because neither of them found himself in face, and by a little aggravation of the feathe wrong by it. Upon which we made tures to change it into the Saracen's Head. the best of our way to the assizes.

I should not have known this story, had not The court was sat before Sir Roger came; the innkeeper, upon Sir Roger's alighting, but notwithstanding all the justices had told him in my hearing, that his honour's taken their places upon the bench, they head was brought back last night with the made room for the old knight at the head alterations that he had ordered to be made of them; who for his reputation in the coun- in it. Upon this, my friend, with his usual try took occasion to whisper in the judge's cheerfulness, related the particulars aboveear, 'that he was glad his lordship had mentioned, and ordered the head to be met with so much good weather in his cir- brought into the room. I could not forbear cuit.' I was listening to the proceeding of discovering greater expressions of mirth the court with much attention, and infinitely than ordinary upon the appearance of this pleased with that great appearance of so- monstrous face, under which, notwithstandlemnity which so properly accompanies ing it was made to frown and stare in a such a public administration of our laws; most extraordinary manner, I could still when after about an hour's sitting, I ob- discover a distant resemblance of my old served, to my great surprise, in the midst friend. Sir Roger, upon seeing me laugh, of a trial, that my friend Sir Roger was desired me to tell him truly if I thought it getting up to speak. I was in some pain possible for people to know him in that disfor him, until I found he had acquitted guise. I at first kept my usual silence; but himself of two or three sentences, with a upon the knight's conjuring me to tell him look of much business and great intrepidity. whether it was not still more like himself

Upon his first rising the court was hushed, than a Saracen, I composed my counteand a general whisper ran among the coun- nance in the best manner I could, and retry people, that Sir Roger' was up.' The plied, 'that much might be said on both speech he made was so little to the pur- sides.' pose, that I shall not trouble my readers These several adventures, with the with an account of it; and I believe was not knight's behaviour in them, gave me as so much designed by the knight himself to pleasant a day as ever I met with in any of inform the court, as to give him a figure in my travels.

L. my eye, and keep up his credit in the country.

I was highly delighted when the court No. 123.] Saturday, July 21, 1711. rose to see the gentlemen of the country gathering about my old friend, and striving Doctrina sed vim promovet insitam, who should compliment him most; at the Rectique cultus pectora roborant; same time that the ordinary people gazed

Utcunque defecere mores,

Dedecorant bene nata culpa. upon him at a distance, not a little admir

Hor. Lib. 4. Od. iv. 33. ing his courage that was not afraid to speak Yet the best blood hy learning is refin'd, to the judge.

And virtue arms the solid mind; In our return home we met with a very

And the paternal stamp eflace.-Oldisworth. odd accident; which I cannot forbear relating, because it shows how desirous all As I was yesterday taking the air with who know Sir Roger, are of giving him my friend, Sir Roger, we were met by a marks of their esteem. When we arrived fresh-coloured ruddy young man who rid by upon the verge of his estate, we stopped at us full speed, with a couple of servants bea little inn to rest ourselves and our horses. hind him. Upon my inquiry who he was, The man of the house had, it seems, been Sir Roger told me that he was a young formerly a servant in the knight's family; gentleman of considerable estate, who had and to do honour to his old master, had, been educated by a tender mother that some time since, unknown to Sir Roger, lived not many miles from the place where put him up in a sign-post before the door; we were. She is a very good lady, says so that the knight's head had hung out my friend, but took so much care of her upon the road about a week before he him- son's health that she has made him good for selt knew any thing of the matter. As soon nothing. She quickly found that reading as Sir Roger was acquainted with it, find was bad for his eyes, and that writing made ing that his servant's indiscretion proceeded his head ache. He was let loose among the wholly from affection and good-will, he only woods as soon as he was able to ride on told him that he had made him too high a horseback, or to carry a gun upon his compliment; and when the fellow seemed shoulder. To be brief, I found, upon my to think that could hardly be, added with a friend's account of him, that he had got a more decisive look, that it was too great an great stock of health, but nothing else; but honour for any man under a duke; but told that if it were a man's business only to live, him at the same time, that it might be al- there would not be a more accomplished tered by a very few touches, and that he young fellow in the whole country. himself would be at the charge of it. Ac- The truth of it is, since my residing in cordingly they got a painter by the knight's these parts I have seen and heard innume directions to add a pair of whiskers to the rable instances of young heirs and elder

