accompany those writings with eulogiums, but leave them to speak for themselves. 66 FOR THE SPECTATOR. 66 MR. SPECTATOR, "You very much promote the interests of virtue, while you reform the taste of a profane age; and persuade us to be entertained with divine poems, while we are distinguished by so many thousand humours, and split into so many different sects and parties; yet persons of every party, sect, and humour, are fond of conforming their taste to yours. You can transfuse your own relish of a poem into all your readers, according to their capacity to receive; and when you recommend the pious passion that reigns in the verse, we seem to feel the devotion, and grow proud and pleased inwardly, that we have souls capable of relishing what the Spectator approves. "Upon reading the hymns that you have published in some late papers, I had a mind to try yesterday whether I could write one. The cxivth psalm appears to me an admirable ode, and I began to turn it into our language. As I was describing the journey of Israel from Egypt, and added the divine presence amongst them, I perceived a beauty in the psalm which was entirely new to me, and which I was going to lose; and that is, that the poet utterly conceals the presence of God in the beginning of it, and rather lets a possessive pronoun go without a substantive, than he will so much as mention any thing of divinity there. ‹ Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion or kingdom.' The reason now seems evident, and this conduct necessary: for, if God had appeared before, there could be no wonder why the mountains should leap and the sea re be ; therefore, that this convulsion of nature may ught in with due surprise, his name is not mentiontill afterward; and then, with a very agreeable n of thought, God is introduced at once in all his jesty. This is what I have attempted to imitate a translation without paraphrase, and to preserve at I could of the spirit of the sacred author. If the following essay be not too incorrigible, tow upon it a few brightenings from your genius, may learn how to write better, or to write no t I re. "Your daily admirer, and PSALM CXIV. I. When Israel, freed from Pharaoh's hand, II. Across the deep their journey lay, III. The mountains shook like frighted sheep, Not Sinai on her base could stand, IV. What power could make the deep divide? And whence the fright that Sinai feels? V. Let every mountain, ev'ry flood, Retire, and know th' approaching God, VI. He thunders-and all nature mourns, 66 MR. SPECTATOR, "THERE are those who take the advantage of your putting a halfpenny value upon yourself above the rest of our daily writers, to defame you in public conversation, and strive to make you unpopular upon the account of this said halfpenny. But, if I were you, I would insist upon that small acknowledgement for the superior merit of yours, as being a work of invention. Give me leave, therefore, to do you justice, and say in your behalf, what you cannot yourself, which is, that your writings have made learning a more necessary part of good-breeding than it was before you appeared; that modesty is become fashionable, and impudence stands in need of some wit; since you have put them both in their proper lights. Profaneness, lewdness, and debauchery, are not now qualifications; and a man may be a very gentleman, though he is neither a keeper nor an infidel. fine "I would have you tell the town the story of the Sibyls, if they deny giving you two-pence. Let them know, that those sacred papers were valued at the same rate after two-thirds of them were destroyed, as when there was the whole set. There are so many of us who will give you your own price, that you may acquaint your non-conformist readers, that they shall not have it, except they come in within such a day, under three-pence. I don't know but you might bring in the Date Obolum Belisario' with a good grace. The witlings come in clusters to two or three coffee-houses which have left you off; and I * By Dr..Isaac Watts. pe you will make us, who fine to your wit, merry th their characters who stand out against it. "I am your most humble servant. "P. S. I have lately got the ingenious authors blacking for shoes, powder for colouring the hair, matum for the hands, cosmetic for the face, to be ur constant customers; so that your advertisents will as much adorn the outward man, as your per does the inward.” T ). 462. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1712. Nil ego contulerim jucundo sanus amico. HOR. SAT. i. 5. 44. Nothing so grateful as a pleasant friend. COPLE are not aware of the very great force which -asantry in company has upon all those with whom man of that talent converses. His faults are geally overlooked by all his acquaintance; and a tain carelessness, that constantly attends all his ions, carries him on with greater success, than igence and assiduity does others who have no are of this endowment. Dacinthus breaks his rd upon all occasions both trivial and important; 1, when he is sufficiently railed at for that abonable quality, they who talk of him end with fter all, he is a very pleasant fellow.' Dacinthus an ill-natured husband, and yet the very women their freedom of discourse upon his subject, But after all, he is very pleasant company.' Dathus is neither, in point of honour, civility, goodeding, nor good-nature, unexceptionable; and all is answered, for he is a very pleasant fellow.' When this quality is conspicuous in a man who has, to accompany it, manly and virtuous sentiments, there cannot certainly be any thing which can give so pleasing a gratification as the gaiety of such a person; but when it is alone, and serves only to gild a crowd of ill qualities, there is no man so much to be avoided as your pleasant fellow. A very pleasant fellow shall turn your good name to a jest, make your character contemptible, debauch your wife or daughter, and yet be received by the rest of the world with welcome wherever he appears. It is very ordinary with those of this character to be attentive only to their own satisfactions, and have very little bowels for the concerns or sorrows of other men; nay, they are capable of purchasing their own pleasures at the expense of giving pain to others. But they, who do not consider this sort of men thus carefully, are irresistibly exposed to his insinuations. The author of the following letter carries the matter so high, as to intimate that the liberties of England have been at the mercy of a prince merely as he was of this pleasant character. 66 MR. SPECTATOR, "THERE is no one passion which all mankind so naturally give into as pride, nor any other passion which appears in such different disguises. It is to be found in all habits and all complexions. Is it not a question, whether it does more harm or good in the world; and if there be not such a thing as what we may call a virtuous and laudable pride? "It is this passion alone, when misapplied, that lays us so open to flatterers; and he who can agreeably condescend to sooth our humour or temper, finds always an open avenue to our soul; especially if the flatterer happen to be our superior. |