WERE the Soul feparate from the Body, and with one Glance of Thought fhould start beyond the Bounds of the Creation, fhould it for Millions of Years continue its Progress through infinite Space with the fame Activity, it would ftill find it felf within the Embrace of its Creator, and encompaffed round with the Immenfity of the Godhead. Whilft we are in the Body he is not lefs prefent with us, because he is concealed from us. O that I knew where I might find him! fays Job. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot fee him. In fhort, Reaion as well as Revelation affures us, that he cannot be abfent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by us. : IN this Confideration of God Almighty's Omniprefence and Omnifscience every uncomfortable Thought vanishes. He cannot but regard every Thing that has Being, efpecially fuch of his Creatures who fear they are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their Thoughts and to that Anxiety of Heart in particular, which is apt to trouble them on this Occation: For, as it is impoffible he fhould overlook any of his Creatures, fo we may be confident that he regards, with an Eye of Mercy, those who endeavour to recommend themselves to his Notice, and in an unfeigned Humility of Heart think themselves unworthy that he should be mindful of them. Monday, N 566. Monday, July 12. Militia Species Amor eft. A Ovid. S my Correfpondents begin to grow pretty numerous, I think my felf obliged to take fome Notice of them, and fhall therefore make this Paper a Mifcellany of Letters. I have, fince my reaffuming the Office of SPECTATOR, receiv'd abundance of Epiftles from Gentlemen of the Blade, who, I find, have been fo used to Adion that they know not how to lie ftill. They feem generally to be of Opinion, that the Fair at home ought to reward them for their Services abroad, and that, 'till the Caufe of their Country calls them again into the Field, they have a Sort of Right to quarter themselves upon the Ladies. In Order to favour their Approaches, I am defired by fome to enlarge upon the Accomplishments of their Profeffion, and by others to give them my Advice in the carrying on of their Attacks. But let us hear what the Gentlemen say for themselves. Mr. SPECTATOR, To'stonlace, to talk too much of War, it is HO' it may look fomewhat perverse amidst the but Gratitude to pay the laft Office to its Manes, fince even Peace it felf is, in fome Measure, obliged to it ⚫ for its Being. YOU have, in your fermer Papers, always recommended the Accomplished to the Favour of the Fair; and, I hope, you will allow me to reprefent fome Part of a Military Life not altogether unneceffary to the forming a Gentleman. I need not • tell you, that in France, whofe Fashions we have been formerly fo fond of, almost every one derives his Pretences to Merit from the Sword; and that a Man C 4 < has has fcarce the Face to make his Court to a Lady, ⚫ without fome Credentials from the Service to re⚫commend him. As the Profeffion is very ancient, we have Reason to think fome of the greatest Men, among the old Romans, derived many of their Virtues from it, their Commanders being frequently, in other Refpects, fome of the moft fhining Characters of the Age. THE Army not only gives a Man Opportunities of exercising thofe two great Virtues Patience and Courage, but often produces them in Minds where they had fcarce any Footing before. I must add, that it is one of the best Schools in the World to • receive a general Notion of Mankind in, and a certain Freedom of Behaviour, which is not fo cafily acquired in any other Place. At the fame Time I muft own, that fome Military Airs are pretty extraordinary, and that a Man who goes into the Army a Coxcomb, will come out of it a Sort of publick Nuisance: But a Man of Senfe, or one who be•fore had not been fufficiently used to a mixed Con• verfation, generally takes the true Turn. The Court has in all Ages been allowed to be the Standard of Good-breeding; and I believe there is not a jufter Obfervation in Monfieur Rochefoucault, than that A • Man who has been bred up wholly to Bufinefs, can never get the Air of a Courtier at Court, but will immediately catch it in the Camp. The Reafon of this moft certainly is, that the very Effence of GoodBreeding and Politenefs confifs in feveral Niceties, which are fo minute that they escape his Obfervation, and he falls fhort of the Original he would copy after; but when he fees the fame Things charged and aggravated to a Fault, he no fooner endeavours to come up to the Pattern which is fet before him, than, tho' he ftops fomewhat fhort of that, he naturally refts where in Reality he ought. I was, two or three Days ago, mightily pleafed with the Ob⚫ fervation of an humerous Gentleman upon one of his Friends, who was in other Refpects every way an an accomplished Perfon, That he wanted nothing but a Dafh of the Coxcomb in him; by which he underftood a little of that Alertnefs and Unconcern in the common Actions of Life, which is ufually fo vifible among Gentlemen of the Army, and which a Campaign or two would infallibly have given him. YOU will cafily guefs, Sir, by this my Panegyrick upon a Military Education, that I am my felf a Soldier, and indeed I am fo. I remember, within three Years after I had been in the Army, I was ordered into the Country a Recruiting. I had very particular Succefs in this Part of the Service, and was over and above affured, at my going away, that I might have taken a young Laly, who was the moft confiderable Fortune in the County, along with • me. I preferred the Purfuit of Fame at that time to all other Confiderations, and tho' I was not abfolutely bent on a wooden Leg, refolved at least to get a Scar or two for the Good of Europe. I have at prefent as much as I defire of this fort of Honour, and if you could recommend me effectually, fhould be well enough contented to pass the Remainder of my Days in the Arms of fome dear kind Creature, and upon a pretty Eftate in the Country. This, as I take it, would be following the Example of Lucius Cincinnatus, the old Roman Dictater, who at the End of a War left the Camp to follow the . Plow. I am, Sir, with all imaginable Refpect, Your moft Obedient, Mr. SPECTATOR, Humble Servant, I Am an Half-pay Officer, and am at prefent with a Friend in the Country. Here is a rich Wi'dow in the Neighbourhood, who has made Fools of all the Fox-hunte s within fifty Miles of her. She declares fhe intends to marry, but has not yet been asked by the Man fhe could like. She ufually admits her humble Admirers to an Audience or two ⚫ but, but, after fhe has once given them Denial, will never fee them more. I am affured by a Female Relation, that I fhall have fair Play at her; but as my whole Succefs depends on my firft Approaches, I defire your Advice, whether I had best Storm, or proceed by way of Sap. I am, SIR, Yours, &c. P. S. I had forgot to tell you, that I have already ⚫ carried one of her Out-works, that is, fecured her • Maid. Mr. SPECTATOR, Have affifted in feveral Sieges in the Low Countries, and being ftill willing to employ my Talents, as a Soldier and Engineer, lay down this Morning at Seven a Clock before the Door of an ⚫ obftinate Female, who had for fome time refused me Admittance. I made a Lodgment in an outer Parlour about Twelve: The Enemy retired to her Bed-Chamber, yet I ftill purfued, and about Two a • Clock this Afternoon fhe thought fit to Capitulate. Her Demands are indeed fomewhat high, in relation to the Settlement of her Fortune. But being in • Poffeffion of the House, I intend to insist upon Carte Blanche, and am in hopes, by keeping off all other • Pretenders for the Space of twenty four Hours, to • starve her into a Compliance. I beg your speedy Advice, and am, SIR, Yours, Peter Pufh. From my Camp in Red-Lion Square, Saturday 4 in the Afternoon, Wednesday, |