is what gives birth to the motto of a fpeculation, which I rather choose to take out of the poets than the profe-writers, as the former generally give a finer turn to a thought than the latter, and by couching it in few words, and in harmonious numbers, make it more portable to the memory. My reader is therefore fure to meet with at leaft one good line in every paper, and very often finds his imagination entertained by a hint that awakens in his memory fome beautiful paffage of a claffic author. It natu It was a faying of an ancient philofopher, which I find some of our writers have afcribed to queen Elizabeth, who perhaps might have taken occafion to repeat it, "that a good face is a letter of recommendation." rally makes the beholders inquifitive into the person who is the owner of it, and generally prepoffeffes them in his favour. A handfome motto has the fame effect. Befides that it always gives a fupernumerary beauty to a paper, and is fometimes in a manner neceffary when the writer is engaged in what may appear a paradox to vulgar minds, as it fhews that he is fupported by good authorities, and is not fingular in his opinion. I must confefs, the motto is of little ufe to an unlearned reader, for which reason I confider it only as "a word to the wife." But as for my unlearned friends, if they cannot relish the motto, I take care to make provifion for them in the body of my paper. If they do not understand the fign that is hung out, they know very well, by it, that they may meet with entertainment in the houfe; and I think I was never better pleafed than with a plain man's compliment, who, upon his friend's telling him that he would like the Spectator much better if he understood the motto, replied, "that good wine needs no "bush." I have heard of a couple of preachers in a country town, who endeavoured which fhould outfhine one another, and draw together the greatest congregation. One of them being well verfed in the fathers, used to quote every now and then a Latin fentence to his illiterate hearers, who it seems found themselves fo edified by it, that they flocked in greater numbers to this learned man than to his rival. The other finding his congregation mouldering every Sunday, and hearing at length what was the occafion of it, refolved to give his parish a little Latin in his turn but being unacquainted with any of the fathers, he digefted into his fermons the whole book of Qua Genus, adding however fuch explications to it as he thought might be for the benefit of his people. He afterwards entered upon As in præfenti, which he converted in the fame manner to the ufe of his parifhoners. This in a very little time thickened his audience, filled his church, and routed his antagonist. The natural love to Latin, which is fo prevalent in our common people, makes me think that my fpeculations fare never the worfe among them from that little fcrap which appears at the head of them; and what the more encourages me in the ufe of quotations in an unknown tongue, is, that I hear the ladies, whofe approbation I value more than that of the whole learned world, declare themselves in a more particular manner pleafed with my Greek mottose Defigning this day's work for a differtation upon the two extremities of my paper, and having already difpatched my motto, I fhall, in the next place, difcourfe upon thofe fingle capital letters, which are placed at the end of it, and which have afforded great matter of fpeculation to the curious. I have heard various conjectures upon this fubject. Some tell us that C is the mark of those papers that are written by the clergyman, though others afcribe them to the club in general: that the papers marked with R were written by my friend Sir Roger: that L fignifies the lawyer, whom I have described in my fecond fpeculation; and that T ftands for the trader or merchant: but the letter X, which is placed at the end of fome few of my papers, is that which has puzzled the whole town, as they cannot think of any name which begins with that letter, except Xenophon and Xerxes, who can neither of them be fuppofed to have had any hand in thefe fpeculations. In answer to these inquifitive gentlemen, who have many of them made inquiries of me by letter, I muft tell them the reply of an ancient philofopher, who carried fomething hidden under his cloke. A certain acquaintance defiring him to let him know what it was he covered fo carefully, "I cover it," fays he, "on purpose that you should not know." I have made use of thefe obfcure marks for the fame purpose. They are, perhaps, little amulets or charms to preferve the paper against the fafcination and malice of evil eyes; for which reafon I would not have my reader furprized, if hereafter he fees any of my papers marked with a Q, a Z, a Y, an &c. or with the word Abracadabra. I fhall, however, fo far explain myself to the reader, as to let him know that the letters C, L, and X, are cabaliftical, and carry more in them than it is proper for the world to be acquainted with. Thofe who are verfed in the philofophy of Pythagoras, and fwear by the Tetrachtys, that is, the number four, will know very well that the number ten, which is fignified by the letter X, (and which has so much perplexed the town) has in it many particular powers, that it is called by platonic writers the complete number; that one, two, three and four put together make up the number ten; and that ten is all. But thefe are not myfteries for ordinary readers to be let into. A man must have spent many years in hard ftudy before he can arrive at the knowledge of them. We had a rabbinical divine in England, who was chaplain