The other I shall mention, is that in which the angel gives a reason why he should be glad to hear the story Adam was about to relate. For I that day was absent as befel, There is no question but our poet drew the image in what follows from that in Virgil's sixth book, where Æneas and the Sybil stand before the adamantine gates, which are there described as shut upon the place of torments, and listen to the groans, the clank of chains, and the noise of iron whips, that were heard in those regions of pain and sorrow. - Fast we found, fast shut The dismal gates, and barricado'd strong; Adam then proceeds to give an account of his condition and sentiments immediately after his creation. How agreeably does he represent the posture in which he found himself, the delightful landscape that surrounded him, and the gladness of heart which grew up in him on that occasion! -'As new wak'd from soundest sleep, Straight towards heaven my wond'ring eyes I turn'd And gaz'd awhile the ample sky; till rais'd By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung, As thitherward endeavouring, and upright Stood on my feet. About me round I saw Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains, And liquid lapse of murmuring streams: by these, Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, and walk'd, or flew, Birds on the branches warbling; all things smil'd With fragrance, and with joy my heart o'erflow'd.' Adam is afterwards described as surprised at his own existence, and taking a survey of himself and of all the works of nature. He likewise is represented as discovering, by the light of reason, that he, and every thing about him, must have been the effect of some Being infinitely good and powerful, and that this Being had a right to his worship and adoration. His first address to the Sun, and to those parts of the creation which made the most distinguished figure, is very natural and amusing to the imagination: 'Thou Sun,' said I. 'Fair light, His next sentiment, when, upon his first going to sleep, he fancies himself losing his existence, and falling away into nothing, can never be sufficiently admired. His dream, in which he still preserves the consciousness of his existence, together with his removal into the garden which was prepared for his reception, are also circumstances finely imagined, and grounded upon what is delivered in sacred story. These and the like wonderful incidents in this part of the work, have in them all the beauties of novelty, at the same time that they have all the graces of nature. They are such as none but a great genius I could have thought of; though, upon the perusal of them, they seem to rise of themselves from the subject of which he treats. In a word, though they are natural, they are not obvious; which is the true character of all fine writing. The impression which the interdiction of the tree of life left in the mind of our first parent is described with great strength and judgment; as the image of the several beasts and birds passing in review before him is very beautiful and lively: Each bird and beast behold Approaching two and two, these cow'ring low With blandishment; each bird stoop'd on his wing. I nam'd them as they pass'd.' Adam in the next place, describes a conference which he held with his Maker upon the subject of solitude. The poet here represents the Supreme Being as making an essay of his own work, and putting to the trial that reasoning faculty with which he had endued his creature. Adam urges, in this divine colloquy, the impossibility of his being happy, though he was the inhabitant of Paradise, and lord of the whole creation, without the conversation and society of some rational creature who should partake those blessings with him. This dialogue, which is supported chiefly by the beauty of the thoughts, without other poetical ornament, is as fine a part as any in the whole poem. The more the reader examines the justness and delicacy of its sentiments, the more he will find himself pleased with it. The poet has wonderfully preserved the character of majesty and condescension in the Creator, and, at the same time, that of humility and adoration in the creature, as particularly in the following lines: Thus I presumptuous; and the vision bright, Adam then proceeds to give an account of his second sleep, and of the dream in which he beheld the formation of Eve. The new passion that was awakened in him at the sight of her is touched very finely. Under his forming hands a creature grew, Manlike, but different sex: so lovely fair, That what seem'd fair in all the world, seem'd now Mean, or in her summ'd up, in her contain'd, And in her looks, which from that time infus'd Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before; And into all things from her air inspir'd The spirit of love and amorous delight.' Adam's distress upon losing sight of this beautiful phantom, with his exclamations of joy and gratitude at the discovery of a real creature who resembled the apparition which had been presented to him in his dream; the approaches he makes to her, and his manner of courtship, are all laid together in a most exquisite propriety of sentiments. Neither her outside form'd so fair, nor aught Adam's speech at parting with the angel, has in it a deference and gratitude agreeable to an inferior nature, and at the same time a certain dignity and greatness suitable to the father of mankind in his state of innocence. L. Though this part of the poem is worked up with great warmth and spirit, the love which is described in it is every way suitable to a state of innocence. If the reader compares the description which Adam here gives of his leading Eve to the nuptial bower, with that which Mr. Dryden has made on the same occasion in a scene of his Fall of Man, he will be sensible of the great care which Milton took to avoid all thoughts on so delicate a subject that might be offensive to religion or good manners. The No. 346.] Monday, April 7, 1712. sentiments are chaste, but not cold; and Consuetudinem benignitatis largitioni munerum convey to the mind ideas