Whilst vice will stain the noblest race,

brothers, who, either from their own re- | had not he been comforted by the daily flecting upon the estates they are born to, visits and conversation of his friend. As and therefore thinking all other accom- they were one day talking together with plishments unnecessary, or from hearing their usual intimacy, Leontine, considering these notions frequently inculcated to them how incapable he was of giving his daughby the flattery of their servants and domes- ter a proper education in his own house, tics, or from the same foolish thought pre- and Eudoxus reflecting on the ordinary vailing in those who have the care of their behaviour of a son who knows himself to education, are of no manner of use but to be the heir of a great estate, they both keep up their families, and transmit their agreed upon an exchange of children, lands and houses in a line to posterity. namely, that the boy should be bred up

This makes me often think on a story I with Leontine as his son, and that the giri have heard of two friends, which I shall should live with Eudoxus as his daughter, give my reader at large, under feigned until they were each of them arrived at names. The moral of it may, I hope, be years of discretion. The wife of Eudoxus, useful, though there are some circumstances knowing that her son could not be so adwhich make it rather appear like a novel, vantageously brought up as under the care than a true story.

of Leontine, and considering at the same Eudoxus and 'Leontine began the world time that he would be perpetually under with small estates. They were both of them her own eye, was by grees prevailed men of good sense and great virtue. They upon to fall in with the project. She thereprosecuted their studies together in their fore took Leonilla, for that was the name earlier years, and entered into such a friend of the girl, and educated her as her own ship as lasted to the end of their lives. daughter. The two friends on each side Eudoxus, at his first setting out in the had wrought themselves to such an habitual world, threw himself into a court, where tenderness for the children who were unby his natural endowments and his acquired der their direction, that each of them had abilities he made his way from one post to the real passion of a father, where the title another, until at length he had raised a very was but imaginary. Florio, the name of considerable fortune. Leontine on the con- the young heir that lived with Leontine, trary sought all opportunities of improving though he had all the duty and affection his mind, by study, conversation, and travel. imaginable for his supposed parent, was He was not only acquainted with all the taught to rejoice at the sight of Eudoxus, sciences, but with the most eminent pro- who visited his friend very frequently, and fessors of them throughout Europe. He was dictated by his natural affection, as knew perfectly well the interest of its well as by the rules of prudence, to make princes, with the customs and fashions of himself esteemed and beloved by Florio. their courts, and could scarce meet with The boy was now old enough to know his the name of an extraordinary person in the supposed father's circumstances, and that Gazette whom he had not either talked to therefore he was to make his way in the or seen. In short, he had so well mixed and world by his own industry. This consideradigested his knowledge of men and books, tion grew stronger in him every day, and that he made one of the most accomplished produced so good an effect, that he applied persons of his age. During the whole course himself with more than ordinary attention of his studies and travels he kept up a punc- to the pursuit of every thing which Leontual correspondence with Eudoxus, who tine recommended to him. His natural often made himself acceptable to the prin- abilities, which were very good, assisted cipal men about court by the intelligence by the directions of so excellent a counwhich he received from Leontine. When sellor, enabled him to make a quicker prothey were both turned of forty, (an age in gress than ordinary through all the parts which, according to Mr. Cowley, there is of his education. "Before he was twenty no dallying with life,') they determined, years of age, having finished his studies pursuant to the resolution they had taken and exercises with great applause, he was in the beginning of their lives, to retire, removed from the university to the inns of and pass the remainder of their days in the court, where there are very few that make country. In order to this, they both of them themselves considerable proficients in the married much about the

same time. Leon- studies of the place, who know they shall tine, with his own and wife's fortune, bought arrive at great estates without them. This a farm of three hundred a year, which lay was not Florio's case; he found that three within the neighbourhood of his friend Eu- hundred a year was but a poor estate for doxus, who had purchased an estate of as Leontine and himself to live upon, so that many thousands. They were both of them he studied without intermission till he gainfathers about the same time, Eudoxus hav- ed a very good insight into the constitution ing a son born to him, and Leontine, a and laws of his country, daughter; but to the unspeakable grief of I should have told my reader, that whilst the latter, his young wife (in whom all his Florio lived at the house of his foster-father, happiness was wrapt up,) died in a few he was always an acceptable guest in the days after the birth of her daugliter. His family of Eudoxus, where he became acaffliction would have been insupportable, I quainted with Leonilla from her infancy.

