Kingdom. When Renault had done fpeaking, f a very worthy Man affumed the Difcourfe! This is (faid he) Mr. Bickerstaff, a proper Argument for you to treat in your Article from this Place; and if you would fend your Pacolet into all our Brains, you would find, that a little Fibre or Valve, fcarce difcernable, makes the Diftinction between a Politician and an Ideot. We fhould therefore throw a Veil upon thofe ⚫ unhappy Inftances of humane Nature, who feem to breath without the Direction of Rea fon and Understanding, as we should avert our Eyes with Abhorrence from fuch as live in per petual Abuse and Contradiction to these noble Faculties. Shall this unfortunate Man be di• vefted of his Eftate, because he is tractable and indolent, runs in no Man's Debt, invades no Man's Bed, nor fpends the Eicate he owes his Children and his Character, when one who 34 thews no Senfe above him, but in fuch Practi< ces, shall be esteem'd in his Senfes, and poffibly may pretend to the Guardianship of him who is no Ways his Inferior, but in being lefs wicked? We fee old Age brings us indifferently in to the fame Impotence of Soul, wherein Nature has plac'd this Lo.d. There is fomething very fantastical in the Dihibution of Civil Power and Capacity among Men. The Law certainly gives thefe Perfons into the Ward and Care of the Crown, because that is beft able to protect 'em from Injuries, and the Impofitions of Craft and Knavery; that the Life of an Ideot may not ruin the Intail of a noble Houfe, and his Weakness may not fruftrate the Industry or Capacity of the Founder of his Family. But when one of bright Parts, as we fay, with his Eyes open, and all Men's Eyes upon him, deftroys thofe Purpofes, there is no Remedy. Folly and Ignorance are punish'd! Folly and Guilt are 0 2 toleraved! ว tolerated! Mr, Lock has fomewhere made a Diftinction between a Madman and a Fool: A Fool is he that from right Principles makes a wrong Conclufion; but a Madman is one who draws a juft Inference from falfe Principles. Thus the Fool who cut off the Fellow's Head that lay alleep, and hid it, and then waited to fee what he would fay when he awak'd and mifs'd his Head-piece, was in the Right in the first Thought,that a Man would be furprized to find fuch an Alteration in Things fince he fell afleep; but he was a little miftaken to imagine he could awake at all after his Head was off. A Madman fancies himself a Prince; but upon his Mistake, he acts suitably to that Character; and tho' he is out in fuppoling he has Principalities, while he drinks Gruel, and lies in Straw, yet you fall fee him-keep the Port of a diftreffed Monarch in all his Words and Actions. Thefe Two Perfons are equally taken into Cuftody: But what must be done to half this good Company, who every Hour of their Life are knowingly and wittingly both Fools and Madmen, and yet have Capacities both of forming Principles, and drawing Conclufions, with the full Ufe of Reafon ? From my own Apartment, July 11. This Evening fome Ladies came to vifit my Sifter Jenny; and the Difcourfe, after very many frivolous and publick Matters, turned upon the main Point among the Women, the Paf fion of Love. Sappho, who always leads on this Occation, began to fhow her Reading, and told us, That Sir John Suckling and Milton had, upon a parallel Occafion, faid the tendereft Things he had ever read. The Circumitance, faid he, is fuch as gives us a Notion of that Protecting Part which is the Duty of Men in their honourable Designs upon, or Poffeffion of Women. Women. In Suckling's Tragedy of Brennoralt, he makes the Lover fteal into his Miftrefs's Bedchamber, and draw the Curtains; then, when his Heart is full of her Charms, as she lies fleeping, instead of being carried away by the Violence of his Defires into Thoughts of a warmer Nature, Sleep, which is the Image of Death, gives this generous Lover Reflections of a different Kind, which regard rather her Safety than his own Paffion. For, beholding her as the lies fleeping, he utters thefe Words: So Mifers look upon their Gold, Which, while they joy to fee, they fear to lofe: Amongst the Wafts of Time? What Pity 'twere! i -When Milton makes Adam leaning on his Arm, Adam with Looks of Cordial Love This is that Sort of Paffion which truly deferves the Name of Love, and has fomething more generous than Friendship it felf; for it has a conftant Care of the Object beloved, abftracted from its own Intereits in the Poffeffion of it. Sappho was proceeding on the Subject, when my Sifter p oduced a Letter fent to 7 her in the Time of my Abfence, in Celebration, of the Marriage State, which is the Condition. 0 3 wherein 3 wherein only this Sort of Paffion reigns in full Authority. The Epiftle is as follows: ཉ Dear Madam, Our Brother being abfent, I dare take the Liberty of writing to you my Thoughts of that State, which our whole Sex either is or * defires to be in: You'll eafily guess I mean Matrimony, which I hear fo much decry'd, that it was with no finall Labour I maintained my Ground against Two Opponents; but, as your * Brother obferv'd of Socrates, I drew them into my Conclufion from their own Conceffions; * thus: In Marriage are Two happy Things allow'd, If you think they were too cafily confuted, you may conclude them not of the First Senfe, by their talking against Marriage. Yours, Mariana. I obferved Sappho began to redden at this Epiftle; and turning to a Lady, who was playing with a Dog fhe was fo fond of, as to carry him Abroad with her; Nays, fays fhe, I cannot b'ame the Men if they have mean Ideas of our Souls and Affections, and wonder fo many are brought to take us for Companions for Life, when they fee our Endearments fo triflingly placed: For, to my Knowledge, Mr. Truman would give half his Eftate for half the Affection you have fhown to that Shock: Nor do I believe you would be afhamed to confefs, that I faw you cry, when he had the Chalick laft Week 295 with lapping four Milk, What more could your do for your Lover himself? What more! replied the Lady. There is not a Man in England for whom I could lament half fo much. Then the stifled the Animal with Kifles, and call'd him, Beau, Life, Dear, Monlieur, Pretty Fellow, and what not, in the Hurry of her Impertinence. Sappho role up; as the always does at any Thing the obferves done, which discovers in her own Sex a Levity of Mind, which renders 'em incon-fiderable in the Opinion of ours. St. James's Coffee-house July 11. Letters from the Hague of the 16th Instant, N.S. fay, That the Siege of Tournay went on with all imaginable Succefs; and that there has been no manner of Stop given to the Attempts of the Confederates fince they undertook it, except that by an Accident of Firing a Piece of Ordnance it burst, and kill'd 15 or 16 Men. The French Army is ftill in the Camp of Lens, and goes on in improving their Intrenchments. When the laft Advices came away, it was believed the 3 Town of Tournay would be in the Hands of the Confederates by the End of this Month. Advices from Bruffels inform us, That they have an Account of a great Action between the Malecontents in the Vivarez, and the French King's Forces under the Command of the Duke of Roquelaure, in which Engagement there were Eighteen Hundred Men kill'd on the Spot. They add, That all Sorts of People who are under any Oppreffion or Difcontent do daily join b the Vivarois; and that their prefent Body of Men in Arms confifted of Six Thoufand. This fudden Infurrection has put the Court of France under great Difficulties; and the King has gi ven Orders, That the main Body of his Troops. in Spain hall withdraw into his own Domini 0 4 ons,. |