much pleased as with any other good news which he has not before heard. The agitations of the wind, and the falling of the rains, are what are abfolutely necessary for his welfare and accommodation. This kind of reader will behold the light with a new joy, and a fort of reasonable rapture. He will be led from the appendages which attend and furround our globe, to the contemplation of the globe itself, the diftribution of the earth and waters, the variety and quantity of all things provided for the uses of our world. Then will his contemplation, which was too diffufed and general, be let down to particulars, to different foils and moulds, to the beds of minerals and ftones, into caverns and volcanos, and then again to the tops of mountains, and then again to the field and valleys.

When the author has acquainted his reader with the place of his abode; he informs him of his capacity to make him easy and happy in it by the gift of fenfes, by their ready organs, by fhewing him the structure of thofe organs, the difpofition of the ear for the receipt of founds, of the nostril for smell, the tongue for tafte, the nerves to avoid harms by our feeling, and the eye by our fight.

The whole work is concluded (as it is the fum of fifteen fermons in proof of the existence of the Deity) with reflections which apply each distinct part of it to an end, for which the author may hope to be rewarded with an immortality much more to be defired than that of remaining in eternal honour among all the fons of men '.

v❝ I do not doubt but you know, by this time, that Mr. Steele has abruptly dropped the Guardian. He has this day

N° CLXXVI.

THREE LETTERS, BY MR. JOHN HUGHES;

DESIGNED FOR THE GUARDIAN

SIR,

W

THERE are few men but are capable, at fome time or other, of making a right judgment of themselves; therefore having, as I think, caught myfelf in one of these wife fits, I am refolved to make use of it while it lafts, and

lay my cafe before you. I was bred a mercer. I need not tell you that most of our profeffion are orators. I have, with some pains, attained to a great volubility of tongue, and am a perfect master in the art of shop rhetoric, which, with the help of a fair wig, a plausible bow, a gentle inclination of the head in proper parts of my difcourse, and an eafy motion of the hand, fets off

published a paper called the Englishman, which begins with an answer to the Examiner, written with great boldness and fpirit, and fhews that his thoughts are at present on politics. Some of his friends are in pain about him, and are concerned that a paper should be difcontinued, which might have been generally entertaining without engaging in party matters.'— Mr. Hughes to Mr. Addifon, Oct. 6, 1713.

The true reason that Steele laid down this paper was a quarrel between him and J. Tonfon. He ftood engaged to his book feller in articles of penalty for all the Guardians; and by defifting two days, and altering the title of the paper to that of The Englishman, was quit of the obligation, these papers being printed for Buckley.'-Pope to Addifon.

w First printed in Mr. Duncombe's Collection of Letters by feveral eminent persons deceased, 1772.

all that I utter, and has helped me to thrive in the world very comfortably. By this means, Mr. Ironfide, as I owe my profperity to noife, I am grown an utter enemy to filence, and when I go among my plain honest neighbours, who are not of any of the talking profeffions, I cannot help affuming a fuperiority over them, which, I find, has been a little refented. I have often refolved to confine my oratory to the verge of my fhop, and to employ it only in fetting off my filks and brocades, but long habits are not easily overcome, and the musical found of my own voice has tempted me, as often, to break that refolution. Many of my acquaintance, I know, would take it kindly if I talked lefs, and if you would put me in a way to do it, I fhould be very glad to oblige them. You must know, that I am fometimes chairman of a club, where fome of them complain that they have not their share of the difcourfe, and others (in raillery, I fuppofe) call me the 'fine speaker.' I have offered to pay double for my club, but that will not fatisfy them. Befides, Mr. Guardian, I have heard that you moralifts fay, it is difficult for a man to talk much without offending against truth, innocence, or good manners; and how do I know, now I am ferious, whether this unhappy talent may not, at fome time or other, have mifled me into falfehood, uncharitablenefs, or fcandal? It is poffible that the superfluity of my difcourfe may have fallen upon the reputation of fome honeft man, and have done him an irreparable injury, I may, in the torrent of my loquacity, have leffened real merit, or magnified little failings, be

yond the allowance of charity, or humanity. I
may have raised an unjuft jealoufy by a flower of
fpeech, practifed upon credulity by a smooth
fentence, and, in the heat of an argument, I may
have called a man knave by a shake of the head
and fhrug of the fhoulders. To be plain I have
fearched my heart, and find there is a great deal
of vanity at the bottom of it. Therefore, Mr.
Guardian, now I am in a proper difpofition, if
you will be pleafed to give me a lecture on this
fubject, and be fo kind as to convince me that I
am a coxcomb, yo will do a very particular fer-
vice to, Sir,

Your very humble fervant.'

TO NESTOR IRONSIDE, ESQ.

Or, in his abfence, to the Keeper of the Lion, at Button's
coffee-house, Covent-garden.

OLD IRONSIDE,

Sept. 1713.

IF your lion had not lefs breed-
ing than a bear, he would not have opened his
throat against fo genteel, a diverfion as mafque-
rading, which has ever been looked upon, in all
polite countries, as tending to no other end than
to promote a better understanding between the
fexes. But I fhall take another opportunity, Mr.
Ironfide, to talk with you upon this fubject. My
prefent bufinefs is with the Lion; and fince this
favage has behaved himself fo rudely, I do by
these presents, challenge him to meet me at the
next masquerade, and defire you will give orders

* See the Guardian, Vol. ii. N° 142, and N° 154.

to Mr. Button to bring him thither, in all his
terrors, where, in defence of the innocence of
these midnight amusements, I intend to ap-
pear against him, in the habit of fignior Nicolini,
to try the merits of this cause by single combat.
I am yours,

HONEST NESTOR,

INCOGNITO.'

'PR'YTHEE, stop your lion's mouth
a little on the chapter of masquerading. I have
pursued a dear creature feveral of these gay
nights through three or four as odd changes in
Ovid's Metamorphofes, and she has promised, at
the next, in the habit of a gypsy, to tell me
finally my fortune. Be dumb till then, and after-
wards fay what you please.

Your humble fervant,

TIM. FROLIC'.'

y The last N° of the Guardian, N° 175, is dated Oct. 1,
1713; and the firft N° of the Englishman is dated Oct. 6,
1713, which verifies the note at the clofe of the preceding
paper, p. 511. See Additions to Pope's Works, cr. 8vo.
Baldwin, vol. ii. p. 84 and 85.