the city and villages, having fat a confiderable time, Rexman, the king, out of an extreme humanity, for which he was remarkable, requested them to renounce for a time, the cares of ftate, and employ themselves in fuch pursuits as their feveral inclinations fhould fuggeft. But in the fenate there was a man, who, for many years had made it his chief study to obstrust the will of the king, and to lead others into the fame line of conduct. The name of this man was Reynardam. His public character was fimilar to that of the Lucius Junius who had the audacity to affume the additional name of Brutus, and whom hiftorians represent to have been " a trubulent "fedicious man, who wanted neither wit nor

penetration; was particularly a great speaker, "and spoke freely what he thought." With respect to his private character, it was of fo fingular a complexion, and was compofed of fuch a variety of inconfiftent colours, that I defer copying the portrait till fuch time as I fhall have occafion to reveal some of his domeftic tranfactions. At prefent I speak of him only as one of the Etanes. He profeffed great openness and candour in his harangues, and, by the rapidity of his eloquence, and the fubtility of his fophifms, fo far misled many of his hearers, as to induce them to join with him in malicious endeavours to thwart the king. No fooner was the fovereign's defire of relieving the Etanes mentioned, than Reynardam, with great vehemence, opposed the measure as tending to fubvert the government. He adduced feveral plaufible pretexts to convince the Etanes of its impolicy, and at last even gave it as his opinion, that the king had no right to put a period to their deliberations. This caufed great confusion in the Etanes, which Reynardam took care to foment, by infinuating that the king wifhed to diffolve their meeting for infidious purposes, the more fecure to carry on some project of his own; and by this means Reynardam made each party fufpicious of the other, while the people at large, or more properly the mob of the people, hailed him as their protector, who, but a little time ago, they execrated both for his public and private conduct. So fickle his popular indignation and applause!

Ir was in the very midst of these contentions, that my friend and I appeared amongst the Bulians, and hoping to escape the notice of the higher powers, we immediately dreffed ourselves in the Bulian habit, and purchased venerable beards.And truly, Mr. SPECTATOR, my friend cut a very venerable figure, for being, like yourself, beyond the grand climacteric of a grave aspect, and ferious deportment, he might eafily have been mistaken for a Bulian in toto.

THESE precautions, however, proved abortive; on the fixth day after our arrival, we were fummoned to appear before a council, in which his Majefty was to be prefent, there to give an account of ourselves. This greatly terrified my friend, who now began to fufpect himself as already condemned for a fpy. As he had made a confiderable progrefs in his acquaintance with the Bulian language, we agreed that he should prepare our account and defence, and deliver it verbally before the council; a circumftance tending fo much to our fafety, that my friend fat about it with great diligence, and in my judgement produced a very able oration, in which he gave a concife account of our world; the object of our journey to Bulia; a curious relation of our adventures and observations on our paffage through the aerial regions; and concluded with humbly reqefting his Majefty to grant us a fafe conveyance to our own world, by enabling us to form an Aeroflatic machine, with proper materials, and after the manner of the Bulians, who travil in them wirh incredible velocity, and direct their course with wonderful fecility. Of this fpeech my friend is preparing an elaborate translation, which he means to dedicate to Dr. Priestley; but I intend to give you the heads of it in a future epiftle to your Spectatorship. Let us now return to the little affairs of our own little world.

THEATRES.

THE accounts daily given to the world of theatrical affairs, are fometimes fo contradictory to truth, and to one another, that I have frequently lamented the want of a public journal of dramatic proceedings, from which fome judgment might be formed as to the real merits and demerits of plays and players; and I truft, Friend SPEC, with your permiffion, and with your affiftance, to render the NEW SPECTATOR fubfervient to fo laudable a defign.

Drury-Lane.

