exhibit an elegant entertainment to the understanding as well as to the eye. Thunder and lightning, rain and hail, the painted bow and the glaring comet, are decorations of this mighty theatre; and the fable hemifphere ftud ded with spangles, the blue vault at noon, the glorious gildings and the rich colours in the horizon, I look on as fo many fucceffive scenes. When I confider things in this light, methinks it is a fort of impiety to have no attention to the courfe of nature, and the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. To be regardless of thofe phænomena that are placed within our view, on purpose to entertain our faculties, and difplay the wifdom and power of our Creator, is an affront to Providence of the fame kind (I hope it was not impious to make fuch a fimile) as it would be to a good poet to fit out his play without minding the plot or beauties of it. And yet how few are there who attend to the drama of nature, its artificial ftructure, and thofe admirable fcenes whereby the paffions of a philofopher are gratefully agitated, and his foul affected with the fweet emotions of joy and furprize! own! " How many fox-hunters and rural fquires are to be found all over Great Britain, who are ignorant that they have lived all this time in a planet; that the fun is feveral thoufand times bigger than the earth; and that there are feveral other worlds within our view, greater and more glorious than our Ay, but," fays fome illiterate fellow, "I enjoy the world, and leave it to others to contemplate it." Yet you eat, and drink, and run about upon it; that is, you enjoy as a brute; but to enjoy as a rational being is to know it, to be fenfible of its greatnefs and beauty, to be delighted with its harmony, and by thefe reflections to obtain juft fentiments of the almighty mind that framed it. The man who, unembarraffed with vulgar cares, leifurely attends to the flux of things in heaven and things on earth, and obferves the laws by which they are governed, hath fecured to himfelf an eafy and convenient feat, where he beholds with pleafure all that paffes on the ftage of nature, while thofe a bout him are, fome faft afleep, and others struggling for the highest places, or turning their eyes from the entertainment prepared by Providence, to play at pufh-pin with one another. Within this ample circumference of the world, the glorious lights that are hung on high, the meteors in the middle region, the various livery of the earth, and the profufion of good things that diftinguish the feafons, yields a profpect which annihilates all human grandeur. Tatler. 11. The planetary and terreftrial Worlds comparatively confidered. To us, who dwell on its furface, the earth is by far the most extenfive orb that our eyes can any where behold: it is alfo clothed with verdure, diftin guished by trees, and adorned with va riety of beautiful decorations; where. as to a fpectator placed on one of the planets, it wears an uniform aspect, looks all luminous, and no larger than a fpot. To beings who ftill dwell at greater diftances it entirely disappears. That which we call alternately the morning and the evening ftar; as in one part of the orbit fhe rides foremost in the proceffion of night, in the other ufhers in and anticipates the dawn; is a planetary world, which with the four others, that fo wonderfully vary their myftic dance, are in themselves dark bodies, and fhine only by reflection; have fields, and feas, and skies of their own, are furnished with all accommodations for animal fubfiftence, and are fuppofed to be the abodes of intellec. tual life; all which, together with our earthly habitation, are dependent on that grand difpenfer of divine munificence, the fun; receive their light from the diftribution of his rays, and derive their comfort from his benign agency. The fun, which feems to perform its daily ftages through the fky, is in this refpect fixed and immoveable; 'tis the great axle of heaven, about which the globe we inhabit, and other more fpacious orbs, wheel their ftated couries, The fun, though feemingly fmaller than the dial it illuminates, is abun dantly Mantly larger than this whole earth, on which fo many lofty mountains rife, and fuch vaft oceans roll. A line extending from fide to fide through the centre of that refplendent orb, would measure more than eight hundred thoufand miles: a girdle formed to go round its circumference, would require a length of millions. Were its folid contents to be estimated, the account would overwhelm our understanding, and be almoft beyond the power of language to exprefs. Are we ftartled at thefe reports of philofophy? Are we ready to cry out in a tranfport of furprize, "How mighty is the Being who kindled fuch a prodigious fire, and keeps alive from age to age fuch an enormous mafs of flame!" let us attend