T

HE following copy of verfes comes from one of my correfpondents, and has fomething in it fo original, that I do not much doubt but it will divert my readers.

DRYDEN.

V.

My dog I was ever well pleased to fee Come wagging his tail to my fair one and me; And Phebe was pleas'd too, and to my dog faid

Come hither poor fellow;' and patted his head.

When Phebe went with me wherever I went;

Ten thoufand fweet pleafures I felt in my breaft:

Sure never fond fhepherd like Colin was bleft! But now the is gone, and has left me behind, What a marvellous change on a fudden I find? When things were as fine as could poffibly be, I thought 'twas the fpring; but alas! it was fhe.

Cry Sirrah;' and give him a blow with my crook:

And I'll give him another; for why should

not Tray

Be as dull as his master, when Phebe's away?

But now the is abfent, tho' ftill they fing on, The woods are but lonely, the melody's gone; Her voice in the concert, as now I have found, Gave ev'ry thing else it's agreeable found,

VIII.

Rofe, what is become of thy delicate hue? And where is the violet's beautiful blue? Does out ht of it's fweetness the bloffom beguile?

That meadow, thofe daifies, why do they pot fmile?

Ah! rivals, I fee what it was that you dreft, And made yourselves fine for; a place in her

breaft:

You put on your colours to pleasure her eyt, To be pluckt by her hand, on her bofom

to die.

IX. How

HE defire of knowing future events,

HOR. OD. XI. L. I. VER, I

CREECH.

hand that hath fitted every thing to our

in the mind of man. Indeed an ability of forefeeing probable accidents is what, in the language of men, is called wifdom and prudence: but, not fatisfied with the light that reafon holds out, mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendioufly into futurity. Magic, oracles, omens, lucky hours, and the various arts of fuperftition, owe their rife to this powerful caufe. As this principle is founded in felf-love, every man is fure to be folicitous in the firft place about his own fortune, the course of his life, and the time and manner of his death.

If we confider that we are free agents, we fhall difcover the abfurdity of fuch enquiries. One of our actions which we might have performed or neglected, is the caufe of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole chain of life is linked together. Pain, poverty, or infamy, are the natural product of vicious and imprudent as; as the contrary bieflings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppofe our lot to be determined without impiety. A great enhancement of pleafure arifes from it's being unexpected; and pain is doubled by being forefeen. Upon all there, and feveral other accounts, we ought to rest satisfied in this portion bestowed on us; to adore the

goodness in our knowledge than in our ignorance.

It is not unworthy obfervation, that fuperftitious enquiries into future events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the improvement of liberal arts and ufeful knowledge in the feveral parts of the world. Accordingly we find, that magical incantations remain in Lapland; in the more remote parts of Scotland they have their fecond fight; and feveral of our own countrymen have feen abundance of fairies. In Alia this credulity is strong; and the greateft part of refined learning there confifts in the knowledge of amulets, talifmans, occult numbers, and the like.

When I was at Grand Cairo, I fell into the acquaintance of a good-natured muffulman, who promifed me many good offices, which he defigned to do me when he became the prime minifter, which was a fortune beftowed on his imagination by a doctor very deep in the curious sciences. At his repeated foli-citations I went to learn my destiny of this wonderful fage. For a finall fum I had his promife, but was defired to wait in a dark apartment until he had run through the preparatory ceremonies. Having a strong propenfity, even then, to dreaming, I took a nap upon the fofa

where

where I was placed, and had the following vision, the particulars whereof I picked up the other day among my papers.

I found myself in an unbounded plain, where methought the whole world, in feveral habits and with different tongues, was affembled. The multitude glided fwiftly along, and I found in myself a ftrong inclination to mingle in the train. My eyes quickly fingled out fome of the most plendid figures. Several in rich caftans and glittering turbans buftled through the throng, and trampled over the bedies of thofe they threw down; until, to my great furprife, I found that the great pace they went only haftened them to a fcaffold or a bowitring. Many beautiful daisels on the other fide moved forward with great gaiety; fume danced until they fell all along; and others painted their faces until they lost their nofes. A tribe of creatures with bufy looks falling into a fit of laughter at the misfortunes of the unhappy ladies, I turned my eyes upon them. They were each of them filling his pockets with gold and jewels; and when there was no room left for more, these wretches looking round with fear and horror, pined away before my face with famine and discontent.