to the earl of Effex in queen Eliza beth's time, that had an admirable head for fecrets of this nature. Upon his taking the doctor of divinity's degree, he preached before the univerfity of Cambridge upon the first verfe of the first chapter of the firft book of Chronicles, in which, fays he, you have the three following words, Adam, Sheth, Enosh. He divided this short text into many parts, and by difcovering feveral myfteries in each word, made a moft learned and elaborate difcourfe. The name of this profound preacher was Dr. Alabaster, of whom the reader may find a more particular account in Dr, Fuller's book of Englifh worthies. This inftance will, I hope, convince my readers that there may be a great deal of fine writing in the capital letters which bring up ' • Mr. Spectator, What this correspondent wonders at, has been matter of admiration ever fince there was any fuch thing as human life. Horace reflects upon this inconfiftency very agreeably in the character of Tigellius, whom he makes a mighty pretender to œconomy, and tells you, you might one day hear him fpeak the most philofophic things imaginable concerning being contented with a little, and his contempt of every thing but mere neceffaries, and in half a week after spend a thousand pound. When he fays this of him with relation to expence, he defcribes him as unequal to himfelf in every other circumftance of life. And indeed, if we confider lavish men carefully, we shall find it always proceeds from a certain incapacity of poffeffing themselves, and finding enjoyment in their own minds. Mr. Dryden has expreffed this very excellently in the character of Zimri. "A man fo various, that he feem'd to be «Befides ten thousand freaks that died in think- HERE is one thing I have often looked TH for in your papers, and have as often wondered to find myself disappointed; the rather, becaufe I think it a fubject every way agreeable to your defign, and by being left unC attempted by others, feems referved as a proper employment for you: I mean a difquifition, from whence it proceeds, that men of the brightest parts, and moft comprehenfive genius, completely furnished with talents for any ⚫ province in human affairs; fuch as by their wife ' leffons of œconomy to others have made it evident, that they have the jufteft notions of life, ⚫ and of true fenfe in the conduct of it :-from what unhappy contradictious cause it proceeds, "Bleft madman, who could every hour employ that perfons thus finished by nature and by art," In fomething new to wish or to enjoy! ⚫fhould fo often fail in the management of that "In fquand'ring wealth was his peculiar art, which they fo well understand, and want the "Nothing went unrewarded but defert." • address to make a right application of their own rules. This is certainly a prodigious inconfif⚫tency in behaviour, and makes much fuch a ⚫ figure in morals as a monftrous birth in naturals, with this difference only, which greatly ' aggravates the wonder, that it happens much more frequently; and what a blemish does it caft upon wit and learning in the general account of the world? and in how difadvantageous a light does it expose them to the bufy clafs of mankind, that there fhould be fo many inftances of perfons who have fo conducted ⚫ their lives in fpite of these transcendent advantages, as neither to be happy in themselves, nor ufeful to their friends; when every body fees it was intirely in their own power to be eminent in both these characters? For my part, I think ⚫ there is no reflexion more astonishing than to ⚫ confider one of these gentlemen fpending a fair ❝ fortune, running in every body's debt without the least apprehenfion of a future reckoning, and at laft leaving not only his own children, but poffibly thofe of other people, by his means, ⚫ in ftarving circumstances; while a fellow, whom one would scarce fufpect to have a human foul, fhall perhaps raise a vaft eftate out of nothing, ⚫ and be the founder of a family capable of being < very confiderable in their country, and doing ⚫ many illuftrious fervices to it. That this obfervation is juft, experience has put beyond all difpute. But though the fact be fo evident and glaring, yet the caufes of it are ftill in the dark; • which makes me perfuade myself, that it would be no unacceptable piece of entertainment to the town, to inquire into the hidden sources of fo unaccountable an evil. I'am, This loofe ftate of the foul hurries the extravagant from one pursuit to another; and the reason that his expences are greater than another's, is, that his wants are alfo more numerous. But what makes so many go on in this way to their lives end, is, that they certainly do not know how contemptible they are in the eyes of the reft of mankind, or rather, that indeed they are not fo contemptible as they deferve. Tully fays, it is the greatest of wickedness to leffen your paternal eftate. And if a man would thoroughly confider how much worse than banishment it must be to his child, to ride by the estate which should have been his, had it not been for his father's injustice to him, he would be fmitten with the reflexion more deeply than can be understood by any but one who is a father. Sure there can be nothing more afflicting, than to think it had been happier for his fon to have been born of any other man living than himself. It is not perhaps much thought of, but it is certainly a very important leffon, to learn how to enjoy ordinary life, and to be able to relish your being without the tranfport of fome paffion, or gratification of fome appetite. For want of this capacity, the world is filled with