our philofophic guides, and we fhall be brought acquainted with fpeculations more enlarged and more inflaming. This fun, with all its attendant planets, is but a very little part of the grand machine of the univerfe; every ftar, though in appearance no bigger than the diamond that glitters upon a lady's ring, is really a vaft globe, like the fun in fize and in glory; no lefs fpacious, no lefs luminous, than the radiant fource of the day: so that every ftar is not barely a world, but the centre of a magnificent fyftem; has a retinue of worlds, irradiated by its beams, and revolving round its attractive influence, all which are loft to our fight in unmeasurable wilds of ether. That the ftars appear like fo many diminutive and fcarce diftinguishable points, is owing to their immenfe and inconceivable diftance. Immenfe and inconceivable indeed it is, fince a ball, fhot from the loaded cannon, and flying with unabated rapidity, muft travel at this impetuous rate almost seven hundred thoufand years, before it could reach the nearest of these twinkling luminaries. While, beholding this vast expanfe, I learn my own extreme meannefs, I would alfo difcover the abject littlenefs of all terreftrial things. What is the earth, with all her oftentatious fcenes, compared with this aftonishing grand furniture of the kies? What, but a dim fpeck, hardly perceivable in the map of the universe? It is observed by a very judicious writer, that if the fun, himself, which enlightens this part of the creation, was extinguifhed, and all the hoft of planetary worlds, which move about him, were annihilated, they would not be miffed by an eye that can take in the whole compafs of nature, any more than a grain of fand upon the fea-fhore. The bulk of which they confift, and the space which they occupy, is fo exceedingly little in comparifon of the whole, that their lofs would leave fcarce a blank in the immenfity of God's works. If then, not our globe only, but this whole fyftem, be fo very diminutive, what is a kingdom or a county? What are a few lordfhips, or the fo much admired patrimonies of those who are ftiled wealthy? When I measure them with my own lit. tle pittance, they fwell into proud and bloated dimenfions: but when I take the universe for my standard, how fcanty is their fize, how contemptible their figure! they fhrink into pompous nothings. Spectator. § 111. The Character of Toby Bumper. It is one of the greatest advantages of education, that it encourages an ingenuous fpirit, and cultivates a liberal difpofition. We do not wonder that a lad who has never been fent to school, and whofe faculties have been fuffered to ruft at the hall-houfe, fhould form too clofe an intimacy with his best friends, the groom and the game-keeper; but it would amaze us to fee a boy, well educated, cherish this ill-placed pride of being, as it is called, the head of the company. A perfon of this humble ambition will be very well content to pay the reckoning, for the honour of being dif tinguished by the title of the gentle. man, while he is unwilling to affociate with men of fashion, left they should be his fuperiors in rank or fortune; or with men of parts, left they should excel him in abilities. Sometimes indeed it happens that a perfon of genius and learning will stoop to receive the incenfe of mean and illiterate flatterers in a porter-house and cyder-cellar; and I remember to have heard of a poet, who was once caught in a brothel, in the very fact of reading his verfes to the good old mother and a circle of her daughters. There are some few, who have been led into low company, merely from an affectation of humour, and, from a defire of feeing the droller fcenes of life, have defcended to affociate with the meanest of the mob, and picked their cronies from lanes and alleys. The moft triking inftance I know of this low paffion for drollery, is Toby Bumper, a young fellow of family and fortune, and not without talents, who has taken more than ordinary pains to degrade himself; and is now become almoft as low a character, as any of thofe whom he has chofen for his companions. Toby will drink purl in a morning, fmoke his pipe in a night-cellar, dive for a dinner, or eat black-puddings at Bartholomew-fair, for the humour of the thing. He has alfo ftudied, and practifes, all the plebeian arts and exercifes, under the best mafters; and has difgraced himself with every unpolite accomplishment. He has had many a fet-to with Buckhorfe; and has now and then the honour of receiving a fall from the great Broughton himself. Nobody is better known among the hack ney-coachmen, as a brother whip: at the noble game of prifon-bars, he is a match even for the natives of Effex and Cheshire; and he is frequently engaged at the Artillery-ground with Faulkner and Dingate at cricket; and is himself esteemed as