MR. SPECTATOR, He is He dances going to marry a comon woman, but being feit the reputation which I have with her for resolved to do nothing without the advice of wisdom, I shall only communicate the letter his friend Philander, he consulted him upon to the public, without returning any answer the occasion. Philander told him his mind to it. freely, and represented his mistress to him in such strong colours, that the next morning he received a challenge for his pains, and before 'Now, sir, the thing is this; Mr. Shapely twelve o'clock was run through the body by is the prettiest gentleman about town. the man who had asked his advice. Celia very tall, but not too tall neither. was more prudent on the like occasion. She like an angel. His mouth is made I do nos desired Leouilla to give her opinion freely up- know how, but it is the prettiest that I ever on the young fellow who made his addresses saw in my life. He is always laughing, for he to her. Leonilla, to oblige her, told her, with has an infinite deal of wit. If you did but see great frankness, that she looked upon him as how he rolls his stockings! He has a thousand one of the most worthless-Celia, foreseeing pretty fancies, and I am sure, if you saw him, what a character she was to expect, begged you would like him. He is a very good schoher not to go on, for that she had been pri- lar, and can talk Latin as fast as English. I vately married to him above a fortnight. The wish you could but see him dance. Now you truth of it is, a woman seldom asks advice be- must understand, poor Mr. Shapely has no fore she has bought her wedding clothes.estate; but how can he help that, you know? When she has made her own choice, for form's And yet my friends are so unreasonable as to sake, she sends a congé d'élire to her friends. be always teasing me about him, because he If we look into the secret springs and mo- has no estate; but I am sure he has what is tives that set people at work on these occa- better than an estate; for he is a good-natured, sions, and put them upon asking advice which ingenious, modest, civil, tall, well-bred, handthey never intend to take; I look upon it to some man; and I am obliged to him for his be none of the least, that they are incapable civilities ever since I saw him. I forgot to of keeping a secret which is so very pleasing tell you that he has black eyes, and looks upto them. A girl longs to tell her confidant, on me now and then as if he had tears in that she hopes to be married in a little time; them. And yet my friends are so unreasonaand, in order to talk of the pretty fellow that ble, that they would have me be uncivil to him. dwells so much in her thoughts, asks her I have a good portion which they cannot hinvery gravely, what she would advise her to der me of, and I shall be fourteen on the 29th do in a case of so much difficulty. Why else day of August next, and am therefore willing should Melissa, who had not a thousand pounds to settle in the world as soon as I can, and so in the world, go into every quarter of the is Mr. Shapely. But every body I advise with town to ask her acquaintance, whether they here is poor Mr. Shapely's enemy. I desire would advise her to take Tom Townly, that therefore you will give me your advice, for I made his addresses to her with an estate of know you are a wise man; and if you advise five thousand a-year? It is very pleasant, on me well, I am resolved to follow it. I heartily this occasion, to hear the lady propose her wish you could see him dance; and am, doubts, and to see the, pains she is at to get over them. Sir, Your most humble servant, B. D. C. 'He loves your Spectators mightily.' Friday, September 5, 1712. -Lucidus ordo. Hor. Ars Poet. 41. Method gives light. I must not here omit a practice which is in use among the vainer part of our sex, who will often ask a friend's advice in relation to a fortune whom they are never like to come at. No. 476.] Will Honeycomb, who is now on the verge of threescore, took me aside not long since, and asked me in his most serious look, whether I would advise him to marry my lady Betty Single, who, by the way, is one of the great- AMONG my daily papers which I bestow on est fortunes about town. I stared him full in the public, there are some which are written the face upon so strange a question; upon with regularity and method, and othere that which he immediately gave me an inventory run out into the wildness of those composi of her jewels and estate, adding, that he was tions which go by the name of essays. As resolved to do nothing in a matter of such for the first, I have the whole scheme of the consequence without my approbation. Find- discourse in my mind before I set pen to paing be would have an answer, I told him if he per. In the other kind of writing, it is suf could get the lady's consent, he had mine. ficient that I have several thoughts on a subThis is about the tenth match which, to my ject, without troubling myself to range them knowledge, Will has consulted his friends up in such order, that they may seem to grow on, without ever opening his mind to the par-out of one another, and be disposed under ty herself. the proper heads. Seneca and Montaigne I have been engaged in this subject by the are patterns for writing in this last kind, as following letter, which comes to me from Tully and Aristotle excel in the other. When some notable young female scribe, who, by I read an author of genius who writes without the contents of it, seems to have carried mat-method, I fancy myself in a wood that abounds ters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice: with a great many noble objects, rising one but as I would not lose her good will, nor for-among another in the greatest confusion and disorder. When I read a methodical discourse, shrewd intimations that he does not believe I am in a regular