This profpect of human mifery struck

me dumb for fome miles. Then it was

that, to difburden my mind, I took pen and ink, and did every thing that hath fince happened under my office of Spectator. While I was employing myself for the good of mankind, I was furprized to meet with very unfuitable returns from my fellow-creatures. Never was poor author fo befet with pamph

leteers, who sometimes marched directly againft me, but oftener fhot: at 'me from ftrong bulwarks, or rose up suddenly in ambush. They were of all characters and capacities, fome with enfigns of dignity, and others in liveries; but what most furprized me, was to fee two or three in black gowns among my enemies. It was no small trouble to me, fometimes to have a man come up to me with an angry face, and reproach me for having lampooned him, when I had never feen or heard of him in my life. With the ladies it was otherwise: many became my enemies for not being particularly pointed out; as there were others who refented the fatire which they imagined I had directed against them. My great comfort was in the company of half a dozen friends, who, I found fince, were the club which I have so often mentioned in my papers. I laughed often at Sir Roger in my fleep, and was the more diverted with Will Honeycomb's gallantries, (when we afterwards became acquainted) because I had forefeen his marriage with a farmer's daughter. The regret which arofe in my mind upon the death of my companions, my anxieties for the public, and the many calamities ftill fleeting before my eyes, made me repent my curiofity; when the magician entered the room, and awakened me, by telling me (when it was too late) that he was just going to begin.

N. B. I have only delivered the prophecy of that part of my life which is paft, it being inconvenient to divulge the fecond part until a more proper opportunity.

AVING perufed the following

H letter, and finding it to run upon

the fubiect of love, I referred it to the learned cafuift, whom I have retained in

DRYDEN.

my service for fpeculations of that kind.

He returned it to me the next morning

with his report annexed to it, with both of which I shall here prefent my reader.

MR.

TMEL SPECTATOR,D

F INDING that you have entertained an useful perfon in your fervice in quality of Love Cafuilt, I apply myself to you, under a very great difficulty, that hath for fome months perplexed me. I have a couple of humble fer vants, one of which I have no averfion to the other I think of very kindly. The firft hath the reputation of a man of good fenfe, and is one of those people that your fex are apt to value. My fpark is reckoned a coxcomb among the men, but is a favourite of the la dies. If I marry the man of worth, as they call him, I fhall oblige my parents and improve my fortune; but with my dear beau I promife myfelf happiness, although not a jointure. Now I would afk you, whether I fhould consent to lead my life with a man that I have only no objection to, or with him against whom all objections to me appear fri volous. I am determined to follow the cafuift's advice, and I dare say he will not put me upon fo ferious a thing as matrimony contrary to my inclination. I am, &c.

FANNY FICKLE.

P.S. I forgot to tell you, that the pretty gentleman is the moft complaifant creature in the world, and is always of my mind; but the other, forfooth, fancies he has as much wit as myself, flights my lap-dog, and hath the info lence to contradict me when he thinks I am not in the right. About half an hour ago, he maintained to my face, that a patch always implies a pimple.

As I look upon it to be my duty rather to fide with the parents than the daughter, I fhall propofe fome confiderations to my gentle querift, which may incline her to comply with thofe under whofe direction the is: and at the fame time convince her, that it is not impoffible but the may, in time, have a true affection for him who is, at prefent, indifferent to her; or, to ufe the old family maxim, that, if the marries firft, love will come after.'

The only objection that the feems to infinuate against the gentleman propofed to her, is his want of complaifance, which, I perceive, fhe is very willing to return. Now, I can difcover from this very circumstance, that the and her lover, whatever they may think of it, are very good friends in their hearts.

