yet read it: Or if he does not care for explaining himfelf fo far, he needs only draw his Brow up in Wrinkles or elevate the Left Shoulder.

THE Fourth Profeffor is to teach the whole Art of Political Characters and Hieroglyphics; and to the End that they may be perfect alfo in this Practice, they are not to fend a Note to one another (tho' it be but to borrow a Tacitus or a Machiavil) which is not written in Cypher.

THEIR Fifth Profeffor, it is thought, will be chosen out of the Society of Jefuits, and is to be well read in the Controverfies of probable Doctrines, mental Refervations, and the Rights of Princes. This Learned Man is to instruct them in the Grammar, Syntax, and construing Part of Treaty-Latin; how to distinguish between the Spirit and the Letter, and likewise demonstrate how the fame Form of Words may lay an Obligation upon any Prince in Europe, different from that which it lays upon his moft Chriftian Majefty. He is likewise to teach them the Art of finding Flaws, Loop-holes, and Evafions, in the most folemn Compacts, and particularly a great Rab binical Secret,, revived of late Years by the Fraternity of Jefuits, namely that contradictory Interpretations of the fame Article may both of them be true and valid.

WHEN Our Statesmen are fufficiently improved by these several Inftructors, they are to receive their laft Polishing from one who is to act among them as Mafter of the Ceremonies. This Gentleman is to give them Lectures upon those important Points of the Elbow Chair, and the Stair Head, to inftruct them in the different Situations of the Right-Hand, and to furnish them with Bows and Inclinations of all Sizes, Measures and Proportions. In fhort, this Profeffor is to give the Society their Stiffening, and infufe into their Manners that beautiful Political Starch, which may qualify them for Levees, Conferences, Vifits, and make them shine in what vulgar Minds are apt to look upon as Trifles.

I have not yet heard any further Particulars, which are to be obferved in this Society of unfledged Statesmen ; but I must confefs, had I a Son of five and twenty, that fhould take it into his Head at that Age to fet up for a Politician, I think I should go near to difinherit him for

a Block

a Block-head. Befides, I fhould be apprehenfive left the fame Arts which are to enable him to negotiate between Potentates might a little infect his ordinary behaviour between Man and Man. There is no question but these young Machiavils will, in a little time, turn their College upfide-down with Plots and Stratagems, and lay as many Schemes to circumvent one another in a Frog or a Sallad, as they may hereafter put in practice to over-reach a Neighbouring Prince or State.

We are told, that the Spartans, tho' they punished Theft in their young Men when it was discovered, looked upon it as Honourable if it fucceeded. Provided the

Conveyance was clean and unfufpected, a Youth might afterwards boaft of it. This, fay the Hiftorians, was to keep them sharp, and to hinder them from being impofed upon, either in their publick or private Negotiations. Whether any fuch Relaxations of Morality, fuch little jeux d'efprit, ought not to be allowed in this intended Seminary of Politicians, I fhall leave to the Wifdom of their Founder.

Whatever we

In the mean Time we have fair Warning given us by this doughty Body of Statefmen: and as Sylla faw many Marius's in Cafar, fo I think we may difcover many Torcy's in this College of Academicians. think of ourselves, I am afraid neither our Smyrna or St. James's will be a Match for it. Our Coffee-houfes are, indeed, very good Inftitutions, but whether or no thefe our British Schools of Politicks may furnish out as able Envoys and Secretaries as an Academy that is fet apart for that Purpose, will deferve our ferious Confideration, efpecially if we remember that our Country is more famous for producing Men of Integrity than Statef men; and that on the contrary, French Truth and Bri. tish Policy make a Confpicuous Figure in NOTHING, as the Earl of Rochefter has very well obferved in his admirable Poem upon that Barren Subject.

VOL. IV.

K

Wednesday,

6

Imputet?

Que forma, ut fe tibi femper

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Juv.

