tle readers, who have so much time on their hands, will not grudge throwing away quarter of an hour in a day on this paper, since they may do it without any hindrance to business. I know several of my friends and wellwishers are in great pain for me, lest I should not be able to keep up the spirit of a paper which I oblige myself to furnish every day; but to make them easy in this particular, I will promise them faithfully to give it over as soon as I grow dull. This I know will be a matter of great raillery to the small wits, who will frequently put me in mind of my promise, desire me to keep my word, assure me that it is high time to give over, with many other little pleasantries of the like nature, which men of a little smart genius cannot forbear throwing out against their best friends, when they have such a handle given them of being witty. But let them remember, that I do hereby enter my caveat against this piece of raillery. C. No. 11.] Tuesday, March 13, 1710-11. Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. no opportunity, till the larum ceased of itself, which it did not till he had repeated and murdered the celebrated story of the Ephesian matron. Arietta seemed to regard this piece of raillery as an outrage done to her sex; as indeed I have always observed that women, whether out of a nicer regard to their honour, or what other reason, I cannot tell, are more sensibly touched with those general aspersions which are cast upon their sex, than men are by what is said of theirs. When she had a little recovered herself from the serious anger she was in, she replied in the following manner. 'Sir, when I consider how perfectly new all you have said on this subject is, and that the story you have given us is not quite two thousand years old, I cannot but think it a piece of presumption to dispute it with you: but your quotations put me in mind of the fable of the lion and the man. The man walking with that noble animal, showed him, in the ostentation of human superiority, a sign of a man killing a lion. Upon which, the lion said, very justly, "We lions are none of us painters, else we could show a hundred men killed by lions, for one lion killed by a man.' You men are writers, and can represent us women as ARIETTA is visited by all persons of both unbecoming as you please in your works, sexes, who have any pretence to wit and while we are unable to return the injury. gallantry. She is in that time of life which You have twice or thrice observed in your is neither affected with the follies of youth, discourse, that hypocrisy is the very fonnor infirmities of age; and her conversa-dation of our education; and that an ability tion is so mixed with gaiety and prudence, to dissemble our affections is a professed that she is agreeable both to the old and part of our breeding. These, and such the young. Her behaviour is very frank, other reflections, are sprinkled up and without being in the least blameable; and down the writings of all ages, by authors, as she is out of the track of any amorous or who leave behind them memorials of their ambitious pursuits of her own, her visitors resentment against the scorn of particular entertain her with accounts of themselves women, in invectives against the whole very freely, whether they concern their sex. Such a writer, I doubt not, was the passions or their interests. I made her a celebrated Petronius, who invented the visit this afternoon, having been formerly pleasant aggravations of the frailty of the introduced to the honour of her acquaint- Ephesian lady; but when we consider this ance by my friend Will Honeycomb, who question between the sexes, which has has prevailed upon her to admit me some-been either a point of dispute or raillery times into her assembly, as a civil inoffensive man. I found her accompanied with one person only, a common-place talker, who, upon my entrance, arose, and after a very slight civility sat down again; then, turning to Arietta, pursued his discourse, which I found was upon the old topic of constancy in love. He went on with great facility in repeating what he talks every day of his life; and with the ornaments of insignificant laughs and gestures, enforced his arguments by quotations out of plays and songs, which allude to the perjuries of the fair, and the general levity of women. Methought he strove to shine more than ordinarily in his talkative way, that he might insult my silence, and distinguish himself before a woman of Arietta's taste and understanding. She had often an inclination to interrupt him, but could find ever since there were men and women, let us take facts from plain people, and from such as have not either ambition or capacity to embellish their narrations with any beauties of imagination. I was the other day amusing myself with Lignon's Account of Barbadoes; and in answer to your wellwrought tale, I will give you (as it dwells upon my memory) out of that honest traveller, in his fifty-fifth page, the history of Inkle and Yarico. 