-Ah! What shall I do? I fhall die with Defpair;
Take Heed, all ye Swains, how you love one so fair.

N6c4.

Friday, October 8.

Tu ne quafieris (fcire nefas) quem mihi, quem tibi,
Finem Dii dederint, Leuconoe; nec Babylonios
Tentaris numeros·

T

Hor.

HE Defire of knowing future Events, is one of the strongest Inclinations in the Mind of Man. Indeed an Ability of foreseeing probable Accidents is what, in the Language of Men, is called Wifdom and Prudence: But, not fatisfied with the Light that Reafon holds out, Mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendiously into Futurity. Magick, Oracles, Omens, lucky Hours, and the various Arts of Superftition, owe their Rife to this powerful Caufe. As this Principle is founded in SelfLove, every Man is fure to be folicitous in the first Place about his own Fortune, the Courfe of his Life and the Time and Manner of his Death.

IF we confider that we are free Agents, we fhall difcover the Abfurdity of fuch Enquiries. One of our Actions, which we might have performed or neglected, is the Cause of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole Chain of Life is linked together. Pain, Poverty, or Infamy, are the natural Product of vicious and imprudent Acts; as the contrary Bleffings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppofe our Lot to be determined without Impiety. A great Enhancement of Pleasure arifes from its being unexpected; and Pain is doubled by being foreseen. Upon all these, and feveral other Accounts, we ought to reft fatisfied in this Portion bestowed on us; to adore the Hand that hath fitted every Thing to our Nature, and hath not more

display'd

difplay'd his Goodness in our Knowledge than in our Ignorance.

IT is not unworthy Obfervation, that fuperftitious Enquiries into future Events prevail more or lefs, in proportion to the Improvement of liberal Arts and useful Knowledge in the feveral Parts of the World. Accordingly we find, that magical Incantations remain in Lapland; in the more remote Parts of Scotland they have their fecond Sight, and several of our own Countrymen fee abundance of Fairies. In Afia this Credulity is ftrong; and the greateft Part of refined Learning there confifts in the Knowledge of Amulets, Talifmans, occult Numbers, and the like.

WHEN I was at Grand Cairo, I fell into the Acquaintance of a good-natured Muffulman, who promifed me many good Offices, which he defigned to do me when he became the Prime Minister," which was a Fortune bestowed on his Imagination by a Doctor very deep in the curious Sciences. At his repeated Sollicitations I went to learn my Destiny of this wonderful Sage. For a fmall Sum I had his Promife; but was required to wait in a dark Apartment till he had run thro' the preparatory Ceremonies. Having a strong Propenfity, even then, to Dreaming, I took a Nap upon the Sofa where I was placed, and had the following Vision, the Particulars whereof I picked up the other Day among my Papers.

I found my felf in an unbounded Plain, where methought the whole World, in feveral Habits, and with different Tongues, was affembled. The Multitude glided swiftly along, and I found in my self a ftrong Inclination to mingle in the Train. My Eyes quickly fingled out fome of the moft fplendid Figures. Several in rich Caftans and glittering Turbans buftled through the Throng, and trampled over the Bodies of those they threw down; till to my great Surprize I found, that the great Pace they went only haftned them to a Scaffold or a Bowstring. Many beautiful Damfels on the other Side moved forward with great Gaiety; fome danced till they fell all along; and oI 2

thers

thers painted their Faces till they loft their Nofes. A Tribe of Creatures with bufie Looks falling into a Fit of Laughter at the Misfortunes of the unhapppy Ladies, I turned my Eyes upon them. They were each of them filling his Pockets with Gold and Jewels, and when there was no Room left for more, thefe Wretches looking round with Fear and Horror, pined away be'fore my Face with Famine and Discontent.

