⚫ to all manner of Pleasure, whilft his only Son is debarr'd all innocent diverfion, and may be seen frequently folacing himself in the Mall, with no other • Attendance than one antiquated Servant of his Father's for a Companion and Director.

IT is a monstrous want of Reflection, that a Man cannot confider, that when he cannot refign the Pleafures of Life in his decay of Appetite and Inclination to them, ⚫ his Son must have a much uneafier Task to refift the Impetuofity of growing Defires. The Skill therefore fhould, methinks, be to let a Son want no lawful Diversion, in proportion to his future Fortune, and the Figure he is to ⚫ make in the World. The first Step towards Virtue that I ⚫ have obferved in young Men of Condition that have run ⚫ into Exceffes, has been that they had a Regard to their Quality and Reputation in the Management of their • Vices. Narrowness in their Circumftances has made many Youths to fupply themselves as Debauchecs, commence Cheats and Rafcals. The Father who al⚫lows his Son to his utmoft Ability avoids this latter Evil, which as to the World is much greater than the for" mer. But the contrary Practice has prevail'd fo much among fome Men, that I have known them deny them what was merely neceffary for Education fuitable to their Quality. Poor young Antonio is a lamentable Inftance of ill Conduct in this kind. The young Man did not want natural Talents; but the Father of ⚫ him was a Coxcomb, who affected being a fine Gentleman fo unmercifully, that he could not endure in his fight, or the frequent mention of one, who was his Son, growing into Manhood, and thrusting him out of the gay World. I have often thought the Father 'took a fecret Pleasure in reflecting that when that fine House and Seat came into the next Hands, it would re'vive his Memory as a Perfon who knew how to enjoy them, from Obfervation of the Rufticity and Ignorance of his Succeffor. Certain it is that a Man may, if he will, let his Heart close to the having no Regard to any thing but his dear felf, even with Exclufion of his very Children. I recommend this Subject to your Confideration, and am,

6

SIR, Your most humble Servant, T. B.

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR,S

I

London, Sept. 26. 1712.

A M just come from Tunbridge, and have fince my Return read Mrs. Matilda Mohair's Letter to you: She pretends to make a mighty Story about the Diverfion of Swinging in that Place. What was done, was only among Relations, and no Man fwung any Woman who was not fecond Coufin at fartheft. She is pleased to fay, care was taken that the Gallants tied the Ladies Legs before they were wafted into the Air. Since the is fo fpiteful, I'll tell you the plain truth; there was no fuch Nicety obferved, fince we were all, as I just now told you, near Relations, but Mrs. Mohair her felf has been fwung there, and fhe invents all this Malice, because it was obferved fhe has crooked Legs, of which I was an Eye-witnefs,

Your humble Servant,

Rachael Shoeftring.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

:W

Tunbridge, Sept. 26. 1712.

E have juft now read your Paper, containing Mrs. Mohair's Letter. It is an Invention of her own from one end to the other; and I defire you ⚫ would print the enclofed Letter by it feif, and shorten it fo as to come within the Compafs of your half-fheet. She is the moft malicious Minx in the World, for all fhe looks fo innocent. Don't leave out that Part about her being in Love with her Father's Butler, which makes her fhun Men, for that is the trueft of it all.

Your humble Servant,

P. S. She has crooked Legs.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Sarah Trice.

Tunbridge, Sept. 26. 1712.

LL that Mrs. Mohair is fo vexed at againit the

the has crooked Legs. I his is certainly true. I don't care for putting my Name, becaufe one would not be in the Power of the Creature.

Your bumble Servant unknown.

Mr.

Mr. SPECTATOR, Tunbridge, Sept. 26. 1712. HAT infufferable Prude Mrs. Mohair, who has told fuch Stories of the Company here, is with Child for all her nice Airs and her crooked Legs. Pray be fure to put her in for both thofe two Things, and you'll oblige every body here, especially

A

Menander.

FAVOUR well beftow'd, is almost as great an Honour to him who confers it, as to him who receives it. What indeed makes for the luperior Reputation of the Patron in this Cafe is, that he is always furrounded with fpecious Pretences of unworthy Candidates, and is often alone in the kind Inclination he has towards the Well-deferving. Juftice is the first Quality in the Man who is in a Poft of Direction; and I remember to have heard an old Gentleman talk of the Civil Wars, and in his Relation give an Account of a General Officer who with this one Quality, without any fhining Endowments became fo popularly beloved and honoured, that all Decifions between Man and Man were laid before him by the Parties. concerned in a private way; and they would lay by their Animofities implicitly, if he bid them be Friends, or fubmit themselves in the wrong without reluctance, if he faid it, without waiting the Judgment of Court Martials. His manner was to keep the Dates of all Commiffions in his Closet, and wholly difmifs from the Service fuch as were deficient in their Duty; and after that, took care to prefer according to the Order of Battle. His Familiars were his entire Friends, and could have no interested Views in courting his Acquaintance; for his Affection was no Step to their Preferment, tho' it was to their Reputation. By this

