owing to his great application to his mufic; and therefore cannot but recommend him to my reader's as one who deferves their favour, and may afford A them great diverfion over a bottle wine, which he fells at the Queer. Arms, near the end of the Little Pia in Covent Garden. N° DLXXI. FRIDAY, JULY 23. -COELUM QUID QUERIMUS ULTRA? S the work I have engaged in will not only confift of papers of humour and learning, but of several effays moral and divine, I fhall publish the following one, which is founded on a former Spectator, and fent me by a particular friend, not questioning but it will pleafe fuch of my readers as think it no disparagement to their understandings to give way fometimes to a ferious thought. SIR, IN N your paper of Friday the 9th inftant, you had occafion to confider the ubiquity of the Godhead; and at the fame time to fhew, that as he is prefent to every thing, he cannot but be attentive to every thing, and privy to all the modes and parts of it's existence: or, in other words, that the omniscience and omniprefence are co-exiftent, and run together through the whole infini tude of pace. This confideration might fornith us with many incentives to devotion, and motives to morality; but as this fubject has been handled by several ex ellent writers, I fhall confider it in a light wherein I have not feen it placed by others. Firt, How difconfolate is the condition of an intellectual being, who is thus prefent with his Maker, but at the fame time receives no extraordinary benefit or advantage from this his prefence! Secondly, How deplorable is the condition of an intellectual being, who feels no other effects from this his prefence, but fuch as proceed from divine wrath and indignation! Thirdly, How happy is the condition of that intellectual being, who is fenfible of his Maker's prefence from the fecret effects of his mercy and loving kindnefs! First, How difconfolate is the condition of an intellectual being, who is thus present with his Maker, but at the Luc fame time receives no extraordinary nefit or advantage from this his prefenc Every particle of matter is actua by this Almighty Being which paf through it. The heavens and the can the itars and planets, move and gra tate by virtue of this great princ within them. All the dead parts nature are invigorated by the prefence their Creator, and made capable of ex erting their relpective qualities. T feveral instincts, in the brute creation do likewife operate and work toward the feveral ends which are agreeable them, by this divine energy. Ma only, who does not co-operate with Holy Spirit, and is inattentive to ha prefence, receives none of thofe advan tages from it, which are perfective of his nature, and neceffary to his well-being. The Divinity is with him, and in him, and every where about him, but of na advantage to him. It is the fame thing to a man without religion, as if there were no God in the world. It is indeed impoffible for an infinite being to remove himfelf from any of his creatures; but though he cannot withdraw his elfence from us, which would argue an imperfection in him, he can withdraw from us all the joys and confolations of it. His prefence may perhaps be nece fary to fupport us in our existence; but he may leave this our exiftence to itself, with regard to it's happinefs or mitety. For, in this fenfe, he may caft us away from his prefence, and take his Holy Spirit from us. This fingle confideration one would think fufficient to make us open our hearts to all thofe infufions of joy and gladnefs which are fo near at hand, and ready to be poured in upon us; efpecially when we confider, fecondly, the deplorable condition of an intel lectual being who feels no other effects from his Maker's prefence, but fuch as proceed from divine wrath and indig nation. We We may affore ourselves, that the at Auther of nature will not always as one who is indifferent to any of creatures. Thofe who will not feel h in his love, will be fire at length feel him in his difpleasure. And w dreadful is the condition of that ature, who is only fenfible of the beg of his Creator by what he fuffers bm him! He is as effentially prefent hell as in heaven; but the inhabitants the former behold him only in his Fath, and fhrink within the flames to inceal themfelves from him. It is not the power of imagination to conceive e fearful effects of Omnipotence in Enfed. But I fhall only confider the wretchdocis of an intelle Sual being, who in his life lies under the difpleature of him, hat at all times and in all places is in imately united with him. He is able difquiet the foul, and vex it in all it's faculties. He can hinder any of the greatest comforts of life from refreshing as, and give an edge to every one of it's lightest calamities. Who then can bear the thought of being an outcat from his prefence, that