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Publick. The old Men were Spectators of their Performances, who often raised Quarrels among them, and fet them at Strife with one another, that by those early Discoveries they might see how their several Talents lay, and without any regard to their Quality, difpofe ❝ of them accordingly for the Service of the Common'wealth. By this means Sparta foon became the Mistress of Greece, and famous through the whole World for her Civil and Military Difcipline.

X

• If you think this Letter deserves a Place among your Speculations, I may perhaps trouble you with fome other Thoughts on the fame Subject.

I am, &c.

No.308. Friday, February 22.

Jam proterva

Fronte petet Lalage maritum.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

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Hor.

Give you this Trouble in order to propose my self to you as an Affiftant in the weighty Cares which you have thought fit to undergo for the publick Good. I am a very great Lover of Women, that is to fay honeftly; and as it is natural to study what one likes, I have industriously applied my self to understand them. The prefent Circumftance relating to them, is, that I think there wants under you, as SPECTATOR, a Person to be distinguished and vefted in the Power and Quality of a Cenfor on Marriages. I lodge at the Temple, and know, by feeing Women come hither, and afterwards obferving them conducted by their Council to Judge's Chambers, that there is a Cuftom in Case of making Conveyance of a Wife's Estate, that the is carried to a Judge's Apartment and left alone with him, ta be examined in private whether fhe has not been frightened or fweetned by her Spoufe into the Act fhe is go-. ing to do, or whether it is of her own free Will. Now

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if this be a Method founded upon Reafon and Equity, why fhould there not be alfo a proper Officer for examining fuch as are entring into the State of Matrimony, whether they are forced by Parents on one Side, or ⚫ moved by Intereft only on the other, to come together, and bring forth fuch aukward Heirs as are the Product of half Love and constrained Compliances? There is no Body, though I fay it my felf, would be fitter for this Office than I am: For I am an ugly Fellow of great Wit and Sagacity. My Father was an hale Country-Squire, my Mother a witty Beauty of no Fortune: The Match was made by Confent of my Mother's Parents against her own; and I am the Child of the Rape on the Wedding-Night; fo that I am as healthy and as homely as my Father, but as fprightly and agreeable as my Mother. It would be of great eafe to you if you would use me under you, that

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Matches might be better regulated for the future, and we might have no more Children of Squabbles. I ⚫ shall not reveal all my Pretenfions till I receive your Anfwer; and am,

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

SI-R,

Your most humble Servant,
Mules Palfrey.

I Am one of those unfortunate Men within the City Walls, who am married to a Woman of Quality, but her Temper is fomething different from that of Lady Anvil. My Lady's whole Time and Thoughts are spent in keeping up to the Mode both in Apparel ⚫ and Furniture. All the Goods in my Houfe have been changed three Times in feven Years. I have had feven Children by her; and by our Marriage Articles she was to have her Apartment new furnished as often as she lay in. Nothing in our House is useful but that which is fashionable; my Pewter holds out generally half a Year, my Plate a full Twelve-month; Chairs are not fit to fit in that were made two Years fince, nor Beds fit for any Thing but to fleep in that have ftood up above that Time. My Dear is of Opinion that an old⚫ fashioned Grate confumes Coals, but gives no Heat: If fhe drinks out of Glaffes of laft Year, fhe cannot distin

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guish Wine from Small-Beer. Oh, dear Sir, you may I guess all the rest.

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Yours.

P. S. I could bear even all this, if I were not obliged allo to eat fashionably. I have a plain Stomach, and have a conftant Loathing of whatever comes to my own Table; for which Reason I dine at the Chop-House three Days a Week: Where the good Company won⚫ders they never fee you of late. I am fure by your unprejudiced Difcourfes you love Broth better than Soup, Will's, Feb. 19.

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Mr. SPECTATOR, OU may believe of as any

You

you are a Perfon as much talked Man in Town. I am one of your best • Friends in this Houfe, and have laid a Wager you are fo candid a Man and fo honeft a Fellow, that you will print this Letter, tho' it is in Recommendation of a new Paper called The Hiftorian. I have read it careful• ly, and find it written with Skill, good Senfe, Mo< defty, and Fire. You must allow the Town is kinder to you than you deferve; and I doubt not but you have fo much Senfe of the World, Change of Humour, and Inftability of all human Things, as to understand that the only Way to preferve Favour is to communicate it to others with Good-Nature and Judgment. You are fo generally read, that what you fpeak of will be read. This with Men of Senfe and Tafte is all that is wanting to recommend The Hiftorian.