Ir reflects no fmall credit on the manager of this house, to fay, that he is, if not an enemy, at least no friend to puffing; nor does he put Mrs. Siddons's name at the top of his bills, by way of hooking the multitude; a device practifed by the other house, in regard to Mrs. Crawford, in the fame manner, and probably with as much fuccefs as KATTER FELTO exhibits at the top of his bills, the angels, devils, and the devil knows what, of his own fublime invention! The great fault of the manager of Old Drury, is the giving characters to performers which they are unable to sustain, whilst he has others in his company by whom they would be well fupported. Egregious inftances

inftances of this occur almost every day, as I fhall hereafter have occasion to observe.-Mrs. Siddons appeared laft night in Ifabella. It were a waste of criticism to fay any thing of a performance which is acknowledged to be as near perfection as humanity can reach.-Harlequin Junior, by frequent repetition, feems to gain, rather than lofe on the town, and that defervedly. Variety, novelty, and bustle form the very effence of pantomime, in all which this abounds fufficiently. But, I fpeak it with wonder-the music is execrable, and though Mr. Linley may have composed and selected it, and though he is a profeffed and an admired mufician, the prefent compofition and felection, ought to be remembered as the most unhappy, ever offered to the public under that celebrated name.

Covent Garden.

It is frequently the fate of dramatic writers. from unaccountable caufes, to receive cenfure when they deferve applaufe. This has been the cafe of Macklin, whofe comedy of the Man of the World, was performed on Thurfday, before one of the most crouded and refpectable audiences, I ever faw, and in the performance met with that approbation which has been denied to it by thofe critics of the day, who write to gratify fome malignant paffion, rather than give the real decifion of their judgment, for I cannot fuppose them fo ignorant as not to acknowledge this to be the beft comedy, except the School for Scandal, which has appeared for many years. They fay it wants buftle, but if the attention is kept up, even to a kind of anxiety, and a play abounds in nervous language, and forcible inftruétion, which is the cafe in the prefent inftance, that very buftle becomes impertinence, and can be wished for only by those masters and miffes, who go to plays for fun, in which number, from their judgment in pronouncing on this play, I fhall suppose our news-paper critics are to be ranked--The pantomime of Friar Bacon was revived the fame night, with alterations, but thefe alterations reflect credit only on the scene-painters, for the fame despicable nonsense pervades the whole piece which originally diftinguifhed it. I have not time to go into particulars, but fhall, next week, be more circumftantial, unless in the mean time this bantling of ignorance and folly should depart this life. The mufic is good.

It was indeed well played, but not equal to Mila Younge's Shore. I know I am speaking against the voice of the multitude; but that is nothing. Had Mifs Younge been abfent fix years, fhe would have been received again with as great, at leaft with as much deferved applaufe as Mrs. Crawford.-Laft night the felf-be-paragraphed, the Self-puffed and the felf-adoring Mother Abington appeared in Lady Betty Modifh. It is impoffible to with-hold praise from fo excellent a performance, and I will always give merit its due; but when it is faid the ftage is inanimate without her; that she is the comic muse, in propria perfona, and fuch rubbish as the papers continually abound with refpecting this woman, who, I should imagine kept half a dozen clerks for the purpose of writing to her honour and glory: an ingenuous mind cannot but feel itself difgufted; and half tempted to deny her excellence. I wonder the manager does not put her name at the top of his bills. I hope her engagement is of that nature, that she cannot infult the Town by the ftale trick of a Box-fever, with which fhe used to be terribly afflicted!

TOWN LADIES.

CONTRARY to every idea of decency and of policy, the public papers abound in encomiums on fome of these abandoned characters. Nay, a morning paper of laft week gave public notice, that the Perdita was quite recovred from her indifpofition, and looked as well as ever. A va luable piece of information truly! I should deem myself inexcufable to mention such a woman in a public print, but for the purpose of holding her up as one whofe example should be abhorred, and to point out to the female world the fatal confequences of unbounded diffipation and illicit amours. This woman is faid to have been the favourite of a prince. Indeed her conduct plainly evinces fhe thought herself fuch; but if we may judge from the pitiful complaints which, in fome papers, are daily urged against a certain young gentleman, by way of extorting relief from him, fhe is no longer fo; and her conduct may ferve to convince others, that the capricious fmiles of a prince are of little value, unless managed with prudence. Care has been taken to inform the public of the fituation and ornaments of the Perdita's box at the opera-houfe; this is all well in the way of trade; it answers the purpose of advertising Lodgings for Single Gentlemen. And the Queen of France will no doubt think it a high compliment, when fhe reads in an English news-paper, that her example in drefs, &c. is followed by the greatest profitute in England!

