IT is reported of Scaramouche, the firft famous Italian Comedian, that being at Paris, and in great Want, he bethought himself of conftantly plying near the Door of a notedPerfumer in thatCity,and when any one came out who had been buying Snuff, never failed to defire a Taste of them; when he had by this Means got together a Quantity made up of feveral different Sorts, he fold it again at a lower Rate to the fame Perfumer, who finding out the Trick, called it Tabac de mille fleures, or Snuff of a thousand Flowers. The Story farther tells us, that by this Means he got a very comfortable Subfistence, 'till making too much Hafte to grow rich, he one Day took fuch an unreasonable Pinch out of the Box of a Savifs Officer as engaged him in a Quarrel, and obliged him to quit this ingenious Way of Life. NOR can I in this Place omit doing Juftice to a Youth of my own Country, who, tho' he is fcarce yet twelve Years old, has with great Industry and Application attained to the Art of beating the Grenadiers March on his Chin. I am credibly informed that by this Means he does not only maintain himself and his Mother, but that he is laying up Money every Day, with a Defign, if the War continues to purchase a Drum at least, if not a Colours. I fhall conclude these Inftances with the Device of the famous Rabelais, when he was at a great Distance from Paris, and without Money to bear his Expences thither. This ingenious Author being thus fharp fet, got together a convenient Quantity of Brick Duft, and having difpofed of it into feveral Papers, writ upon one Poifon for Monfieur, upon a fecond Poifon for the Dauphin, and on a third l'oifon for the King. Having made this Provifion for the Royal Family of France, he laid his Papers -fo that his Landlord, who was an inquifitive Man, and a good Subject, might get a Sight of them. THE Plot fucceeded as he defired: The Hoft gave im. mediate Intelligence to the Secretary of State. The Secretary presently fent down a Special Meffenger, who brought up the Traytor to Court, and provided him at the King's Expence with proper Accommodations on the Road. As foon as he appeared he was known to be the Celebrated Rabelais, and his Powder upon Examination being found very innocent, the Jeft was only laugh'd at; F 4 for for which a less eminent Drole would have been sent to the Gallies. TRADE and Commerce might doubtless be still varied a thousand Ways, out of which would arise such Branches as have not yet been touched. The famous Doily is ftill fresh in every one's Memory, who raised a Fortune by finding out Materials for fuch Stuffs as might at once be cheap and genteel. I have heard it affirmed, that had not he discovered this frugal Method of gratifying our Pride, we should hardly have been able to carry on the last War. I regard Trade not only as highly advantagious to the Common-wealth in general; but as the most natural and likely Method of making a Man's Fortune; having obferved, fince my being a Spectator in the World, greater Eftates got about Change, than at Whitehall or St. James's. I believe I may also add, that the first Acquifitions are generally attended with more Satisfaction, and as good a Confcience. I must not however clofe this Effay, without obferving, that what has been faid is only intended for Perfons in the common Ways of Thriving, and is not defigned for thofe Men who from low Beginnings push themselves up to the Top of States, and the moft confiderable Figures in Life. My Maxim of Saving is not defigned for fuch as thefe, fince nothing is more ufual than for Thrift to difappoint the Ends of Ambition; it being almoft impoffible that the Mind fhould be intent upon Trifles, while it is at the fame Time forming fome great Defign. I may therefore compare these Men to a great Poet, who, as Longinus fays, while he is full of the most mag-. nificent Ideas, is not always at leisure to mind the little Beauties and Niceties of his Art. I would however have all my Readers take great Care how they miflake themfelves for uncommon Genius's, and Men above Rule, fince it is very easy for them to be deceived in this Particular. X Friday, No. 284. Friday, January 25. Pofthabui tamen illorum mea feria Lude. Virg. N unaffected Behaviour is without Question a very A great Charm; but under the Notion of being un conftrained and difengaged, People take upon them to be unconcerned in any Duty of Life. A general Negligence is what they affume upon all Occafions, and fet up for an Averfion to all manner of Bufinefs and Attention. I am the carelesseft Creature in the World, I have certainly the worft Memory of any Man living, are frequent Expreffions in the Mouth of a Pretender of this Sort. It is a profeffed Maxim with these People never to think; there is fomething fo folemn in Reflection, they, forfooth, can never give themfelves time for fuch a way of employing themselves. It happens often that this fort of Man is heavy enough in his Nature to be a good Proficient in fuch Matters as are attainable by