THIS Profpect of human Mifery ftruck me dumb for fome Miles. Then it was that, to disburthen my Mind, I took Pen and Ink, and did every Thing that hath fince happened under my Office of SPECTATOR. While I was employing my felf for the Good of Mankind, I was furprized to meet with very unfuitable Returns from my Fellow-Creatures. Never was poor Author fo befet with Pamphleteers, who fometimes marched directly against me, but oftner fhot at me from ftrong Bulwarks, or rofe up fuddenly in Ambush. They were of all Characters and Capacities, fome with Enfigns of Dignity, and others in Liveries; but what most furprized me, was to see two or three in black Gowns among my Enemies. It was no fmall Trouble to me, fometimes to have a Man come up to me with an angry Face, and reproach me for having lampooned him, when I had never feen or heard of him in my Life. With the Ladies it was otherwise: Many became my Enemies for not being particularly pointed out; as there were others who refented the Satyr which they imagined I had directed against them. My great Comfort was in the Company of half a Dozen Friends, who, I found fince, were the Club which I have fo often mentioned in my Papers. I laughed often at Sir Roger in my Sleep, and was the more diverted with Will Honeycomb's Gallanteries, (when we afterwards became acquainted) because I had foreseen his Marriage with a Farmer's Daughter. The Regret which arofe in my Mind upon the Death of my Companions, my Anxieties for the Publick, and the many Calamities ftill fleeting before my Eyes, made me repent my Curiofity; when

the

the Magician entered the Room, and awakened me, by telling me (when it was too late) that he was just going to begin.

N. B. I have only delivered the Prophecy of that Part of my Life which is paft, it being inconvenient to divulge the fecond Part 'till a more proper Oppor-tunity.

N605.

Monday, October 11.

Exuerint fylveftrem animum, cultuque frequenti
In quafcunque voces artes, haud tarda fequentur.

Virg.

AVING perufed the following Letter, and

H finding it to run upon the Subject of Love I

referred it to the Learned Cafuift, whom I have retain'd in my Service for Speculations of that Kind. He returned it to me the next Morning with his Report annexed to it, with both of which I fhall here present my Reader.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

DINDING that you have Entertained an useful Perfon in your Service in quality of Love Cafuift, I apply my felf to you, under a very great Difficulty, that hath for fome Months perplexed me. I ' have a Couple of humble Servants, one of which I ' have no Averfion to; the other I think of very kindly. The first hath the Reputation of a Man of good Senfe, and is one of thofe People that your Sex are. apt to Value. My Spark is reckoned a Coxcomb among the Men, but is a Favourite of the Ladies. If I marry the Man of Worth, as they call him, I 'fhall oblige my Parents and improve my Fortune; but with my dear Beau I promise my self Happiness, altho' not a Jointure. Now I would ask you, whether I fhould confent to lead my Life with a Man 13

• that

that I have only no Objection to, or with him against whom all Objections to me appear frivolous. I am determined to follow the Cafuift's Advice, and I dare fay he will not put me upon fo ferious a ⚫thing as Matrimony, contrary to my Inclination.

I am, &c.

Fanny Fickle.

P. S. C I forgot to tell you, that the pretty Gentle'man is the most complaifant Creature in the World, • and is always of my Mind; but the other, forfooth, ⚫ fancies he hath as much Wit as my felf, flights my Lap-dog, and hath the Infolence to contradict me when he thinks I am not in the Right. About half an Hour ago, he maintained to my Face, that a Patch always implies a Pimple.

AS I look upon it to be my Duty rather to fide with the Parents than the Daughter, I fhall propose fome Confiderations to my gentle Querift, which may incline her to comply with thofe, under whofe Direction fhe is: And at the fame time, convince her, that it is not impoffible but fhe may, in time, have a true Affection for him who is, at present, indifferent to her: Or, to use the old Family Maxim, that If she marries firft, Love will come after.

THE only Objection, that the feems to infinuate against the Gentleman propofed to her, is his want of ·Complaifance, which, I perceive, fhe is very willing to return. Now, I can discover from this very Cir cumftance, that the and her Lover, what-ever they may think of it, are very good Friends in their Hearts. It is difficult to determine, whether Love delights more in giving Pleasure or Pain. Let Mifs Fickle ask her own Heart, if fhe doth not take a Secret Pride in making this Man of good Senfe look very filly. Hath fhe ever been better pleased, than when her Behaviour hath made her Lover ready to hang himself? Or doth

fhe