take pains enough for it. Much observation of the unworthiness in being pained at the excellence of another, will bring you to a scorn of yourself for that unwillingness: and when you have got so far, you will find it a greater pleasure than you ever before knew, to be zealous in promoting the fame and welfare of the praise-worthy. I do not speak this as pretending to be a mortified self-denying man, but as one who has turned his ambition into a right channel. I claim to myself the merit of having extorted excellent productions from a person of the greatest abilities, who would not have let them appeared by any other means: to have animated a few young gentlemen into worthy pursuits, who will be a glory to our age; and at all times, and by all possible means in my power, undermined the interests of ignorance, vice, and folly, and attempted to substitute in their stead learning, piety, and good-sense. It is from this honest heart that I find myself honored as a gentleman usher to the arts and sciences. Mr. Tickell and Mr. Pope have, it seems, this idea of me. The former has writ me an excellent paper of verses in praise, forsooth of myself; and the other inclosed for my perusal an admirable poem, which, I hope, will shortly see the light. In the mean time I cannot suppress any thought of his, but insert his sentiment about the dying words of Adrian. I wont determine in the case he mentions; but have this much to say in favor of his argument, that many of his own works which I have seen convince me that very pretty and very sublime sentiments may be lodged in the same bosom, without diminution to its greatness.

"MR. SPECTATOR,

"I was the other day in company with five or six men of some learning; where, chancing to mention

COLLEG NEW JERSEY

the famous verses which the Emperor Adrian spoke on his death-bed, they were all agreed that it was a piece of gaiety unworthy that prince in those circumstances. I could not but dissent from this opinion: methinks it was by no means a gay, but a very serious soliloquy to his soul at the point of its departure: in which sense I naturally took the verses at my first reading them when I was very young, and before I knew what interpretation the world generally put upon them :

"Alas, my soul! thou pleasing companion of this
body, thou fleeting thing that art now deserting it!
Whither art thou flying? To what unknown region? t
Thou art all trembling, fearful and pensive. Now
what is become of thy former wit and humor? Thou
shalt jest and be gay no more."
I confess I cannot
apprehend where lies the trifling in all this; 'tis the
most natural and obvious reflection imaginable to a
dying man: and if we consider the Emperor was a
heathen, that doubt concerning the future state of his
soul will seem so far from being the effect of want
of thought, that it was scarce reasonable he should
think otherwise; not to mention that here is a plain
confession included of his belief in its immortality.
The diminutive epithets of vagula, blandula, and the
rest, appear not to me as expressions of levity,
but rather of endearment and concern; such as
we find in Catullus, and the authors of Hendeca syllabi
after him, where they are used to express the utmost
love and tenderness for their mistresses.
If you
think me right in my notion of the words of Adrian,

be pleased to insert this in the Spectator; if not, to 'suppress it.

"I am, &c."

To the supposed Author of the SPECTATOR.

'IN courts licentious and a shameless stage How long the war shall wit with virtue wage ? 'Enchanted by this prostituted fair,

Our youth run headlong in the fatal snare ;

In height of rapture clasp unheaded pains,
And suck pollution through their tingling veins.

'Thy spotless thoughts unshock'd the priest may hear, 'And the pure vestal in her bosom wear.

To conscious blushes and diminish'd pride,

Thy glass betrays what treach'rous love would hide

'Nor harsh thy precepts, but infus'd by stealth,

'Please while they cure, and cheat us into health.

Thy works in Chloe's toilet gain a part,

And with his tailor share the fopling's heart: 'Lash'd in thy satire, the penurious cit 'Laughs at himself, and finds no harm in wit; • From felon gamesters the raw 'squire is free, 'And Britain owes her rescu'd oaks to thee. 'His miss the frolic viscount dreads to toast, 'Or his third cure the shallow templar boast;

And the rash fool who scorn'd the beaten road, 'Dares quake at thunder, and confess his God.

The brainless stripling, who, expell'd the town, Damn'd the stiff college and pedantic gown, Aw'd by thy name is dumb, and thrice a-week Spells uncouth Latin, and pretends to Greek, A sauntering tribe! such born to wide estates, • With Yea and No in senates hold debates ; 'At length despis'd, each to his fields retires, • First with the dogs, and king amidst the 'squires ; From pert to stupid sinks supinely down,

In youth a coxcomb, and in age a clown.

• Such readers scorn'd thou wing'st thy daring flight 'Above the stars, and tread'st the fields of light; 'Fame, heav'n and hell, are thy exalted theme, 'And visions such as Jove himself might dream; 'Man sunk to slav'ry, though to glory born, 'Heav'n's pride when upright, and deprav'd his scorn.

'Such hints alone could British Virgil lend, 'And thou alone deserve from such a friend; 'A debt so borrow'd, is illustrious shame, 'And fame, when shar'd with him, is double fame. 'So flush'd with sweets, by beauty's queen bestow'd, 'With more than mortal charms Æneas glow'd. 'Such gen'rous strifes Eugene and Marlbro' try, 'And as in glory so in friendship vie.

'Permit these lines by thee to live-nor blame "A muse that pants and languishes for fame ; 'That fears to sink when humbler themes she sings, 'Lost in the mass of mean forgotten things. 'Receiv'd by thee, I prophesy, my rhymes, 'The praise of virgins in succeeding times; "Mix'd with thy works, their life no bounds shall see, 'But stand protected, as inspir'd by thee.

'So some weak shoot, which else would poorly rise, 'Jove's tree adopts, and lifts him to the skies ; 'Through the new pupil fost'ring juices flow, 'Thrust forth the gems, and give the flow'rs to blow

'Aloft immortal reigns that plant unknown,

:

'With borrow'd life, and vigor not his own.'

To the SPECTATOR-GENERAL.

"Mr. John Sly humbly sheweth,

"THAT upon reading the deputation given to the said Mr. John Sly, all persons passing by his observatory behaved themselves with the same decorum as if your honor yourself had been present.

"That your said officer is preparing, according to your honor's secret instructions, hats for the several

kinds of heads that make figures in the realms of Great-Britain with cocks significant of their powers and faculties.

"That your said officer has taken due notice of your instructions and admonitions concerning the internals of the head from the outward form of the same. His hats for men of the faculties of law and physic do but just turn up to give a little life to their sagacity: his military hats glare full in the face and he has prepared a familiar easy cock for all good companions between the above-mentioned extremes. For this end he has consulted the most learned of his acquaintance for the true forms and dimensions of the lepidum caput, and made a hat fit for it.

"Your said officer does further represent, that the young divines about town are many of them got into the cock military, and desires your instructions therein.

"That the town has been for several days very well behaved; and farther your said officer saith not.” T

No. 533.

TUESDAY, November 11, 1712.

BY STEELE. From the Letter-box.

PLAUT.

Immo duas dabo, inquit ille, una si parum est :
Et si dua um penitebit, addentur duæ.
Nay, says he, if one is too little, I will give you two
and if two wont satisfy you, I will add two more.

“SIR,

"YOU

To the SPECTATOR.

OU have often given us very excellent discourses against that unnatural custom of parents, in forcing their children to marry contrary to their in