was only her misfortune the rest of mankind had not beheld her, or men of much greater quality and merit had contended for one fo genteel, though bred in obfcurity; fo very witty, though never acquainted with court or town. She therefore refolved not to hide fo much excellence from the world, but without any regard to the abfence of the moft generous man alive, she is now the gayeft lady about this town, and has fhut out the thoughts of her husband by a conftant retinue of the vaineft young fellows this age has produced; to entertain whom, fhe fquanders away all Hortenfius is able to fupply her with, though that fupply is purchased with no lefs difficulty than the hazard of his life.

Now, Mr. Spectator, would it not be a work becoming your office to treat this criminal as the deferves? You fhould give it the fevereft reflections you can: you should tell women, that they are more accountable for behaviour in abfence than after death. The dead are not dishonoured by their levities; the living may return, and be laughed at by empty fops, who will not fail to turn into ridicule the good man, who is fo unfeasonable as to be ftill alive, and come and fpoil good company. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble fer

vant.

All strictness of behaviour is so unmercifully laughed at in our age, that the other much worse extreme is the more common folly. But let any woman confider, which of the two offences an husband would the more easily for give, that of being lefs entertaining than the could to pleafe company, or raifing the defires of the whole room to his difadvantage; and fhe will cafily be able

to form her conduct. We have indeed carried women's characters too much into public life, and you fhall fee them now-a-days affect a fort of fame: but I cannot help venturing to difoblige them for their fervice, by telling them, that the utmost of a woman's character is contained in domeftic life; fhe is blameable or praife-worthy according as her carriage affects the house of her father or her husband. All fhe has to do in this world, is contained within the duties of a daughter, a fifter, a wife, and a mother: all thefe may be well performed, though a lady should not be the very fineft woman at an opera or an affembly. They are likewife confiftent with a moderate fhare of wit, a plain drefs, and a modeft air. But when the very brains of the fex are turned, and they place their ambition on circumftances, wherein to excel is no addition to what is truly commendable, where can this end, but as it frequently does, in their placing all their industry, pleafure, and ambition on things, which will naturally make the gratifications of life laft, at beft, no longer than youth and good fortune? And when we confider the leaft ill confequence, it can be no less than looking on their own condition, as years advance, with a difrelifh of life, and falling into contempt of their own perfons, or being the derifion of others. But when they confider themfelves as they ought, no other than an additional part of the fpecies, (for their own happiness and comfort, as well as that of those for whom they were born) their ambition to excel will be directed accordingly; and they will in no part of their lives want opportunities of being fhining ornaments to their fathers, hufbands, brothers, or children.

T

N° CCCXLIII.

ERRAT, ET ILLINC

little

to fhew upon occafion all the little learning he has picked up, told us yesterday at the club, that he thought there might be a great deal faid for the tranfmigration of fouls, and that the eaftern part of the world believed in that doctrine to this day. • Sir Paul Ry'caut,' fays he, gives us an account of feveral well-difpofed Mahometans that purchase the freedom of any bird they fee confined to a cage, and think they merit as much by it, as we fhould do here by ranfoming any of our countrymen from their captivity at Algiers. You must know,' fays Will, the reafon is, becaufe they confider every animal as a brother or filter in difguife, and therefore think themfelves obliged to extend their charity to them, though under fuch mean circumftances. They will tell you,' fays Will, that the foul of a man, when he dies, immediately paffes into the body of another man, or of fome brute, which he refembled in his humour, or his fortune, when he was

one of us.'

6

As I was wondering what this profufion of learning would end in, Will told us that Jack Freelove, who was a fellow of whim, made love to one of thofe ladies who throw away all their fondness on parrots, monkeys, and lapdogs. Upon geing to pay her a vifit one morning, he writ a very pretty epittle upon this hint. Jack, fays he, was conducted into the parlour, whe e he diverted himself for fome ⚫ time with her favourite monkey, which was chained in one of the windows; 'till at length obferving a pen and ink lie by him, he writ the following letter to his miftrefs in the perfon of the

DRYDEN.

.165.

monkey; and upon her not coming down fo foon as he expected, left it in the window, and went about his bufinefs.

The lady foon after coming into the parlour, and feeing her monkey look upon a paper with great earnestness, took it up, and to this day is in fome doubt,' fays Will, whether it was written by Jack or the monkey.'

MADAM,

NOT having the gift of fpeech, I

have a long time waited in vain for an opportunity of making myfelf known to you; and having at prefent the conveniencies of pen, ink, and paper by me, I gladly take the occafion of giving you my hiftory in writing, which I could not do by word of mouth. You muft know, Madam, that about a thoufand years ago I was an Indian Brachman, and verfed in all thofe mysterious fecrets which your European philofopher, called Pythagoras, is faid to have learned from our fraternity. I had fo ingratiated myfelf by my great skill in the occult fciences with a demon whom I used to converfe with, that he promiled to grant me whatever I fhould alk of him.' I defired that my foul might never pafs into the body of a brute creature; but this he told me was not in his power to grant me. I then begged, that into whatever creature I fhould chance to tranfmigrate, I should ftill retain my memory, and be conscious that I was the fame person who lived in different animals. This he told me was within his power, and accordingly promised on the word of a dæmon that he would grant me what I defired. From that time forth I lived fo very unblameably, that I was made prefident

of

of a college of Brachmans, an office which I difcharged with great integrity until the day of my death.

