that I will appeal to the world whether it was possible to alter a word in them without doing them a manifest hurt and violence; and whether they can ever appear rightly, and as they ought, but in their own native dress and colours. And therefore I think I should not only wrong them, but deprive the world of a considerable satisfaction, should I any longer delay the making them public.

After I have published a few of these Spectators, I doubt not but I shall find the success of them to equal, if not surpass, that of the best of my own. An author should take all methods to humble himself in the opinion he has of his own performances. When these papers appear to the world, I doubt not but they will be followed by many others; and I shall not repine, though I myself shall have left me but a very few days to appear in public; but preferring the general weal and advantage to any considerations of myself, I am resolved for the future to publish any Spectator that deserves it, entire and without any alteration; assuring the world if there can ɔe need of it, that it is none of mine, and if the auhors think fit to subscribe their names, I will add hem.

I think the best way of promoting this generous nd useful design, will be by giving out subjects or hemes of all kinds whatsoever, on which, with a reamble of the extraordinary benefit and advantage hat may accrue thereby to the public, I will invite 11 manner of persons, whether scholars, citizens, ourtiers, gentlemen of the town or country, and all eaux, rakes, smarts, prudes, coquettes, housewives, nd all sorts of wits, whether male or female, and owever distinguished, whether they be true wits, hole or half wits, or whether arch, dry, natural, acuired, genuine, or depraved, wits; and persons of

all sorts of tempers and complexions, whether the severe, the delightful, the impertinent, the agreeable, the thoughtful, busy or careless, the serene or cloudy, jovial or melancholy, untowardly or easy, the cold, temperate, or sanguine; and of what manners or dispositions soever, whether the ambitious or humble-minded, the proud or pitiful, ingenuous or base-minded, good or ill-natured, public-spirited or selfish; and under what fortune or circumstance soever, whether the contented or miserable, happy or unfortunate, high or low, rich or poor, whether so through want of money, or desire of more, healthy or sickly, married or single; nay, whether tall or short, fat or lean; and of what trade, occupation, profession, station, country, faction, party, persuasion, quality, age, or condition soever; who have ever made thinking a part of their business or diversion, and have any thing worthy to impart on these subjects to the world according to their several and respective talents or geniuses; and, as the subjects given out, hit their tempers, humours, or circumstances, or may be made profitable to the public by their particular knowledge or experience in the matter proposed, to do their utmost on them by such a time, to the end they may receive the inexpressible and irresistible pleasure of seeing their essays allowed of and relished by the rest of mankind.

I will not prepossess the reader with too great expectation of the extraordinary advantages which must redound to the public by these essays, when the different thoughts and observations of all sorts of persons, according to their quality, age, sex, education, professions, humours, manners, and conditions, &c. shall be set out by themselves in the clearest and most genuine light, and as they themselves would wish to have them appear to the world.

The thesis proposed for the present exercise of the adventurers to write Spectators, is Money; on which subject all persons are desired to send in their thoughts within ten days after the date hereof.

T

No. 443. TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1712.

Sublatam ex oculis quærimus invidi.

HOR. CAR. iii. 24. 32.

Snatch'd from our sight, we eagerly pursue,
And fondly would recall her to our view.

CAMILLA TO THE SPECTATOR.

"MR. SPECTATOR,

" I TAKE it extremely ill, that you do not reckon conspicuous persons of your nation are within your cognizance, though out of the dominions of Great Britain. I little thought, in the green years of my life, that I should ever call it a happiness to be out of dear England; but as I grew to woman, I found myself less acceptable in proportion to the increase of my merit. Their ears in Italy are so differently formed from the make of yours in England, that I never come upon the stage, but a general satisfaction appears in every countenance of the whole people. When I dwell upon a note, I behold all the men accompanying me with heads inclining, and falling of their persons on one side, as dying away with me. The women too do justice to my merit, and no illnatured worthless creature cries, The vain thing,'

* Mrs. Tofts, who played the part of Camilla in the opera of

that name.

when I am wrapped up in the performance of my part, and sensibly touched with the effect my voice has upon all who hear me. I live here distinguished as one whom nature has been liberal to in a graceful person, and exalted mien, and heavenly voice. These particularities in this strange country are arguments for respect and generosity to her who is possessed of them. The Italians see a thousand beauties I am sensible I have no pretence to, and abundantly make up to me the injustice I received in my own country, of disallowing me what I really had. The humour of hissing, which you have among you, I do not know any thing of; and their applauses are uttered in sighs, and bearing a part at the cadences of voice with the persons who are performing. I am often put in mind of those complaisant lines of my own countryman*, when he is calling all his faculties together to hear Arabella.

66

Let all be hushed, each softest motion cease,
Be ev'ry loud tumultuous thought at peace;
And ev'ry ruder gasp of breath

Be calm as in the arms of death:
And thou, most fickle, most uneasy part,
Thou restless wanderer, my heart,
Be still; gently, ah! gently leave,
Thou busy, idle thing, to heave:
Stir not a pulse; and let my blood,
That turbulent, unruly flood,
Be softly staid:

Let me be all, but my attention, dead.

The whole city of Venice is as still when I am singing as this polite hearer was to Mrs. Hunt. But when they break that silence, did you know the pleasure Í am in, when every man utters his ap

* Mr. Congreve.

plause, by calling me aloud, The Dear Creature! The Angel! the Venus! What attitudes she moves with!-Hush, she sings again!' We have no boisterous wits who dare disturb an audience, and break the public peace merely to show they dare. Mr. Spectator, I write this to you thus in haste, to tell you I am so very much at ease here, that I know nothing but joy; and I will not return, but leave you in England to hiss all merit of your own growth off the stage. I know, Sir, you were always my admirer, and therefore I am yours,

"Venice, July 10, N. S.

"CAMILLA.

"P. S. I am ten times better dressed than ever I was in England."

"MR. SPECTATOR,

"THE project in yours of the 11th instant, of furthering the correspondence and knowledge of that considerable part of mankind, the trading world, cannot but be highly commendable. Good lectures to young traders may have very good effects on their conduct: but beware you propagate no false notions of trade: let none of your correspondents impose on the world by putting forth base methods in a good light, and glazing them over with improper terms. I would have no means of profit set for copies to others, but such as are laudable in themselves. Let not noise be called industry, nor impudence courage. Let not good fortune be imposed on the world for good management, nor poverty be called folly: imbute not always bankruptcy to extravagance, nor an estate to foresight. Niggardliness is not good huspandry, nor generosity profusion.

"Honestus is a well-meaning and judicious trader, hath substantial goods, and trades with his own