• Skreen and a Set of Hangings; and am refolved to en6 courage the Manufacture of my Country.

Yours,

CLEORA

No. 610.

Friday, October 22.

I

Sic, cum tranfierint mei
Nullo cum ftrepitu dies,
Plebeius moriar fenex.
Illi mors gravis incubat,
Qui, notus nimis omnibus,
Ignotus moritur fibi.

Seneca.

Have often wondered that the Jews fhould contrive fuch a worthless Greatness for the Deliverer whom they expected, as to drefs him up in external Pomp and Pageantry, and reprefent him to their Imagination, as making Havock amongst his Creatures, and acted with the poor Ambition of a Cæfar or an Alexander. How much more illuftrious doth he appear in his real Character, when confidered as the Author of univerfal Benevolence among Men, as refining our Paffions, exalting our Nature, giving us vaft Ideas of Immortality, and teaching us a Contempt of that little fhowy Grandeur, wherein the Jews made the Glory of their Meffiah to confift!

NOTHING (fays Longinus) can be Great, the Contempt of which is Great. The Poffeffion of Wealth and Riches cannot give a Man a Title to Greatness, because it is looked upon as a Greatness of Mind, to contemn thefe Gifts of Fortune, and to be above the Defire of them. I have therefore been inclined to think, that there are greater Men who lye concealed among the Species, than those who come out, and draw upon themselves the Eyes and Admiration of Mankind. Virgil would never have been heard of, had not his Dome

ftick

ftick Misfortunes driven him out of his Obfcurity, and brought him to Rome.

IF we fuppofe that there are Spirits or Angels who look into the Ways of Men, as it is highly probable there are, both from Reafon and Revelation; how different are the Notions which they entertain of us, from those which we are apt to form of one another? Were they to give us in their Catalogue of fuch Worthies as are now living, how different would it be from that, which any of our own Species would draw up?

WE are dazzled with the Splendour of Titles, the Oftentation of Learning the Noife of Victories; They, on the contrary, fee the Philofopher in the Cottage, who poffeffes his Soul in Patience and Thankfulness, under the Preffures of what little Minds call Poverty and Diftrefs. They do not look for grea; Men at the Head of Armies, or among the Pomps of a Court, but often find them out in Shades and Solitudes, in the private Walks and By-paths of Life. The Evening's Walk of a wife Man is more illuftrious in their Sight, than the March of a General at the Head of a hundred thoufand Men. A Contemplation of God's Works; a voluntary Act of Juftice to our own Detriment; a generous Concern for the Good of Mankind; Tears that are fhed in Silence for the Mifery of others; a private Defire or Resentment broken and fubdued; in fhort, an unfeigned Exercife of Humility, or any other Virtue; are fuch Actions as are glorious in their Sight, and denominate Men great and reputable. The most famous among us are often looked upon with Pity, with Contempt, or with Indignation; while those who are most obfcure among their own Species, are regarded with Love, with Approbation and Efteem.

THE Moral of the prefent Speculation amounts to this, That we should not be led away by the Cenfures and Applaufes of Men, but confider the Figure that every Perfon will make at that Time when Wisdom fhall be juftified of her Children, and nothing pafs for Great or Illuftrious, which is not an Ornament and Perfection to human Nature.

THE

No. 610. THE Story of Gyges the rich Lydian Monarch, is a memorable Inftance to our present Purpofe. The Oracle being asked by Gyges, who was the happieft Man, replied Aglaus. Gyges, who expected to have heard himself named on this Occafion, was much furprized, and very curious to know who this Aglaus fhould be. After much Enquiry he was found to be an obscure Countryman, who employed all his Time in cultivating a Garden, and a few Acres of Land about his House.

COWLEY's agreeable Relation of this Story fhall clofe this Day's Speculation.

Thus Aglaus (a Man unknown to Men,

But the Gods knew, and therefore lov'd him then)
Thus liv'd obfcurely then without a Name,
Aglaüs now confign'd t' eternal Fame.

