our very Language, as a Propriety of Diftinction, to fay, when we would speak of Perfons to their Advantage, they are People of Condition. There is no doubt but the proper Ufe of Riches implies that a Man fhould exert all the good Qualities imaginable; and if we mean by a Man. of Condition or Quality,one who,according to theWealth he is Mafter of, fhews himself juft, beneficent, and charitable, that Term ought very defervedly to be had in the highest Veneration; but when Wealth is ufed only as it is the Support of Pomp and Luxury, to be rich is very far from being a Recommendation to Honour and Refpect. It is indeed the greatest Infolence imaginable, in a Creature who would feel the extreams of Thirit and Hunger, if he did not prevent his Appetites before they call upon him, to be fo forgetful of the common Neceffity of Human Nature, as never to caft an Eye upon the poor and Needy. The Fellow who escaped from a Ship which ftruck upon a Rock in the Weft, and joined with the Country-People to deftroy his Brother Sailors, and make her a Wreck, was thought a moft execrable Creature ; but does not every Man who enjoys the Poffeffion of what he naturally wants, and is unmindful of the unfupplied Diftrefs of other Men, betray the fame Temper of Mind? When a Man looks about him, and with regard to Riches and Poverty beholds fome drawn in Pomp and Equipage,and they and their veryServants with an Air of Scorn and Triumph overlooking the Multitude that pafs by them; and, in the fame Street, a Creature of the fame Make crying out in the Name of all that isGood and Sacred to behold his Mifery, and give him fome Supply against Hunger and Nakedness, who would believe these two Beings were of the fame Species ? But so it is, that the Confideration of Fortune has taken up all our Minds, and,as I have often complained, Poverty and Riches ftand in our Imaginations in the Places of Guilt and Innocence. But in all Seasons there will be fome Inftances of Perfons who have Souls too large to be taken with popular Prejudices, and while the rest of Mankind are contending for Superiority in Power and Wealth, have their Thoughts bent upon the Neceffities of those below them. The Charity-Schools, which have been erected of late Years, are the greatest Inftances of publick Spirit the Age has pro The No. 294. produced: But indeed when we confider how long this Sort of Beneficence has been on Foot, it is rather from the good Management of those Inftitutions, than from the Number or Value of the Benefactions to them, that they make fo great a Figure. One would think it impoffible, that in the Space of fourteen Years there fhould not have been five thousand Pounds bestowed in Gifts this Way, nor fixteen hundred Children, including Males and Females, put out to Methods of Induftry. It is not allowed me to speak of Luxury and Folly with the fevere Spirit they deferve; I fhall only therefore fay, I fhall very readily compound with any Lady in a Hoop-Petticoat, if fhe gives the Price of one half Yard of the Silk towards Cloathing, Feeding and Inftructing an innocent helpless Creature of her own Sex in one of these Schools. Consciousness of such an Action will give her Features a nobler Life on this illuftrious Day, than all the Jewels that can hang in her Hair,or can be clustered in her Bofom. It would be uncourtly to speak in harsher Words to the Fair, but to Men one may take a little more Freedom. It is monstrous how a Man can live with fo little Reflection, as to fancy he is not in a Condition very unjust and difproportioned to the rest of Mankind, while he enjoys Wealth, and exerts no Benevolence or Bounty to others. As for this particular Occafion of these Schools, there cannot any offer more worthy a generous Mind. Would you do an handfome Thing without Return? doit for an Infant that is not fenfible of theObligation :Would you do it for publickGood? do it for one who will be an honest Artificer: Would you do it for theSake ofHeaven? give it to one who fhall be inftructed in the Worship of him for whofe Sake you gave it. It is methinks a moft laudable Inftitution this, if it were no other Expectation than that of producing a Race of good and ufeful Servants, who will have more than a liberal, a religious Education. What would not a Man do, in common Prudence, to lay out in Purchase of one about him, who would add to all his Orders he gave the Weight of the Commandments to inforce an Obedience to them? for one who would confider his Mafter as his Father, his Friend, and Benefactor upon the easy Terms, and in Expectation of no other Return but moderate Wages and gentle 1 one; therefore I hope you will think it a fit Subject ⚫ for fome Part of a Spectator. Be pleafed to acquaint us how we must behave ourselves towards this valetudinary Friendship, fubject to fo many Heats and Colds, and you will oblige, SIR, SIR, Your humble Servant, Miranda. I 6 *T Shew your Jmall Talent, and let