His acquaintance with her by degrees grew of that care which they had bestowed upon into love, which in a mind trained up in all them in their education.

L. the sentiments of honour and virtue became a very uneasy passion. He despaired of gaining an heiress of so great a fortune, and No. 124.] Monday, July 23, 1711. would rather have died than attempted it by any indirect methods. Leonilla, who

Mira Bekov, үй жахоу. was a woman of the greatest beauty joined

A great book is a great evil. with the greatest modesty, entertained at the same time a secret passion for Florio, A man who publishes his works in a but conducted herself with so much pru- volume, has an infinite advantage over one dence, that she never gave him the least who communicates his writings to the world intimation of it. Florio was now engaged in loose tracts and single pieces. We do in all those arts and improvements that are not expect to meet with any thing in a proper to raise a man's private fortune, and bulky volume, till after some heavy pregive him a figure in his country, but se- amble, and several words of course, to precretly tormented with that passion which pare the reader for what follows. Nay, burns with the greatest fury in a virtuous authors have established it as a kind of rule, and noble heart, when he received a sudden that a man ought to be dull sometimes; as summons from Leontine, to repair to him the most severe reader makes allowances in the country the next day: for it seems for many rests and nodding-places in a voEudoxus was so filled with the report of luminous writer. This gave occasion to the his son's reputation, that he could no longer famous Greek proverb, which I have chowithhold making himself known to him. sen for my motto, that''A great book is a The morning after his arrival at the house great evil.' of his supposed father, Leontine told him On the contrary, those who publish their that Eudoxus had something of great im- thoughts in distinct sheets, and as it were portance to communicate to him; upon by piece-meal, have none of these advanwhich the good man embraced him and tages. We must immediately fall into our wept. Florio was no sooner arrived at the subject, and treat every part of it in a lively great house that stood in his neighbourhood, manner, or our papers are thrown by as but Eudoxus took him by the hand, after dull and insipid. Our matter must lie close the first salutes were over, and conducted together, and either be wholly new in itself, him into his closet. He there opened to or in the turn it receives from our expreshim the whole secret of his parentage and sions. Were the books of our best authors education, concluding after this manner: 'I thus to be retailed to the public, and every have no other way of acknowledging my page submitted to the taste of forty or fifty gratitude to Leontine, than by marrying thousand readers, I am afraid we should you to his daughter. He shall not lose the complain of many flat expressions, trivial pleasure of being your father by the disco- observations, beaten topics, and common very I have made to you. Leonilla too shall thoughts, which go off very well in the be still my daughter; her filial piety, though lump. At the same time, notwithstanding misplaced, has been so exemplary, that it some papers may be made up of broken deserves the greatest reward I can confer hints and irregular sketches, it is often exupon it. You shall have the pleasure of pected that every sheet should be a kind seeing a great estate fall to you, which you of treatise, and make out in thought what would have lost the relish of, had you it wants in bulk: that a point of humour known yourself born to it. Continue only should be worked up in all its parts; and a to deserve it in the same manner you did subject touched upon in its most essential before you were possessed of it. I have left articles, without the repetitions, tautoloyour mother in the next room. Her heart gies, and enlargements, that are indulged yearns towards you. She is making the to longer labours. The ordinary writers same discoveries to Leonilla which I have of morality prescribe to their readers after made to yourself.' Florio was so over-the Galenic way; their medicines are made whelmed with this profusion of happiness, up in large quantities. An essay-writer that he was not able to make a reply, but must practise in the chymical method, and threw himself down at his father's feet, and give the virtue of a full draught in a few amidst a flood of tears, kissed and embraced drops. Were all books reduced thus to his knees, asking his blessing, and express their quintessence, many a bulky author ing in dumb show those sentiments of love, would make his appearance in a penny paduty, and gratitude that were too big for per. There would be scarce such a thing utterance. To conclude, the happy pair in nature as a folio; the works of an age were married, and half Eudoxus's estate would be contained on a few shelves; not to settled upon them. Leontine and Eudoxus mention millions of volumes that would be passed the remainder of their lives together; utterly annihilated. and received in the dutiful and affectionate I cannot think that the difficulty of furbehaviour of Florio and Leonilla the just nishing out separate papers of this nature, recompence, as well as the natural effects has hindered authors from communicating

