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them praise Oreftes, ftruck in with them, and told them, that he thought his Friend Pylades was a very fenfible Man; as they were afterwards applauding Pyrrhus, Sir ROGER put in a fecond time; And let me tell you, fays he, though he speaks but little, I like the old Fellow in Whiskers as well as any of them. Captain SENTRY feeing two or three Wags who fat near us, lean with an attentive Ear towards Sir ROGER, and fearing left they fhould smoke the Knight, pluck'd him by the Elbow, and whisper'd fomething in his Ear, that lafted till the Opening of the fifth Act. The Knight was wonderfully attentive to the Account which Oreftes gives of Pyrrhus his Death, and at the Conclufion of it, told me it was such a bloody Piece of Work, that he was glad it was not done upon the Stage. Seeing afterward Oreftes in his raving Fit, he grew more than ordinary serious, and took occafion to moralize (in his way) upon an Evil Confcience, adding, that Oreftes, in his Madness, looked as if he jaw fomething.

AS we were the first that came into the House, so we were the laft that went out of it; being resolved to have a clear Paffage for our old Friend, whom we did not care to venture among the juftling of the Crowd. Sir ROGER went out fully fatisfied with his Entertainment, and we guarded him to his Lodgings in the fame manner that we brought him to the Play-houfe; being highly pleased, for my own part, not only with the Performance of the excellent Piece which had been prefented, but with the Satiffaction which it had given to the old Man.

L

Wednesday,

N° 336.

XCX ROIS

Wednesday, March 26.

Clament periiffe pudorem

Cuneti penè patres, ea cùm reprehendere coner,
Que gravis Esopus, quæ doctus Rofcius egit:
Vel quia nil rectum, nifi quod placuit fibi, ducunt;
Vel quia turpe putant parere minoribus, et, qua
Imberbes didicere, fenes perdenda fateri.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Hor. Lib. 2. Ep. 1. v. 80.

S you are the daily Endeavourer to promote Learning and good Sense, I think my self obliged to fuggeft to your Confideration whatever may promote or prejudice them. There is an Evil which has prevailed from Generation to Generation, which gray Hairs and tyrannical Cuftom continue to fupport; I hope your Spectatorial Authority will give a feasonable Check to the Spread of the Infection; I mean old Mens overbearing the strongest Senfe of their Juniors by the mere Force of Seniority; fo that for a young Man in the Bloom of Life and Vigour of Age to give a reasonable ⚫ Contradiction to his Elders, is efteem'd an unpardonable • Infolence, and regarded as a Reverfing the Decrees of

Nature. I am a young Man, I confefs, yet I honour • the gray Head as much as any one; however, when in Company with old Men, I hear them fpeak obfcurely, or reafon prepofteroufly (into which Abfurdities, Prejudice, Pride, or Intereft, will fometimes throw the wifeft) I count it no crime to rectify their Reafonings, ⚫ unless Conscience muft truckle to Ceremony, and Truth fall a Sacrifice to Complaifance. The ftrongeft Argu⚫ments are enervated, and the brightest Evidence difap⚫pears, before thofe tremendous Reasonings and dazzling • Difcoveries of venerable old Age: You are young giddy-headed Fellows, you have not yet had Experience of the World. Thus we young Folks find our Ambition cramp'd, and our Laziness indulged, fince, while young,

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• we have little room to difplay our felves; and, when ⚫ old, the Weakness of Nature muft pafs for Strength of • Senfe, and we hope that hoary Heads will raise us above the Attacks of Contradiction. Now, Sir, as you would ⚫ enliven our Activity in the purfuit of Learning, take • our Cafe into Confideration; and, with a Gloss on • brave Elibu's Sentiments, affert the Rights of Youth, ⚫ and prevent the pernicious Incroachments of Age. The ⚫ generous Reasonings of that gallant Youth would adorn your Paper; and I beg you would infert them, not doubting but that they will give good Entertainment ⚫ to the most intelligent of your Readers.

