217 mortalize any one ferviceable Gift, and overlook all Imperfections in the Perfon who had it: But with us it is far otherwife, for we reject many eminent Virtues, if they are accompanied with one apparent Weakness. The reflecting after this Manner, made me account for the ftrange Delight Men take in reading Lampoons and Scandal, with which the Age abounds, and of which I receive frequent Complaints. Upon mature Confideration, I find it is principally for this Reason, that the worst of Mankind, the Libellers, receive fo much Encouragement in the World. The low Race of Men take a fecret Pleasure in finding an eminent Character levelled to their Condition by a Report of its Defects, and keep themselves in Countenance, though they are. excelled in a thoufand Virtues, if they believe they have in common with a great Perfon any one Fault. The Libeller falls in with this Humour, and gratifies this Baseness of Temper, which is naturally an Enemy to extraordinary Merit. It is from this, that Libel and Satire are promifcuoufly joined together in the Notions of the Vulgar, though the Satirift and Libeller differ as much as the Magiftrate and the Murderer. In the Confideration of human Life, the Satirift never falls upon Perfons who are not glaringly faulty, and the Libeller on none but who are confpicuously commendable. Were I to expofe any Vice in a good or great Man, it fhould certainly be by correcting it in fome one where that Crime was the most diftinguishing Part of the Character; as Pages are chaftized for the Admonition of Princes. When it is performed otherwife, the Vicious are kept in Credit, by placing Men of Merit in the fame. Accufation. But all the Pafquils, Lampoons and Libels, we meet with now-a-days, are a Sort of playing with the four and twenty Letters, and throwing them into Names and Characters, without Senfe, Truth or Wit. In this Cafe, I am in great Perplexity to know whom they mean, and fnould be in Distress for those they abufe, if I did not fee their Judgment and Ingenuity in thofe they commend. This is the true Way of examining a Libe!; and when Men confider, that no one Man living thinks the better of their Heroes and Patrons for the Panegyrick given 'em, none can think themfelves

themselves leffen'd by their Invective. The Hero or Patron in a Libel, is but a Scavenger to carry off the Dirt, and by that very Employment is the filthieft Creature in the Street. Dedications and Panegyricks are frequently ridiculous, let them be addreffed where they will; but at the Front, or in the Body of a Libel, to commend a Man, is faying to the Persons applauded, My Lord, or, Sir, I have pulled down all Men that the reft of the World think Great and Honourable, and here is a clear Stage; you may as you please be valiant or wife; you may choose to be on the Military or Civil Lift; for there is no one brave who commands, or just who has Power: You may rule the World now it is empty, which exploded you when it was full: I have knocked out the Brains of all whom Mankind thought good for any Thing; and I doubt not, but you will reward that Invention, which found out the only Expedient to make your Lordship, or your Worship of any Confideration.

HADI the Honour to be in a Libel, and had escaped the Approbation of the Author, I fhould look upon it exactly in this Manner. But tho' it is a Thing thus perfectly indifferent, who is exalted or debased in such Performances, yet it is not fo with relation to the Authors of them; therefore I fhall, for the Good of my Counzry, hereafter take upon me to punish thefe Wretches, What is already pafs'd, may die away according to its Nature, and continue in its prefent Oblivion; but for the future, I fhall take Notice of fuch Enemies to Honour and Virtue, and preferve them to immortal Infamy: Their Names fhall give fresh Offence many Ages hence, and be detefted a thousand Years after the Commiffion of their Crime. It fhall not avail, that thefe Children of Infamy publifh their Works under feigned Names, or under none at all; for I am fo perfectly well acquainted with the Styles of all my Contemporaries, that I fhall not fail of doing them juftice, with their proper Names, and at their full Length. Let therefore thefe Mifcreants enjoy their prefent Act of Oblivion, and take Care how they offend hereafter.

BUT to avert our Eyes from fuch Objects, it is methinks but requifite to fettle our Opinion in the Cafe of Praise and Blame; and I believe, the only true Way to