plantation, and can place another world. In short, Puzzle is an atheist myself in its several centres, so as to take a as much as his parts will give him leave. He view of all the lines and walks that are struck has got about half a dozen common-place tofrom them. You may ramble in the one a pics, into which he never fails to turn the conwhole day together, and every moment dis-versation, whatever was the occasion of it. cover something or other that is new to you; Though the matter in debate be about Douay but when you have done, you will have but a or Denain, it is ten to one but half his discourse confused, imperfect, notion of the place in runs upon the unreasonableness of bigotry and the other your eye commands the whole pros-priest-craft. This makes Mr. Puzzle the adpect, and gives you such an idea of it as is miration of all those who have less sense than not easily worn out of the memory. Irregularity and want of method are only supportable in men of great learning or genius, who are often too full to be exact, and therefore choose to throw down their pearls in heaps before the reader, rather than be at the pains of stringing them. himself, and the contempt of all those who have more. There is none in town whom Tom dreads so much as my friend Will Dry. Will, who is acquainted with Tom's logic, when he finds him running off the question, cuts him short with a 'What then? We allow all this to be true; but what is it to our present purMethod is of advantage to a work, both in pose?' I have known Tom eloquent half an respect to the writer and the reader. In re- hour together, and triumphing, as he thought, gard to the first, it is a great help to his in- in the superiority of the argument, when he vention. When a man has planned his dis- has been nonplussed on a sudden by Mr. Dry's course, he finds a great many thoughts rising desiring him to tell the company what it was out of every head, that do not offer themselves that he endeavoured to prove. In short, Dry upon the general survey of a subject. His is a man of a clear methodical head, but few thoughts are at the same time more intelligible, words, and gains the same advantage over and better discover their drift and meaning, Puzzle that a small body of regular troops when they are placed in their proper lights, would gain over a numberless andisciplined and follow one another in a regular series, militia. than when they are thrown together without order and connexion. There is always an No. 477.] Saturday, September 6, 1712. obscurity in confusion; and the same sentence that would have enlightened the reader in one part of a discourse, perplexes him in another. For the same reason, likewise, every thought in a methodical discourse shows itself in its greatest beauty, as the several figures in a piece of painting receive new grace from their disposition in the picture. The advantages of a reader from a methodical discourse are correspondent with those of the writer. He comprehends every thing easily, takes it in with pleasure, and retains it long. -An me ludit amabilis C. Quos et aquæ subeunt et auræ, -Does airy fancy cheat My mind, well pleas'd with the deceit 3 And wander through the happy grove, Where smooth springs flow, and murm'ring breezo SIR, Creech. Method is not less requisite in ordinary con- HAVING lately read your essay on the Plea versation than in writing, provided a man sures of the Imagination, I was so taken with would talk to make himself understood. I, your thoughts upon some of our English gar-who hear a thousand coffee-house debates eve-dens, that I cannot forbear troubling you with ry day, am very sensible of this want of method a letter upon that subject. I am one, you must in the thoughts of my honest countrymen. know, who am looked upon as a humorist There is not one dispute in ten which is mana-in gardening. I have several acres about ged in those schools of politics, where, after my house which I call my garden, and which the three first sentences, the question is not en- a skillful gardener would not know what to tirely lost. Our disputants put me in mind of call. It is a confusion of kitchen and parterre; the scuttle-fish, that when he is unable to ex- orchard and flower-garden, which lie so mixt tricate himself, blackens all the water about and interwoven with one another, that if a fohim until he becomes invisible. The man who reigner who had seen nothing of our country. does not know how to methodise his thoughts, should be conveyed into my garden at his first has always, to borrow a phrase from the Dis- landing, he would look upon it as a natural pensary, a barren superfluity of words;' the wilderness, and one of the uncultivated parts fruit is lost amidst the exuberance of leaves. of our country. My flowers grow up in several Tom Puzzle is one of the most eminent im- parts of the garden in the greatest luxuriancy methodical disputants of any that has fallen and profusion. I am so far from being fond under my observation. Tom has read enough of any particular one, by reason of its rarity, to make him very impertinent: his knowledge that if I meet with any one in a field which is sufficient to raise doubts, but not to clear pleases me, I give it a place in my garden. them. It is pity that he has so much learning, By this means, when a stranger walks with or that he has not a great deal more. With me, he is surprised to see several large spots these qualifications Tom sets up for a free- of ground covered with ten thousand different thinker finds a great many things to blame colours, and has often singled out flowers that in the constitution of his country, and gives he might have met with under a common hedge, in a field, or in a meadow, as some of they have made a very pleasing contrast; for the greatest beauties of the place. The only as on one side of the walk you see this hollow method I observe