N° 230.

Friday, November 23.

Homines ad Deos nullâ re propiùs accedunt, quàm falutem bominibus dando.

TULL.

Men refemble the gods in nothing fo much, as in doing good to their fellow-creatures.

HUMAN

UMAN nature appears a very deformed, or a very beautiful object, according to the different lights in which it is viewed. When we fee men of inflamed paffions, or of wicked defigns, tearing one another to pieces by open violence, or undermining each other by fecret treachery; when we obferve bafe and narrow ends purfued by ignominious and difhoneft means; when we behold men mixed in fociety as if it were for the destruction of it; we are even afhamed of our fpecies, and out of humour with our own being; but in another light, when we behold them mild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous regard for the public profperity, compaffionating each other's diftreffes, and relieving each other's wants, we can hardly believe they are creatures of the fame kind. In this view they appear gods to each other, in the exercise of the nobleft power, that of doing good; and the greateft compliment we have ever been able to make to our own being, has been by calling this difpofition of mind humanity. We cannot but obferve a pleasure arifing in our own breast upon the feeing or hearing of a generous action, even when we are wholly difinterested in it. I cannot give a more proper inftance of this, than by a letter from Pliny, in which he recommends a friend in the most handsome manner; and, methinks, it would be a great pleasure to know the fuccefs of this epiftle, though each party concerned in it has been so many hundred years in his grave.

a

< To MAXIMUS.

WHAT I fhould gladly do for any friend of < yours, I think I may now with confidence request for C friend of mine. Arrianus Maturius is the most con⚫ fiderable man of his country; when I call him so, I do not fpeak with relation to his fortune, though that is very plentiful, but to his integrity, juftice, gravity and prudence; his advice is ufeful to me in bufinefs, and his judgment in matters of learning: his fidelity, truth, and good understanding, are very great; befides this, he loves me as you do, than which I cannot fay any thing that fignifies a wariner affection. He has nothing that is afpiring; and though he might rife to the higheft order of nobility, he keeps himself in an inferior rank; < yet I think myself bound to ufe my endeavours to ferve and promote him; and would therefore find the means of adding fomething to his honours while he neither expects nor knows it, nay, though he fhould refuse it. Something, in fhort, I would have for him that < may be honourable, but not troublesome; and I intreat that you will procure him the first thing of this kind that offers, by which you will not only oblige me, but him alfo; for though he does not covet it, I know he will be as grateful in acknowledging your favour as if he had afked it.'

Mr. SPECTATOR,

THE reflections in fome of your papers on the fervile manner of education now in ufe, have given birth to an ambition, which, unless you difcountenance it, will, I doubt, engage me in a very difficult, though not ungrateful adventure. I am about to undertake, for the fake of the British youth, to inftruct them in fuch a manner, that the most dangerous page in Virgil or Homer may be read by them with much pleafure, and with perfect fafety to their perfons.

Could I prevail fo far as to be honoured with the protection of fome few of them, for I am not hero enough to rescue many, my defign is to retire with them to an agreeable folitude; though within the neigh bourhood of a city, for the convenience of their being

6

'