very

OF

Or the Bird of Paradife, the Armstead, the Farrenelli, the White Crow, c. I have not at present time to fay any thing; and with refpect to the inferior women of this clafs, their example being more confin'd, is lefs destructive; their infamy is not publicly trumpeted as if it were a virtue; and fome legiflative expedient fhould be devised for refcuing them from deftruction, and rendering them fit members to the community.

CHANCERY-LANE GHOST.

I am forry, on enquiry, to find that this Phantom has ceafed to appear, but am confidently informed that the wonderful Dr. KATTERFELTO has reduced it to inflammable air, and that it is now confined in an air-balloon; and I am further affured that this "Devil of a Philofopher," this principal of all modern magicians, when he lets of his AirBalloon means to direct its flight in such a manner, as that the faid Phantom fhall be laid in the RedSea, and the peaceable inhabitants of ChanceryLane, no more receive nocturnal greetings, from fo terrible a vifitant!

AND now, friend SPEC, I must, for the prefent, bid you adieu; for though your paper is on a very extenfive plan, I gefs you have little more room for me. Succefs, I doubt not, will attend

your SPECTATORSHIP, and the public will regard your firft number rather as the preface of what is to follow, that judge of your abilities by an introductory effort.

Your very faithful Deputy,

JOHN BULL.

To other CORRESPONDENTS. THE WAYS and means of Editors with the art of conducting morning papers, next week-The Ghoft of Gulliver, to Mr. O'Keeffe, is received.Memoirs of Mrs. H-; Anecdotes of Weltjie's club; and an Account of the Sophifms of Mr. Fox, are alfo received. But I defire my correfpondents will take notice, that party politics will find no place in the New Spectator. An authenticated account of Mrs. Curtis, fifter to the Kembles, is now before me, and fhall be attended to. The Strictures on the newspaper politics of Mrs. R-, however juft, are written with too much afperity. Operatical Observations are unavoidably poftponed; and for a circumftantial account of the Bishop of Landaff's excellent Difcourfe before the Houfe of Lords on Friday laft, I with pleafure, refer my readers to Mr. Ayre's Sunday Moniter, of the ft inftant.

PLA

ticularly of poets, exprefsly affirms, that, added to other extraordinary requifites, it is neceffary they should poffefs, or be poffeffed by, a certain degree of MADNESS;—an opinion, which, I am verily perfuaded, has fome foundation in truth; for though the number of literary maniacs is very confiderable, and that of fine writers, on the contrary, very inconfiderable, yet, on enquiry, I have no doubt it will be found that at leaft one-tenth part of our writers are either many degrees too mad, or, unhappily, not mad enough. And here I might adduce, from living examples, abundance of illuftrations in support of this doctrine; but I willingly fpare myself fo invidious a task, and leave it to the Monthly and Critical Reviewers, and those whom it more immediately concerns.

THE heroes of both ancient and modern times, who have greatly diftinguifhed themfelves, in whatever profeffion, whether of arts or arms, have been celebrated, by their respective poets

and historians, in proportion to the extent of their madness. Hence it is that the fame of Alexander the Great,

Who the tiara tore

From kings of all the then discover'd globe, far furpaffes that of Charles the Twelfth, who, in fact, was but a humble follower of the faid Alexander, as he was of the maniac Achilles.

BUT, that a touch of madness is neceffary for the accomplishment of great purposes, cannot be doubted when we recollect, that CERVANTES describes it to have been the main-spring of all the wonderful exploits performed by his hero, Don Quixote, Knight of the woful countenance, a man almost as famous as Alexander himself, and the history of whofe achievements has proved more beneficial to mankind than all the boasted actions of the son of Philip.