For Gyges, the rich King, wicked and great,
Prefum'd at wife Apollo's Delphick Seat,
Prefum'd to afk, Oh thou, the whole World's Eye,
See'st thou a Man that happier is than I?
The God, who fcorn'd to flatter Man, reply'd,
Aglaüs happier is. But Gyges cry'd,
In a proud Rage, Who can that Aglaüs be?
We've heard as yet of no fuch King as he.
And true it was, through the whole Earth around,
No King of fuch a Name was to be found.
Is fome old Hero of that Name alive,

Who his high Race does from the God's derive?
Is it fome mighty Gen'ral, that has done
Wonders in Fight, and God-like Honours won?
Is it fome Man of endless Wealth? faid he :
None, none of thefe; who can this Aglaüs be?
After long Search, and vain Enquiries paft,
In an obfcure Arcadian Vale at laft,

(Th' Arcadian Life has always fhady been)
Near Sopho's Town (which he but once had seen)
This Aglaüs, who Monarchs Envy drew,
Whofe Happiness the Gods flood Witness to,
This mighty Aglaüs was lab'ring found,

With bis own Hands, in his own little Ground.

So

So, gracious God, (if it may lawful be,
Among thofe foolish Gods to mention thee).
So let me act, on fuch a private Stage,
The laft dull Scenes of my declining Age;
After long Toils and Voyages in vain,
This quiet Port let my tofs'd Veffel gain;
Of heav'nly Reft, this Earneft to me lend,
Let my Life fleep, and learn to love her End.

No. 61. Monday, October 25.

Perfide! fed duris genuit te cautibus horrens
Caucafus, Hircanaque admorunt ubera tigres.

Virg.

Am willing to poftpone every Thing, to do any the leaft Service for the Deferving and Unfortunate. Accordingly I have caufed the following Letter to be inferted in my Paper the Moment that it came to my Hands, without altering one Tittle in an Account which the Lady relates fo handfomely herself.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Flatter myself you will not only pity, but, if poffible, redress a Misfortune myself and feveral others of my Sex lye under. I hope you will "not be offended, nor think I mean by this to justify my own imprudent Conduct, or expect You fhould.. No! I am fenfible how feverely, in fome of your former Papers, you have reproved Perfons guilty of the like Mifmanagements. I was scarce Sixteen, and, I may fay without Vanity, Handsome, when courted by a falfe perjured Man; who, upon Promife of Marriage, rendred me the most unhappy ' of Women. After he had deluded my from my • Parents, who were People of very good Fafhion, in lefs than three Months he left me. My Parents would not fee, nor hear from me; and had it not

been.

No. 611. been for a Servant, who had lived in our Family, I must certainly have perished for want of Bread. However, it pleafed Providence, in a very short Time, to alter my miserable Condition. A Gentleman faw me, liked me, and married me. My Parents were reconciled; and I might be as happy in the Change of my Condition, as I was before miferable, but for fome Things, that you fhall know, which are infupportable to me; and I am fure you I have fo much Honour and Compaffion as to let ⚫ thofe Perfons know, in fome of your Papers, how much they are in the wrong. I have been married · near five Years, and do not know that in all that Time I ever went abroad without my Husband's Leave and Approbation. I am obliged, through the Importunities of feveral of my Relations, to go abroad oftner than fuits my Temper. Then it is I • labour under infupportable Agonies. That Man, or rather Monfter, haunts every Place I go to. Bafe

6

6

Villain! By reafon I will not admit his naufeous wicked Vifits and Appointments, he ftrives all the Ways he can to ruin me. He left me deftitute of Friend or Money, nor ever thought me worth enqui6 ring after, till he unfortunately happened to fee me in a Front Box, fparkling with Jewels. Then his Paffion returned. Then the Hypocrite pretended to be a Penitent. Then he practifed all thofe Arts that helped before to undo me. I am not to be deceiv ed a fecond Time by him. I hate and abhor his odious Paffion; and, as he plainly perceives it, either out of Spight or Diverfion, he makes it his Bufiness. < to expose me. I never fail feeing him in all publick Company, where he is always most induftriously fpightful. He hath, in short, told all his Acquaintance of our unhappy Affair; they tell theirs; fo that it is no Secret among his Companions, which are numerous. They to whom he tells it, think they have a Title to be very familiar. If they bow to me, and I out of good Manners return it, then I am pestered with Freedoms that are no ways agreeable to myself or Company. If I turn my Eyes

from