Industry; but alas! he has fuch an ardent Defire to be what he is not, to be too volatile, to have the Faults of a Perfon of Spirit, that he profeffes himself the most unfit Man living for any Manner of Application. When this Humour enters into the Head of a Female, fhe generally profeffes Sicknefs upon all Occafions, and acts all Things with an indifpofed Air: She is offended, but her Mind is too lazy to raise her to Anger; therefore the lives only as actuated by a violent Spleen and gentle Scorn. She has hardly Curiofity to liften to Scandal of her Acquaintance, and has never Attention enough to hear them commended. This Affectation in both Sexes makes them vain of being useless, and take a certain Pride in their Infignificancy. OPPOSITE to this Folly is another no lefs unreafonable, and that is the Impertinence of being always in a Hurry. There are thofe who vifit Ladies, and beg Par, don, afore they are well feated in their Chairs, that they juft called in, but are obliged to attend Bufinefs of Importance elsewhere the very next Moment: Thus they run from Place to Place, profeiling that they are obliged to be still in another Company than that which they are in. These Perfons who are just a-going fomewhere else fhould never be detained; but all the World allow that Business is to be minded, and their Affairs will be at an End. Their Vanity is to be importuned, and Compliance with their Multiplicity of Affairs would effectually dispatch 'em. The travelling Ladies, who have half the Town to fee in an Afternoon, may be pardoned for being in conftant Hurry; but it is inexcufable in Men to come where they have no Bufinefs, to profefs they abfent themselves where they have. It has been remarked by fome nice Obfervers and Criticks, that there is nothing difcovers the true Temper of a Perfon fo much as his Letters. I have by me two Epiftles, which are written by two People of the different Humours abovementioned. It is wonderful that a Man cannot observe upon himself when he fits down to write, but that he will gravely commit himself to Paper the fame Man that he is in the Freedom of Converfation. I have hardly feen a Line from any of thefe Gentlemen, but fpoke them as abfent from what they were doing, as they profefs they are when they come into Company. For the Folly is, that they have perfuaded themselves they really are bufy. Thus their whole Time is spent in fufpenfe of the prefent Moment to the next,and then from the next to the fucceeding, which to the End of Life is to pass away with Pretence to many Things, and Execution of nothing. SIR, Τ HE Poft is juft going out, and I have many other Letters of very great Importance to write this Evening, but I could not omit making my Compliments to you for your Civilities to me when I was laft in Town. It is my Misfortune to be fo full of Bufinefs, that I cannot tell you a Thoufand Things which "I have to fay to you. I muft defire you to communicate the Contents of this to no one living; but believe me to be, with the greatest Fidelity, SIR, Your moft obedient, humble Servant, Madam, Madam, I Hate writing, of all Things in the World; however, tho' I have drank the Waters, and am told I ought not to use my Eyes fo much, I cannot forbear writing to you, to tell you I have been to the laft Degree hipped fince I faw you. How could you entertain fuch a Thought, as that I fhould hear of that filly Fellow with Patience? Take my Word for it, there is nothing in it; ⚫ and you may believe it when fo lazy a Creature as I am undergo the Pains to affure you of it by taking Pen, Ink, and Paper in my Hand. Forgive this, you know I 'fhall not often offend in this Kind. I am very much Your Servant, Bridget Eitherdown. The Fellow is of your Country, pr'ythee fend me Word however whether he has fo great an Eftate. Mr. SPECTATOR, Jan. 24. 1712. I Am Clerk of the Parish from whence Mrs. Simper fends her Complaint, in your Yesterday Spectator, I must beg of you to publish this as a publick Admonition to the aforefaid Mrs. Simper, otherwise all my ho⚫ neft Care in the Difpofition of the Greens in the Church will have no Effect: I fhall therefore with your Leave lay before you the whole Matter. I was formerly, as fhe charges me, for feveral Years a Gardener in the County of Kent: But I muft abfolutely deny that 'tis out of any Affection I retain for my old Employment that I have placed my Greens fo liberally about the Church, but out of a particular Spleen I conceived against Mrs. Simper (and others of the fame Sifter-hood) fome Time ago. As to herself, I had one Day fet the Hundredth Pfalm, and was finging the firft Line in or der to put the Congregation into the Tune, fhe was all the while curtfying to Sir Anthony, in fo affected and ⚫ indecent a Manner, that the Indignation I conceived at it made me forget myfelf fo far, as from the Tune of that Pfalm to wander into Southwell Túne, and from thence into Windfor Tune, ftill unable to recover my ⚫ felf till I had with the utmoft Confufion fet a new one. • Nay, |