'Mr. Thomas Inkle, of London, aged twenty years, embarked in the Downs, in the good ship called the Achilles, bound for the West Indies, on the 16th of June, 1647, in order to improve his fortune by trade and merchandise. Our adventurer was the third son of an eminent citizen, who had taken particular care to instil into his mind an early love of gain, by making sel on the coast, to which she made signals; and in the night, with the utmost joy and satisfaction, accompanied him to a ship's crew of his countrymen, bound for Barbadoes. When a vessel from the main arrives in that island, it seems the planters come down to the shore, where there is an immediate market of the Indians and other slaves, as with us of horses and oxen. nim a perfect master of numbers, and con- | clothed in such silks as his waistcoat was sequently giving him a quick view of loss made of, and be carried in houses drawn and advantage, and preventing the natural by horses, without being exposed to wind impulses of his passion, by prepossession or weather. All this he promised her the towards his interests. With a mind thus enjoyment of, without such fears and turned, young Inkle had a person every alarms as they were there tormented with. way agreeable, a ruddy vigour in his coun- In this tender correspondence these lovers tenance, strength in his limbs, with ringlets lived for several months, when Yarico, of fair hair loosely flowing on his shoul-instructed by her lover, discovered a ves ders. It happened in the course of the voyage, that the Achilles, in some distress, put into a creek on the main of America, in search of provisions. The youth who is the hero of my story, among others, went on shore on this occasion. From their first landing they were observed by a party of Indians, who hid themselves in the woods for that purpose. The English unadvisedly marched a great distance from the shore into the country, and were intercepted by the natives, who slew the greatest number of them. Our adventurer escaped among others, by flying into a forest. Upon his coming into a remote and pathless part of the wood, he threw himself, tired and breathless, on a little hillock, when an Indian maid rushed from a thicket behind him. After the first surprise they appeared mutually agreeable to each other. If the European was highly charmed with the limbs, features, and wild graces of the naked American; the American was no less taken with the dress, complexion and shape of an European, covered from head to foot. The Indian grew immediately enamoured of him, and consequently solicitous for his preservation. She therefore conveyed him to a cave, where she gave him a delicious repast of fruits, and led him to a stream to slake his thirst. In the midst of these good offices, she would sometimes play with his hair, and delight in the opposition of its colour to that of her To be short, Mr. Thomas Inkle now coming into English territories, began seriously to reflect upon his loss of time, and to weigh with himself how many days' interest of his money he had lost during his stay with Yarico. This thought made the young man pensive, and careful what account he should be able to give his friends of his voyage. Upon which consideration, the prudent and frugal young man sold Yarico to a Barbadian merchant; notwithstanding the poor girl, to incline him to commiserate her condition, told him that she was with child by him: but he only made use of that information, to rise in his demands upon the purchaser.' I was so touched with this story (which I think should be always a counterpart to the Ephesian matron) that I left the room with tears in my eyes, which a woman of Arietta's good sense did, I am sure, take for greater applause than any compliments I could make her. -Veteres avias tibi de pulmone revello. Pers. Sat. v. 92. I root th' old woman from thy trembling heart. fingers: then open his bosom, then laugh No. 12.] Wednesday, March 14, 1710-11. at him for covering it. She was, it seems, a person of distinction, for she every day came to him in a different dress, of the most beautiful shells, bugles, and beads. She likewise brought him a great many AT my coming to London, it was some spoils which her other lovers had present-time before I could settle myself in a house ed to her, so that his cave was richly to my liking. I was forced to quit my first adorned with all the spotted skins of lodgings by reason of an officious landlady, beasts, and most party-coloured feathers that would be asking me every morning of fowls, which that world afforded. To how I had slept. I then fell into an honest make his confinement more tolerable, she family, and lived very happily for above a would carry him in the dusk of the eve-week; when my landlord, who was a jolly, ning, or by the favour of moonlight, to un- good-natured man, took it into his head frequented groves and solitudes, and show that I wanted company, and therefore him where to lie down in safety, and sleep would frequently come into my chamber, amidst the falls of waters and melody of to keep me from being alone. This I bore nightingales. Her part was to watch and for two or three days; but telling me one hold him awake in her arms, for fear of day that he was afraid I was melancholy, her countrymen, and wake him on occa-I thought it was high time for me to be sions to consult his safety. In this manner did the lovers pass away their time till they had learned a language of their own, in which the voyager communicated to his mistress how happy he should be to have her in his country, where she should be gone, and accordingly took new lodgings that very night. About a week after, I found my jolly landlord, who, as I said before, was an