Page images
PDF
EPUB

When the whole race of mankind had thus cast their burdens, the phantom which had been so busy on this occasion, seeing me an idle spectator of what passed, approached towards me. I grew uneasy at her presence, when of a sudden she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes. I no sooner saw my face in it, but was startled at the shortness of it, which now appeared to me in its utmost aggravation. The immoderate breadth of the features made me very much out of humour with my own countenance, upon which I threw it from me like a mask. It happened very luckily, that one who stood by me, had just before thrown down his visage, which, it seems, was too long for him." It was, indeed, extended to a most shameful length; I believe the very chin was, modestly speaking, as long as my whole face. We had both of us an opportunity of mending ourselves, and, all the contributions being now brought in, every man was at liberty to exchange his misfortune for those of another person. But as there arose many new incidents in the sequel of my vision, I shall reserve them for the subject of my next paper.

IN my

No. 559. FRIDAY, JUNE 25.

Quid causæ est, meritò quin illis Jupiter ambas
Iratus buccas inflet: neque se fore posthac
Tam facilem dicat, votis ut præbeat aurem?

HOR. 1 Sat. i 20.

Were it not just that Jove, provok'd to heat,
Should drive these triflers from the hallow'd seat,
And unrelenting stand when they intreat?

HORNECK.

last paper, I gave my reader a sight of that mountain of miseries, which was made up of those several calamities the: afflict the minds of men. I saw, with unspeakable pleasure, the whole species thus delivered from its sorrows; though, at the same time, as we stood round the heap, and surveyed the seven materials of which it was composed, there was scarce a mortal. in this vast multitude, who did not discover what he though pleasures and blessings of life; and wondered how the owneS of them ever came to look upon them as burthens and grier

ances.

As we were regarding very attentively this confusion of mis eries, this chaos of calamity, Jupiter issued out a second proc's mation, that every one was now at liberty to exchange his as tion, and to return to his habitation, with any such other bur as should be delivered to him.

Some observations, which communicate to the public. A

Upon this, FANCY began again to bestir herself, and parce ling out the whole heap with incredible activity, recommended every one his particular packet. The hurry and confusion a this time was not to be expressed. made upon the occasion, I shall venerable grey-headed man, who had laid down the cholie, who, I found, wanted an heir to his estate, snatched up an u dutiful son, that had been thrown into the heap by his ang

father. The graceless youth, in less than a quarter of an hour, pulled the old gentleman by the beard, and had like to have knocked his brains out; so that, meeting the true father, who came towards him, in a fit of the gripes, he begged him to take his son again, and give him back his cholic; but they were incapable, either of them, to recede from the choice they had made. A poor galley-slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead, but made such wry faces, that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain. It was pleasant enough to see the several exchanges that were made, for sickness against poverty, hunger against want of appetite, and care against pain.

The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features; one was trucking a lock of grey hairs for a carbuncle, another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders, and a third cheapening a bad face for a lost reputation: but on all these occasions, there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession, much more disagreeable than the old one. I made the same observation on every other misfortune or calamity, which every one in the assembly brought upon himself, in lieu of what he had parted with; whether it be, that all the evils which befal us, are in some measure suited and proportioned to our strength, or that every evil becomes more supportable by our being accustomed to it, I shall not determine.

I could not, for my heart, forbear pitying the poor humpbacked gentleman mentioned in the former paper, who went off a very well-shaped person with a stone in his bladder; nor the fine We say incapable of receding, not, incapable to recede. But having said, either of them, to avoid the repetition of of, he said, to recede.-It should be-But they were not allowed, either of them to recede, &c.-H.

In lieu. I know not why the author preferred French to English, in lieu, to instead, unless it were to avoid the monotony of, instead, what, parted.-H

timony of two persons: upon which the advocate insisted on the integrity of that person whom he had produced; but the præter told him, 'That where the law required two witnesses, he would not accept of one, though it were Cato himself.' Such a speech, from a person who sat at the head of a court of justice, while Cato was still living, shews us, more than a thousand examples, the high reputation this great man had gained among his contemporaries upon the account of his sincerity.

When such an inflexible integrity is a little softened and qualified by the rules of conversation and good-breeding, there is not a more shining virtue in the whole catalogue of social duties. A man, however, ought to take great care not to polish himself out of his veracity, nor to refine his behaviour to the prejudice of his virtue.

This subject is exquisitely treated in the most elegant sermon' of the great British preacher." I shall beg leave to tra scribe out of it two or three sentences, as a proper introduction to a very curious letter, which I shall make the chief entertain ment of this speculation.

"The old English plainness and sincerity, that generous integrity of nature, and honesty of disposition, which always argues true greatness of mind, and is usually accompanied with undaunted courage and resolution, is in a great measure lost

among us.

"The dialect of conversation is, now-a-days, so swelled with vanity and compliment, and so surfeited (as I may say) of ex pressions of kindness and respect, that if a man that lived an age

1 V. Tillotson's Serm. vol. ii. 3d ed. fol.-C.

* Great British preacher. Deservedly called great, for the manliness of his sense, and the unadorned dignity of his expression. But they who have little relish for the chaste graces of Mr. Addison's style, may be excused if they have still less for the graceful negligence of Archbishop Tillot

son's.-H.

or two ago should return into the world again, he would really want a dictionary to help him to understand his own language and to know the true intrinsic value of the phrase in fashion; and would hardly, at first, believe at what a low rate the highest strains and expressions of kindness imaginable do commonly pass in current payment; and when he should come to understand it, it would be a great while before he could bring himself, with a - good countenance and a good conscience, to converse with men upon equal terms, and in their own way."

I have by me a letter which I look upon as a great curiosity, and which may serve as an exemplification to the foregoing passage, cited out of this most excellent prelate. It is said to have been written in King Charles the second's reign, by the ambassador of Bantam,' a little after his arrival in England.

"MASTER,

"THE people, where I now am, have tongues further from their hearts than from London to Bantam, and thou knowest the inhabitants of one of these places do not know what is done in the other. They call thee and thy subjects barbarians, because we speak what we mean; and account themselves a civilized people, because they speak one thing and mean another truth they call barbarity, and falsehood politeness. Upon my first landing, one who was sent from the king of this place to meet me, told me, 'That he was extremely sorry for the storm I had met with just before my arrival.' I was troubled to hear him grieve and afflict himself upon my account: but in less than a quarter of an hour he smiled, and was as merry as if nothing had happened. Another, who came with him, told me by my interpreter, He should be glad to do me any service that lay in his power.' Upon which I desired him to carry one of my portmanteaus for me; but instead of serving me according to his promise, he

1 1682.-C.

« PreviousContinue »