that fuffice ye; Yours, D. G. Multo non fine rifu, Dilapfam in cineres facem. Hor00 E are generally fo much pleafed with any little Accomplishments, either of Body or Mind, which have once made us remarkable in the World, that we endeavour to perfuade ourselves it is not in the Power of Time to rob us of them. We are eternally pursuing the fame Methods which firft procured us the Applaufes of Mankind. It is from this Notion that an Author writes on, tho' he is come to Dotage; without ever confidering that his Memory is impaired, and that he has loft that Life, and thofe Spirits, which formerly raised his Fancy, and fired his Imagination. The fame Folly hinders a Man from fubmitting his BehaVOL. IV. I viour No. 301. viour to his Age, and makes Clodius, who was a celebrated Dancer at five and twenty, still love to hobble in a Minuet, tho' he is paft Threefcore. It is this, in a Word, which fills the Town with elderly Fops, and fuperannuated Coquets. CANIDIA, a Lady of this latter Species, paffed by me yesterday in her Coach. Canidia was an haughty Beauty of the laft Age, and was followed by Crowds of Adorers, whofe Paffions only pleafed her, as they gave her Opportunities of playing the Tyrant. She then contracted that awful Caft of the Eye and forbidding Frown, which she has not yet laid afide, and has ftill all the Infolence of Beauty without its Charms. If the now attracts the Eyes of any Beholders, it is only by being remarkably ridiculous; even her own Sex laugh at her Affectation; and the Men, who always enjoy an illnatured Pleasure in feeing an imperious Beauty humbled and neglected, regard her with the fame Satisfaction that a free Nation fees a Tyrant in Disgrace. WILL. HONEYCOMB, who is a great Admirer of the Gallantries in King Charles the Second's Reign, lately communicated to me a Letter written by a Wit of that Age to his Mistress, who it seems was a Lady of Canidia's Humour; and tho' I do not always approve of my Friend WILL'S Tafte, I liked this Letter fo well, that I took a Copy of it, with which I fhall here prefent my Reader. 6 . MADAM, To CLOE, STR INCE my waking Thoughts have never been able to influence you in my Favour, I am refolved to try whether my Dreams can make any Impreffion on you. To this end I fhall give you an Account of a very odd one which my Fancy prefented to me last Night, within a few Hours after I left you. 'METHOUGHT I was unaccountably conveyed into the most delicious Place mine Eyes ever beheld, it was a large Valley divided by a River of the pureft Water I had ever feen. The Ground on each Side of it rofe by an eafy Afcent, and was covered with Flowers of an infinite Variety, which as they were reflected in the the Water doubled the Beauties of the Place, or rather formed an imaginary Scene more beautiful than the real. • On each fide of the River was a Range of lofty Trees, ⚫ whose Boughs were loaden with almoft as many Birds as Leaves. Every Tree was full of Harmony. . I had not gone far in this pleasant Valley, when I perceived that it was terminated by a moft magnificent Temple. The Structure was ancient, and regular. On the Top of it was figured the God Saturn, in the fame Shape and Drefs that the Poets ufually reprefent Time. As I was advancing to fatisfy my Curiofity by a ' nearer View, I was stopped by an Object far more beau⚫tiful than any I had before difcovered in the whole Place. I fancy, Madam, you will eafily guess that this could hardly be any thing but yourfelf; in reality it was fo; you lay extended on the Flowers by the fide of the River; fo that your Hands which were thrown ' in a negligent Pofture, almoft touched the Water. Your Eyes were closed; but if your Sleep deprived me of the Satisfaction of feeing them, it left me at leifure to contemplate feveral other Charms, which difappear ⚫ when your Eyes are open. I could not but admire the Tranquillity you slept in, especially when I confidered the Uneafinefs you produce in fo many others. 6 WHILE I was wholly taken up in thefe Reflections, the Doors of the Temple flew open, with a very great Noife; and lifting up my Eyes, I faw two Figures, in human Shape, coming into the Valley. Upon a nearer Survey, I found them to be YouTH and LOVE. The firft was encircled with a kind of purple Light, that fpread a Glory over all the Place; the other held a fla ming Torch in his Hand. I could obferve, that all the way as they came towards us, the Colours of the Flowers appeared more lively, the Trees fhot out in Bloffoms, the Birds threw themselves into Pairs, and serenaded them as they paffed: The whole Face of Nature glowed with new Beauties. They were no fooner arrived at the Place where you lay, when they seated themselves ⚫ on each Side of you. On their Approach, methought I faw a new Bloom arife in your Face, and new Charms ⚫ diffuse themselves over your whole Person. You ap⚫peared more than mortal; but, to my great Surprize, • continued I 2 |