honest, hearty man, had put me into an advertisement in the Daily Courant, in the following words: 'Where as a melancholy man left his lodgings on Thursday last, in the afternoon, and was afterwards seen going towards Islington: if any one can give notice of him to R. B. fishmonger in the Strand, he shall be very well rewarded for his pains.' As I am the best man in the world to keep my own counsel, and my landlord, the fishmonger, not knowing my name, this accident of my life was never discovered to this very day. I am now settled with a widow woman, who has a great many children, and complies with my humour in every thing. I do not remember that we have exchanged a word together these five years; my coffee comes into my chamber every morning without asking for it: if I want fire, I point to my chimney, if water to my basin, upon which my landlady nods, as much as to say she takes my meaning, and immediately obeys my signals. She has likewise modelled her family so well, that when her little boy offers to pull me by the coat, or prattle in my face, his eldest sister immediately calls him off, and bids him not disturb the gentleman. At my first entering into the family, I was troubled with the civility of their rising up to me every time I came into the room; but my landlady observing that upon these occasions I always cried Pish, and went out again, has forbidden any such ceremony to be used in the house; so that at present I walk into the kitchen or parlour, without being taken notice of, or giving any interruption to the business or discourse of the family. The maid will ask her mistress (though I am by) whether the gentleman is ready to go to dinner, as the mistress (who is indeed an excellent housewife) scolds at the servants as heartily before my face, as behind my back. In short, I move up and down the house, and enter into all companies with the same liberty as a cat, or any other domestic animal, and am as little suspected of telling any thing that I hear or see. company closed their ranks, and crowded about the fire. I took notice in particular of a little boy, who was so attentive to every story, that I am mistaken if he ventures to go to bed by himself this twelvemonth. Indeed they talked so long, that the imaginations of the whole assembly were manifestly crazed, and, I am sure, will be the worse for it as long as they live. I heard one of the girls, that had looked upon me over her shoulder, asking the company how long I had been in the room, and whether I did not look paler than I used to do. This put me under some apprehensions that I should be forced to explain myself, if I did not retire; for which reason I took the candle into my hand, and went up into my chamber, not without wondering at this unaccountable weakness in reasonable creatures, that they should love to astonish and terrify one another. Were I a father, I should take a particular care to preserve my children from these little horrors of imagination, which they are apt to contract when they are young, and are not able to shake off when they are in years. I have known a soldier that has entered a breach, affrighted at his own shadow, and look pale upon a little scratching at his door, who the day before had marched up against a battery of cannon. There are instances of persons, who have been terrified even to distraction at the figure of a tree, or the shaking of a bulrush. The truth of it is, I look upon a sound imagination as the greatest blessing of life, next to a clear judgment, and a good conscience. In the mean time, since there are very few whose minds are not more or less subject to these dreadful thoughts and apprehensions, we ought to arm ourselves against them by the dictates of reason and religion, to pull the old woman out of our hearts,' (as Persius expresses it in the motto of my paper,) and extinguish those impertinent notions which we imbibed at a time that we were not able to judge of their ab surdity. Or, if we believe, as many wise and good men have done, that there are such phantoms and apparitions as those I have been speaking of, let us endeavour to establish to ourselves an interest in Him, who holds the reins of the whole creation in his hands, and moderates them after such a manner, that it is impossible for one being to break loose upon another without his knowledge and permission. I remember last winter there were several young girls of the neighbourhood sitting about the fire with my landlady's daughters, and telling stories of spirits and apparitions. Upon my opening the door the young women broke off their discourse, but my landlady's daughters telling them that it was nobody but the gentleman (for that is the name which I go by in the neighbourhood, as well as in the family) they went on without minding me. I seated myself by For my own part, I am apt to join in the the candle that stood on a table at one end opinion with those who believe that all the of the room; and pretending to read a book regions of nature swarm with spirits; and that I took out of my pocket, heard several that we have multitudes of spectators on all dreadful stories of ghosts, as pale as ashes, our actions, when we think ourselves most that had stood at the feet of a bed, or walked alone; but instead of terrifying myself with over a church-yard by moon-light; and of such a notion, I am wonderfully