of the most trans-longe antepono. Hæc est gravium hominum atque magnorum; illa quasi assentatorum populi, multitudinis porting passion, and of the greatest purity. What a noble mixture of rapture and innocence has the author joined together, in the reflection which Adam makes on the pleasures of love, compared to those of sense! Thus have I told thee, all my state, and brought In all things else delight indeed, but such I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, levitatem voluptate quasi titillantium. Tull. I esteem a habit of benignity greatly preferable to munificence. The former is peculiar to great and distinguished persons; the latter belongs to flatterers of the people, who tickle the levity of the multitude with a kind of pleasure. WHEN We consider the offices of human life, there is, methinks, something in what we ordinarily call generosity, which, when carefully examined, seems to flow rather from a loose and unguarded temper than an honest and liberal mind. For this reason it is absolutely necessary that all liberality should have for its basis and support frugality. By this means the beneficent spirit works in a man from convictions of reason, not from the impulse of passion. The generous man in the ordinary acceptation, without respect of the demands of his family, will soon find upon the foot of his account, that he has sacrificed to fools, knaves, flatterers, or the deservedly unhappy, all the opportunities of affording any future assistance where it ought to be. Let him therefore reflect, that if to bestow be in itself laudable, should not a man take care to secure an ability to do things praiseworthy as long as he lives? Or could there be a more cruel piece of raillery upon a man who should have reduced his fortune below the capacity of acting according to his natural temper, than to say of him, These sentiments of love in our first pa- That gentleman was generous? My berent, gave the angel such an insight into loved author therefore has, in the sentence human nature, that he seems apprehensive on the top of my paper, turned his eye with of the evils which might befall the species a certain satiety from beholding the adin general, as well as Adam in particular, dresses to the people by largesses and pubfrom the excess of his passion. He there-lic entertainments, which he asserts to be fore fortifies him against it by timely ad- in general vicious, and are always to be monitions; which very artfully prepare the regulated according to the circumstances mind of the reader for the occurrences of of time and a man's own fortune. A conthe next book, where the weakness, of stant benignity in commerce with the rest which Adam here gives such distant dis- of the world, which ought to run through coveries, brings about that fatal event which all a man's actions, has effects more useful is the subject of the poem. His discourse, to those whom you oblige and is less ostenwhich follows the gentle rebuke he received tatious in yourself. He turns his recomfrom the angel, shows that his love, how-mendation of this virtue on commercial life: ever violent it might appear, was still and, according to him, a citizen who is founded in reason, and consequently not frank in his kindnesses, and abhors severity improper for Paradise: in his demands: he who, in buying, selling, As one intended first, not after made will precipitate a man to choose the receipt of half his demands from one whom he has undone, rather than the whole from one to whom he has shown mercy. This benignity is essential to the character of a fair trader, and any man who designs to enjoy his wealth with honour and self-satisfaction; nay, it would not be hard to maintain, that the practice of supporting good and industrious men would carry a man farther even to his profit, than indulging the propensity of serving and obliging the fortunate. My author argues on this subject, in order to incline men's minds to those who want them most, after this manner. We must always consider the nature of things, and govern ourselves accordingly. The wealthy man, when he has repaid you, is upon a balance, with you; but the person whom you favoured with a loan, if he be a good man, will think himself in your debt after he has paid you. The wealthy and the conspicuous are not obliged by the benefits you do them; they think they conferred a benefit when they received one. Your good offices are always suspected, and it is with them the same thing to expect their favour as to receive it. But the man below you, who knows, in the good you have done him, you respected himself more than his circumstances, does not act like an obliged man only to him from whom he has received a benefit, but also to all who are capable of doing him one. And whatever little offices he can do for you, he is so far from magnifying it, that he will labour to extenuate it in all his actions and expressions. Moreover, the regard to what you do to a great man at best is taken notice of no further than by himself or his family; but what you do to a man of an humble fortune (provided always that he is a good and a modest man) raises the affections towards you of all men of that character (of which there are many) in the whole city. lending, doing acts of good neighbourhood, | Without this benignity, pride or vengeance is just and easy; he who appears naturally averse to disputes, and above the sense of little sufferings; bears a noble character, and does much more good to mankind than any other man's fortune, without commerce, can possibly support. For the citizen above all other men, has opportunities of arriving at the highest fruit of wealth,' to be liberal without the least expense of a man's own fortune. It is not to be denied but such a practice is liable to hazard; but this therefore adds to the obligation, that, among traders, he who obliges is as much concerned to keep the favour a secret as he who receives it. The unhappy distinctions among us in England are so great, that to celebrate the intercourse of commercial friendship (with which I am daily made acquainted) would