⚫ but thunderbolts growing fcarce, I faften'd tooth and nail upon our garden-wall, which I ftuck to almost a twelvemonth, and had in that time peeled and devoured half a foot towards ou neighbour's yard. I now thought myself the happieft creature in the world, and I believe in my confcience, I had eaten quite through, had I had it in my chamber; but now I ⚫ became lazy and unwilling to ftir, and was obliged to feek food nearer home. I then took a frange hankering to coals; I fell to fcranching 'em, and had already confumed, I am certain, as much as would have dreffed my wedding dinner, when my uncle came for me home. He was in the parlour with my gove:ness ⚫ when I was called down. I went in, fell on my knees, ⚫ for he made me call him father; and when I expected the bleffing I asked, the good gentleman, in a furprife, turns himself to my governefs, and afks, Whether this, (pointing to me) was his daughter? This (added he) is the very picture of death My child was a plump-fac'd, hale, fresh colour'd girl; but this looks as if he was half starv'd, a mere skeleton My governess, who is really a good woman, affured my father I had wanted for nothing; and withal told him I was continually eating fome trash or other, and that • I was almost eaten up with the green fickness, her or⚫ders being never to crofs me. But this magnified but little with my father, who presently in a kind of pet, paying for my board, took me home with him. I had not been long at home, but one Sunday at church (I fhall never forget it) I faw a young neigbouring gen⚫tleman that pleased me hugely; I liked him of all men I ever faw in my life, and began to wish I could be as pleafing to him. The very next day he came, with his father, a vifiting to our houfe: We were left alone together, with directions on both fides to be in love with one another, and in three weeks time we were • married. I regained my former health and complec ⚫tion, and am now as happy as the day is long. Now, Mr. SPEC, I defire you would find out fome name for thefe craving damfels, whether dignified or diftinguished under fome or all of the following denominations, to wit, Trafk-eaters, Oat-meal chewers, Pipe 6 6 • champers, champers, Chalk-lickers, Wax-nibblers, Coal-feranchers, Wall-peelers, or Gravel-diggers: And, good Sir, do your utmost endeavour to prevent (by expofing) this unaccountable folly, fo prevailing among the young ⚫ones of our fex, who may not meet with fuch fudden good luck as, SIR, 36. ·Inter firepit anfer olores Virg. Ecl 9. v. He gabbles like a goofe, amidst the fwan-like quire. Mr. SPECTATOR, A DRYDEN. Oxford, July 14. CCORDING to a late invitation in one of your papers to every man who pleases to write, I have fent you the following fhort differtation. against the vice of being prejudiced. M Your most humble servant. AN is a fociable creature, and a lover of glory whence it is that when feveral perfons are ⚫ united in the fame fociety, they are ftudious to leffen the reputation of others, in order to raise their own. • The wife are content to guide the fprings in filence, ⚫ and rejoice in fecret at their regular progrefs: To prate and triumph is the part allotted to the trifling and fuperficial: The geefe were providentially ordained to fave the Capitol. Hence it is, that the invention of marks and devices to diftinguish parties, is owing to the beaux and belles of this illand. Hats moulded into • different ⚫ different cocks and pinches, have long bid mutual defiance; patches have been fet againft patches in battlearray; flocks have rifen and fallen in proportion to head-dreffes; and peace or war been expected, as the white or the red hood hath prevailed. Thefe are the ftandard-bearers in our contending armies, the dwarfs and fquires who carry the impreffes of the giants or knights, not born to fight themselves, but to prepare the way for the enfuing combat. It is matter of wonder to reflect how far men of weak understanding and flrong fancy are hurried by their prejudices, even to the believing that the whole body of the adverse party are a band of villains and demons. For igners complain, that the English are the proudest nation under Heaven. Perhaps they too have their fhare; but be that as it will, general charges against bodies of men is the fault I am writing againft. It must be own'd, to our fhame, that our common people, and moft who have not travelled, have an irrational contempt for the language, dress, cuftoms, and even the shape and minds of other nations. Some men, otherwife of