I was then fhuffled into another human body, and acted my part fo very well in it, that I became first minister to a prince who reigned upon the banks of the Ganges. I here lived in great honour for several years, but by degrees loft all the innocence of the Brachman, being obliged to rifle and opprefs the people to enrich my fovereign; till at length I became fo odious, that my maiter, to recover his credit with his fubjects, fhot me through the heart with an arrow, as I was one day addreffing myself to him at the head of his army. Upon my next remove I found myself in the woods under the fhape of a jackcall, and foon lifted myself in the fervice of a lion. I used to yelp near his den about midnight, which was his time of roufing and feeking after his prey. He always followed me in the rear, and when I had run down a fat buck, a wild goat or an hare, after he had fearted very plentifully upon it himself, would now and then throw me a bone that was but half-picked for my encouragement; but upon my being unfuccesful in two or three chafes, he gave me fuch a confounded gripe in his anger that I died of it.

In my next tranfmigration I was again fet upon two legs, and became an Indian tax-gatherer, but having been guilty of great extravagancies, and being married to an expenfive jade of a wite, I ran fo curfedly in debt, that I dura not fhew my head. I could no fooner ftep out of my houfe, but I was arrested by fome body or other that lay in wait for me. As I ventured abroad one night in the dufk of the evening, I was taken up and hurried into a dungeon, where I died a few months after. My foul then entered into a flying fifh, and in that ftate led a most melancholy life for the space of fix years. Several fishes of prey purfued me when I was in the water, and if I betook myself to my wings, it was ten to one but I had a flock of birds aiming at me. As I was one day flying amidit a fleet of English fhips, I obferved a huge fea-gull whetting his bill and hovering just over my head. Upon my dipping into the water to avoid him, I fell into the mouth of a monftrous fhark that wallowed me down in an inftant.

I was fome years afterwards, to my great furprise, an eminent banker in Lombard Street; and remembering how I had formerly fuffered for want of money, became fo very ferdid and avaricious, that the whole town cried flame of me. I was a miferable little old fellow to look upon, for I had in a manner ftarved myfelf, and was nothing but skin and bone when I died.

I was afterwards very much troubled and amazed to find myfelf dwindled into an emmet: I was heartily concerned to make fo infignificant a figure, and did not know but fome time or other I might be reduced to a mite if I did not mend my manners. I therefore applied myself with great diligence to the offices that were allotted me, and was generally looked upon as the notableft ant in the whole mole-hill. I was at laft picked up, as I was groaning under a burthen, by an unlucky cock.fparrow that lived in the neighbourhood, and had before made great depredations upon our commonwealth.

I then bettered my condition a little, and lived a whole fummer in the fhape of a bee; but being tired with the painful and penurious life I had undergone in my two laft tranfmigrations, Ï fell into the other extreme, and turned drone. As I one day headed a party to plunder an hive, we were received fo warmly by the fwarm which defended it, that we were most of us left dead upon the spot.

I might tell you of many other transmigrations which I went through: how I was a town-rake, and afterwards did penance in a bay gelding for ten years; as alfo how I was a taylor, a fhrimp, and a tom-tit. In the laft of these my shapes I was fhot in the Christmas holidays by a young jackanapes, who would needs try his new gun upon me.

But I fhall pafs over thefe and feveral other ftages of life, to remind you of the young beau who made love to you about fix years fince. You may remember, Madam, how he masked, and danced, and fung, and played a thoufand tricks to gain you; and how he was at lalt carried off by a cold that he got under your window one night in a ferenade. I was that unfortunate young fellow whom you were then fo cruel to. Not long after my shifting that unlucky body, I found myfelf upon a hill in Æthiopia, where I lived in my prefent grotesque shape, until I was

caught

caught by a fervant of the English factory, and fent over into Great Britain: I need not inform you how I came into your hands. You fee, Madam, this is not the first time that you have had me in a chain: I am, however, very happy in this my captivity, as you often be flow on me thofe kiffes and careffes which I would have given the world for, when I was a man. I hope this difcosery of my perfon will not tend to

my difadvantage, but that you will fill continue your accustomed favours to your molt devoted humble servant,

PUGG.