be to raise the virtuous man so many enemies of the contrary party. I am obliged to conceal all I know of Tom the Bounteous,' who lends at the ordinary interest, to give men of less fortune opportunities of making greater advantages. He conceals, under a rough air and distant behaviour, a bleeding compassion and womanish tenderness. This is governed by the most exact circumspection, that there is no industry wanting in the person whom he is to serve, and that he is guilty of no improper expenses. This I know of Tom; but who dare say it of so known a Tory? The same care I was forced to use some time ago, in the report of another's virtue, and said fifty instead of a hundred, because the man I pointed at was a Whig. Actions of this kind are popular, without being invidious: for every man of ordinary circumstances looks upon a man who has this known benignity in his nature as a person ready to be his friend upon such terms as he ought to expect it; and the wealthy who may envy such a character, can do no injury to its interests, but by the imitation of it, in which the good citizen will rejoice to be rivalled. I know not how to form to my- There is nothing gains a reputation to a self a greater idea of human life, than in preacher so much as his own practice; I what is the practice of some wealthy men am therefore casting about what act of bewhom I could name, that make no step to nignity is in the power of a Spectator. the improvement of their own fortunes, Alas! that lies but in a very narrow comwherein they do not also advance those of pass; and I think the most immediately other men who would languish in poverty under my patronage are either players, or without that munificence. In a nation where such whose circumstances bear an affinity there are so many public funds to be sup- with theirs. All, therefore, I am able to do ported, I know not whether he can be called at this time of this kind, is to tell the town, a good subject, who does not embark some that on Friday the 11th of this instant, part of his fortune with the state, to whose April, there will be performed in Yorkvigilance he owes the security of the whole. Buildings, a concert of vocal and instruThis certainly is an immediate way of lay- mental music, for the benefit of Mr. Edward ing an obligation upon many, and extending Keen, the father of twenty children; and your benignity the farthest a man can pos-that this day the haughty George Powell sibly, who is not engaged in commerce. But he who trades, besides giving the state some part of this sort of credit he gives his banker, may, in all the occurrences of his life, have his eye upon removing want from the door of the industrious, and defending the unhappy upright man from bankruptcy. hopes all the good-natured part of the town will favour him, whom they applauded in Alexander, Timon, Lear, and Orestes, with their company this night, when he hazards all his heroic glory for their approbation in the humble condition of honest Jack Falstaff, T. No. 347.] Tuesday, April 8, 1712. Quis furor, o cives! quæ tanta licentia ferri! What blind, detested fury, could afford I Do not question but my country readers have been very much surprised at the several accounts they have met with in our public papers, of that species of men among us, lately known by the name of Mohocks. I find the opinions of the learned, as to their origin and designs, are altogether various, insomuch that very many begin to doubt whether indeed there were ever any such society of men. The terror which spread itself over the whole nation some years since on account of the Irish, is still fresh in most people's memories, though it afterwards appeared there was not the least ground for that general consternation. "The Manifesto of Taw War Eben Zan The late panic fear was in the opinion of many deep and penetrating persons of the same nature. These will have it that the Mohocks are like those spectres and apparitions which frighten several towns and villages in her majesty's dominions, though they were never seen by any of the inhabitants. Others are apt to think that 'And to the end that no one may, either these Mohocks are a kind of bull-beggars, through ignorance or inadvertency, incur first invented by prudent married men, and those penalties which we have thought fit masters of families, in order to deter their to inflict on persons of loose and dissolute wives and daughters from taking the air at lives, we do hereby notify to the public, unseasonable hours; and that when they that if any man be knocked down or astell them the Mohocks will catch them,' saulted while he is employed in his lawful it is a caution of the same nature with that business, at proper hours, that it is not of our forefathers, when they bid their chil-done by our order; and we do hereby perdren have a care of Raw-head and Bloody-mit and allow any such person, so knocked bones. For my own part, I am afraid there was too much reason for the great alarm the whole city has been in upon this occasion; though at the same time I must own, that I am in some doubt whether the following pieces are genuine and authentic; the more so, because I am not fully satisfied that the name by which the emperor subscribes himself, is altogether conformable to the Indian orthography. I shall only farther inform my readers, that it was some time since I received the following letter and manifesto, though, for particular reasons, I did not think fit to publish them till now. down or assaulted, to rise again, and defend himself in the best manner that he is able. 