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I was very much furprised this Morning, that any one fhould find out my Lodging, and know it fo well, as to come directly to my Clofet-Door, and knock at it, to give me the following Letter. When I came out I opened it, and faw by a very ftrong Pair of Shoes and a warm Coat the Bearer had on, that he walked all the Way to bring it me, tho' dated from York. My Misfortune is that I cannot talk,and I found the Meffenger had fo much

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of me, that he could think better than fpeak. He had, I obferved, a polite Difcerning hid under a fhrewd Rufticity: He delivered the Paper with a Yorkshire Tone and a Town Leer.

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

TH

HE Privilege you have indulged John Trot has proved of very bad Confequence to our illuftrious Affembly, which, befides the many excellent Maxims it is founded upon, is remarkable for the extraordinary Decorum always obferved in it. One Inftance of which is, that the Carders, (who are always of the firft Quality) never begin to play till the French-Dances < are finished, and the Country-Dances begin: But John • Trot having now got your Commiffion in his Pocket, (which every one here has a profound Refpect for) has the Affurance to fet up for a Minuet-Dancer. Not only fo, but he has brought down upon us the whole Body of the Trots, which are very numerous, with their Auxiliaries the Hobblers and the Skippers, by which Means the Time is fo much wafted, that unless we break all Rules of Government, it must redound to the utter Subverfion of the Brag-Table, the difcreet Members of which value Time as Fribble's • Wife does her Pin-Money. We are pretty well affured that your Indulgence to Trot was only in Regard to Country-Dances; however we have deferred the iffuing ⚫anOrder of Council upon thePremiffes, hoping to get you to join with us, that Trot, nor any of his Clan, prefume for the future to dance any but Country-Dances, unless a Horn-Pipe upon a Feftival-Day. If you will do this you will oblige a great many Ladies, and particularly Your most humble Servant, York, Feb. 16. Eliz. Sweepstakes.

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Never meant any other than that Mr. Trot fhould confine himself to Country-Dances. And I further direct, that he shall take out none but his own Relations according to their Nearness of Blood, but any Gentlewoman may take out him.

T

London, Feb. 21.

The SPECTATOR.
Saturday,

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树:菠菠菠菠菠菠菠菠菠菠菠菠蘿:冷

No. 309. Saturday, February 23.

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Di, quibus imperium eft animarum, umbræque filentes,

Et Chaos, & Phlegethon, loca nocte filentia late;

Sit mihi fas audita loqui! fit numine veftro
Pandere res alta terra & caligine merfas.

Virg.

Have before observed in general, that the Perfons whom Milton introduces into his Poem always difcover fuch Sentiments and Behaviour, as are in a peculiar manner conformable to their respective Characters. Every Circumftance in their Speeches and Actions, is with great Juftnefs and Delicacy adapted to the Perfons who speak and act. As the Poet very much excels in this Confiftency of his Characters, I fhall beg Leave to confider several Paffages of the fecond Book in this Light. That fuperior Greatness and Mock-Majefty, which is afcribed to the Prince of the fallen Angels, is admirably preferved in the Beginning of this Book. His opening and clofing the Debate; his taking on himself that great Enterprize at the Thought of which the whole Infernal Affembly trembled; his encountering the hideous Phantom who guarded the Gates of Hell, and appeared to him in all his Terrors, are Inftances of that proud and daring Mind which could not brook Submiffion even to Omnipotence.

Satan was now at Hand, and from his Seat
The Monster moving onward came as faft
With horrid Strides, Hell trembled as he firode,
Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd,
Admir'd, not fear'd-

THE fame Boldness and Intrepidity of Behaviour difcovers itself in the feveral Adventures which he meets with during his Paffage though the Regions of unformed Matter, and particularly in his Address to those tremendous Powers who are defcribed as prefiding over it.

THE

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