put in a second time; And let me tell you,' says he, though he speaks but little, I like the old fellow in whiskers as well as any of them.' Captain Sentry seeing two or three wags who sat near us, lean with an attentive ear towards Sir Roger, and fearing lest they should smoke the knight, plucked him by the elbow, and whispered something in his ear, that lasted till the opening of the fifth act.

6

The

knight was wonderfully attentive to the account which Orestes gives of Pyrrhus's death; and at the conclusion of it told me, it was such a bloody piece of work, that he was glad it was not done

upon the stage. Seeing afterwards Orestes in his raving fit, he grew more than ordinarily serious, and took occasion to moralize (in his way) upon an evil conscience, adding, that Orestes, in his madness, looked as if he saw something.

As we were the first that came into the house, so we were the last that went out of it; being resolved to have a clear passage for our old friend, whom we did not care to venture among the just ling of the crowd. Sir Roger went out fully sat isfied with his entertainment, and we guarded him to his lodgings in the same manner that we brought him to the playhouse; being highly pleased, for my own part, not only with the performance of the excellent piece which had been presented, but with the satisfaction which it had given to the good old man.

ADDISON.

L.

No. 336. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26.

-Clament periisse pudorem

Cuncti penè patres: eùa cm reprehendere conor,
Quæ gravis Esopus, quæ doctus Roscius egit:
Vel quia nil rectum, nisi quod placuit sibi, ducunt:
Vel quia turpe putant parere minoribus, et quæ
Imberbes didicere, senes perdenda fateri.

IMITATED.

HOR

One tragic sentence if I dare deride,
Which Betterton's grave action dignified,
Or well-mouth'd Booth with emphasis proclaims,
(Though but, perhaps, a muster-roll of names)
How will our fathers rise up in a rage,
And swear all shame is lost in George's age!
You'd think no fools disgrac'd the former reign,
Did not some grave examples yet remain,
Who scorn a lad should teach his father's skill,
And, having once been wrong, will be so still. POPE

MR. SPECTATOR,

'As you are the daily endeavourer to promote learning and good sense, I think myself obliged to suggest to your consideration whatever may promote or prejudice them. There is an evil which has prevailed from generation to genera tion, which gray hairs and tyrannical custom continue to support; I hope your spectatorial au thority will give a seasonable check to the spread of the infection; I mean old men's overbearing the strongest sense of their juniors by the mere force of seniority; so that for a young man in the bloom of life and vigour of age, to give a reasonable contradiction to his elders, is esteemed an unpardonable insolence, and regarded as reversing the decrees of nature. I am a young man, VOL. VII.-7

I confess; yet I honour the gray head as much as any one: however, when in company with old men, I hear them speak obscurely, or reason preposterously (into which absurdities, prejudice, pride, or interest will sometimes throw the wisest) I count it no crime to rectify their reasonings, unless conscience must truckle to ceremony, and truth fall a sacrifice to complaisance. The strongest arguments are enervated, and the brightest evidence disappears, before those tremendous reasonings and dazzling discoveries of venerable old age. You are young giddy-headed fellows; you have not yet had experience of the world. Thus we young folks find our ambition cramped and our laziness indulged, since, while young, we have little room to display ourselves; and, when old, the weakness of nature must pass for strength of sense, and we hope that hoary heads will raise us above the attacks of contradiction. Now, sir, as you would enliven our activity in the pursuit of learning, take our case into consideration; and, with a gloss on brave Elihu's sentiments, assert the rights of youth, and prevent the pernicious encroachments of age. The generous reasonings of that gallant youth would adorn your paper; and I beg you would insert them, not doubting but that they will give good entertainment to the most intelligent of your readers.

"So these three men ceased to answer Jub, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified nimself rather than God. Also against his three