good a bat as either of the Bennets. Another of Toby's favourite amusements is, to attend the executions at Tyburn; and it once happened, that one of his familiar in timates was unfortunately brought thither; when Toby carried his regard to his deceafed friend fo far, as to get himself knocked down in endeavouring to rescue the body from the furgeons. As Toby affects to mimic, in every particular, the art and manners of the vulgar, he never fails to enrich his converfation with their emphatic oaths and expreffive dialect, which recommends him as a man of excellent humour and high fun, among the Choice Spirits at Comus's court, or at the meeting of the Sons of found Senfe and Satisfaction. He is alfo particularly famous for finging thofe cant fongs, drawn up in the barbarous dialect of fharpers and pickpockets; the humour of which he often heightens, by fcrewing up his mouth, and rolling about a large quid of tobacco between his jaws. Thefe and other like accomplishments frequently promote him to the chair in thefe facetious focieties. Toby has indulged the fame notions of humour even in his amours; and is well known to every ftreet-walker from Cheapfide to Charing-crofs. This has given feveral fhocks to his conftitution, and often involved him in unlucky fcrapes. He has been frequently bruifed, beaten, and kicked, by the bullies of Wapping and Fleet-ditch and was once foundly drubbed by a foldier, for engaging with his trull. The laft time I law him he was laid up with two black eyes, and a broken pate, which he got in a midnight skirmish, about a miitrefs, in a night-cellar. Connoiffeur, § 112. Caufes of national Characters. ; The vulgar are very apt to carry all national characters to extremes; and having once established it as a principle, that any people are knavish, or coward ly, or ignorant, they will admit of no exception, but comprehend every individual under the fame character. Men of fenfe condemn thefe undistinguishing judgments; though at the fame time they allow, that each nation has a pe culiar fet of manners, and that fome particular qualities are more frequently to be met with among one people than among their neighbours. The common people in Switzerland have furely more probity than thofe of the fame rank in Ireland; and every prudent man will, from that circumflance alone, make a difference in the truft which he repofes in each. We have reafon to expect greater wit and gaiety in a Frenchman than in a Spaniard, though Cervantes was born in Spain. An Englishman will naturally be thought to have more wit than a Dane, though Tycho Brahe was a native of Denmark, Different reafons are affigned for thefe national national characters, while fome account for them from moral, and others from phyfical caufes. By moral caufes I mean all circumftances which are fitted to work on the mind, as motives or reafons, and which render a peculiar fet of manners habitual to us. Of this kind are the nature of the government, the revolutions of public affairs, the plenty or penury in which the people live, the fituation of the nation with regard to its neighbours, and fuch like circumftances. By phyfical caufes, I mean thofe qualities of the air and climate, which are supposed to work in fenfibly on the temper, by altering the tone and habit of the body, and giving a particular complexion; which, tho' reflection and reafon may fometimes overcome, yet will it prevail among the generality of mankind, and have an influence on their manners. viour; being employed only against a public and open enemy, they become candid, honeft, and undefigning and as they use more the labour of the body than the mind, they are commonly thoughtless and ignorant. 'Tis a trite but not altogether a false maxim, that priests of all religions are the fame; and though the character of the profeffion will not in every inftance prevail over the perfonal character, yet is it fure always to predominate with the greater number. For as chymifts obferve, that fpirits when raised to a certain height are all the fame, from whatever materials they be extracted; fo thefe men being elevated above humanity, acquire an uniform character, which is entirely their own, and which is in my opinion, generally speaking, not the most amiable that is to be met with in human fociety: it is in moft points oppofite to that of a foldier, as is the way of life from which it is derived. Hume's Effays. to Beauty. That the character of a nation will very much depend on moral caufes, must be evident to the moft fuperficial obferver; fince a nation is nothing but a collection of individuals, and the § 113. Chastity an additional Ornament manners of individuals are frequently determined by thefe caufes. As poverty and hard labour debase the minds of the common people, and render them unfit for any fcience and ingenious