The language of Homer, Virgil andMilton compar'd No.285 On delicacy

On government

On male-coquettes. Letter from Peter Motteux

286

287

288

An essay on death, with a recommendation of Dr.} 289

A criticism on the tragedy of the Diftreft Mother 290 An effay on criticism

On decency

On prudence.

On charity-Schools

On pin-money

Letters to the Spectator

On the defects in Milton's Paradife Loft

On the general notion men have of the fair fex

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

.298

On the misfortune of marrying into a poor and} 299

proud family

On the behaviour of married people before company

300

On the tyranny of beauty

The character of Emilia

301

302

On the beauties in the first book of Paradife Loft

On the fecond book of Paradife Loft

ver, &c.

Letters from a gentleman in love; a difcarded lo-}

Letter from Tim Watchwell on fortune flealers

309

310

311

On fortitude

312

On public and private education

313

Letters from Bob Harmlefs, John Trott, &c.

THE

SPECTATOR.

N°

252. Wednesday, December 19, 1711.

Erranti, paffimque oculos per cuncta ferenti.

VIRG. n. 2. ver. 570.

Exploring ev'ry place with curious eyes.

'Mr. SPECTATOR,

I AM very forry to find by your difcourfe upon the

eye, that you have not thoroughly ftudied the nature and force of that part of a beauteous face. Had you ever been in love, you would have faid ten ' thousand things, which it feems did not occur to you: ⚫ do but reflect upon the nonsense it makes nien talk, 'the flames which it is faid to kindle, the transport it raises, the dejection it causes in the braveft men; and if you do believe those things are expreffed to an extravagance, yet you will own, that the influence of it is very great which moves men to that extravagance. Certain it is, that the whole ftrength of the mind is fometimes feated there; that a kind look imparts all, that a year's discourse could give you, in one moment. What matters it what the fays to you? fee

4

⚫ how the looks-is the language of all who know what 'love is. When the mind is thus fummed up and expreffed in a glance, did you never obferve a fudden joy arife in the countenance of a lover? did you never fee the attendance of years paid, over paid, in an inftant? You a SPECTATOR, and not know that the intelligence of affection is carried on by the eye only; that good-breeding has made the tongue falfify the heart, and act a part of continual constraint, while nature has preferved the eyes to herself, that the may not be difguited or mifreprefented. The poor bride can give her hand, and fay, "I do," with a languishing air, to the man fhe is obliged by cruel parents to take "for mercenary reafons, but at the fame time she cannot look as if she loved; her eye is full of forrow, and • reluctance fits in a tear, while the offering of the fa'crifice is performed in what we call the marriage ceremony. Do you never go to plays? Cannot you diftinguish between the eyes of thofe who go to fee, from thofe who come to be feen? I am a woman turned of thirty, and am on the obfervation a little; therefore if you or your correfpondent had confulted me in your difcourfe on the eye, I could have told you that the eye of Leonora is flily watchful while it looks negligent; fhe looks round her without the help of the glaffes you fpeak of, and yet feems to be employed on objects directly before her. This eye is what affects chance-medley, and on a fudden, as if it attended to another thing, turns all its charms against an ogler. The eye of Lufitania is an inftrument of premeditated murder; but the defign being visible, deftroys the execution of it; and with much more beauty than that of Leonora, it is not half fo mifchievous. There is a brave fldier's daughter in town, that by her eye has 'been the death of more than ever her father made fty before him. A beautiful eye makes filence eloquent, kind eye makes contradiction an affent, an enraged eye makes beauty deformed. This little member gives life to every other part about us, and I believe the ftory of Argus implies no more than that the eye is in every part, that is to fay, every other part would be mutilated, were not its force reprefented more by. the.

·

a

a

eye than even by itself. But this is heathen Greek to those who have not converfed by glances. This, fir, ' is a language in which there can be no deceit, nor can fkilful obferver be impofed upon by looks even among politicians and courtiers. If you do me the 'honour to print this among your fpeculations, I fhall in my next make you a prefent of fecret hiftory, by tranflating all the looks of the next affembly of ladies and gentlemen into words, to adorn fome future paper. • I am, Sir,

Your faithful friend,

• MARY HEARTFREE."

• Dear Mr. SPECTATOR,

'I HAVE a fot of a husband that lives a very fcandalous life, and waftes away his body and fortune in debaucheries; and is immovable to all the arguments I can urge to him. I would gladly know whether in fome cafes a cudgel may not be allowed as a good figure of fpeech, and whether it may not be lawfully uted by a feinale orator.

Your humble fervant,

You

THOUGH I am a practitioner in the law of fome ftanding, and have heard many eminent pleaders in my time, as well as other eloquent fpeakers of both univerfities, yet 1 agree with you, that women are better qualified to fucceed in oratory than the men, and believe this is to be refolved into natural caufes. have mentioned only the volubility of their tongue; "but what do you think of the filent flattery of their pretty faces, and the perfuafion which even an infipid 'difcourfe carries with it when flowing from beautiful lips, to which it would be cruel to deny any thing? It is certain too, that they are poffeffed of fome fprings. of rhetoric which men want, fuch as tears, fainting 'fits, and the like, which I have feen employed upon occafion with good fuccefs. You must know I am a plain man and love my money; yet I have a spouse who

'

is fo great an orator in this way, that fhe draws from me what fums fhe pleafes. Every room in my houfe is furnished with trophies of her eloquence, rich cabinets, piles of china, Japan fcreens, and coftly jars; and if you were to come into my great parlour, you would fancy yourfelf in an India warehoufe: befides this, fhe keeps a fquirrel, and I am doubly taxed to pay for the china he breaks. She is feized with periodical fits about the time of the fubfcriptions to a new opera, and is drowned in tears after having feen any woman there in finer cloathes than herfelf: these are arts of perfuafion purely feminine, and which a tender heart cannot refift. What I would therefore defire of you, is, to prevail with your friend who has promifed to diffect a female tongue, that he would at the fame time give us the anatomy of a female eye, and explain the fprings and fluices which feed it with fuch ready fupplies of moisture; and likewife fhew by what means, if poffible, they may by ftopped at a reasonable expence: or indeed, fince there is fomething fo moving in the very image of weeping beauty, it would be worthy his art to provide, that thefe eloquent drops may no more be lavished on trifles, or employed as fervants to their wayward wills; but referved for serious occafions in life, to adorn generous pity, true penitence, or real forrow.

T.

N° 253.

• I am,

Thursday, December 20.

&c.'

Indignor quicquam reprehendi, non quia craffe Compofitum, illepideve putetur, fed quia nuper. HOR. Ep. 2. lib. 1. ver. 75.

I lofe my patience, and I own it too,

When works are cenfur'd, not as bad, but new.

THERE

РОРЕ,

HERE is nothing which more denotes a great mind, than the abhorrence of envy and detraction. This paflion reigns more among bad poets, than among any other fet of men.