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the Publick, and fhould therefore fcorn to divert my Reader at the Expence of any private Man.

As I have been thus tender of every particular Perfon's Reputation, fo I have taken more than ordinary Care not to give Offence to those who appear in the higher Figures of Life. I would not make myself merry, even with a Piece of Pasteboard that is invested with a publick Character; for which Reason I have never glanced upon the late defigned Proceffion of his Holiness and his Attendants, notwithstanding it might have afforded Matter to many ludicrous Speculations. Among. those Advantages, which the Publick may reap from this Paper, it is not the least, that it draws Mens Minds off from the Bitterness of Party, and furnishes them with Subjects of Difcourfe that may be treated without Warmth or Paffion. This is faid to have been the firft Defign of thofe Gentlemen who fet on Foot the Royal Society; and had then a very good Effect, as it turned many of the greatest Genius's of that Age to the Difquifitions of natural Knowledge, who, if they had engaged in Politicks, with the fame Parts and Application, might have fet their Country in a Flame. The Air Pump, the Barometer, the Quadrant, and the like Inventions, were thrown out to those bufy Spirits, as Tubs and Barrels are to a Whale, that he may let the Ship fail on without Disturbance, while he diverts himself with those innocent Amusements.

nour.

I have been so very scrupulous in this Particular of not hurting any Man's Reputation, that I have forborn mentioning even fuch Authors as I could not name with HCThis I must confefs to have been a Piece of very great Self-denial: For as the Publick relishes nothing better than the Ridicule which turns upon a Writer of any Eminence, fo there is nothing which a Man that has but a very ordinary Talent in Ridicule may execute with greater Eafe. One might raife Laughter for a Quarter of a Year together upon the Works of a Perfon who has published but a very few Volumes. For which Reafon I am astonished, that those who have appeared against this Paper have made fo very little of it. The Criticisms which I have hitherto published, have been made with an Intention rather to discover Beauties and Excellencies in

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the Writers of my own Time, than to publish any of their Faults and Imperfections. In the mean while I fhould take it for a very great Favour from fome of my underhand Detractors, if they would break all Measures with me fo far, as to give me a Pretence for examining their Performances with an impartial Eye: Nor shall Ĭ look upon it as any Breach of Charity to criticise the Author, fo long as I keep clear of the Perfon.

In the mean while, till I am provoked to fuch Hoftilities, I fhall from Time to Time endeavour to do Juftice to those who have distinguished themfelves in the politer Parts of Learning, and to point out fuch Beauties in their Works, as may have escaped the Obfervation of

others.

As the first Place among our English Poets is due to Milton, and as I have drawn more Quotations out of him than from any other, I fhall enter into a regular Criticifm upon his Paradife Loft, which I fhall publish every Saturday till I have given my Thoughts upon that Poem. I shall not however prefume to impose upon others my own particular Judgment on this Author, but only deliver it as my private Opinion. Criticism is of a very large Extent, and every particular Mafter in this Art has his favourite Paffages in an Author, which do not equally ftrike the best Judges. It will be fufficient for me if I discover many Beauties or Imperfections which others have not attended to, and I fhould be very glad to fee any of our eminent Writers publish their Difcoveries on the fame Subject. In fhort, I would always be under. ftood to write my Papers of Criticism in the Spirit which Horace has expreffed in those two famous Lines;

·Si quid novifti rectius iftis,

Candidus imperti; fi non, his utere mecum.

IF you have made any better Remarks of your own, communicate them with Candour; if not, make use of thefe I prefent you with.

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No. 263. Tuesday, January 1.

1712.

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Gratulor quod eum quem neceffe erat diligere, qualifcunque effet, talem habemus ut libenter quoque diligamus. Trebonius apud Tull.

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Mr. SPECTATOR,

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Am the happy Father of a very towardly Son, in whom I do not only fee my Life, but alfo my Manner of Life, renewed. It would be extreamly beneficial to Society, if you would frequently refume Subjects which ferve to bind thefe Sort of Relations fafter, ⚫ and endear the Tyes of Blood with thofe of Good-will, Protection, Obfervance, Indulgence and Veneration. I would, methinks, have this done after an uncommon Method, and do not think any one, who is not capable ⚫ of writing a good Play, fit to undertake a Work where' in there will neceffarily occur fo many fecret Instincts, ⚫ and Biaffes of human Nature, which would pass unobferved by common Eyes. I thank Heaven I have no outragious Offence againft my own excellent Parents to anfwer for, but when I am now and then alone, and ' look back upon my paft Life, from my earliest Infancy to this Time, there are many Faults which I commit⚫ted that did not appear to me, even 'till I my self became a Father. I had not till then a Notion of the Earnings of Heart, which a Man has when he fees his Child do a laudable Thing, or the fudden Damp which feizes him when he fears he will act fomething unworthy. It is not to be imagined, what a Remorfe touched me for a long Train of childish Negligencies of my Mother, when I faw my Wife the other Day look out of the Window, and turn as pale as Ashes upon feeing my younger Boy fliding upon the Ice. Thefe flight Intimations will give you to underftand, that there are numberless little Crimes, which Children ⚫ take no Notice of while they are doing, which, upon Reflection, when they fhall themselves become FaVOL. IV. C