P.S. I would advise your little fhock dog to keep out of my way; for as I look upon him to be the most formidable of my rivals, I may chance one time or other to give him fuch a fnap as he will not like. L

Juv. SAT. 11. v.lle

MR. SPECTATOR,

Think it has not yet fallen into your way to discourse on little ambition, or the many whimsical ways men fall into, to distinguish themselves among their acquaintance: fuch obfervations, well purfued, would make a pretty hiftory of low life. I myself am got into a great reputation, which arofe (as most extraordinary occurrences in a man's life feem to do) from a mere accident. I was fome days ago unfortunately engaged among a fet of gentlemen, who elteem a man according to the quantity of food he throws down at a meal. Now I, who am ever for diftinguishing my felf according to the notions of fuperiority which the rest of the company entertain, eat fo immoderately for their applaufe, as had like to have coft me my life. What added to my misfortune was, that having naturally a good ftomach, and having lived foberly for fome time, my body was as well prepared for this contention as if it had been by appointment. I had quickly vanquished every glutton in company but one, who was fuch a prodigy in his way, and withal fo very merry during the whole entertainment, that he infentibly betrayed me to continue his competitor, which in a little time concluded in a compleat victory over my rival; after which, by way of infult, I eat a confiderable proportion beyond what the fpectators thought me obliged in honour to do. The effect however of this engagement, has made me refolve never to eat more for renown; and I have, purfuant to this refolution, compounded

CONGREVE."

three wagers I had depending on the ftrength of my ftomach; which happened very luckily, because it was stipulated in our articles either to play or pay. How a man of common fenfe could be thus engaged, is hard to determine; but the occasion of this is to defire you to inform feveral gluttons of my acquaintance, who look on me with envy, that they had beft moderate their ambition in time, left infamy or death attend their fuccefs. I forgot to tell you, Sir, with what unspeakable pleafure I received the acclamations and applause of the whole board, when I had alm.oft eat my antagonist into convulfions: it was then that I returned his mirth upon him with such success as he was hardly able to fwallow, though prompted by a defire of fame, and a paffionate fondnels for distinction. I had not endeavoured to excel fo far, had not the company been fo loud in their approbation of my victory. I don't question but the fame thirit after glory has often caused a man to drink quarts without taking breath, and prompted men to many other difficult enterprises; which if otherwife purfued, might turn very much to a man's advantage. This ambition of mine was indeed extravagantly purfuel; however I cannot help obferving, that you hardly ever fee a man commended for a good ftomach, but he immediately falls to eating more (though he had before dined) as well to confirm the perfon that commended him in his good opinion of him, as to convince any other at the table, who may have been unattentive enough not to

have done justice to his character. I am, Sir, your most humble fervant, EPICURE MAMMON.

MR. SPECTATOR,

Have writ to you three or four times, to defire you would take notice of an impertinent custom the women, the fine women, have lately fallen into, of taking fnuff. This filly trick is attended with fuch a coquet air in fome ladies, and fuch a sedate masculine one in others, that I cannot tell which moft to complain of; but they are to me equally difagreeable. Mrs. Santer is fo impatient of being without it, that he takes it as often as he does falt at meals, and as he affects a wonderful ease and negligence in all her manner, an upper lip mixed with fnuff and the fauce, is what is prefented to the obfervation of all who have the honour to eat with her. The pretty creature her niece does all fhe can to be as difagreeable as her aunt; and if the is not as offenfive to the eye, the is quite as much to the ear, and makes up all the wants in a confident air, by a naufeous rattle of the nofe, when the fnuff is delivered, and the fingers make the ftops and clofes on the noftrils. This, perhaps, is not, a very courtly image in fpeaking of ladies; that is very true; but where arifes

TH

the offence? Is it in those who commit, or those who obferve it? As for my part, I have been fo extremely disgusted with this filthy phyfic hanging on the lip, that the most agreeable conversation, or perfon, has not been able to make up for it. As to those who take it for no other end but to give themselves occafion for pretty action, or to fill up little intervals of difcourfe, I can bear with them; but then they must not use it when another is fpeaking, who ought to be heard with too much refpect, to admit of offering at that time from hand to hand the fnuff-box. But Flavilla is fo far taken with her behaviour in this kind, that the pulls out her box (which is indeed full of good Brazil) in the middle of the fermon; and to fhew the has the audacity of a well-bred woman, the offers it the men as well as the women who fit near her: but fince by this time all the world knows the has a fine hand, I am in hopes the may give herfelf no further trouble in this matter. On Sunday was fevennight, when they came about for the offering, she gave her charity with a very good air, but at the fame time afked the churchwarden if he would take a pinch. Pray, Sir, think of these things in time, and you will oblige, Sir, T

Your most humble fervant,

OVID. MET. LIB. I. V. 76.

HE accounts which Raphael gives of the battle of angels and the creation of the world, have in them thofe qualifications which the critics judge requifite to an epifode. They are nearly related to the principal action, and have a juft connection with the fable.

The eighth book opens with a beautiful defcription of the impreffion which this difcourfe of the archangel made on our first parents. Adam afterwards, by a very natural curiofity, enquires con

DRYDEN.

cerning the motions of those celeftial bodies which make the most glorious appearance among the fix days works. The poet here, with a great deal of art, reprefents Eve as withdrawing from this part of their converfation, to amusements more fuitable to her fex. He well knew that the epifode in this book, which is filled with Adam's account of his paffion and esteem for Eve, would have been improper for her hearing, and has therefore devised very just and beautiful reafons for her retiring.