Write this to communicate to you a Misfortune which frequently happens, and therefore deferves a confolatory Difcourfe on the Subject. I was within this half Year in the Poffeffion of as much Beauty and 6 as many Lovers as any young Lady in England. But my Admirers have left me, and I cannot complain of their Behaviour. I have within that Time had the • Small-Pox; and this Face, which (according to many amorous Epiftles which I have by me) was the Seat of all that is beautiful in Women, is now disfigured with Scars. It goes to the very Soul of me to speak what I really think of my Face; and tho' I think I did not over-rate my Beauty while I had it, it has extremely ⚫ advanc'd in its value with me now it is loft. There is ⚫one Circumftance which makes my Cafe very particular; the ugliest Fellow that ever pretended to me, was and is most in my Favour, and he treats me at present ⚫ the most unreasonably. If you could make him return an Obligation which he owes me, in liking a Perfon that is not amiable ; But there is, I fear, no Poffibility of making Paffion move by the Rules of Reafon and Gratitude. But fay what you can to one who has ⚫ furvived herself, and knows not how to act in a new Being. My Lovers are at the Feet of my Rivals, my Rivals are every Day bewailing me, and I cannot enjoy what I am, by reafon of the diftracting Reflection upon what Confider the Woman I was did not die of old Age,but I was taken off in the Prime of my Youth, and ⚫ according to the Courfe of Nature may have Forty Years • After

. I was.

6

After-Life to come. I have nothing of I have nothing of my self left which I like, but that

I

am,

SIR,

Your most humble Servant,

Partheniffa.

WHEN Lewis of France had loft the Battle of Ramelies, the Addreffes to him at that time were full of his Fortitude, and they turned his Misfortunes to his Glory; in that, during his Profperity, he could never have manifefted his heroick Conftancy under Diftreffes, and fo the World had loft the most eminent Part of his Character. Parthenia's Condition gives her the fame Opportunity: and to refign Conquefts is a Task as difficult in a Beauty as an Hero. In the very Entrance upon this Work fhe muft burn all her Love Letters; or since she is fo candid as not to call her Lovers who follow her no longer Un faithful, it would be a very good Beginning of a new Life from that of a Beauty, to fend them back to those who writ them, with this honeft Infcription, Articles of a Marriage Treaty broken off by the Small-Pox. I have known but one Inftance where a Matter of this Kind went on after a like Misfortune, where the Lady, who was a Woman of Spirit, writ this Billet to her Lover.

SIR,

F

I you flattered me before I had this terrible Malady,

pray come and fee me now: But if you fincerely liked me, stay away; for I am not the fame

Corinna. THE Lover thought there was fomething fo fpright ly in her Behaviour, that he answered,

MADAM,

Am not obliged, fince you are not the fame Wo. man, to let you know whether I flattered you or not; but I affure you, I do not, when I tell you I now ⚫ like you above all your Sex, and hope you will bear what may befal me when we are both one, as well as you do what happens to your self now you are fingle; therefore I am ready to take fuch a Spirit for my Companion as foon as you please.

6

Amilcar.

IF Parthenia can now poffefs her own Mind, and think as little of her Beauty as the ought to have done when he had it, there will be no great Diminution of her Charms; and if fhe was formerly affected too much with them, an eafy Behaviour will more than make up for the Lofs of them. Take the whole Sex together, and you find those who have the strongest Poffeffion of Men's Hearts are not eminent for their Beauty: You fee it often happen that thofe who engage Men to the greatest Violence, are fuch as thofe who are Strangers to them would take to be remarkably defective for that End. The fondest Love I know, faid to me one Day in a Crowd of Women at an Entertainment of Musick, You have often heard me talk of my Beloved: That Woman there, continued he, fmiling when he had fixed my Eye, is her very Picture. The Lady he fhewed me was by much the leaft remarkable for Beauty of any in the whole Affembly; but having my Curiofity extremely raised, I could not keep my Eyes off of her. Her Eyes at laft met mine, and with a fudden Surprize the looked round her to fee who near her was remarkably handfome that I was gazing at. This little Act explain'd the Secret : She did not understand herself for the Object of Love, and therefore fhe was fo. The Lover is a very honest plain Man; and what charmed him was a Perfon that goes along with him in the Cares and Joys of Life, not taken up with herself, but sincerely attentive with a ready and chearful Mind, to accompany him in either.

I can tell Partheniffa for her Comfort, That the Beauties, generally speaking are the moft impertinent and difagreeable of Women. An apparent Defire of Admiration, a Reflection upon their own Merit, and a precious Behaviour in their general Conduct, are almoft infeparable Accidents in Beauties. All you obtain of them is granted to Importunity and Solicitation for what did not deferve fo much of your Time, and you recover from the Poffeffion of it, as out of a Dream.

You are afhamed of the Vagaries of Fancy which fo ftrangely mifled you, and your Admiration of a Beauty, merely as fuch, is inconfiftent with a tolerable Reflection upon your felf: The chearful good humoured Creatures, into whofe Heads it never entred that they could make +

any