whetters, tipplers, cutters, fippers, and all the numerous train of those who, for want of thinking, are forced to be ever exercifing their feeling or tafting. would be hard on this occafion to mention the harmless smokers of tobacco and takers of snuff, It The flower part of mankind, whom my corref pondent wonders should get eftates,are the more immediately formed for that pursuit: they can expect diftant things without impatience, because they SIR, are not carried out of their way either by violent "Your most humble Servant." paffion or keen appetite to any thing: To mea addict I addicted to delights, bufinefs 'is an interruption; to such as are cold to delights, business is an entertainment. For which reafon, it was faid to one who commended a dull man for his application, "No thanks to him; if he had no bufinefs, he "would have nothing to do." T N° 223. THURSDAY, Nov. 15. Phædr. Fab. 1. lib. 3. ver. 5. O fweet foul! how good must you have been been heretofore, when your remains are fo delicious! fometimes taken up alive. This place was therefore called, "The Lover's Leap;" and whether or no the fright they had been in, or the refolution that could push them to fo dreadful a remedy, or the bruifes which they often received in their fall, banished all the tender fentiments of love, and gave their fpirits another turn; thofe who had taken this leap were observed never to relapse into that paffion. Sappho tried the cure, but perished in the experiment. After having given this fhort account of Sappho, fo far as it regards the following ode, I fhall fubjoin the tranflation of it as it was fent Winter-piece have been already fo well received. me by a friend, whose admirable paftorals and The reader will find in it that pathetic fimplicity which is fo peculiar to him, and fo fuitable to HEN I reflect upon the various fate of the ode he has here tranflated. This ode in the thofe multitudes of ancient writers who Greek, befides those beauties obferved by Madam flourished in Greece and Italy, I confider time as Dacier, has feveral harmonious turns in the an immenfe ocean in which many noble authors words, which are not loft in the English. I are intirely fwallowed up, many very much fhat-muft farther add, that the tranflation has pretered and damaged, fome quite disjointed and broken into pieces, while fome have wholly escaped the common wreck; but the number of the last is very small. W Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vafto. Virg. Æn. 1. ver. 112. "One here and there floats on the vaft abyss." Among the mutilated poets of antiquity, there is none whofe fragments are fo beautiful as thofe of Sappho. They give us a taste of her way of writing, which is perfectly conformable with that extraordinary character we find of her, in the remarks of thofe great critics who were converfant with her works when they were intire. One may fee by what is left of them, that the followed nature in all her thoughts, without defcending to thofe little points, conceits, and turns of wit with which many of our modern lyrics are fo miferably infected. Her foul feems to have been made up of love and poetry: the felt the paffion in all its warmth, and defcribed it in all its symptoms. She is called by ancient authors the tenth mufe; and by Plutarch is compared to Cacus the fon of Vulcan, who breathed out nothing but flame. I do not know by the character that is given of her works, whether it is not for the benefit of mankind that they are loft. They were filled with fuch bewitching tendernefs and rapture, that it might have been very dangerous to have given them a reading. An inconstant lover, called Phaon, occafioned great calamities to this poetical lady. She fell defperately in love with him, and took a voyage into Sicily, in purfuit of him, he having withdrawn himself thither on purpose to avoid her. It was in that ifland, and on this occafion, the is fuppofed to have made the hymn to Venus, with a translation of which I fhall prefent my reader. Her hymn was ineffectual for the procuring that happiness which the prayed for in it. Phaon was ftill obdurate, and Sappho fo transported with the violence of her paffion, that fhe was refolved to get rid of it at any price. There was a promontory in Acarnania called Leucate, on the top of which was a little temple dedicated to Apollo. In this temple it was ufual for defpairing lovers to make their vows in fecret, and afterwards to fling themselves from the top of the precipics into the fea, where they were ferved every image and fentiment of Sappho, notwithstanding it has all the eafe and spirit of an original. In a word, if the ladies have a mind to know the manner of writing practifed by the fo much celebrated Sappho, they may here fee it in its genuine and natural beauty, without any foreign or affected ornaments. An HYMN to VENUS. I. "O Venus, beauty of the skies, "If ever thou haft kindly heard "Thou once didft leave almighty Jove, IV. "The birds difmifs'd (while you remain) V. "What frenzy in my bofom rag'd, "Tho' now he fhuns thy longing arms, VII, "Ce VII. "Celestial vifitant, once more Madam Dacier obferves, there is fomething very pretty in that circumftance of this ode, wherein Venus is defcribed as fending away her chariot upon her arrival at Sappho's lodgings, to denote that it was not a fhort tranfient vifit which the intended to make her. This ode was preferved by an eminent Greek critic, who inferted it intire in his works, as a pattern of perfection in the ftructure of it. Longinus has quoted another ode of this great poetefs, which is likewife admirable in its kind, and has been tranflated by the fame hand with the foregoing one. I fhall oblige my reader with it in another paper. In the mean while, I cannot but wonder, that these two finished pieces have never been attempted before by any of our own countrymen. But the truth of it is, the compofitions of the ancients, which have not in them any of thofe unnatural witticisms that are the delight of ordinary readers, are extremely difficult to render into another tongue, fo as the beauties of the original may not appear weak and faded in the tranflation. N° 224. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16. IF с CREECH. and follies of life upon the fame innate principle, to wit, the defire of being remarkable: for this, as it has been differently cultivated by education, study and converfe, will bring forth fuitable effects as it falls in with an ingenuous difpofition, or a corrupt mind; it does accordingly exprefs itself in acts of magnanimity or selfish cunning, as it meets with a good or weak underftanding. As it has been employed in embellifhing the mind, or adorning the outfide, it renders the man eminently praife-worthy or ridicu lous. Ambition therefore is not to be confined only to one paffion or purfuit; for as the fame humours, in conftitutions otherwife different, affect the body after different manners, fo the fame afpiring principle within us fometimes breaks forth upon one object, fometimes upon another. It cannot be doubted, but that there is as great a defire of glory in a ring of wrestlers or cudgelplayers, as in any other more refined competition for fuperiority. No man that could avoid it, would ever fuffer his head to be broken, but out of a principle of honour. This is the secret spring that pushes them forward; and the fuperiority which they gain above the undiftinguished many, does more than repair thofe wounds they have received in the combat. It is Mr. Waller's opinion that Julius Cæfar, had he not been mafter of the Roman Empire, would in all probability have made an excellent wrestler. "Great Julius, on the mountains bred, That he fubdued the world was owing to the accidents of art and knowledge; had he not met HOR. Sat. 6. 1. 1. v. 23. lation would have kindled within him, and with thofe advantages, the fame fparks of emu-Glory's fhining chariot fwiftly draws prompted him to distinguish himfelf in fome With equal whirl the noble and the bafe. enterprise of a lower nature. Since therefore no man's lot is fo unalterably fixed in this life, but that a thousand accidents may either forward or difappoint his advancement, it is, methinks, a pleafant and inoffenfive fpeculation, to confider a great man as divested of all the adventitious circumftances of fortune, and to bring him down in one's imagination to that low ftation of life, the nature of which bears fome diftant refemblance to that high one he is at present poffeffed of. Thus one may view him exercifing in miniature thofe talents of nature, which being drawn out by education to their full length, enable him for the discharge of fome important em ployment. On the other hand, one may raise uneducated merit to fuch a pitch of greatnefs, as may feem equal to the poffible extent of his improved capacity. F we look abroad upon the great multitude of mankind, and endeavour to trace out the principles of action in every individual, it will, I think, feem highly probable that ambition runs through the whole fpecies, and that every man in proportion to the vigour of his complexion is more or less actuated by it. It is indeed no uncommon thing to meet with men, who by the natural bent of their inclinations, and without the difcipline of philofophy, afpire not to the heights of power and grandeur; who never fet their hearts upon a numerous train of clients and dependencies, nor other gay appendages of greatnefs; who are contented with a competency, and will not moleft their tranquility to gain an abundance: but it is not therefore to be concluded that fuch a man is not ambitious: his defires may have cut out another channel, and determined him to other purfuits; the motive however may be still the fame; and in these cafes likewife the man may be equally pushed on with the defire of diftinction. Though the pure confciousness of worthy actions, abstracted from the views of popular ap. plaufe, be to a generous mind an ample reward, yet the defire of diftinction was doubtlefs implanted in our natures as an additional incentive to exert ourselves in virtuous excellence. This paffion indeed, like all others, is frequently perverted to evil and ignoble purposes; fo that we may account for many of the excellencies Thus nature furnishes a man with a general appetite of glory, education determines it to this or that particular object. The defire of distinction is not, I think, in any inftance more obfervable than in the variety of outfides and new appearances, which the modifh part of the world are obliged to provide, in order to make themselves remarkable; for any thing glaring or particular, either in behaviour or apparel, is known to have this good effect, that it catches the eye, and will not fuffer you to pafs over the perfon so adorned without due notice and obfervation. It has likewife, upon this account, been frequently resented as a very great flight, to leave any gentleman out of a lampoon or fatire, who has as much right to ba be there as his neighbour, because it fuppofes the perfon not eminent enough to be taken notice of. To this paffionate fondnefs for distinction are owing various frolicksome and irregular practices, as fallying out into nocturnal exploits, breaking of windows, finging of catches, beating the watch, getting