is, from the comforts of it, or of feeling it only in it's terrors! How pathetic is that expoftulation of Job, when for the trial of his patience he was made to look upon himfelf in this deplorable condition! Why haft thou fet me as a mark against thee, fo ⚫ that I am become a burden to myfelf?' But, thirdly, how happy is the condition of that intellectual being, who is fenfiole of his Maker's prefence from the fecret effects of his mercy and lovingkindness! The bleffed in heaven behold him face to face; that is, are as fenfible of his prefence as we are of the prefence of any person whom we look upon with our eyes. There is doubtless a faculty in fpirits, by which they apprehend one another, as our fenfes do material objects; and there is no question but our fouls, when they are difembodied, or placed in glorified bodies, will by this faculty, in whatever part of space they refide, be always fenfible of the Divine Prefence. We, who have this veil of fleh tanding between us and the world of fpirits, must be content to know that the Spirit of God is prefent with us, by the effects which he produceth in us. Our outward fenfes are too grofs to apprehend him; we may however talte and fee how gracious he is, by his influence upon our minds, by. those virtuous thoughts which he awakens in us, by thofe fecret comforts and refreshments which he conveys into our fouls, and by thofe ravithing joys and inward fatisfactions which are perpetually springing up, and diffuling themfelves among all the thoughts of good men. He is lodged in our very effence, and is as a foul within the foul to irradiate it's understanding, rectify it's will, purify it's paffions, and enliven all the powers of inan. How happy, therefore, is an intellectual being, who, by prayer and meditation, by virtue and good works, opens this communication between God and his own foul! Though the whole creation frowns upon him, and all nature looks black about him, he has his light and fupport within him, that are able to cheer his mind, and bear him up in the midst of all thofe horrors which encompass him. He knows that his Helper is at hand, and is always nearer to him than any thing elfe can be which is capable of annoying or terrifying him. In the midft of caluinny or contempt, he attends to that Being who whispers better things within his foul, and whom he looks upon as his defender, his glory, and the lifter-up of his head. In his deepest folitude and retirement he knows that he is in company with the greatest of beings; and perceives within himself fuch real fenfations of his prefence, as are more delightful than any thing that can be met with in the converfation of his creatures. Even in the hour of death, he confiders the pains of his diffolution to be nothing elfe but the breaking down of that partition which stands betwixt his foul and the fight of that Being who is always prefent with him, and is about to manifelt itself to him in fulness of jov. If we would be thus happy, and thus fenfible of our Maker's prefence, from the fecret efects of his mercy and goodness, we must keep fuch a watch over all our thoughts, that, in the language of the Scripture, his fold may have pleature in us. We mult take care not to grieve his Holy Spirit, and endeavour to make the meditations of our hearts always acceptable in his fight, that he may delight thus to refide and dwell in us. The light of nature could dire& Seneca to this doctrine, ja a very remarkable pallage, among his Epitles: Epiftles: Sacer ineft in nobis Spiritus • bonorum malorumque cuftos, et obfer. •vator, et quemadmodum nos illum • tractamus, ita et ille nos.-There is a Holy Spirit reiding in us, who • watches and obfenves both good and • evil men, and will treat us after the I fame manner that we treat him.' But I fhall conclude this difcourfe with those more emphatical words in divine revelation If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.' 0 N° DLXXII. MONDAY, JULY 26. QUOD MEDICORUM EST HOR. Ep. 1 1.2. VER. 115. PHYSICIANS ONLY BOAST THE HEALING ART. Am the more pleafed with thefe my papers, ince I find they have.e couraged feveral men of learning and wit to become my correfpondents. I yesterday received the following effay against quacks, which I fhall here communicate to my readers for the good of the public, begging the writer's pardon for thofe additions and retrenchments which I have made in it. but has one of this tribe who takes it into his protection, and on the market. day harangues the good people of the place with aphorifins and receipts. You may depend upon it, he comes not there for his own private intereft, but out of a particular affection to the town. I remember one of thefe public-spirited artifts at Hammersmith, who told his audience, that he had been born and bred there, and that having a fpecial regard