pleased to others that had been conjured into the Red-think that I am always engaged with such sea, for disturbing people's rest, and draw-an innumerable society in searching out the ing their curtains at midnight, with many wonders of the creation, and joining in the other old women's fables of the like nature. same concert of praise and adoration. As one spirit raised another, I observed, that at the end of every story the whole Milton has finely described this mixed communion of men and spirits in paradise; 35 was thinking on something else, I accidentally justled against a monstrous animal and had doubtless his eye upon a verse in old Hesiod, which is almost word for word the same with his third line in the follow-that extremely startled me, and upon my ing passage: -Nor think, though men were none, nearer survey of it, appeared to be a lion rampant. The lion seeing me very much surprised, told me, in a gentle voice, that That heav'n would want spectators, God want praise; I might come by him, if I pleased: For, Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Paradise Lost. No. 13.] Thursday, March 15, 1710-11. Mart. he been brought upon the stage another time, he would certainly have done mischief. Besides, it was objected against the first lion, that he reared himself so high upon his hinder paws, and walked in so erect a posture, that he looked more like an old man than a lion. says he, 'I do not intend to hurt any body.' I thanked him very kindly, and passed by him: and in a little time after saw him leap upon the stage, and act his part with very great applause. It has been observed by several that the lion has changed his manner of acting twice or thrice since his first appearance; which will not seem strange, when I acquaint my reader that the lion has been changed upon the audience three several times. The first lion was a candle snuffer, who being a fellow of a testy choleric temper, overdid his part, and would not suffer himself to be killed so easily as Dic mihi, si fueris tu leo, qualis eris? he ought to have done; besides, it was observed of him, that he grew more surly Were you a lion, how would you behave? every time that he came out of the lion; THERE is nothing that of late years has conversation, as if he had not fought his and having dropt some words in ordinary afforded matter of greater amusement to best, and that he suffered himself to be the town than Signior Nicolini's combat thrown upon his back in the scuffle, and with a lion in the Haymarket, which has that he would wrestle with Mr. Nicolini been very often exhibited to the general for what he pleased, out of his lion's skin, satisfaction of most of the nobility and gen- it was thought proper to discard him: and try in the kingdom of Great Britain. Upon it is verily believed, to this day, that had the first rumour of this intended combat it was confidently affirmed, and is still behieved, by many in both galleries, that there would be a tame lion sent from the tower, every opera night, in order to be killed by Hydaspes; this report, though altogether groundless, so universally prevailed in the upper regions of the playhouse, that some of the most refined politicians in those parts who belonged to the playhouse, and had The second lion was a tailor by trade, of the audience, gave it out in whisper, that the character of a mild and peaceable man the lion was a cousin-german of the tiger in his profession. If the former was too who made his appearance in King Wil-furious, this was too sheepish for his part; liam's days, and that the stage would be insomuch, that after a short modest walk supplied with lions at the public expense, upon the stage, he would fall at the first during the whole session. Many likewise touch of Hydaspes, without grappling with were the conjectures of the treatment which this lion was to meet with from the hands of Signior Nicolini; some supposed that he was to subdue him in recitativo, as Orpheus used to serve the wild beasts in his time, and afterwards to knock him on the head; some fancied that the lion would not pretend to lay his paws upon the hero, by reason of the received opinion, that a lion will not hurt a virgin. Several, who pretended to have seen the opera in Italy, had informed their friends, that the lion was to act a part in high Dutch, and roar twice or thrice to a thorough bass, before he fell at the feet of Hydaspes. matter that was so variously reported, I To clear up a have made it my business to examine whether this pretended lion is really the savage he appears to be, or only a counterfeit. But before I communicate my discoveries, I must acquaint the reader, that upon my walking behind the scenes last winter, as I him, and giving him an opportunity of showing his variety of Italian trips. It is said, indeed, that he once gave him a rip in his flesh-colour doublet: but this was only to make work for himself, in his private character of a tailor. I must not omit, that it was this second lion who treated me with so much humanity behind the scenes. formed, a country gentleman, who does it The acting lion at present is, as I am infor his diversion, but desires his name may be concealed. He says, very handsomely, in his own excuse, that he does not act for gain, that he indulges an innocent pleasure evening in this manner, than in gaming and in it; and that it is