'We do also command all and every our good subjects, that they do not presume, upon any pretext whatsoever, to issue and sally forth from their respective quarters till between the hours of eleven and twelve. That they never tip the lion upon man, woman, or child, till the clock at St. Dunstan's shall have struck one. "That the sweat be never given but between the hours of one and two; always provided, that our hunters may begin to hunt a little after the close of the evening, any thing to the contrary herein notwithstanding. Provided also, that if ever they are reduced to the necessity of pinking, it shall always be in the most fleshy parts, and such as are least exposed to view. It is also our imperial will and pleasure, that our good subjects the sweaters do establish their hummums in such close places, alleys, nooks, and corners, that the patient or patients may not be in danger of catching cold. That the tumblers, to whose care we chiefly commit the female sex, confine themselves to Drury-lane, and the purlieus of the Temple; and that every other party and division of our subjects do each of them keep within the respective quarters we No. 348.] THE SPECTATOR. have allotted to them. Provided, nevertheless, that nothing herein contained shall in any wise be construed to extend to the hunters, who have our full license and permission to enter into any part of the town wherever their game shall lead them. 'And whereas we have nothing more at our imperial heart than the reformation of the cities of London and Westminster, which to our unspeakable satisfaction we have in some measure already effected, we do hereby earnestly pray and exhort all husbands, fathers, house-keepers, and masters of families, in either of the aforesaid cities, not only to repair themselves to their respective habitations at early and seasonable hours, but also to keep their wives and daughters, sons, servants, and apprentices, from appearing in the streets at those times and seasons which may expose them to a military discipline, as it is practised by our good subjects the Mohocks; and we do further promise on our imperial word, that as soon as the reformation aforesaid shall be brought about, we will forthwith cause all hostilities to cease. "Given from our court, at the Devil-tavern, X. March 15, 1712.' No. 348.] Wednesday, April 9, 1712. night, it will serve as an instance that the sexes are equally inclined to defamation, with equal malice and impotence, Jack Triplett came into my lady Airy's about eight of the clock. You know the manner we sit at a visit, and I need not describe the circle; but Mr. Triplett came in, introduced by two tapers supported by a spruce servant, whose hair is under a cap till my lady's candles are all lighted up, and the hour of ceremony begins: I say Jack Triplett came in, and singing (for he -he went on, "It is is really good company) "Every feature, charming creature, a most unreasonable thing, that people cannot go peaceably to see their friends, but these murderers are let loose. Such a shape! such an air! what a glance was that as her chariot passed by mine!"-My lady herself interrupted him; "Pray, who is this fine thing?"-"I warrant," says another, "'tis the creature I was telling your ladyship of, just now."-"You were telling of?" says Jack; "I wish I had been so happy as to have come in and heard you; for I have not words to say what she is: but if an agreeable height, a modest air, a virgin shame, and impatience of being beheld amidst a blaze of ten thousand The whole room flew outcharms"Oh Mr. Triplett!"-When Mrs. Lofty, a known prude, said she believed she knew whom the gentleman meant; but she was Hor. Sat. iii. Lib. 2. 13 indeed, as he civilly represented her, impatient of being beheld.-Then turning to To shun detraction, wouldst thou virtue fly? "The most unbred 'MR. SPECTATOR,-I have not seen you the lady next to her,lately at any of the places where I visit, so creature you ever saw!" Another pursued that I am afraid you are wholly unacquaint- the discourse; "As unbred, madam, as ed with what passes among my part of the you may think her, she is extremely belied say it, without if she is the novice she appears; she was world, who are, though controversy, the most accomplished and last week at a ball till two in the morning: best bred of the town. Give me leave to Mr. Triplett knows whether he was the tell you, that I am extremely discomposed happy man that took care of her home; This was followed by some partiwhen I hear scandal, and am an utter but-" enemy to all manner of detraction, and cular exception that each woman in the think it the greatest meanness that people room made to some peculiar grace or adof distinction can be guilty of. However, vantage; so that Mr. Triplett was beaten it is hardly possible to come into company, from one limb and feature to another, till where you do not find them pulling one he was forced to resign the whole woman. another to pieces, and that from no other In the end, I took notice Triplett recorded provocation but that of hearing any one all this malice in his heart; and saw in his commended. Merit, both as to wit and countenance, and a certain waggish shrug, beauty, is become no other than the pos- that he designed to repeat the conversasession of a few trifling people's favour, tion: I therefore let the discourse die, and which you cannot possibly arrive at, if you soon after took an occasion to recommend have really any thing in you that is deserv- a certain gentleman of my acquaintance for ing. What they would bring to pass is, to a person of singular modesty, courage, inmake all good and evil consist in report, and tegrity, and withal as a man of an enterwith whispers, calumnies, and imperti- taining conversation, to which advantages nences, to have the conduct of those re- he had a shape and manner peculiarly ports. By this means, innocents are blasted graceful. Mr. Triplett, who is a woman's upon their first appearance in town, and man seemed to hear me with patience there is nothing more required to make a enough commend the qualities of his mind. young woman the object of envy and hatred, -He never heard indeed but that he was than to deserve love and admiration. This a very honest man, and no fool; but for a abominable endeavour to suppress or lessen fine gentleman, he must ask pardon. Upon every thing that is praiseworthy, is as fre- no other foundation than this, Mr. Triplett If I took occasion to give the gentleman's pediquent among the men as the women. can remember what passed at a visit last gree, by what methods some part of the |