for the place of his nativity, he was determined to make a present of five fhillings to as many as would accept of The whole crowd flood agape, and ready to take the doctor at his word:" when putting his hand into a long bag, as every one was expecting his crownpiece, he drew out an handful of little packets, each of which he informed the fpectators was conftantly fold at five fhillings and fix-pence, but that he would hate the odd five fhillings to every inhabitant of that place: the whole affembly immediately clofed with this generous offer, and took off all his phyfic, THE defire of life is fo natural and ftrong a paffion, that I have long fince ceafed to wonder at the great encouragement which the practice of phy. fic finds among us. Well constituted governments have always made the profeffion of a phyfician both honourable and advantageous. Homer's Machaon and Virgil's Iapis were men of renown, heroes in war, and made at leaft as much havock among their enemies as among their friends. Thofe who have little or no faith in the abilities of a quack will apply themfelves to him, either because he is willing to fell health at a reafonable profit, or because the patient, like a drowning man, catches at every twig, and hopes for relief from the moft ignorant, when the most able phyficians give him none. Though impudence and many words are as neceffary to thefe itinerary Galens, as a laced hat for a Merry Andrew, yet they would turn very little to the advantage of the owner, if there were not fome inward difpofition in the fick man to favour the pretenfions of the mountebank. Love of life in the one, and of money in the other, creates a good corespondence between then. There is fear ce a tity in Great Britain after the doctor had inade them vouch for one another, that there were no foreigners among them, but that they were all Hammersmith men. There is another branch of pretenders to this art, who, without either horie or pickle-herring, lie fnug in a gafret, and fend down notice to the world of their extraordinary parts and abilities by printed bills and advertisements. Thefe feem to have derived their cuftom from an Eaftern nation which Herodotus peaks of, among whom it was a law, that whenever any cure was performed, both the method of the cure, and an account of the diffemper, should be be fixed in fome public place; but as, cuftoms will corrupt, thefe our moderns provide themselves of perfons to atteft the cure, before they publish or make an experiment of the prefcription. I have heard of a porter, who ferves as a knight of the poft under one of thefe operators; and, though he was never fick in his life, has been cured of all the difeafes in the difpenfary. These are the men whofe fagacity has invented elixirs of all forts, pills and lozenges, and take it as an affront if you come to them before you are given over by every body elfe. Their medicines are infallible, and never fail of fuccefs, that is of enriching the doctor, and fetting the patient effectually at reft. I lately dropt into a coffee-houfe at Weftminster, where I found the room hung round with ornaments of this nature. There were elixirs, tinctures, the Anadyne Fotus, English pills, electuaries, and in thort more remedies than I believe there are difeafes. At the fight of fo many inventions, I could not but imagine myself in a kind of arfenal or magazine, where ftore of arms was repofited against any fudden invafion. Should you be attacked by the enemy fide-ways here was an infallible piece of defenfive armour to cure the pleurify: fhould a diftemper beat up your head-quarters, here you might purchase an impenetrable helmet, or, in the language of the artist a cephalic tincture; if your main body be affaulted, here are various kinds of armour in cafe of various opfets. I began to congratulate the prefent age upon the happiness men might reafonably hope for in life, when death was thus in a manner defeated, and when pain itself would be of fo fhort a duration, that it would but just ferve to enhance the value of pleasure. While I was in thefe thoughts, I unluckily called to mind ftory of an ingenious gentleman of the lalt age, who lying violently afflicted with the gout, a perion came and offered his fervice to cure him by a method which he affured him was infallible: the fervant who received the meffage carried it up to his mafter, who inquiring whe. ther the perfon came on foot or in a chariot; and being informed that he was on foot Go fays he, fend the 'knave about his bufinefs: was his me thod as infallible as he pretends, he 'would long before now have been in his coach and fix. In like manner I concluded, that had all thefe advertifers arrived to that kill they pretend to, they would have had no need for fo many years fucceffively to publish to the world the place of their abode, and