paired or promoted according to the state of trade. When he was but twenty years old, I took an opportunity in his presence, to ask an intelligent woollendraper, what he gave for his shop, [at] the corner of Change-alley? The shop is I believe fourteen feet long, and eight broad. I was answered, Ninety pounds a year. I took no notice, but the thought descended into the breast of Sir Harry, and I saw on his table the next morning a computation of the value of land in an island, consisting of so many miles, with so many good ports; the value of each part of the said island, as it lay to such ports, and produced such commodities. The whole of his working was to know why so few yards near the Change, was so much better than so many acres in Northamptonshire; and what those acres in Northamptonshire would be worth, were there no trade at all in this island. It makes my heart ake, when I think of this young man, and consider upon what plain maxims, and in what ordinary methods men of estate may do good wherever they are seated; that so many should be what they are! It is certain, that the arts which purchase wealth or fame, will maintain them; and I attribute the splendour and long continuance of this family, to the felicity of having the genius of the founder of it run through all his male line. Old Sir Harry, the great-grandfather of this gentleman, has written in his own hand upon all the deeds, which he ever signed, in the humour of that sententious age, this sentence, There are four good mothers, of whom are often born four unhappy daughters; truth begets hatred, happiness pride, security danger, and famili arity contempt.' 6 E 2 N° 7. THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1712-13. -Properat cursu Vita citate SENEC. Trag. With speedy step life posts away. I THIS morning did myself the honour to visit lady Lizard, and took my chair at the tea-table, at the upper end of which that graceful woman, with her daughters about her, appeared to me with greater dignity than ever any figure, either of Venus attended by the Graces, Diana with her nymphs, or any other celestial who owes her being to poetry. The discourse we had there, none being present but our own family, consisted of private matters, which tended to the establishment of these young ladies in the world. My lady, I observed, had a mind to make mention of the proposal to Mrs. Jane, of which she is very fond, and I as much avoided, as being equally against it; but it is by no means proper the young ladies should observe we ever dissent; therefore I turned the discourse, by saying, it was time enough to think of marrying a young lady, who was but three and twenty, ten years hence.' The whole table was alarmed at the assertion, and the Sparkler scalded her fingers, by leaning suddenly forward to look in my face but my business at present, was to make my court to the mother; therefore, without regarding the resentment in the looks of the children, Madam,' : 6 said I, there is a petulant and hasty manner prac tised in this age, in hurrying away the life of woman, and confining the grace and principal action. of it to those years wherein reason and discretion áre most feeble, humour and passion most powerful. From the time a young woman of quality has first appeared in the drawing-room, raised a whisper and curiosity of the men about her, had her health drunk in gay companies, and been distinguished at public assemblies: I say, madam, if within three or four years of her first appearance in town, she' is not disposed of, her beauty is grown familiar, her eyes are disarmed, and we seldom after hear her mentioned but with indifference. What doubles my grief on this occasion is, that the more discreetly the lady behaves herself, the sooner is her glory extinguished. Now, madam, if merit had a greater weight in our thoughts, when we form to ourselves agreeable characters of women, men would think, in making their choices, of such as would take care of, as well as supply children for, the nursery. It was not thus in the illustrious days of good queen Elizabeth. I was this morning turning over a folio, called, The Complete Ambassador, consisting chiefly of letters from Lord Burleigh, Earl of Leicester, and Sir Thomas Smith. Sir Thomas writes a letter to Sir Francis Walsingham, full of learned gallantry, wherein you may observe he promises himself the French king's brother (who it seems was but a cold lover) would be quickened by secing the queen in person, who was then in the thirty-ninth year of her age. A certain sobriety in thoughts, words, and action, which was the praise of that age, kept the fire of love alive; and it burnt so equally, that it warmed and preserved, without tormenting and consuming our beings. The letter I mention as follows: To the Right Worshipful Mr. FRANCIS WALSINGHAM, Ambassador, resident in France. 6 SIR, I AM Sorry that so good a matter should, upon so nice a point, be deferred. We may say that the lover will do little, if he will not take the pains once to see his love; but she must first say yea, before he see her, or she him: twenty ways might be devised why he might come over, and be welcome, and possibly do more in an hour than he may in two years. Cupido ille qui vincit omnia, in oculis insidet, et ex oculis ejaculatur, et in oculos utriusque videndo non solum, ut ait poeta, fæmina virum, sed vir fæminam ;' that powerful being Cupid, who conquers all things, resides in the eyes, he sends out all his darts from the eyes by throwing glances at the eyes (according to the poet) not only the woman captivates the man, but also the man the woman. What force, I pray you, can hearsay, and I think, and I trust,' do in comparison of that 'cum præsens præsentem tuetur et alloquitur, et furore forsitan amoris ductus, amplectitur,' when they face to face see and converse with each other, and the lover in an ecstacy, not to be commanded, snatches an embrace, and saith to himself, and openly that she may hear, Teneone te mea, an etiamnum somno volunt fæminæ videri cogi ad id quod maximum capiunt?' Are you in my arms, my fair one, or do we both dream, and will women even in their sleep seem forced to what they most desire? If we be cold, it is our part, besides the the person, sex requireth it. Why are you cold? Is it not a young man's part to be bold, courageous, and to adventure? If he should have, he should have but hono rificam repulsam;' even a repulse here is glorious : the worst that can be said of him is but as of Phaeton, Quam si non tenuit magnis tamen excidit ausis :' though he could not command the chariot of the sun, his fall from it was illustrious. So far as I conceive, * Hæc est sola nostra anchora, hæc jacenda est nobis alea;' this is our only anchor, this dye must be thrown. In our instability, 'Unum momentum est uno momento perfectum faclum, ac dictum stabililalem facere potest; one lucky moment would crown and fix all. This, or else nothing to be looked for but continual dalliance and doubtfulness, so far as I can see. From Killingworth, Your assured friend, Though iny lady was in very good humour, upon the insinuation that, according to the Elizabeth scheme, she was but just advanced above the character of a girl; I found the rest of the company as much disheartened, that they were still but mere girls. I went on, therefore, to attribute the immature marriages which are solemnized in our days to the importunity of the men, which made it impossible for young ladies to remain virgins so long as they wished for their own inclinations, and the freedom of a single life. There is no time of our life, under what character soever, in which men can wholly divest themselves of an ambition to be in the favour of women. Cardan, a grave philosopher and physician, con * The account of Cardan given here cannot be reconciled to the truth of his character, which was from the most authentic accounts of it a very bad one. |