in this particular, is to range basin, with its several little plantations, lying in the same quarter the products of the same so conveniently under the eye of the beholder, season, that they may make their appearance on the other side of it there appears a seeming together, and compose a picture of the great- mount, made up of trees rising one higher est variety. There is the same irregularity than another, in proportion as they approach in my plantations, which run into as great a the centre. A spectator, who has not heard wildness as their natures will permit. I take this account of it, would think this circular in none that do not naturally rejoice in the mount was not only a real one, but that it had soil; and am pleased, when I am walking in been actually scooped out of that hollow space a labyrinth of my own raising, not to know which I have before mentioned. I never yet whether the next tree I shall meet with is an met with any one, who has walked in this garapple or an oak, an elm or a pear-tree. My den, who was not struck with that part of it kitchen has likewise its particular quarters which I have here mentioned. As for myassigned it; for, besides the wholesome luxu-self, you will find, by the account which I ry which that place abounds with, I have al- have already given you, that my composiways thought a kitchen-garden a more plea- tions in gardening are altogether after the sant sight than the finest orangery or artificial Pindaric manner, and run into the beautiful green-house. I love to see every thing in its wildness of nature, without affecting the niperfection; and am more pleased to survey cer elegancies of art. What I am now going my rows of coleworts and cabbages, with a to mention will, perhaps, deserve your attenthousand nameless pot-herbs, springing up in tion more than any thing I have yet said. I their full fragrancy and verdure, than to see find that, in the discourse which I spoke of the tender plants of foreign countries kept at the beginning of my letter, you are against alive by artificial heats, or withering in an air filling an English garden with evergreens: and soil that are not adapted to them. I must and indeed I am so far of your opinion, that I not omit, that there is a fountain rising in the can by no means think the verdure of an everupper part of my garden, which forms a little green comparable to that which shoots out anwandering rill, and administers to the pleasure nually, and clothes our trees in the summer as well as the plenty of the place. I have so season. But I have often wondered that those conducted it, that it visits most of my planta- who are like myself, and love to live in gartions; and have taken particular care to let it dens, have never thought of contriving a winter run in the same manner as it would do in an garden, which would consist of such trees only open field, so that it generally passes through as never cast their leaves. We have very of banks of violets and primroses, plats of willow ten little snatches of sunshine and fair weather or other plants, that seem to be of its own in the most uncomfortable parts of the year, producing. There is another circumstance in and have frequently several days in November which I am very particular, or, as my neigh- and January that are as agreeable as any in the bours calls me, very whimsical: as my garden finest months. At such times therefore, I invites into it all the birds of the country, by think there could not be a greater pleasure offering them the conveniency of springs and than to walk in such a winter garden as I have shades, solitude and shelter, I do not suffer proposed. In the summer season the whole any one to destroy their nests in the spring, country blooms, and is a kind of garden; for or drive them from their usual haunts in fruit- which reason we are not so sensible of those time; I value my garden more for being full beauties that at this time may be every where of blackbirds than cherries, and very frankly met with; but when nature is in her desolagive them fruit for their songs. By this means tion, and presents us with nothing but bleak I have always the music of the season in its and barren prospects, there it something unperfection, and am highly delighted to see speakably cheerful in a spot of ground which the jay or the thrush hopping about my walks, is covered with trees that smile amidst all the and shooting before my eyes across the seve- rigour of winter, and give us a view of the most ral little glades and alleys that I pass through. gay season in the midst of that which is the I think there are as many kinds of gardening most dead and melancholy. I have so far inas of poetry: your makers of parterres and dulged myself in this thought, that I have set flower-gardens are epigrammatists and sonnet- apart a whole acre of ground for the executing teers in this art; contrivers of bowers and of it. The walls are covered with ivy instead grottos, treillages and cascades, are romance of vines. The laurel, the horn-beam, and the writers. Wise and London are our heroic holly, with many other trees and plants of the poets; and if, as a critic, I may single out any same nature, grow so thick in it, that you passage of their works to commend, I shall cannot imagine a more lievely scene. The take notice of that part in the upper garden at glowing redness of the berries, with which they Kensington, which was at first nothing but a are hung at this time, vies with the verdure of gravel-pit. It must have been a fine genius their leaves, and is apt to inspire the heart of for gardening that could have thought of the beholder with that vernal delight which forming such an unsightly hollow into so you have somewhere taken notice of in your beautiful an area, and to have hit the eye with former papers. It is very pleasant, at the same so uncommon and agreeable a scene as that time, to see the several kinds of birds retiring which it is now wrought into. To give this into this little green spot, and enjoying themparticular spot of ground the greater effect, selves among the branches and foliage, when my great garden, which I have before men-able manner, how much clothes contribute to tioned to you, does not afford a single leaf for make us agreeable objects, and how much we their shelter. owe it to ourselves that we should appear so. 