ordered my coufin's man, to me, wink, and the fervant brought me a brimmer of October. Some time after dinner I who came with me, to get ready the horfes; but it was re-. folved I should not stir that night; and when I feemed pretty much bent upon going, they ordered the ftable door to be locked, and the children hid my cloak and boots. The next queftion was, What would I have for fupper? I faid, I never eat any thing at night: but was at laft, in my own defence, obliged to name the first thing that came into my head. After three hours spent chiefly in apologies for my entertainment, infinuating "That this was the worst time of "the year for provifions; that they were at a great diftance from any market; that "they were afraid I fhould be ftarved; and "that they knew they kept me to my lofs;" the lady went, and left me to her husband; for they took fpecial care I fhould never be alone. As foon as her back was turned, the. little miffes ran backwards and forwards every moment, and conftantly as they came in, or went out, made a courtesy directly at me, which, in good manners, I was forced to return with a bow and Your humble fervant, pretty mifs. Exactly at eight the mother came up, and difcovered, by the rednefs of her face, that fupper was not far off. It was twice as large as the dinner, and my perfecution doubled in proportion. I defired at my ufual hour, to go to my repofe, and was con conducted to my chamber by the gentleman, his lady, and the whole train of children. They importuned me to drink fomething before I went to bed; and, upon my refusing, at laft left a bottle of fingo, as they called it, for fear I fhould wake and be thirsty in the night. I was forced in the morning to rife and drefs myself in the dark, because they would not suffer my kinfman's fervant to disturb me at the hour I defired to be called. I was now refolved to break through all measures to get away; and, after fitting down to a monstrous breakfast of cold beef, mutton, neats tongues, venifon pafty, and ftale beer, took leave of the family. But the gentleman would needs fee me part of the way, and carry me a fhort cut through his own ground, which he told me would fave half a mile's riding. This last piece of civility had like to have cost me dear, being once or twice in danger of my neck by leaping over his ditches, and at last forced to alight in the dirt, when my horfe, having flipped his bridle, ran away, and took us up more than an hour to recover him again. It is evident, that none of the abfurdities I met with in this vifit proceeded from an ill intention, but from a wrong judgment of complaifance, and a mifapplication in the rules of it. I cannot fo eafily excufe the more refined criticks upon behaviour, who, having profeffed no other study, are yet infinitely defective in the most material parts of it. Ned Fabion hath been bred all his life. about D 5 about court, and understands to a tittle all the punctilios of a drawing-room. He vifits moft of the fine women near St. James's, and, upon every occafion, fays the civilest and fofteft things to them of any man breathing. To Mr. Ifaac [k], he owes an eafy flide in his bow, and a graceful manner of coming into a room: but, in fome other cafes, he is very far frem being a well-bred perfon. He laughs at men of far fuperior understanding to his own for not being as well dreffed as himself; defpifeth all his acquaintance who are not of quality, and in publick places hath on that account often avoided taking notice of fome among the best fpeakers of the houfe of commons. He raileth ftrenuously at both universities before the members of either; and is never heard to fwear an oath, or break in upon religion and morality, except in the company of divines. On the other hand, a man of right fenfe hath all the effentials of good breeding, although he may be wanting in the forms of it. Horatio hath spent most of his time at Oxford: he hath a great deal of learning, an agreeable wit, and as much modefty as may ferve to adorn, without concealing, his other good qualities. In that retired way of living he feemeth to have formed a notion of human nature, as he hath found it defcribed in the writings of the greatest men, not as he is likely to meet with it in the common [*] A famous dancing master in those days. courfe courfe of life. Hence it is that he giveth no offence, but converseth with great deference, candor, and humanity. His bow, I must confefs, is fomewhat aukward; but then he hath an extenfive, univerfal, and unaffected knowledge, which may, perhaps, a little excufe him. He would make no extraordinary figure at a ball; but I can affure the ladies, in his behalf, and for their own confolation, that he has writ better verfes on the sex than any man now living, and is preparing fuch a poem for the prefs as will tranfmit their praises and his own to many generations.. NUMBER 230. Thursday, September 28, 1710[7]. T HE following letter hath laid before me many great and manifeft evils in the world of letters, which I had overlooked; but it opens to me a very bufy fcene, and it will re [m] The letter to the Lord High Treasurer upon the fame fubject with this Tatler is printed in the third of these volumes. It is faid, that the author writ fome other Tatlers and several Spectators, and fur nished hints for many more; particularly The Tables of Fame, The Life and Adventures of a filling, The account of England by an Indian king, and fome others but, as we are informed, he would never tell his best friends the particular papers. Dublin ed. D 6 quire quire no fmall care and application to amend errors, which are become fo univerfal. The affectation of politenefs is expofed in this epiftle with a great deal of wit and difcernment; fo that, whatever difcourfes I may fall into hereafter upon the subject the writer treats of, I fhall at prefent lay the matter before the world without the least alteration from the words of my correfpondent. 66 To ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq. SIR, "THERE are fome abuses among us of great confequence, the reformation of which "is properly your province; although, as "far as I have been converfant in your papers, << you have not yet confidered them. These 66 are, the deplorable ignorance that for some years hath reigned among our English wri"ters, the great depravity of our taste, and "the continual corruption of our style. I "fay nothing here of those who handle parti"cular fciences, divinity, law, phyfick, and "the like; I mean the traders in hiftory, "and politicks, and the Belles lettres, to<< gether with thofe by whom books are 66 not tranflated, but (as the common ex66 preffions are) done out of French, Latin, or other languages, and made English. I cannot but obferve to you, that, until of "late years, a Grub-freet book was always "bound in sheep-skin with fuitable print and paper, |