means

means a kind Afpect, a Salutation, a Smile, and giving out his Hand, had the weight of what is efteem'd by vulgar Minds more fubftantial. His Bufinefs was very short, and he who had nothing to do but Juftice, was never affronted with a Requeft of a familiar daily Vifitant for what was due to a brave Man at a diftance. Extraordinary Merit he ufed to recommend to the King for fome diftinction at home, till the Order of Battle made way for his rifing in the Troops. Add to this, that he had an excellent manner of getting rid of fuch whom he obferved were good at a Halt, as his Phrafe was. Under this Defcription he comprehended all thofe who were contented to live without Reproach, and had no Promptitude in their Minds towards Glory. These Fellows were alfo recommended to the King, and taken off of the General's hands into Posts wherein diligence and common honefty were all that were neceffary. This General had no weak Part in his Line; but every Man had as much Care upon him, and as much Honour to lofe as himself. Every Officer could answer for what pafs'd where he was, and the General's Prefence was never neceffary any where, but where he had placed himfelf at the firft Difpofition, except that Accident happen'd from extraordinary Efforts of the Enemy which he could not foresee, but it was remarkable that it never fell out from failure in his own Troops. It must be confefs'd, the World is just fo much out of order, as an unworthy Perfon poffeffes what should be in the Direction of him who has better Pretenfions to it.

INSTEAD of fuch a Conduct as this old Fellow us'd to defcribe in his General, all the Evils which have ever happen'd among Mankind have arofe from the wanton Difpofition of the Favours of the Powerful. It is generally all that Men of Modesty and Virtue can do, to fall in with fome whimsical Turn in a great Man, to make way for Things of real and abfolute Service. In the Time of Don Sebaftian of Portugal, or fome Time fince, the firft Minifter would let nothing come near him but what bore the moft profound Face of Wisdom and Gravity. They carry'd it fo far, that, for the greater Shew of their profound Knowledge, a Pair of Spectales tied on their Nofes, with a black Ribband round their Heads, was what compleated the Dress of those who made their court at his Levee, and

none

none with naked Nofes were admitted to his Prefence. A blunt honeft Fellow, who had a Command in the Train of Artillery, had attempted to make an impreffion upon the Porter Day after Day in vain, till at length he made his appearance in a very thoughtful dark Suit of Clothes, and two Pair of Spectacles on at once. He was conducted from Room to Room with great Deference, to the Minifter; and carrying on the Farce of the Place, he told his Excellence, That he had pretended in this Manner to be wiser than he really was, but with no ill Intention : but he was honeft Such-a-one of the Train, and he came to tell him that they wanted Wheel-barrows and Pickaxes. The thing happened not to difpleafe, the great Man I was feen to fmile, and the fuccefsful Officer was reconducted with the fame profound Ceremony out of the Houfe.

WHEN Leo X. reigned Pope of Rome, his Holiness, tho' a Man of Senfe, and of an excellent Tafte of Letters, of all things affected Fools, Puffoons, Humourists, and Coxcombs: Whether it were from Vanity, and that he enjoy'd no Talents in other Men but what were inferiour to him, or whatever it was, he carried it fo far, that his whole Delight was in finding out new Fools, and, as our Phrafe is, playing them off, and making them fhew themfelves to Advantage. A Prieft of his former Acquaintance fuffered a great many Difappointments in attempting to find Access to him in a regular Character, till at laft in Defpair he retired from Rome, and returned in an Equipage fo very fantastical both as to the Drefs of himself and Servants, that the whole Court were in an Emulation who fhould first introduce him to his Holinefs. What added to the Expectation his Holiness had of the Pleasure he fhould have in his Follies, was that this Fellow, in a Drefs the moft exquifitely ridiculous, defired he might speak to him alone, for he had Matters of the higheft Importance, upon which he wanted a Conference. Nothing could be denied to a Coxcomb of fo great hope, but when they were apart, the Impofter revealed himself, and fspoke as follows.

D

O not be furpriz'd most holy Father, at feeing, inftead of a Coxcomb to laugh at, your old Friend who has taken this Way of Accefs to admonish you of 'your own Folly. Can any thing fhew your Holiness how

unworthily