6 -nec Te tua plurima Pantheu Labentem pietas, nec Apollinis infula texit. n. 1. 2. • I might here mention the Practice of the antient Tragick Poets, both Greek and Latin; but as this Particular is ⚫ touched upon in the Paper above mention'd, I fhall pass it over in Silence. I could produce Paffages out of Ariftotle in Favour of my Opinion, and if in one Place he fays that an abfolutely virtuous Man fhould not be reprefented as unhappy, this does not justify any one who shall think fit to bring in an abfolutely virtuous Man · upon the Stage. Those who are acquainted with that Author's way of writing, know very well, that to take the whole Extent of his Subject into his Divifions of it, he often makes ufe of fuch Cafes as are imaginary, and not reducible to practice: He himself declares that fuch Tragedies as ended unhappily bore away the Prize in Theatrical Contentions, from those which ended happily; and for the fortieth Speculation, which I am now confidering, as it has given Reafons why these are more apt to please an Audience, fo it only proves that thefe are generally preferable to the other, tho' at the fame Time it affirms that many excellent Tragedies have and may be written in both Kinds. I fhall conclude with obferving, that though the Spectator above-mentioned is so far against the Rule of poetical Juftice, as to affirm, that good Men may meet with an unhappy Cataftrophe in Tragedy, it does not fay that ill Men may go off unpunished. The Reafon for this Diftinction is very plain, namely because the ⚫ beft of Men are vicious enough to justify Providence for any Misfortunes and Afflictions which may befal them, ⚫ but there are many Men fo criminal that they can have no Claim or Pretence to Happiness. The beft of Men may deferve Punishment, but the worst of Men cannot deferve Happiness. 6 Saturday, ???老 No.549. Saturday, November 29. I Quamvis digreffu veteris confufus amici, Juv. BELIEVE moft People begin the World with a Refolution to withdraw from it into a ferious kind of Solitude or Retirement, when they have made themselves eafy in it. Our Unhappiness is, that we find out fome Excufe or other for deferring fuch our good Resolutions till our intended Retreat is cut off by Death. But among all Kinds of People there are none who are fo hard to part with the World,as thofe who are grown old in the heaping up of Riches. Their Minds are fo wrap'd with their con ftant Attention to Gain, that it is very difficult for them to give their Souls another Bent, and convert them towards thofe Objects, which, though they are proper for every Stage of Life, are fo more especially for the laft. Horace defcribes an old Ufurer as fo charm'd with the Pleasures of a Country Life, that in order to make a Purchase he called in all his Money; but what was the Event of it? Why in a very few Days after he put it out again. I am engaged in this Series of Thought by a Difcourfe which I had last Week with my worthy Friend Sir ANDREW FREE PORT, a Man of fo much natural Eloquence, good Sense, and Probity of Mind, that I always hear him with a particular Pleasure. As we were fitting together, being the fole remaining Members of our Club, Sir ANDREW gave me an Account of the many bufy Scenes of Life in which he had been engaged, and at the fame Time reckoned up to me abundance of thofe lucky Hits, which at another Time he would have called Pieces of good Fortune; but in the Temper of Mind he was then, he termed them Mercies, Favours of Providence, and Bleffings upon an honeft Industry. Now, fays he, you must know my good Friend, I am fo used to confider my felf as Creditor and Debtor, Ń 3 that that I often state my Accounts after the fame manner with regard to Heaven and my own Soul. In this Cafe, when I look upon the Debtor-fide, I find fuch innumerable Articles, that I want Arithmetick to caft them up; but when I look upon the Creditor-fide, I find little more than blank Paper. Now tho' I am very well fatisfied that it is not in my Power to ballance Accounts with my Maker, I am refolved however to turn all my future Endeavours that way. You must not therefore be furprised, my Friend, if you hear that I am betaking my self to a more thoughtful kind of Life, and if I meet you no more in this Place. I could not but approve fo good a Refolution, notwithstanding the Lofs I fhall fuffer by it. Sir ANDREW has fince explained himself to me more at large in the following Letter, which is juft come to my Hands. Good Mr. SPECTATOR, NOTWITHSTANDINlied at Club have always rallied me, when I have talked of retiring from Bufinefs, and repeated to me one of my own Sayings, That a Merchant has never • enough till he has