drunk twice a day, killing a great number of horses; with many other enterprises of the like fiery nature: for certainly many a man is more rakish and extravagant than he would willingly be, were there not others to look on and give their approbation. It One very common, and at the fame time the moft abfurd ambition that ever fhewed itself in human nature, is that which comes upon a man with experience and old age, the feafon when it might be expected he should be wifeft; and therefore it cannot receive any of those leffening circumstances which do, in fome measure, excufe the diforderly ferments of youthful blood: I mean the paffion for getting money, exclufive of the character of the provident father, the affectionate husband, or the generous friend. may be remarked, for the comfort of honeft poverty, that this defire reigns most in those who have but few good qualities to recommend them. This is a weed that will grow in a barren foil. Humanity, good-nature, and the advantages of a liberal education, are incompatible with avarice. It is ftrange to fee how fuddenly this abject paffion kills all the noble fentiments and generous ambitions that adorn human nature; it renders the man who is over-run with it a peevish and cruel mafter, a fevere parent, an unfociable hufband, a diftant and mistrustful friend. But it is more to the prefent purpose to confider it as an abfurd paffion of the heart, rather than as a vicious affection of the mind. As there are frequent inftances to be met with of a proud humility, fo this paffion, contrary to moft others, affects applaufe, by avoiding all fhow and appearance; for this reafon it will not fometimes endure the common decencies of apparel. "A covetou man will calls himfelf poor, that "you may footh his vanity by contradicting "him." Love, and the defire of glory, as they are the most natural, fo they are capable of being refined into the most delicate and rational paffions. It is true, the wife man who ftrikes out of the fecret paths of a private life, for honour and dignity, allured by the fplendor of a court, and the unfelt weight of public employment, whether he fucceeds in his attempts or no, ufually comes near enough to this painted greatness to difcern the daubing; he is then defirous of extricating himself out of the hurry of life, that he may pafs away the remainder of his days in tranquility and retirement. It may be thought then but common prudence in a man not to change a better state for at a worse, nor ever to quit that which he knows he fhall take up again with pleasure; and yet if human life be not a little moved with the gentle gales of hope and fears, there may be fome danger of its ftagnating in an unmanly indolence and fecurity. It is a known ftory of Domitian, that after he had poffeffed himself of the Roman empire, his defires turned upon catching flies. Active and mafculine spirits in the vigour of youth neither can nor ought to remain at reft; if they debar themselves from aiming at a noble object, their defires will move downwards, and they will feel themselves actuated by fome low and abject paffion. Thus if you cut off the to branches of a tree, and will not fuffer it to grow any higher, it will not therefore ceafe to grow, but will quickly fhoot out at the bottom. The man indeed who goes into the world only with the narrow views of felf-intereft, who catches at the applaufe of an idle muititude, as he can find no folid contentment at the end of his journey, fo he deferves to meet with difappointments in his way; but he who is actuated by a nobler principle, whofe mind is fo far enlarged as to take in the profpect of his country's good, who is enamoured with that praife which is one of the fair attendants of virtue, and values not thofe acclamations which are not feconded by the impartial teftimony of his own mind; who repines not at the low ftation which Providence has at prefent allotted him, but yet would willingly advance himself by juftifiable means to a more rifing and advantageous ground; fuch a man is warmed with a generous emulation; it is a virtuous movement in him to wish and to endeavour that his power of doing good may be equal to his will. The man who is fitted out by nature, and fent into the world with great abilities, is capable of doing great good or mifchief in it. It ought therefore to be the care of education to infufe. into the untainted youth early notices of juftice and honour, that fo the poffible advantages of good parts may not take an evil turn, nor be perverted to base and unworthy purposes. It is the bufinefs of religion and philofophy not fo much to extinguifh our paffions, as to regulate and direct them to valuable well-chofen objects; when thefe have pointed out to us which course we may lawfully fteer, it is no harm to fet out all our fail; if the storms and tempeits of adver fity fhould rife upon us, and not fuffer us to make the haven where we would be, it will however prove no fmall confolation to us in thefe circumstances, that we have neither mistaken our courfe, nor fallen into calamities of our own procuring. Religion therefore, were we to confider it no farther than as it interposes in the affairs of this life, is highly valuable, and worthy of great veneration; as it fettles the various pretenfions, and otherwife interfering interefts of mortal men, and thereby confults the harmony and order of the great community; as it gives a man room to play his part, and exert his abilities; as it animates to actions truly laudable in themfelves, in their effects beneficial to fociety; as it infpires rational ambition, corrects love, and elegant defire, |