⚫ and lefs permanent beauties of a rose or a myrtle. If there are men of extraordinary capacities who lie concealed from the world, I 'fhould impute it to them as a blot in their characters did not I believe it owing to the meanness of their fortune rather than of their fpirit. Cowley, who tells the ftory of Aglaüs with fo much pleafure, was no stranger to courts nor infenfible of praife.

"What fhall I do to be for ever known, "And make the age to come my own?"

6 was the refult of a laudable ambition.

It was

not until after frequent difappointments that •he termed himself the melancholy Cowley; and he praised folitude when he defpaired of fhining in a court. The foul of man is an ' active principle. He therefore, who withdraws himself from the fcene before he has played his part, ought to be hiffed off the ftage, and cannot be deemed virtuous, be'cause he refuses to answer his end. I must

own I am fired with an honeft ambition to • imitate every illuftrious example. The battles ' of Blenheim and Ramillies have more than once • made me with myself a foldier. And, when I have seen those actions so nobly celebrated by our poets, I have fecretly afpired to be one of that distinguished clafs. But in vain I wish, in vain I pant with the defire of action. I am chained down in obfcurity, and the only plea• fure I can take is in feeing fo many brighter geniufes join their friendly lights, to add to

5

• the

6

the fplendour of the throne. Farewell then, dear SPEC, and believe me to be with great emulation, and no envy,

SIR,

T

• Your profeffed admirer,

• WILL HOpeless.'

Middle Temple, Oct. 16, 1714.

HOUGH you have formerly made ELOQUENCE the fubject of one or more of your Papers, I do not remember that you • ever confidered it as poffeffed by a fet of people, who are fo far from making Quintilian's rules their practice, that, I dare fay for them, they never heard of fuch an author, and yet are no less masters of it than Tully or Demofthenes among the ancients, or whom you • please among the moderns. The perfons I am fpeaking of are our common beggars about this town; and, that what I fay is true, I appeal to any man who has a heart one degree fofter than a ftone. As for my part, who do not pretend to more humanity than my neighbours, I have oftentimes gone from my cham'bers with money in my pocket, and returned to them not only pennylefs, but deftitute of a farthing, without beftowing of it any other way than on these seeming objects of pity. In fhort, I have feen more eloquence in a look from one of thefe defpicable creatures than in • the eye of the faireft the I ever faw, yet no

6

⚫ one

6

one a greater admirer of that fex than myself. • What I have to defire of you is, to lay down • fome directions in order to guard against these powerful orators, or else I know nothing to the contrary but I must myself be forced to leave the profeffion of the law, and endeavour to get the qualifications neceffary to that more profitable one of begging. But, in whichfoever of these two capacities I shine, I shall always defire to be your conftant reader, and • ever will be

<

• SIR,

UPON

• Your most humble fervant,

' J. B.'

PON reading a SPECTATOR laft week, where Mrs. Fanny Fickle fubmitted the choice of a lover for life to your decifive • determination, and imagining I might claim the favour of your advice in an affair of the like, but much more difficult nature, I called • for pen and ink, in order to draw the characters of feven humble fervants, whom I have equally encouraged for fome time. But alas! while I was reflecting on the agreeable fubject, and contriving an advantageous defcription of the dear perfon I was moft inclined to favour, I happened to look into my glass. The fight of the fmall-pox, out of which I am just recovered, tormented me at once with the lofs • of my captivating arts and my captives. The confufion I was in, on this unhappy, unfeafonable discovery, is inexpreffible. Believe

me,

me Sir, I was fo taken up with the thoughts • of your fair correfpondent's cafe, and fo intent

on my own defign, that I fancied myself as triumphant in my conquefts as ever.

Now, Sir, finding I was incapacitated to amufe myself on that pleafing fubject, I re• folved to apply myself to you, or your cafuif⚫tical agent, for advice in my prefent circum• ftances. I am fenfible the tincture of my skin, and the regularity of my features, which the • malice of my late illness has altered, are irrecoverable; yet do not defpair but that that lofs, by your affiftance, may in fome measure be repairable, if you will please to propose a way for the for the recovery of one only of my fugi

⚫tives.

• One of them is in a more particular manner beholden to me than the reft: he, for • fome private reafons, being defirous to be a lover incognito, always addreffed me with billetdoux, which I was fo careful of in my ficknefs, that I fecured the key of my love magazine under my head, and, hearing a noife of opening a lock in my chamber, endangered my life by getting out of bed, to prevent, if it had been attempted, the discovery of that

6

amour.

I have formerly made ufe of all those arti•fices which our fex daily practifes over yours, to draw, as it were undesignedly, the eyes of a whole congregation to my pew; I have taken pride in the number of admirers at my • afternoon levee; but am now quite another

creature.

6

creature. I think, could I regain the attractive influence I once had, if I had a legion of fuitors I fhould never be ambitious of entertaining more than one. I have almoft contracted an antipathy to the trifling difcourfes of impertinent lovers; though I muft needs own I have thought it very odd of late to hear gentlemen, inftead of their ufual complaifances, fall into difputes before me of politics, or else weary • me with the tedious repetition of how thankful I ought to be, and fatisfied with my recovery out of fo dangerous a diftemper: this, though I am very fenfible of the bleffing, yet I cannot but diflike, becaufe fuch advice • from them rather feems to infult than comfort me, and reminds me too much of what I was; which melancholy confideration I cannot yet perfectly furmount, but hope your fentiments on this head will make it fupportable.

To fhew you what a value I have for your dictates, thefe are to certify the perfons concerned, that unless one of them returns to his 'colours, if I may fo call them now, before the winter is over, I will voluntarily confine myfelf to a retirement, where I will punish them all with my needle. I will be revenged on ⚫ them by decyphering them on a carpet, humbly begging admittance, myself fcornfully refufing it. If you disapprove of this, as favouring too much of malice, be pleased to acquaint me with a draught you like better, and it 'fhall be faithfully performed,

By the unfortunate

• MONIMIA.'

No