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'SO these three Men ceafed to anfwer Job, because he was righteous in his own Eyes. Then was kindled the Wrath of Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite, of the Kindred of Ram: Against Job was his Wrath kindled, because he juftified himself rather than God. Alfo against his three Friends was his Wrath kindled, because they had found no Anfwer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. When Elihu faw there was no Anfaver in the Mouth of these three Men, then his Wrath was kindled. And Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite anfwered and faid, I am young and ye are very old, • wherefore I was afraid, and durft not fhew you mine Opinion. I faid, Days fhould speak, and Multitude of Years fhould teach Wisdom. But there is a Spirit in Man; and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Underftanding. Great Men are not always wife: Neither do the Aged underftand Judgment. Therefore I faid, hearken to me, I also will fhew mine Opinion. Be•hold I waited for your Words; I gave ear to your Reafons, whilft you fearched out what to fay. Yea, I attended unto you: And behold there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his Words; left ye fhould fay, we have found out Wisdom: God thrufeth him down, not Man. Now he hath not directed his Words against me: Neither will I anfwer him with your Speeches. They were amazed, they answered no more: They left off Speaking. When I had waited (for they spake not, • but flood fill and answered no more) Ï said, I will answer

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alfo my Part, I also will fhew mine Opinion. For I am full of Matter, the Spirit within me conftraineth me. Behold, my Belly is as Wine which bath no vent, it is ready to burft like new Bottles. I will speak that I may be refreshed: I will open my Lips, and anfwer. Let me not, I pray you, accept any Man's Perfon, • neither let me give flattering Titles unto Man. For I know not to give flattering Titles; in fo doing my Maker would foon take me away.

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

have formerly read with great Satisfaction your Papers about Idols, and the Behaviour of Gentle· men in thofe Coffee-houfes where Women officiate, and impatiently waited to fee you take India and China Shops into Confideration: But fince you have país'd us over in filence, either that you have not as yet thought us worth your Notice, or that the Grievances we lie un⚫der have escaped your discerning Eye, I must make my Complaints to you, and am encouraged to do it becaufe you feem a little at leifure at this prefent Writing. I • am, dear Sir, one of the top China-Women about Town; and though I fay it, keep as good Things, ⚫ and receive as fine Company as any o' this End of the Town, let the other be who fhe will: In fshort, I am ' in a fair Way to be easy, were it not for a Club of Female Rakes, who under pretence of taking their innocent Rambles, forfooth, and diverting the Spleen, feldom fail to plague me twice or thrice a-day to cheapen Tea, or buy a Skreen; What else should they mean? as they often repeat it. Thefe Rakes are your idle Ladies of Fashion, who having nothing to do, employ themselves in tumbling over my Ware. One of thefe No-Cuftomers (for by the way they feldom or never buy any thing) calls for a Set of Tea-Difhes, another for a Bafon, a third for my beft Green-Tea, and even to the Punch-Bowl, there's fcarce a Piece in my Shop but must be difplaced, and the whole agreeable • Architecture difordered; fo that I can compare 'em to nothing but the Night-Goblins that take a Pleasure to overturn the Difpofition of Plates and Dishes in the • Kitchens of your housewifely Maids. Well, after all this

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Racket and Clutter, this is too dear, that is their Averfion; another thing is charming, but not wanted: The 'Ladies are cured of the Spleen, but I am not a Shilling ⚫ the better for it. Lord! what fignifies one poor pot of Tea, confidering the Trouble they put me to? Vapours, Mr. SPECTATOR, are terrible Things; for though I am not poffefs'd by them my felf, I fuffer more from ⚫ 'em than if I were. Now I must beg you to admonish all fuch Day-Goblins to make fewer Vifits, or to be less troublefom when they come to one's Shop; and to con• vince them that we honeft Shopkeepers have fomething better to do, than to cure Folks of the Vapours gratis. A young Son of mine, a School-Boy, is my Secretary, fo I hope you'll make Allowances.

6

March the 22d.

T

Iam, SIR,

Your conftant Reader,

and very humble Servant, Rebecca the Diftrefs'd.

I

337. Thursday, March 27.

Fingit equum tenera docilem cervice Magifter,
Ire viam quam monfirat eques

man,

Hor.

Have lately received a third Letter from the Gentlewho has already given the Publick two Essays upon Education. As his Thoughts feem to be very juft and new upon this Subject, I fhall communicate them to the Reader.

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SIR,

IF I had not been hindred by fome extraordinary Bufinefs, I fhould have fent you fooner my further Thoughts upon Education. You may please to remember that in my laft Letter I endeavoured to give the beft Reasons that could be urged in favour of a private or publick Education. Upon the whole it may perhaps ⚫ be thought that I feemed rather inclin'd to the latter,

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