The Modest Man built the City, and the Modest Man's Skill was unknown. Thus we fee every Man is the Maker of his own Fortune; and what is very odd to confider, he must in some Measure be the Trumpet of his Fame: Not that Men are to be tolerated who directly praise themselves, but they are to be endued with a Sort of defenfive Eloquence, by which they shall be always capable of expreffing the Rules and Arts by which they govern themselves. Varillus was the Man of all I have read of the happiest in the true Poffeffion of this Quality of Modefty. My Author fays of him, Modesty in Varillus is really a Virtue; for it is a voluntary Quality, and the Effect of good Senfe. He is naturally bold and enterprifing; but so justly difcreet, that he never acts or speaks any Thing, but those who behold him know he has forborn much more than he has performed or utter'd, out of Deference to the Persons before whom he is. This makes Varillus truly amiable, and all his Attempts fuccefsful; for as bad as the World is thought to be by those who are perhaps unskill'd in it, Want of Succefs in our Actions is generally owing to Want of Judgment in what we ought to attempt, or a rustick Modesty which will not give us Leave to undertake what we ought. But how unfortunate this diffident Temper is to thofe who are poffefs'd with it, may be beft feen in the Succefs of fuch as are wholly unacquainted with it. We have one peculiar Elegance in our Language above all others, which is confpicuous in the Term Fellow. This Word added to any of our Adje

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ctives extremely varies, or quite alters the Sense of that with which it is joined. Thus, though a modeft Man is the most unfortunate of all Men, yet a modeft Fellow is as fuperlatively happy. A modeft Fellow is a ready Creature, who with great Humility, and as great Forwardnefs, vifits his Patrons at all Hours, and meets 'em in all Places, and has fo moderate an Opinion of himself, that he makes his Court at large: If you won't give him a great Employment, he will be glad of a little one. He has fo great a Deference for his Benefactor's Judgment, that as he thinks himself fit for any Thing he can get, fo he is above nothing which is offered. He is like the young Batchelor of Arts, who came to Town recommended to a Chaplain's Place; but none being vacant, modeftly accepted of that of a Poftillion. We have very many confpicious Perfons of this undertaking yet modest Turn; I have a Grandson, who is very happy in this Quality: I fent him in the Time of the laft Peace into France. As soon as he landed at Calais, he fent me an exact Account of the Nature of the People, and the Policies of the King of France. I got him fince chofen a Member of a Corporation: The modest Creature, as foon as he came into the Common-Council, told a Senior Burgess, he was perfectly out in the Orders of their Houfe. In other Circumstances, he is fo thoroughly modeft a Fellow, that he seems to pretend only to Things he underftands. He is a Citizen only at Court, and in the City a Courtier. In a Word, to speak the Characteristical Difference between a Mo

a Modest Man and a Modest Fellow; the Modeft Man is in Doubt in all his Actions; a Modeft Fellow never has a Doubt from his Cradle to his Grave.

The TATLER. [N° 53. From Tuesday Aug. 9. to Thursday Aug. 11. 1709. White's Chocolate-house, Aug. 10.

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The Civil Husband.

HE Fate and Character of the inconstant Ofmyn, is a juft Excufe for the little Notice taken by his Widow, of his Departure out of this Life, which was equally troublesome to Elmira his faithful Spouse, and to himself. That Life pafs'd between 'em after this Manner, is the Reason the Town has juft now received a Lady with all that Gaiety, after having been a Relict but Three Months, which other Women hardly affume under Fifteen after fuch a Difafter. Elmira is the Daughter of a rich and worthy Citizen, who gave her to Ofmyn with a Portion which might have obtained her an Alliance with our noblest Houses, and fix'd her in the Eye of the World, where her Story had not been now to be related: For her good Qualities had made her the Object of univerfal Esteem among the polite Part of Mankind, from whom he has been banish'd and immur'd till the Death of her Gaoler. It is now full Fifteen Years fince that beauteous Lady was given

into the Hands of the happy Ofmyn, who in the Sense of all the World received at that Time a Prefent more valuable than the Poffeffion of both the Indies. She was then in her early Bloom, with an Understanding and Difcretion very little inferior to the most experienced Matrons. She was not beholden to the Charms of her Sex, that her Company was preferable to any Ofmyn could meet with abroad; for were all the faid confidered, without Regard to her being a Woman, it might stand the Examination of the feverest Judges. She had all the Beauty of her own Sex, with all the Converfa tion-Accomplishments of ours. But Ofmyn ve ry foon grew furfeited with the Charms of her Perfon by Poffeffion, and of her Mind by Want of Tafte; for he was one of that loose Sort of Men, who have but one Reafon for fetting any Value upon the Fair Sex, who confider even Brides but as new Women, and confequently neglect 'em when they cease to be fuch. All the Merit of Elmira could not prevent her becoming a meer Wife within few Months after her Nuptials; and Ofmyn had fo little Relish for her Conversation, that he complained of the Advantages of it. My Spouse (faid he to one of his Companions) is fo very difcreet, so good, fo virtuous, and I know not what, that I think her Person is rather the Object of Esteem than of Love; and there is fuch a Thing as a Merit, which caufes rather Distance than Paffion. But there being no Medium in the State of Matrimo ny, their Life began to take the ufual Gradations to become the most irksome of all Beings. [Vol. 2.] They

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They grew in the first Place very complaisant and having at Heart a certain Knowledge that they were indifferent to each other, Apologies were made for every little Circumstance which they thought betray'd their mutual Coldness. This lafted but few Months, when they show'd a Difference of Opinion in every Trifle; and, as a Sign of certain Decay of Affection, the Word perhaps was introduc'd in all their Difcourfe. I have a Mind to go to the Park, fays fhe, but perhaps, my Dear, you will want the Coach on fome other Occafion. He would very willingly carry her to the Play; but perhaps, he had rather go to Lady Centaure's and play at Ombre. They were both Perfons of good Difcerning, and foon found that they mortally hated each other, by their Manner of hiding it. Certain it is, that there are fome Genio's which are not capable of pure Affection, and a Man is born with Talents for it as much as for Poetry or any other Science. Ofmyn began too late to find the Imperfection of his own Heart, and us'd all the Methods in the World to correct it, and argue himself into Return of Defire and Paffion for his Wife, by the Contemplation of her excellent Qualities, his great Obligations to her, and the high Value he faw all the World except himself did put upon her. But fuch is Man's unhappy Condition, that tho' the Weakness of the Heart has a prevailing Power over the Strength of the Head, yet the Strength of the Head has but fmall Force against the Weakness of the Heart. Ofmyn therefore struggled in vain to revive departed Defire; and for that Reason resol