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thers, they will look upon with the utmost Sorrow and Contrition, that they did not regard, before thofe whom they offended were to be no more feen. How many thousand Things do I remember, which would have highly pleafed my Father, and I omitted, for no other Reafon, but that I thought what he propofed the Effect of Humour and old Age, which I am now convinced had Reafon and good Senfe in it. I cannot now go into the Parlour to him, and make his Heart glad with an Account of a Matter which was of no Confequence, but that I told it, and acted in it. The good Man and Woman are long fince in their Graves, who used to fit and plot the Welfare of us their Children, while, perhaps, we were fometimes laughing at the old Folks at another End of the Houfe. TheTruth of it is, were we merely to follow Nature in these great Duties of Life, tho' we have a strong Instinct towards the performing of them, we fhould be on both Sides very deficient. Age is fo unwelcome to the Generality of Mankind, and Growth towards Manhood fo defirable to all, that Refignation to Decay is too difficult a Task in the Father; and Deference, amidst the Impulfe of gay Defires, appears unreasonable to the Son. There are fo few who can grow old with a good • Grace, and yet fewer who can come flow enough into the World, that a Father, were he to be actuated by ⚫his Defires, and a Son, were he to confult himfelf only, could neither of them behave himself as he ought to the other. But when Reafon interpofes againft Instinct, ⚫ where it would carry either out of the Interefts of the other, there arifes that happiest Intercourfe of good Of. ̄ fices between those dearest Relations of human Life. The Father according to the Opportunities which are offered to him, is throwing down Bleflings on the Son, and the Son endeavouring to appear the worthy Offfpring of fuch a Father. It is after this Manner that Camillus and his firft-born dwell together. Camillus enjoys a pleafing and indolent old Age, in which Paffion is fubdued, and Reafon exalted. He waits the Day of his Diffolution with a Refignation mixed with Delight,and the Son fears the Acceffion of his Father's Fortune with Diffidence, left he should not enjoy or become

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it as well as his Predeceffor. Add to this, that the Father knows he leaves a Friend to the Children of his Friends, an eafy Landlord to his Tenants, and an agreeableCompanion to his Acquaintance. He believes hisSon's Behaviour will make him frequently remembred, but never wanted. This Commerce is fo well cemented, that without the Pomp of Saying, Son, be a Friend to fuch a one when I am gone, Camillus knows, being in his Favour, is Direction enough to the grateful Youth who ⚫ is to fucceed him, without the Admonition of his mentioning it. These Gentlemen are honoured in all their Neighbourhood, and the fame Effect which a Court has on the Manners of a Kingdom, their Characters ⚫ have on all who live within the Influence of them.

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My Son and I are not of Fortune to communicate our good Actions or Intentions to fo many as thefe Gen⚫tlemen do; but I will be bold to fay, my Son has, by the Applause and Approbation which his Behaviour towards me has gained him, occafioned that many an ⚫ old Man, befides my felf, has rejoiced. Other Men's • Children follow the Example of mine, and I have the inexpreffible Happiness of over-hearing ourNeighbours, as we ride by, point to their Children, and say, with a Voice of Joy, There they go.

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You cannot, Mr. SPECTATOR, pafs your Time ⚫ better than in infinuating the Delights which thefe Re⚫lations well regarded bestow upon each other, Ordinary Paffages are no longer fuch, but mutual Love ⚫ gives an Importance to the inoft indifferent Things, and a Merit to Actions the moft infignificant. When we look round the World, and obferve the many Mifunderbandings which are created by the Malice and In⚫ finuation of the meanest Servants between People thus ⚫ related, how neceffary will it appear that it were incul⚫cated, that Men would be upon their Guard to fupport a Conftancy of Affection, and that grounded upon the Principles of Reason, not the Impulfes of Inftinct.

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IT is from the common Prejudices which Men receive from their Parents, that Hatreds are kept alive from one Generation to another; and when Men act by Instinct, Hatreds will defcend when good Offices are forgotten. For the Degeneracy of human Life is fuch,

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