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• Mr. SPECTATOR,

'I AM a young gentleman, and take it for a piece ' of good-breeding to pull off my hat when I fee any thing peculiarly charming in any woman, whether I 'know her or not. I take care that there is nothing lu'dicrous or arch in my manner, as if I were to betray a woman into a falutation by way of jeft or humour

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and except I am acquainted with her, I find the ever 'takes it for a rule, that she is to look upon this civility and homage I pay to her fuppofed merit, as an imper'tinence or forwardnefs which the is to obferve, and neglect. I wish, fir, you would fettle the business of falutation; and please to inform me how I fhall refist the fudden impulse I have to be civil to what gives an 'idea of merit; or tell these creatures how to behave 'themselves in return to the efteem I have for them. My affairs are fuch, that your decifion will be a favour to me, if it be only to fave the unneceffary expence of wearing out my hat fo faft as I do at prefent.

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'I am, Sir,

Yours,

D. T.

'P. S. There are fome that do know me, and will

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N° 221. Tuesday, November 13.

-Ab Ovo

Ufque ad mala

HOR. Sat. 3. I. I. v. 6.

From eggs which firft are fet upon the board,
To apples ripe, with which it laft is ftor'd.

WHEN I have finished any of my fpeculations, it is

my method to confider which of the ancient authors have touched upon the fubject that I treat of. By this means I meet with fome celebrated thought upon it, or a thought of my own expreffed in better words, or fome fimilitude for the illuftration of my fubject. This is what gives birth to the motto of a fpeculation, which I rather choose to take out of the poets than the profe writers, as the former generally give a finer turn to a thought than the latter, and by couching it in few words, and in harmonious numbers, make it more portable to the memory.

My reader is therefore sure to meet with at least one good line in every paper, and very often finds his imagination entertained by a hint that awakens in his memory fome beautiful paffage of a claffic author.

It was a faying of an ancient philofopher, which I find fome of our writers have afcribed to queen Elizabeth, who perhaps might have taken occafion to repeat it, "that a good face is a letter of recommendation." It naturally makes the beholders inquifitive into the person who is the owner of it, and generally prepoffeffes them in his favour. A handfome motto has the fame effect. Befides that it always gives a fupernumerary beauty to a paper, and is fometimes in a manner neceffary when the writer is engaged in what may appear a paradox to vulgar minds, as it fhews that he is fupported by good authorities, and is not fingular in his opinion.

I must confefs, the motto is of little ufe to an unlearned reader, for which reason I confider it only as "a word to the wife." But as for my unlearned friends, if they

cannot relish the motto, I take care to make provifion for them in the body of my paper. If they do not underftand the fign that is hung out, they know very well by it, that they may meet with entertainment in the house; and I think I was never better pleafed than with a plain man's compliment, who, upon his friend's telling him that. he would like the SPECTATOR much better if he underftood the motto, replied, "that good wine needs no bush."

I have heard of a couple of preachers in a country town, who endeavoured which should outshine one another, and draw together the greatest congregation. One of them being well verfed in the fathers, ufed to quote every now and then a Latin sentence to his illiterate hearers, who it feems found themselves fo edified by it, that they flocked in greater numbers to this learned man than to his rival. The other finding his congrega-tion mouldering every Sunday, and hearing at length what was the occafion of it, refolved to give his parish: a little Latin in his turn; but being unacquainted with any of the fathers, he digefted into his fermons the whole book of Quae Genus, adding however fuch explications to it as he thought might be for the benefit of his people. He afterwards entered upon As in præfenti, which he converted in the fame manner to the ufe: of his parishioners. This in a very little time thickened his audience, filled his church, and routed his anta-gonit.

The natural love to Latin, which is fo prevalent in: our common people, makes me think that my fpeculations fare never the worse among them from that little fcrap which appears at the head of them; and what the more encourages me in the ufe of quotations in an un-known tongue, is, that I hear the ladies, whofe approbation I value more than that of the whole learned: world, declare themselves in a more particular manner pleafed with my Greek mottos..

Defigning this day's work for a differtation upon the. two extremities of my paper, and having already dif patched my motto, I fhall, in the next place, difcourfe upon thofe fingle capital letters, which are placed at: the end of it, and which have afforded great matter of

fpeculation to the curious. I have heard various conjectures up this fubject. Some tell us that C is the mark of tho e papers that are written by the clergyman, though others afcribe them to the club in general: that the papers marked with R were written by my friend fir ROGER: that L fignifies the lawyer, whom I have defcribed in iny fecond fpeculation; and that T ftands for the trader or merchant but the letter X, which is placed at the end of fome few of my papers, is that which has puzzled the whole town, as they cannot think of any name which begins with that letter, except Xenophon and Xerxes, who can neither of them be fuppofed to have had any hand in these speculations.

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In anfwer to thefe inquifitive gentlemen, who have many of them made inquiries of me by letter, I must tell them the reply of an ancient philofopher, who carried fomething hidden under his cloke. A certain acquaintance defiring him to let him know what it was he covered fo carefully," I cover it," fays he, (6 on purpofe that you should not know." I have made use of thefe obfcure marks for the fame purpose. They are, perhaps, little amulets or charms to preferve the paper against the fafcination and malice of evil eyes; for which reason I would not have my reader furprifed, if hereafter he fees any of my papers marked with a Q, a Z, a Y, an &c, or with the word Abracadabra.

I fhall, however, fo far explain myself to the reader, as to let him know that the letters C, L, and X, are abaliftical, and carry more in them than it is proper for the world to be acquainted with. Those who are verfed in the philofophy of Pythagoras, and fwear by the Tetrachtys, that is, the number four, will know very well that the number ten, which is fignified by the letter X, (and which has fo much perplexed the town) has in it many particular powers; that it is called by platonic writers the complete number; that one, two, three, and four put together make up the number ten; and that ten is all. But thefe are not myfteries for ordinary readers to be let into. A man must have spent many years in hard ftudy before he can arrive at the knowledge of them.

We had a rabbinical divine in England, who was chaplain to the earl of Effex in queen Elizabeth's time, that had an admirable head for fecrets of this nature. Upon his taking the doctor of divinity'sdegree, he preached before the univerfity of Cambridge upon the firft verfe of the first chapter of the first book of Chronicles, in which, fays he, you have the three following words,

Adam, Sheth, Enofh.

He divided this fhort text into many parts, and by difcovering feveral myfteries in each word, made a moft learn-' ed and elaborate difcourfe. The name of this profound preacher was Dr. Alabafter, of whom the reader may find a more particular account in Dr. Fuller's book of English worthies. This inftance will, I hope, convince iny readers that there may be a great deal of fine writing in the capital letters which bring up the rear of my paper, and give them fome fatisfaction in that particular. But as for the full explication of these matters, I muft refer them to time, which discovers all things. C.

N° 222.

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Wednesday, November 14.

Cur alter fratrum ceffare, & ludere, & ungi,
Præferat Herodis palmetis pinguibus-

HOR. Ep. 2. lib. 2. ver. 183.
Why, of two brothers, one his pleasure loves,
Prefers his fports to Herod's fragrant groves. CREECH.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

THERE is one thing I have often looked for in

your papers, and have as often wondered to find myself difappointed; the rather, because I think it a fubject every way agreeable to your defign, and by being left unattempted by others, seems referved as a proper employment for you: I mean a difquifition, from whence it proceeds, that men of the brightest parts, and moft comprehenfive genius, completely furnished with talents for any province in human affairs; fuch as by their wife leffons of economy to others ⚫have made it evident, that they have the justest notions

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