inftructed in mufic, dancing, drawing, defigning, or any other fuch accomplishments, which it is con'ceived may make as proper diverfions for them, and almost as pleasant, as the little fordid games which dirty fchool-boys are fo much delighted with. It may eafily be imagined, how fuch a pretty fociety, converfing with none beneath themselves, and sometimes ad'mitted as perhaps not unentertaining parties amongst 'better company, commended and careffed for their little performances, and turned by fuch converfations to a certain gallantry of foul, might be brought early acquainted with fome of the most polite English writers. This having given them fome tolerable tafte of "books, they would make themselves mafters of the Latin tongue by methods far easier than those in Lilly, with as little difficulty or reluctance as young ladies learn to speak French, or to fing Italian operas. When they had advanced thus far, it would be time to form their tafte fomething more exactly one that had any true relish of fine writing, might, with great pleasure, both to himself and them, run over together with them the beft Roman hiftorians, poets, and orators, and point out their more remarkable beauties; give them a fhort scheme of chronology, a little view of geography, medals, aftronomy, or what elfe might beft feed the bufy inquifitive humour fo natural to that age. Such of them as had the leaft spark of genius, when it was once awakened by the fhining thoughts and great fentiments of thofe admired writers, could not, I believe, be easily withheld from attempting that more difficult fifter language, whofe exalted beauties they would have ⚫ beard fo often celebrated as the pride and wonder of the 'whole learned world. In the mean while, it would be requifite to exercife their ftyle in writing any light pieces that afk more of fancy than of judginent: and that frequently in their native language, which every one methinks fhould be moft concerned to cultivate, especially letters, in which a gentleman muft have fo frequent occafions to diftinguish himself. A fet of gen'teel good-natured youths fallen into fuch a manner of life, would form almoft a little academy, and doubtle's • prove no fuch contemptible companions, as might not

239 ' often tempt a wifer man to mingle himself in their diverfions, and draw them into fuch ferious fports as might prove nothing lefs inftructing than the gravest leffons. I doubt not but it might be made fome of 'their favourite plays, to contend which of them should ' recite a beautiful part of a poem or oration mott grace⚫ fully, or fometimes to join in acting a scene of Terence, • Sophocles, or our own Shakespeare. The caufe of Milo might again be pleaded before more favourable judges, ⚫ Cæfar a fecond time be taught to tremble, and another race of Athenians be afresh enraged at the ambition of ' another Philip. Amidst these noble amufements, we 'could hope to see the early dawnings of their imagi'nation daily brighten into fenfe, their innocence improve into virtue, and their unexperienced good-nature • directed to a generous love of their country.

O Modefty! O Piety!

LOOKING

OOKING over the letters which I have lately received from my correfpondents, I met with the following one, which is written with fuch a spirit of politeness, that I could not but be very much pleased with it myself, and queftion not but it will be as acceptable to the reader.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

YOU, who are no ftranger to public affemblies, cannot but have obferved the awe they often ftrike on fuch as are obliged to exert any talent before them. This is a fort of elegant diftrefs, to which ingenuous minds are the most liable, and may therefore deferve fome remarks in your paper. Many a brave fellow,

who has put his enemy to flight in the field, has been in the utmost diforder upon making a speech before a body of his friends at home: one would think there was fome kind of fafcination in the eyes of a large circle of people, when darting all together upon one perfon. I have feen a new actor in a tragedy so bound up by it as to be scarce able to speak or move, and have expected he would have died above three acts ⚫ before the dagger or cup of poison were brought in. It would not be amifs, if fuch an one were at firft in⚫troduced as a ghoft, or a ftatue, until he recovered his fpirits, and grew fit for fome living part.

As this fudden defertion of one's felf fhews a diffi'dence, which is not displeasing, it implies at the fame 'time the greatest respect to an audience that can be.

It is a fort of mute eloquence, which pleads for their 'favour much better than words could do; and we ⚫ find their generofity naturally moved to support those who are in fo much perplexity to entertain them. I was extremely pleased with a late inftance of this kind at the opera of Almahide, in the encouragement given to a young finger, whofe more than ordinary concern on her firft appearance, recommended her no less than her agreeable voice and just performance. Meer bashfulness without merit is aukward; and merit ' without modefty, infolent : but modeft merit has a 'double claim to acceptance; and generally meets with as many patrons as beholders.

' I am, &c.'

It is impoffible that a perfon fhould exert himself to advantage in an affembly, whether it be his part either to fing or fpeak, who lies under too great oppreffions of modefty. I remember, upon talking with a friend of mine concerning the force of pronunciation, our dif course led us into the enumeration of the feveral organs of speech which an orator ought to have in perfection, as the tongue, the teeth, the lips, the nofe, the palate, and the wind-pipe. Upon which, fays my friend, you have omitted the most material organ of them all, and that is the forehead.