the virtues of their medicines. One of thefe gentlemen indeed pretends to an effectual cure for leannefs: what effects it may have upon those who have tried it I cannot tell; but I am credibly informed, that the call for it has been fo great, that it has effectually cured the doctor him felf of that distemper. Could each of them produce fo good an instance of the fuccefs of his medicines, they might foon perfuade the world into an opinion of them, ས་ I obferve that most of the bills agree in one expreffion, viz. that, with "God's bleffing,' they perform fuch and fuch cures; this expreffion is certainly very proper and emphatical, for that is all they have for it. And if ever a cure is performed on a patient where they are concerned, they can claim no greater hare in it than Virgil's Iapis in the curing of Æneas; he tried his fkill, was very affiduous about the wound, and indeed was the only visible means that, relieved the hero; but the poet affures as it was the particular affiftance of a deity that freeded the operation. An English reader may fee the whole ftory in Mr. Dryden's tranflation. Prop'd on his lance the pensive hero flood, And heard and faw unmov'd, the mourning crowd. } The fam'd physician tucks his robes around, But now the goddefs mother, mov'd with Rough is the ftem, which woolly leaves fur- round; leaves with flow'rs, the flow'rs with Well known to wounded goats; a fure relief brews Th' extracted liquor with Ambrofian dews, 7 D And MY The fteel, but fcarcely touch'd with tendes Moves up and follows of it's own accord; And fend the willing chief, renew'd to war. N° DLXXIII. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, CASTIGATA REMORDENT. Juv. SAT. II. VER. 35 CHASTISED, THE ACCUSATION THEY RETORT. paper on on the club of widows has brought me in feveral letters; and, among the reft, a long one from Mrs. Prefident, as follows: SMART STR, You are pleased to be very merry, as you imagine, with us widows: and you feem to ground your fatire on our receiving confolation fo foon after the death of our dears, and the number we are pleased to admit for our companions; but you never reflect what husbands we have buried, and how fhort a forrow the lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own part, Mrs. Prefident as you call me, my first husband I was married to at fourteen by my uncle and guardian (as I afterwards difcovered) by way of fale, for the third part of my fortune. This fellow look ed upon me as a mere child, he might breed up after his own fancy; if he kiffed my chamber-maid before my face, I was fuppofed fo ignorant, how could I think there was any hurt in it? When he came home roaring drunk at five in the morning, it was the custom of all men that live in the world. I was not to fee a penny of money, for, poor thing, how could I manage it? He took a handfome coufin of his into the houfe (as he faid) to be my houfe-keeper, and to govern my fervants; for how fhould I know how to rule a family? and while he had what money fhe pleafed, which was but reasonable for the trouble fhe was at for my good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to diflike familiarity and kindness between near relations. I was too great a coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a child to be thus im. pofed upon. I refented his contempt as I ought to do, and as most poor paffive blinded wives do, until it pleafed Heaven to take away my tyrant, who left me free poffeffion of my own land, and a large jointure. My youth and money brought me many lovers, and feveral endeavoured to establish an intereft in my heart while my husband was in his laft fickness; the Honourable Edward Waitfort was one of the first who addreffed to me, advised to it by a coufin of his that was an intimate friend, and knew to a penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitfort is a very agreeable man, and every body would like him as well as he does himself, if they did not plainly fee that his esteem and love is all taken up, and by fuch an object, as it is impoffible to get the better of; I mean himself. He made no doubt of marrying me within four or five months, and began to proceed with fuch an affured eafy air, that piqued my pride not to banish him; quite contrary, out of pure malice, I heard his first decla ration with fo much innocent surprise, and blufhed fo prettily, I perceived it touched his very heart, and he thought me the beft-natured filly poor thing on earth. When a man has fuch a notion of a woman, he loves her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him, for defigning en my fortune; and finding it was in my power to make his heart ake, I refolved to complete my conqueft, and entertained feveral other pretenders. The first impreffion of my undefigning innocence was fo strong in his head, he at tributed |