no Lady of that Court would take the Voyage, that Sex not being at that time fo much used in politick Negotiations. The manner of treating the Pope is, according to the Chinese Ceremonial, very refpectful: For the Emperor writes to him with the Quill of a Virgin OAtrich, which was never used before but in writing Prayers. Inftructions are preparing for the Lady who fhall have fo much Zeal as to undertake this Pilgrimage, and be an Empress for the fake of her Religion. The Principal of the Indian Miffionaries has given in a Lift of the reigning Sins in China, in order to prepare the Indulgences neceffary to this Lady and her Retinue, in advancing the Interefts of the Roman Catholick Religion in those Kingdoms.

T

To the SPECTATOR-GENERAL.

May it please your Honour,

I

Have of late feen French Hats, of a prodigious Magnitude, pafs by my Obfervatory.

John Sly.

Wednes

N° 545. Wednesday, November 26.

2

Omnia patefacienda ut ne quid omnino quod venditor norit, emptor ignoret.

Tull.

T gives me very great Scandal to obferve, where-ever

I I go, how much Skill, in buying all manner of Goods, there is neceffary to defend your felf from being cheated in whatever you fee exposed to fale. My reading makes fuch a ftrong impreffion upen me, that I fhould think my felf a Cheat in my way, if I fhould tranflate any thing from another Tongue, and not acknowledge it to my Readers. I understood from common Report, that Mr. Cibber was introducing a French Play upon our Stage, and thought my felf concerned to let the Town know what was his, and what was foreign. When I came to the Rehearsal, I found the House so partial to one of their own Fraternity, that they gave every thing which was faid fuch Grace, Emphafis, VOL. XIV.

M

3

and

and Force, in their Action, that it was no eafy matter to make any Judgment of the Performance. Mrs. Oldfield, who, it seems, is the Heroick Daughter, had fo juft a Conception of her part, that her Action made what the fpoke appear decent, juft, and noble. The Paffions of Terror and Compaffion, they made me believe were very artfully raised, and the whole Conduct of the Play artful and furprizing. We Authors do not much relish the Endeavours of Players in this kind; but have the fame Difdain as Phyficians and Lawyers have when Attornies and Apothecaries give Advice. Cibber himself took the liberty to tell me, that he expected I would do him juftice, and allow the Play well-prepar ed for his Spectators, whatever it was før his Readers. He added very many Particulars not uncurious concerning the manner of taking an Audience, and laying wait not only for their fuperficial Applaufe, but alfo for infinuating into their Affections and Paffions, by the artful Management of the Look, Voice, and Gesture of the Speaker. I could not but confent that the Heroick Daugh ter appeared in the Rehearsal a moving Entertainment wrought out of a great and exemplary Virtue.

THE

THE Advantages of Action, Show and Dress on thefe Occafions are allow able, because the Merit confifts in being capable of impofing upon us to our Advantage and Entertainment. All that I was going to fay about the Honesty of an Author in the fale of his Ware, was, that he ought to own all that he had borrowed from others, and lay in a clear light all that he gives his Specta tors for their Money, with an account of the firft Manufacturers. But I intended to give the Lecture of this Day upon the common and prostituted Behaviour of Traders in ordinary Commerce. The Philofopher made it a Rule of Trade, that your Profit ought to be the common Profit; and it is unjuft to make any step towards Gain, wherein the Gain of even thofe to whom you fell is not alfo confulted. A Man may deceive himself if he thinks fit, but he is no better than a Cheat who fells any thing. without telling the Exceptions againft it, as well as what is to be faid to its Advantage. The fcandulous Abuse of Language and hardening of Confcience, which may be obferved every day in going from one Place to another, is what makes a whole City to an unprejudiced M 2

Eye

Eye a Den of Thieves. It was no fmall pleasure to me for this reafon to remark, as I paffed by Cornhill, that the Shop of that worthy, honeft, though lately unfortunate, Citizen, Mr. John Moreton, fo well known in the Linnen Trade, is fitting up a-new. Since a Man has been in a diftreffed Condition, it ought to be a great Satisfaction to have paffed through it in fuch a manner as not to have loft the Friendship of those who suffered with him, but to receive an honourable Acknowledgment of his Honefty from those very Perfons to whom the Law had configned his Eftate.

THE Misfortune of this Citizen is like to prove of a very general advantage to thofe who fhall deal with him hereafter: For the Stock with which he now fets up being the Loan of his Friends, he cannot expofe that to the Hazards of giving credit, but enters ino a Ready-Money Trade, by which means he will both buy and fell the best and cheapest. He impofes upon himself a Rule of affixing the Value of each Piece he fells to the Piece it felf; fo that the moft ignorant Servant or Child will be as good a Buyer at his Shop as the

moft