e

their thoughts to the world after such a might help the eye of a man, could be of manner: though I must confess I am amazed no use to a mole.' It is not therefore for that the press should be only made use of the benefit of moles that I publish these my in this way by news-writers, and the zealots daily essays. of parties; as if it were not more advan- But besides such as are moles through tageous to mankind, to be instructed in wis- ignorance, there are others who are moles dom and virtue, than in politics; and to be through envy. As it is said in the Latin made good fathers, husbands, and sons, than proverb, “That one man is a wolf to ancounsellors and statesmen. Had the philo- other,' so generally speaking, one author is sophers and great men of antiquity, who a mole to another. It is impossible for them took so much pains in order to instruct man- to discover beauties in one another's works; kind, and leave the world wiser and better they have eyes only for spots and blemishes: than they found it; had they, I say, been they can indeed see the light, as it is said possessed of the art of printing, there is no of the animals which are their namesakes, question but they would have made such but the idea of it is painful to them; they an advantage of it, in dealing out their lec- immediately shut their eyes upon it, and tures to the public. Our common prints withdraw themselves into a wilful obscuwould be of great use were they thus cal- rity. I have already caught two or three culated to diffuse good sense through the of these dark undermining vermin, and inbulk of a people, to clear up their under- tend to make a string of them, in order to standings, animate their minds with virtue, hang them up in one of my papers, as an dissipate the sorrows of a heavy heart, or example to all such voluntary moles. C. unbend the mind from its more severe employments with innocent amusements. When knowledge, instead of being bound up in books and kept in libraries and re

No. 125.]

Tuesday, July 24, 1711. tirements, is thus obtruded upon the public; Ne, pueri, ne tanta animis assuescite hella, when it is canvassed in every assembly and Neu patriæ validas in viscera vertite vires. exposed upon every table, I cannot forbear

Virg. En. vi. 832. reflecting upon that passage in the Pro- This thirst of kindred blood, my sons, detest, verbs: Wisdom crieth without, she ut- Nor turn your face against your country's breast. tereth her voice in the streets: she crieth

Dryden. in the chief place of concourse, in the open

My worthy friend Sir Roger, when we ings of the gates. In the city she uttereth are talking of the malice of parties, very her words, saying, How long, ye simple frequently tells us an accident that hapones, will ye love simplicity and the pened to him when he was a school-boy, scorners delight in their scorning? and fools which was at the time when the feuds hate knowledge?'

ran high between the Round-heads and The many letters which come to me from Cavaliers. This worthy knight, being then persons of the best sense in both sexes, (for but a stripling, had occasion to inquire I may pronounce their characters from their which was the way to St. Anne's Lane; way of writing) do not a little encourage me upon which the person whom he spoke to, in the prosecution of this my undertaking; instead of answering his question, called besides that my bookseller tells me, the de- him a young popish cur, and asked him mand for these my papers increases daily. who had made Anne a saint? The boy, It is at his instance that I shall continue my being in some confusion, inquired of the rural speculations to the end of this month; next he met, which was the way to Anne's several having made up separate sets of Lane; but was called a prick-eared cur them, as they have done before of those re- for his pains, and instead of being shown lating to wit, to operas, to points of mora- the way, was told that she had been a lity, or subjects of humour.

saint before he was born, and would be I am not at all mortified, when sometimes one after he was hanged. Upon this," I see my works thrown aside by men of no says Sir Roger, 'I did not think fit to retaste nor learning. There is a kind of hea- peat the former questions, but going into viness and ignorance that hangs upon the every lane of the neighbourhood, asked minds of ordinary men, which is too thick what they called the name of that lane?" for knowledge to break through. Their By which ingenious artifice he found out souls are to be enlightened.

the place he inquired after without giving

offence to any party. Sir Roger generally -Nox atra cava circumvolat umbra.

closes this narrative with reflections on the Virg. Æn. ii. 360.

mischief that parties do in the country; Black night enwraps them in her gloomy shade.