'You must know, sir, that I look upon the 'We considered man as belonging to sociepleasure which we take in a garden as one of ties; societies as formed of different ranks; and the most innocent delights in human life. A different ranks distinguished by habits, that all garden was the habitation of our first parents proper duty or respect might attend their apbefore the fall. It is naturally apt to fill the pearance. mind with calmnes and tranquillity, and to lay all its turbulent passions at rest. It gives us a great insight into the contrivance and wisdom of Providence, and suggests innumerable subjects for meditation. I cannot but think the very complacency and satisfaction which a man takes in these works of nature to be a laudable, if not a virtuous, habit of mind. For all which reasons I hope you will pardon the length of my present letter. C. 'I am, Sir, &c. No. 478.] Monday, September 8, 1712. -Usus, Quein penes arbitrium est, et jus et norma- Fashion, sole arbitress of dress. 2 MR. SPECTATOR, 'We took notice of several advantages which are met with in the occurrences of conversation; how the bashful man has been sometimes so raised, as to express himself with an air of freedom when he imagines that his habit introduces him to company with a becoming manner; and again, how a fool in fine clothes shall be suddenly heard with attention, till he has betrayed himself; whereas a man of sense appearing with a dress of negligence, shall be but coldly received till he be proved by time, and established in a character. Such things as these we could recollect to have happened to our own knowledge so very often, that we concluded the author had his reasons, who advises his son to go in dress rather above his fortune than under it. At last the subject seemed so considerable, that it was proposed to have a repository built for fashions, as there are chambers for medals and other rarities. The building may be shaped IT happened lately that a friend of mine, as that which stands among the pyramids, in who had many things to buy for his family, the form of a woman's head. This may be raiswould oblige me to walk with him to the shops. ed upon pillars, whose ornaments shall bear He was very nice in his way, and fond of having a just relation to the design. Thus there may every thing shown; which at first made me very be an imitation of fringe carved in the base, a uneasy; but, as his humour still continued, sort of appearance of lace in the frieze, and a the things which I had been staring at along representation of curling locks, with bows of with him began to fill my head, and led me ribband sloping over them, may fill up the into a set of amusing thoughts concerning them. works of the cornice. The inside may be divided into two apartments appropriated to each sex. I fancied it must be very surprising to any The apartments may be filled with shelves, one who enters into a detail of fashions to con- on which boxes are to stand as regularly as sider how far the vanity of mankind has laid books in a library. These are to have folding itself out in dress, what a prodigious number doors, which, being opened, you are to behold of people it maintains, and what a circulation a baby dressed out in some fashion which has of money it occasions. Providence in this case flourished, and,standing upon a pedestal, where makes use of the folly which we will not give the time of its reign is marked down. For its up, and it becomes instrumental to the support further regulation, let it be ordered, that every of those who are willing to labour. Hence it is one who invents a fashion shall bring in his that fringe-makers, lace-men, tirc-women, and box, whose front he may at pleasure have a number of other trades, which would be use- either worked or painted with some amorous less in a simple state of nature, draw their sub- or gay device, that, like books with gilded sistence; though it is seldom seen that such leaves and covers, it may the sooner draw the as these are extremely rich, because their ori-eyes of the beholders. And to the end that ginal fault of being founded upon vanity keeps these may be preserved with all due care, let them poor by the light inconstancy of its na- there be a keeper appointed, who shall be a ture. The variableness of fashion turns the stream of business, which flows from it, now into one channel, and anon into another; so that the different sets of people sink or flourish in their turns by it. From the shops we retired to the tavern, where I found my friend express so much satisfaction for the bargains he had made, that my moral reflections (if I had told them) might have passed for a reproof; so I chose rather to fall in with him, and let the discourse run upon the use of fashions. 'Here we remembered how much man is governed by his senses, how lively he is struck by the objects which appear to him in an agree gentleman qualified with a competent knowledge in clothes; so that by this means the place will be a comfortable support for some beau who has spent his estate in dressing. 'The reasons offered, by which we expected to gain the approbation of the public, were as follows: 'First, That every one who is considerable enough to be a mode, and has any imperfection of nature or chance, which it is possible to hide by the advantage of clothes, may, by coming to this repository, be furuished herself, and furnish all who are under the same misfortune, with the most agreeable manner of concealing it; and that, on the other side, every one, who has any beauty in face or shape,| may also be furnished with the most agreeable manner of showing it. Darts, torches, and bands: Your weapons here choose, and your empire extend." 