fenfe, have wondered that a great genius fhould fpring out of Ireland; and think you mad in affirming, that fine odes have been written in Lapland This fpirit of rivalship, which heretofore reigned in the two Univerfities, is extinct, and almost over betwixt college and college: In parishes and fchools the thirft of glory ftill obtains. At the feafons of football and cock-fighting, thefe little republics reaffume their national hatred to each other. My tenant in the country is verily perfuaded, that the parish of the enemy hath not one honeft man in it. I always hated fatires against women, and fatires against men; I am apt to fulpect a ftranger who laughs at the religion of The faculty: My spleen rifes at a dull rogue, who is fevere upon mayors and aldermen ; and was never better pleafed than with a piece of juftice executed upon the body of a templar, who was very arch upon parfons. The neceffities of mankind require various employments; and whoever excels in his province is wor 6 • thy thy of praife. All men are not educated after the fame manner, nor have all the fame talents. Those who are deficient deferve our compaffion, and have a title to our affiftance. All cannot be bred in the fame place; but in all places there arife, at different times, fuch perfons as do honour to their fociety, which may raise envy in little fouls, but are admired and cherished by generous fpirits. 6 It is certainly a great happiness to be educated in ⚫ focieties of great and eminent men. Their inftructions and examples are of extraordinary advantage. It is highly proper to inftil fuch a reverence of the govern'ing perfons, and concern for the honour of the place, as may fpur the growing members to worthy purfuits and honeft emulation: But to fwell young minds with vain thoughts of the dignity of their own brotherhood, by debafing and vilifying all others, doth them a real injury. By this means I have found that their efforts have become languid, and their prattle irksom, as thinking it fufficient praife that they are children of fo illuftrious and ample a family. I fhould think it a furer as well as more generous method, to fet be'fore the eyes of youth fuch perfons as have made a nable progrefs in fraternities lefs talk'd of; which feems tacitly to reproach their floth, who loll fo heavily in the feats of mighty improvement: Active fpirits hereby would enlarge their notions, whereas by a ⚫ fervile imitation of one, or perhaps two, admired men, in their own body, they can only gain a fecondary ⚫ and derivative kind of fame. Thefe copiers of men, like those of authors or painters, run into affectations ⚫ of fome oddnefs, which perhaps was not difagreeable in the original, but fits ungracefully on the narrowfoul'd transcriber. By fuch early corrections of vanity, while boys are growing into men, they will gradually learn not to cenfure fuperficially; but imbibe thofe principles of general kindnefs and humanity, which alone can • make them eafy to themfelves, and beloved by others. Reflexions of this nature have expunged all prejudice out of my heart, infomuch that tho' I am a firm proteftant, I hope to fee the pope and carVOL. VI. G ⚫ dinals dinals with violent emotions; and though I am naturally grave, I expect to meet good company at Paris. I am, SIR, Your obedient fervant. Mr. SPECTATOR, I Find you are a general undertaker, and have by your correfpondents or felf an infight into most things; which makes me apply myself to you at prefent in the foreft calamity that ever befel man. My wife has taken fomething ill of me, and has not spoke one word, good or bad, to me, or any body in the family, fince Friday was feven-night. What inuft a man do in that cafe? Your advice would be a great ⚫ obligation to, SIR, Your most bumble fervant, Mr. SPECTATOR, Ralph Thimbleton. σε HEN you want a trifle to fill up a paper, in W inferting this you will lay an obligation on July 15th, 1712. Dear Olivia. Your humble fervant, OLIVIA. T is but this moment I have had the happiness of Ik knowing to whom I amobliged for the present I "received the fecond of April. I am heartily forry it did 66 not come to hand the day before; for I can't but think "it very hard upon people to lose their jeft, that offer at one but once a year. I congratulate myself however upon the earnest given me of fomething further "intended in my favour; for I am told, that the 66 man who is thought worthy by a lady to make a fool of, ftands fair enough in her opinion to be46 come one day her husband. 'Till fuch time as I |