It was but the other day, in the company of a learned friend, that I was thus elucidating Plato's doctrine respecting certain degrees of madness, when my friend jocularly turned my attention to

myfelf

myself, and obferved, with a logical precision, of which he is completely mafter, that at any rate, I muft certainly be a little crack-brained; for, faid he, "If you hold, with Plato, that a certain "degree of madness is effential to the accomplifhment of great purposes, you must neceffarily fuppofe yourself affected, otherwife you would never have commenced fuch a work as the "NEW SPECTATOR. On the other hand, if you "maintain both Plato's doctrine and the perfect "foundness of your own mind, then the moon is "indeed at full with you, fo that you cannot be

in any other state than that of lunacy to a certain degree, which, according to your friend "Plato and yourself, is a very defirable state "indeed!"

Just as my friend had made this curious conclufion, we were joined by mny fagacious deputy, JOHN BULL, who, being informed of the argument, became a strong advocate for its propriety; and remarked, that fince his engagement under me, he had looked on himself as neither more nor lefs than the Sancho Panza of the last Don Quixote which had started up in the literary world. Now, according to the opinion of Plato and myself, this was a great compliment to me, though I believe honeft John meant it as very good fatire on us both.

THE poffeffion of unabufed reafon is the most impudent and the most uncommon of all human bleffings. It is true, that there are few of mankind, comparatively fpeaking, who have not had this bleffing conferred on them by the giver of all good gifts; but the number of thofe is still smaller who have not abused and impared it, by ftifling its operations, and rejecting its counfels; by renouncing its jurifdiétion, and reverfing its decrees.

On lifes's vaft ocean diverfely we fail,
Reafon the card, but paffion is the gale.

POPE.

TO FIND a man implicitly following, in all his actions, the dictates of found reafon, would prove a task much more difficult than that of discovering one perfectly honeft; though Diogenes, we know, deemed an honeft man a very fingular phenomenon. It is a general error amongst mankind to feek for fame and happiness in wrong channels, and vainly endeavour to "gather

grapes off thorns, and figs off thistles." Men are not fo generally deftitute of genius and abilities as is commonly imagined; they only mif apply the former, and, by that means, render the latter ufelefs. We are ufually on our guard against the treachery of others, and were we equally folicitous of avoiding the deceptions of

our own minds, we should not fo frequently fee genius mifled, and abilities mifapplied. An affection for fcience is too commonly mistaken for an indication of inherent powers, and, before we have well confidered the nature of either, we precipitate ourselves into pursuits rather to gratify adventitious enquiry and natural curiofity, than to follow the dictates of unclouded reason, and the stimulations of real genius. Thus inclination, paffion, or more trifling caufes frequently ufurp the authority of reason, in the conduct of life, and, in a great meafure, tend to form that variety of the ridiculous which we daily discover in the characters of mankind.

As it is the business of human reason to direct the conduct of human life, fo its views fhould not be confined to one object, or to a certain number of objects: this, however, is too generally the cafe, particularly amongst men of genius and erudition, who, directing their pursuits to the completion of one purpose, confine their ideas to that object, and wave all confiderations which do not, either directly or collaterally, apply to their immediate views.

And hence one mafter paffion in the breast,
Like Aaron's ferpent, fwallows up the reft.

And this, in fome measure, accounts for that narrowness of mind which has been discovered even in fome men of genius, and into which all that is fingular in the lover, the coquette, the avaricious, and the proud, is to be reduced.

To accomplish a work of genius, it is necessary, however, that the mind, when employed on it, fhould be directed to that alone; and it is well known that intense application to one object frequently disorders the reason, and, in the end, is productive of madness itself. The intermediate ftate between extreme attention and inattention, is that which produces the divine glow of genius, the enthusiasm which Plato, who perfectly understood the operations of the human mind, not injudiciously denominates a kind of madness, that is, a fervor of imagination which has ever accompanied extraordinary genius.

For my own part, I have very little chance of becoming thus divinely mad; the multiplicity of objects to which, as a SPECTATOR, my attention is neceffarily directed, totally preclude all poffibility of fuch an event taken place; and I know not whether my labours may not prove more extenfively beneficial by directing my attention to many fubjects, than by confining all my ideas to one object, however excellent in itself, or pleafing to me.

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