'I am, Sir, 'Your most humble servant, 'A. B.' The proposal of my correspondent I cannot 'Secondly, That whereas some of our young gentlemen who travel, give us great reason to suspect that they only go abroad to make or improve a fancy for dress, a project of this nature may be a means to keep them at home; which but look upon as an ingenious method of is in effect the keeping of so much money in the kingdom. And perhaps the balance of fashion in Europe, which now leans upon the side of France, may be so altered for the future, that it may become as common with Frenchmen to come to England for their finishing stroke of breeding, as it has been for Englishmen to go to France for it. placing persons (whose parts make them ambitious to exert themselves in frivolous things) in a rank by themselves. In order to this, [ would propose that there be a board of directors of the fashionable society; and, because it is a matter of too much weight for a private man to determine alone, I should be highly obliged to my correspondents if they would Thirdly, Whereas several great scholars, If the chief coffee-houses, the conversations of give in lists of persons qualified for this trust. who might have been otherwise useful to the which places are carried on by persons, each world, have spent their time in studying to of whom has his little number of followers and describe the dresses of the ancients from dark admirers, would name from among themselves hints, which they are fain to interpret and sup- two or three to be inserted, they should be put port with much learning; it will from henceforth happen that they shall be freed from the up with great faithfulness. Old beaus are to trouble, and the world from useless volumes. be represented in the first place; but as that sect, with relation to dress, is almost extinct, it This project will be a registry, to which pos- will, I fear, be absolutely necessary to take in terity may have recourse, for the clearing such all time-servers, properly so deemed; that is, obscure passages as tend that way in authors such as, without any conviction of conscience, that merely from a terror of being out of fa or view of interest, change with the world, and shion. Such also, who from facility of temper, and too much obsequiousness, are vicious 'Fourthly, Whereas they, who are old them against their will, and follow leaders whom they do not approve, for want of courage to selves, have often a way of railing at the extravagance of youth, and the whole age in go their own way, are capable persons for this which their children live; it is hoped that superintendency. Those who are loth to grow old, or would do any thing contrary to the this ill-humour will be much suppressed; when we can have recourse to the fashions of their course and order of things, out of fondness to be in fashion, are proper candidates. To contimes, produce them in our vindication, and clude, those who are in fashion without appabe able to show, that it might have been as rent merit, must be supposed to have latent expensive in queen Elizabeth's time only to wash and quill a ruff, as it is now to buy cra-rection; and therefore are to be regarded in qualities, which would appear in a post of di and therefore we shall not for the future sub mit ourselves to the learning of etymology, which might persuade the age to come that the farthingale was worn for cheapness, or the furbelow for warmth. vats or neck handkerchiefs. We desire also to have it taken notice of, according to these, or what further qualificaforming these lists Any who shall be pleased that because we would show a particular re- tions may occur to himself, to send a list, is spect to foreigners, which may induce them to desired to do it within fourteen days from this perfect their breeding here in a knowledge which is very proper for pretty gentlemen, we have conceived the motto for the house in the date. N. B. The place of the physician to this society, according to the last mentioned qualifcation, is already engaged. T. -Dare jura maritis. Hor. Ars Puet. 396. To regulate the matrimonial life. learned languages. There is to be a picture over the door, with a looking glass and a dressing chair in the middle of it; then on one side are to be seen, above one another, No. 479.] Tuesday, September 9, 1712. patch-boxes, pin-cushions, and little bottles; on the other, powder-bags, puffs, combs, and brushes; beyond these, swords with fine knots, whose points are hidden, and fans al- MANY are the epistles I every day receive most closed, with the handles downward, are from husbands who complain of vanity, pride, to stand out interchangeably from the sides, but, above all, ill-nature in their wives. I canuntil they meet at the top, and form a semi-not tell how it is, but I think I see in all their circle over the rest of the figures; beneath all, the writing is to run in this pretty sounding manner: letters that the cause of their uneasiness is in themselves; and indeed I have hardly ever observed the married condition unhappy, but for want of judgment or temper in the man. The Adeste, O quotquot sunt, Veneres, Gratiæ, Cupidines, truth is, we generally make love in a style and En vobis adsunt in promptu Faces, vincula, spicula; Hinc eligite, sumite, regite." All ye Venusses, Graces, and Cupids, attend: with sentiments very unfit for ordinary life: they are half theatrical and half romantic. By this means we raise our imaginations to what is not to be expected in human life; and, because we did not beforehand think of the crea |