cure

cure that Senfibility of Reproach, which is a common Weakness with the most virtuous Men, is to fix their Regard firmly upon only what is ftrictly true, in relation to their Advantage, as well as Diminution. For if I am pleafed with Commendation which I do not deferve, I fhall from the fame Temper be concern'd at Scandal I do not deferve. But he that can think of false Applaufe with as much Contempt as falfe Detraction, will certainly be prepared for all Adventures, and will become all Occafions. Undeferved Praife can please only those who want Merit, and undeferved Reproach frighten only those who want Sincerity. I have thought of this with fo much Attention, that I fancy there can be no other Method in Nature found for the Cure of that Delicacy which gives good Men Pain under Calumny, but placing Satisfaction no where but in a juft Senfe of their own Integrity, without Regard to the Opinion of others. If we have not such a Foundation as this, there is no Help againft Scandal, but being in Obfcurity, which to noble Minds is not being at all. The Truth of it is, this Love of Praife dwells moft in great and heroick Spirits; and those who beft deferve it, have generally the moft exquifite Relifh of it. Methinks I fee the renowned Alexander, after a painful and labo rious March, amidst the Heats of a parched Soil and a burning Climate, fitting over the Head of a Fountain, and after a Draught of Water pronounce that memorable Saying, Oh Athenians! How much do I fuffer that you may speak well of me? The Athenians were at that time the Learned of the World, and their Libels against Alexander were written as he was a profeffed Enemy of their State: But how monftrous would fuch Invectives have appear'd in Macedonians?

As Love of Reputation is a darling Paffion in great Men, fo the Defence of them in this Particular is the Business of every Man of Honour and Honesty. We should run on fuch an Occafion (as if a publick Building was on Fire) to their Relief, and all who spread or publifh fuch deteftable Pieces as traduce their Merit, hould be ufed like Incendiaries. It is the common Cause of our Country to fupport the Reputation of thole who preferve it against Invaders; and every Man

is attack'd in the Perfon of that Neighbour who de ferves well of him.

From my own Apartment, November 9.

THB Chat I had to-day at White's about Fame and Scandal, put me in Mind of a Perfon who has often writ to me unregarded, and has a very moderate Ambition in this Particular. His Name it feems is Charles Lillie, and he recommends himself to my Obfervation as one that fold Snuff next Door to the Fountain-Tavern in the Strand, and was burnt out when he began to have a Reputation in his Way..

Mr. Bickerstaff,

Suppose, through a Hurry of Business, you have either forgot me, or loft my last of this Nature, which was to beg the Favour of being advantageously expofed in your Paper, chiefly for the Reputation of Snuff. Be pleafed to par don this Trouble from,

SIR,

Your very humble Servant, or

C. L

I am a Perfumer, at the Corner of Beauford Buildings in the Strand

THIS fame Charles leaves it to me to fay what I will of him; and I am not a little pleas'd with the ingenuous Manner of his Addrefs. Taking Snuff is what I have declared againft; but as his Holinefs the Pope allows Whoring for the Taxes rais'd by the Ladies of Pleafure, fo I, to repair the Lofs of an unhappy Trader, indulge all Perfons in that Customwho buy of Charles: There is fomething fo particular in the Request of the Man, that I fhall fend for him before me, ard believe, I fhall find he has a Genius for Bawbles: If fo, I fhall, for ought I know, at his Shop, give licenfed Canes to thofe who are really lame, and Tubes to those who are unfeignedly fhort-fighted; and forbid all others to vend the fame.

Saturdayı

N° 93.

Saturday, November 12. 1709.

Will's Coffee-houfe, November 11.

HE French Humour of writing Epiftles, and pub lifhing their fulfome Compliments to each other, is a Thing I frequently complain of in this Place. It is, methinks, from the Prevalence of this filly Cuftom, that there is fo little Instruction in the Converfation of our diftant Friends: For which Reafon, during the whole Courfe of my Life, I have defired my Acquaintance, when they write to me, rather to fay fomething which fhould make me with my felf with them, than make me Compliments that they wifhed themfelves with me. By this Means, I have by me a Collection of Letters from moft Parts of the World, which are as naturally of the Growth of the Place, as any Herb, Tree, or Plant, of the Soil. This I take to be the proper Ufe of an Epiftolary Commerce. To defire to know how Damon goes on with his Courtship to Silvia, or how the Wine taftes at the Old Devil, “are thread-bare Subjects, and cold Treats, which our abTent Friends might have given us without going out of Town for 'em. ~A Friend of mine, who went to tra vel, ufed me far otherwife; for he gave me a Profpect of the Place, or an Account of the People, from every Country thro' which he paffed. Among others which I was looking over this Evening, I am not a little delighted with this which follows:

Dear Sir,

Believe this is the firft Letter that was ever fent you from the Middle Region, where I am at this prefent Writing. Not to keep you in Sufpence, it comes to you from the Top of the highest Mountain in Switzerland, where I am now shi vering among the eternal Frafts and Snow's. I can scarce forbear dating it in December, though they call it the First of Auguft at the Bottom of the Mountain. Iaffure you, I can hardly keep my Ink from freezing in the Middle of the VOL. II. L

Dog