how they spoil a good neighbourhood, and To these I must apply the fable of the make honest gentlemen hate one another; mole, that after having consulted many besides that they manifestly tend to the oculists for the bettering of his sight, was at prejudice of the land-tax, and the destruclast provided with a good pair of specta- tion of the game. cles; but upon his endeavouring to make There cannot a greater judgment befal use of them, his mother told him very a country than such a dreadful spirit of prudently, 'That spectacles, though they | division as rends a government into two distinct people, and makes them greater which at present prevails amongst all strangers and more averse to one another, ranks and degrees in the British nation. than if they were actually two different As men formerly became eminent in learnnations. The effects of such a division are ed societies by their parts and acquisipernicious to the last degree, not only with tions, they now distinguish themselves by regard to those advantages which they the warmth and violence with which they give the common enemy, but to those pri- espouse their respective parties. Book's vate evils which they produce in the heart are valued upon the like considerations. of almost every particular person. This An abusive, scurrilous style, passes for sainfluence is very fatal both to men's morals tire, and a dull scheme of party notions is and their understanding; it sinks the vir- called fine writing. tue of a nation, and not only so, but de- There is one piece of sophistry practised stroys even common sense.

by both sides, and that is the taking any A furious party spirit, when it rages in scandalous story that has been ever whisits full violence, exerts itself in civil war pered or invented of a private man, for a and bloodshed; and when it is under its known undoubted truth, and raising suitgreatest restraints naturally breaks out in able speculations upon it. Calumnies that falsehood, detraction, calumny, and a par- have been never proved, or have been tial administration of justice. In a word, often refuted, are the ordinary postulatums it fills a nation with spleen and rancour, of these infamous scribblers, upon which and extinguishes all the seeds of good- they proceed as upon first principles grantnature, compassion, and humanity. ed by all men, though in their hearts they

Plutarch says, very finely, that a man know they are false, or at best very doubtshould not allow himself to hate even his ful. When they have laid these foundaenemies, because,' says he, 'if you indulge tions of scurrility, it is no wonder that their this passion in some occasions, it will rise superstructure is every way answerable to of itself in others; if you hate your ene- them. If this shameless practice of the mies, you will contract such a vicious habit present age endures much longer, praise of mind, as by degrees will break out upon and reproach will cease to be motives of those who are your friends, or those who action in good men. are indifferent to you.' I might here There are certain periods of time in all observe how admirably this precept of governments when this inhuman spirit premorality (which derives the malignity of vails. Italy was long torn to pieces by the hatred from the passion itself, and not from Guelfes and Gibellines, and France by those its object) answers to that great rule which who were for and against the league: but it was dictated to the world about an hun- is very unhappy for a man to be born in such dred years before this philosopher wrote;* a stormy and tempestuous scason. It is the but instead of that, I shall only take notice, restless ambition of artful men that thus with a real grief of heart, that the minds breaks a people into factions, and draws of many good men among us appear several well-meaning persons to their insoured with party-principles, and alienated terest by a specious concern for their counfrom one another in such a manner, as try. How many honest minds are filled seems to me altogether inconsistent with with uncharitable and barbarous notions, the dictates either of reason or religion. out of their zeal for the public good ? Zeal for a public cause is apt to breed pas- What cruelties and outrages would they sions in the hearts of virtuous persons, to not commit against men of an adverse parwhich the regard of their own private in-ty, whom they would honour and estcem, terest would never have betrayed them. if, instead of considering them as they are

If this party spirit has so ill an effect on represented, they knew them as they are? our morals, it'has likewise a very great one Thus are persons of the greatest probity upon our judgments. We often hear a poor seduced into shameful errors and prejuinsipid paper or pamphlet cried up, and dices, are made bad men even by that sometimes a noble piece depreciated, by noblest of principles, the love of their those who are of a different principle from country. I cannot here forbear mentionthe author. One who is actuated by this ing the famous Spanish proverb, “If there spirit is almost under an incapacity of dis- were neither fools nor knaves in the world, cerning either real blemishes or beauties. all people would be of one mind.' A man of merit in a different principle, is For my own part I could heartily wish like an object seen in two different me- that all honest men would enter into an asdiums, that appears crooked or broken, sociation, for the support of one another however straight and entire it may be in against the endeavours of those whom they itself. For this reason there is scarce a ought to look upon as their common eneperson of any figure in England, who does mies, whatsoever side they may belong to. not go by two contrary characters, as op- Were there such an honest body of neutral posite to one another as light and darkness. forces, we should never see the worst of Knowledge and learning suffer in a parti- men in. great figures of life, because they cular manner from this strange prejudice, are useful to a party; nor the best unre