profeffion, fo where any government becomes very oppreffive to all its fubjects, it must have a proportional effect on their temper and genius, and must banifh all the liberal arts from amongst them. The fame principle of moral caufes fixes the characters of different profeffions, and alters even the difpofition which the particular members receive from the hand of nature. A foldier and a priest are different characters in all nations and all ages, and this dif. ference is founded on circumstances, whose operation is external and uṇalterable. The uncertainty of their life makes foldiers lavish and generous, as well as brave; their idlenefs, as well as the large focieties which they form in camps or garrifons, inclines them to pleasure and gallantry; by their frequent change of company they acquire good-breeding and an openness of beha There is no charm in the female fex, Without innocence, beauty is unlovely, that can fupply the place of virtue. and quality contemptible; good-breedwit into impudence. It is obferved, ing degenerates into wantonnefs, and that all the virtues are reprefented by male fhapes; but if any one of them both painters and ftatuaries under fe it is Modefty. I fhall leave it to the has a more particular title to that fex, divines to guard them against the oppofite vice, as they may be overpowered by temptations; it is fufficient for me to have warned them against it, as they may be led aftray by instinct. Spectator. (767) fexes, and the matter is of importance nourable; but in this cafe, the very attempt is become very ridiculous but in fpite of all the raillery of the world, truth is ftill truth, and will have beauties infeparable from it. I fhould, upon this occafion, bring examples of heroic chastity, were I not afraid of having my paper thrown away by the modifh part of the town, who go no farther at beft, than the mere abfence of ill, and are contented to be rather irreproachable, than praise-worthy. In this particular, a gentleman in the court of Cyrus reported to his majefty the charms and beauty of Panthea; and ended his panegyric by telling him, that fince he was at leifure, he would carry him to visit her. But that prince, who is a very great man to this day, anfwered the pimp, because he was a man of quality, without roughness, and faid, with a smile, "If I fhould vifit her upon your introduction, now I have leifure, I don't know but I might go again upon her own invitation, when I ought to be better employed." But when I caft about all the inftances which I have met with in all my reading, I find not one fo gene`rous, fo honelt, and fo noble, as that of Jofeph in holy writ. When his mafter had trufted him fo unrefervedly (to fpeak it in the emphatical manner of "He knew not aught the scripture) he had fave the bread which he did eat," he was fo unhappy as to appear irrefiftibly beautiful to his miftrefs; but when this fhameless woman proceeds to folicit him, how gallant is his answer! "Behold my mafter wotteth not what is with me in the house, and hath committed all that he hath to my hand; there is none greater in the house than I, neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife." The fame argument, which a bafe mind would have made to itself A loose behaviour, and an inattention to every thing that is ferious, flowing from fome degree of this petulancy, is obfervable in the generality of the youth of both fexes in this age. It is the one common face of most public meetings, and breaks in upon the fobriety, I will not fay feverity, that we ought to exercife in churches. The pert boys and flippant girls are but faint followers of thofe in the fame inclinations at more advanced years. I know not who can oblige them to mend their manners; all that I pretend to, is to enter my proteft, that they are neither fine gentlemen nor fine ladies for this behaviour. As for the portraitures which I would propofe, as the images of agreeable men and women, if they are not imitated or regarded, I can only answer, as I remember Mr. Dryden did on the like occafion, when a young fellow, juft come from the play of Cleomenes, told him in raillery against the continency of his principal character, If I had been alone with a lady, I should not have paffed my time like face, your Spartan: "That may be," anfwered the bard with a very grave for committing the evil, was to this but give me leave to tell you, Sir, Guardian. you are no hero." $115. The Characters of Gamefters. be The whole tribe of gamefters may man who makes carding, dicing, and ranked under two divifions: Every betting his daily practice, is either a dupe or a fharper; two characters equally the objects of envy and admiration. fortune and weak intellects, The dupe is generally a perfon of great "Who will as tenderly be led by th' nofe, SHAKESPEARE, "As alles are." He |