It is difficult to determine, whether love delights more in giving pleasure or pain. Let Mifs Fickle afk her own heart, if the doth not take a fecret pride in making this man of good fenfe look very filly. Hath fhe ever been better pleased, than when her behaviour hath made her lover ready to hang hinfelf? or doth he ever rejoice more than when the thinks he hath driven him to the very brink of a purling stream? Let her confider, at the fame time, that it is not impoffible but her lover may have dif covered her tricks, and hath a mind to give her as good as fhe brings, I remember a handfome young baggage that treated a hopeful Greek of my acquaintance, juft come from Oxford, as if he had been a barbarian. The first week after fhe had fixed him, she took a pinch of snuff out of his rival's box, and apparently touched the enemy's lit tle finger. She became a profeffed ene my to the arts and sciences, and scarce ever wrote a letter to him without wil fully mif- fpelling his name. The young fcholar, to be even with her, railed at coquettes as foon as he had got the word; and did not want parts to turn into ridicule her men of wit and pleafure of the town. After having irri tated one another for the space of five months, the made an affignation with him fourfcore miles from London. But as he was very well acquainted with her pranks, he took a journey the quite contrary way. Accordingly they met, quarrelled, and in a few days were married. Their former hoftilities are now the fubject of their mirth, being content at prefent with that part of love on, ly which bestows pleasure.

Women who have been married fome time, not having it in their heads to draw after them a numerous train of followers, find their fatisfaction in the poffeffion of one man's heart. I know very well, that ladies in their bloom defire to be excufed in this particular; but when time hath worn out their natural vanity, and taught them difcretion, their fondness fettles on it's proper object. And it is probably for this reafon, that among hufbands, you will find more that are fond of women heyond their prime, than of those who are actually in the infolence of beauty. My reader will apply the fame obfervation to the other fex.

I need not infift upon the neceffity of 7 L their

their purfuing one common interest, and their united care for their children; but fhall only obferve, by the way, that married perfons are both more warm in their love, and more hearty in their has tred, than any others whatfoever. Mutual favours and obligations, which may be fuppofed to be greater here than in any other itate, naturally beget an intenfe affection in generous minds: as, on the contrary, perfons who have bestowed fuch favours have a particular bitterness in their refentments, when they think themselves ill treated by thofe of whom they have deferved fo much.

Befides, Mifs Fickle may contider, that as there are often many faults concealed before marriage, fo there are fometimes many virtues unobferved.

To this we may add the great efficacy of cuftom, and conftant converfation, to produce a mutual friendship and benevolence in two perfons. It is a nice reRection, which I have heard a friend of mine make, that you may be fure a woman loves a man, when the ufes his expreffions, tells his ftories, or imitates his manner. This gives a fecret delight; for imitation is a kind of artless Battery, and mightily favours the powerful principle of felf-love. It is certain, that married perfons, who are poffeffed with a mutual efteem, not only catch the air and way of talk from one another, but fall into the fume traces of thinking and liking. Nay, fome have carried the remark fo far as to affert, that the features of man and wife grow, in time, to resemble one another. Let my fair correfpondent therefore confider, that the gentleman recommended will have a good deal of her own face in two

I

or three years; which she must not expect from the beau, who is too full of his dear felf to copy after another. And I dare appeal to her own judgment, if that perion will not be the handsomeft, that is the most like hertelt.

We have a remarkable infance to our prefent purpofe in the hiftory of King Edgar, which I shall here late, and leave it with my fair core.pordent to be applied to herleif.

This great monarch, who is fo fa. mous in British ftory, fell in love, as he made his progress through his kin, dem, with a certain duke's daughter who lived near Wincheiter, and was the most celebrated beauty of the age. His importunities and the violence of his paffion were fo great, that the n.other of the young lady promised him to bang her daughter to his bed the next night, though in her heart the abhorred to infamous an office. It was no forner dark than the conveyed into his rom a young maid of no disagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want addrefs to improve the oppor tunity for the advancement of her for

tune.

She made fo good ule of her time, that when the offered to rife a little before day, the king could by no means think of parting with her. So that finding heifelf under a neceffity of dif covering who fhe was, he did it in fo handfome a manrer, that his majetty was exceeding gracious to her, and took her ever after under his protection: infomuch that our chronicles tell us he carried her along with him, made her his firft minifter of state, and continued true to her alone until his marriage with the beautiful Elfrida.

Have a couple of nieces under mv direction, who fo often run gadding abroad, that I do not know where to have them. Their diefs, their tea, and their vefits, take up all their time, and they go to bed as tired with doing no

thing, as I am after quilting a whole under-petticoat. The only time they are not idle, is while they read your Spe&tators; which being dedi ated to the interests of virtue, I defire you to recommend the long negle&ed art of needle-work. Thoie hours which in