better to pass away an drinking: but at the same time says, with a very agreeable raillery upon himself, that tured world might call him, The ass in if his name should be known, the ill-nathe lion's skin.' This gentleman's temper is made out of such a happy mixture of the mild and the choleric, that he outdoes both | present time; and lamented to myself, that his predecessors, and has drawn together though in those days they neglected their greater audiences than have been known in morality, they kept up their good sense; the memory of man. but that the beau monde, at present, is only SIR, 'From my den in the Haymarket, March 15. I must not conclude my narrative, with-grown more childish, not more innocent out taking notice of a groundless report that than the former. While I was in this train has been raised to a gentleman's disadvan- of thought, an odd fellow, whose face I tage, of whom I must declare myself an ad- have often seen at the playhouse, gave me mirer; namely, that Signior Nicolini and the following letter with these words: 'Sir, the lion have been sitting peaceably by one the Lion presents his humble service to another, and smoking a pipe together be- you, and desired me to give this into your hind the scenes; by which their common own hands.' enemies would insinuate, that it is but a sham combat which they represent upon the stage: but upon inquiry I find, that if any such correspondence has passed between them, it was not till the combat was over, when the lion was to be looked upon as dead, according to the received rules of the drama. Besides, this is what is practised every day in Westminster-hall, where nothing is more usual than to see a couple of lawyers, who have been tearing each other to pieces in the court, embracing one another as soon as they are out of it. 'I have read all your papers, and have stifled my resentment against your reflections upon operas, until that of this day, wherein you plainly insinuate, that Signior Nicolini and myself have a correspondence more friendly than is consistent with the valour of his character, or the fierceness of mine. I desire you would, for your own. sake, forbear such intimations for the future; and must say it is a great piece of ill nature in you, to show so great an esteem for a foreigner, and to discourage a Lion that is your own countryman. I would not be thought in any part of this relation, to reflect upon Signior Nicolini, who in acting this part only complies with 'I take notice of your fable of the lion and the wretched taste of his audience; he man, but am so equally concerned in the knows very well, that the lion has many matter, that I shall not be offended to which more admirers than himself; as they say soever of the animals the superiority is of the famous equestrian statue on the Pont given. You have misrepresented me, in Neuf at Paris, that more people go to see saying that I am a country gentleman, who the horse, than the king who sits upon it. act only for my diversion; whereas, had I On the contrary, it gives me a just indigna- still the same woods to range in which I tion to see a person whose action gives new once had when I was a fox-hunter, I should majesty to kings, resolution to heroes, and not resign my manhood for a maintenance; softness to lovers, thus sinking from the and assure you, as low as my circumstances greatness of his behaviour, and degraded are at present, I am so much a man of hointo the character of the London Prentice.nour, that I would scorn to be any beast for I have often wished, that our tragedians bread, but a lion. would copy after this great master of action. Could they make the same use of their arms and legs, and inform their faces with as significant looks and passions, how glorious would an English tragedy appear with that action, which is capable of giving dignity to the forced thoughts, cold conceits, and unnatural expressions of an Italian opera! In the mean time, I have related this combat of the lion, to show what are at present the reigning entertainments of the politer part of Great Britain. Audiences have often been reproached by writers for the coarseness of their taste: but our present grievance does not seem to be the want of a good taste, but of common C. sense. No. 14.] Friday, March 16, 1710-11. 'Yours, &c.' I had no sooner ended this, than one of ral others, with some of which I shall make my landlady's children brought me in seveup my present paper, they all having a tendency to the same subject, viz. the ele gance of our present diversions. "SIR, Covent-Garden, March 13. 'I have been for twenty years under-sexton of this parish of St. Paul's Coventgarden, and have not missed tolling in to prayers six times in all those years; which office I have performed to my great satisfaction, until this fortnight last past, during which time I find my congregation take the warning of my bell, morning and evening, to go to a puppet-show set forth by one Powell under the piazzas. By this means I have not only lost my two customers, whom I used to place for sixpence a piece over against Mrs. Rachel Eyebright, but Mrs. Rachel herself is gone thither also. There now appear among us none but a few ordinary people, who come to church only to say their prayers, so that I have no work worth speaking of but on Sundays. I have placed my son at the piazzas, to acquaint |