got a little more; I can now inform • you that there is one in the World who thinks he has enough, and is determined to pafs the Remainder of his Life in the Enjoyment of what he has. You know me fo well, that I need not tell you, I mean, by the Enjoyment of my Poffeffions, the making of them ufeful to the Publick. As the greatelt Part of my Ef tate has been hitherto of an unfteady and volatile Nature, either toft upon Seas or fluctuating in Funds; it is now fixed and fettled in fubftantial Acres and Tene< ments. I have removed it from the Uncertainty of Stocks, Winds and Waves, and difpofed of it in a • confiderable Purchase. This will give me great Opportunity of being charitable in my Way, that is, in fetting my poor Neighbours to work, and giving them a comfortable Subfiftence out of their own Industry. My Gardens, my Fish-ponds, my arable and pasture Grounds fhall be my feveral Hofpitals, or rather Work-houfes, in which I propofe to maintain a great many indigent Perfons, who are now ftarving in my Neighbourhood. Neighbourhood. I have got a fine Spread of improveable Lands, and in my own Thoughts am already plowing up fome of them, fencing others; planting Woods, and drainingMarshes. In fine,as I have my Share in the • Surface of this Island, I am refolved to make it as beau⚫tiful a Spot as any in her Majefty's Dominions; at least there is not an Inch of it which fhall not be cultivated ⚫ to the best Advantage, and do its utmost for its Owner. As in my mercantile Employment I fo difpofed of my Affairs, that from whatever Corner of the Compass the Wind blew, it was bringing home one or other of my Ships; I hope, as a Hufbandman, to contrive it fo, that not a Shower of Rain, or a Glimpse of Sunshine, fhall fall upon my Eftate without bettering fome Part of it, and contributing to the Products of the Seafon. You know it has been hitherto my Opinion of Life, that it is thrown away when it is not fome way useful to others. • But when I am riding out by my felf, in the fresh Air 6 on the open Heath that lies by my Houfe, I find several other Thoughts growing up in me. I am now of Opinion, that a Man of my Age may find Bufinefs enough on himself, by fetting his Mind in order, preparing it for another World, and reconciling it to the l 'houghts of Death. I must therefore acquaint you, that befides ⚫ thofe ufual Methods of Charity, of which I have before fpoken, I am at this very Inftant finding out a convenient Place where I may build an Alms-houfe, which I ⚫ intend to endow very handfomly, for a dozen fuperannuated Hufbandmen. It will be a great Pleasure to me to fay my Prayers twice a day with Men of my own Years, who all of them, as well as my felf, may have their Thoughts taken up how they fhall die, rather than how they fhall live. I remember an excellent Saying • that I learned at School, Finis coronat opus. You know best whether it be in Virgil or in Horace, it is my Bufinefs to apply it. If your Affairs will permit you to take the Country Air with me fometimes, you fhall find an Apartment fitted up for you, and shall be every Day entertained with Beef or Mutton of my own feeding; Fifh out of my own Ponds; and Fruit out of my own Gardens. You fhall have free Egrefs and Regrets N 4 ⚫ about about my House, without having any Questions asked you, and in a Word fuch an hearty Welcome as you may ⚫ expect from Your moft fincere Friend and humble Servant, ANDREW FREEPORT. THE Club, of which I am Member, being entirely difperfed, I fhall confult my Reader next Week, upon a Project relating to the Inftitution of a new one. Quid dignum tanto feret hic promiffor HIATU? Hor. S INCE the late Diffolution of the Club whereof I have often declared myself a Member, there are very many Perfons who by Letters, Petitions, and Recommendations, put up for the next Election. At the fame time I must complain, that feveral indirect and underhand Practices have been made ufe of upon this Occafion. A certain Country Gentleman begun to tap upon the firft Information he received of Sir ROGER's Death; when he fent me up Word, that if I would get him chosen in the Place of the deceased, he would present me with a Barrel of the beft&ober I had ever drank in my Life. The Ladies are in great Pain to know whom I intend to elect in the Room of WILL. HONEYCOMB. Some of them indeed are of Opinion that Mr. HONEYCOMB did not take fufficient care of their Interest in theClub, and are therefore defirous of having in it hereafter a Reprefentative of their own Sex. A Citizen who fubfcribes himself Y. Z. tells me that he has one and twenty Shares in the African Company, and offers to bribe me with the odd one in cafe he may |