is just entering on another state of exiftence, to converfe with fcenes, and objects, and companions that are altogether new, what can fupport her under fuch tremblings of thought, fuch fear, fuch anxiety, fuch apprehenfions, but the cafting of all her cares upon him who first gave her being, who has conducted her through one ftage of it, and will be always with her to guide and comfort her in her progrefs through eternity?

David has very beautifully reprefented this fteady reliance on God Almighty in his twenty third pfalm, which is a kind of paftoral hymn, and filled with those allufions which are ufual in that kind of writing. As the poetry is very exquifite, I fhall prefent my reader with the following translation of it.

I.

• The Lord my pafture fhall prepare,
• And feed me with a fhepherd's care :
His prefence hall my wants fupply,
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noon-day walks he fhall attend,
And all my mid-night hours defend.

II.

• When in the fultry glebe I faint,
• Or on the thirsty mountain pant;
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary wand'ring fteps he leads;
• Where peaceful rivers, foft and flow,
Amid the verdant landskip flow.
III.

'Tho' in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overfpread,
'My steadfast heart fhall fear no ill,
For thou, O Lord, art with me ftill;
Thy friendly crook fhall give me aid,
And guide me through the dreadful shade.
IV.

• Tho' in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wiles 1 Aray;

Thy bounty fhall my pains beguile :

• The barren wilderness shall smile,

• With fudden greens and herbage crown'd,
And ftreams fhall murmur all around.'

C.

N° 442.

Monday, July 28.

Scribimus indocti doctique-

HOR. Ep. 1. 1. 2. v. 117.

-Those who cannot write, and thofe who can,
All rhyme, and fcrawl, and fcribble to a man.

PORE.

IDO not know whether I enough explained myfelf

to the world, when invited all men to be affistant to me in this my work or speculation; for I have not yet acquainted my readers, that befides the letters and valuable hints I have from time to time received from my correspondents, I have by me feveral curious and extraordinary papers fent with a defign (as no one will doubt when they are published) that they may be printed intire, and without any alteration, by way of Spectator. I must acknowledge alfo, that I myfelf being the firft projector of the paper, thought I had a right to make them my own, by dreffing them in my own ftyle, by leaving out what would not appear like mine, and by adding whatever might be proper to adapt them to the character and genius of my paper, with which it was almoft impoffible they could exactly correfpond, it being certain, that hardly two men think alike, and therefore fo many men, fo many Spectators. Befides, I muft own my weakness for glory is fuch, that if I confulted that only, I might be fo far fwayed by it, as almoft to wish that no one could write a Spectator befides myfelf; nor can I deny, but upon the first perufal of thofe papers, I felt fome fecret inclinations of ill-will towards the perfons who wrote them. This was the impreffion I had upon the first reading them; but upon a late review, more for the fake of entertainment than use,

regarding them with another eye than I had done at firit (for by converting them as well as I could to my own ufe, I thought I had utterly difabled them from ever offending me again as Spectators) I found myself moved by a paffion very different from that of envy ; fenfibly touched with pity, the foftest and most generous of all paflions, when I reflected what a cruel difappointment the neglect of thofe papers must needs have been to the writers who impatiently longed to fee them appear in print, and who, no doubt, triumphed to themselves in the hopes of having a fhare with me in the applaufe of the public; a pleasure fo great, that none but those who have experienced it can have a sense of it. In this manner of viewing those papers, I really found I had not done them juftice, there being fomething fo extremely natural and peculiarly good in some of them, that I will appeal to the world whether it was poffible to alter a word in them without doing them a inanifeft hurt and violence; and whether they can ever appear rightly, and as they ought, but in their own native drefs and colours. And therefore I think I fhould rot only wrong them, but deprive the world of a confiderable fatisfaction, fhould I any longer delay the making them public.

After I have published a few of thefe Spectators, I doubt not but I fhall find the fuccefs of them to equal, if not furpafs, that of the best of my own. An author fhould take all methods to humble himself in the opinion he has of his own performances. When thefe papers appear to the world, I doubt not but they will be followed by many others; and I fhall not repine, though 1 myfelf fhall have left me but very few days to appear in public; but preferring the general weal and advantage to any confiderations of myself, I am refolved for the future to publifh any Spectator that deferves it, intire, and without any alteration: affuring the world, if there can be need of it, that it is none of mine; and if the authors think fit to fubfcribe their names, I will add them.

I think the best way of promoting this generous and ufeful defign, will be by giving out fubjects or themes of all kinds whatfoever, on which (with a prean.ble of

the extraordinary benefit and advantage that may accrue thereby to the public) I will invite all manner of perfons, whether fcholars, citizens, courtiers, gentlemen of the town or country, and all beaux, rakes, fmarts, prudes, coquettes, housewives, and all forts of wits, whether male or female, and however diftinguished, whether they be true wits, whole, or half wits, or whether arch, dry, natural, acquired, genuine, or depraved wits; and perfons of all forts of tempers and complexions, whether the fevere, the delightful, the impertinent, the agreeable, the thoughtful, the bufy, or careless, the ferene or cloudy, jovial or melancholy, untowardly or eafy, the cold, temperate, or fanguine; and of what manners or difpofitions foever, whether the ambitious or humble-minded, the proud or pitiful, ingenuous or bafe-minded, good or ill-natured, public-fpirited or felfish; and under what fortune or circumftance foever, whether the contented or miserable, happy or unfortunate, high or low, rich or poor, whether fo through want of money, or defire of more, healthy or fickly, married or fingle; nay, whether tall or fhort, fat or lean; and of what trade occupation, profeffion, ftation, country, faction, party, perfuafion, quality, age or condition foever, who have ever made thinking a part of their business or diverfion, and have any thing worthy to impart on thefe fubjects to the world according to their feveral and refpective talents or geniufes, and as the fubject given out hits their tempers, humours, or circumftances, or may be made profitable to the public by their particular knowledge or experience in the matter propofed, to do their utmost on them by fuch a time, to the end they may receive the inexpreffible and irrefiftible pleafure of feeing their effays allowed of and relished by the rest of mankind.

I will not prepoffefs the reader with too great expectation of the extraordinary advantages which must redound to the public by thefe effays, when the different thoughts and obfervations of all forts of perfons according to their quality, age, fex, education, profeflions, humours, manners and conditions, &c. fhall be fet out by themfelves in the cleareft and oft genuine light, and as they themfelves would wish to have them appear to the world.

The Thefis propofed for the prefent exercife of the adventurers to write Spectators, is MONEY, on which fubject all perfons are defired to fend in their thoughts within ten days after the date hereof.

N° 443.

Tuesday, July 29.

Sublatam ex oculis quærimus invidi.

T.

HOR. Od. 24. 1. 3. v. 33.

Snatch'd from our fight, we eagerly pursue,
And fondly would recall her to our view.

Camilla to the SPECTA TO R.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Venice, July 10, N. S.

•ITAKE it extremely ill, that you do not reckon confpicuous perfons of your nation are within your cognizance, though out of the dominions of Great Britain. I little thought in the green years of my life, that I fhould ever call it an happinefs to be out of dear England; but as I grew to woman, I found myfelf lefs acceptable in proportion to the increafe of my merit. Their ears in Italy are fo differently formed from the make of yours in England, that I never come upon the ftage, but a general fatisfaction appears in every countenance of the whole people. When I dwell upon a note, I behold all the men accompanying me with heads inclining, and falling of their perfons on one fide, as dying away with me. The women too do justice to my merit, and no illnatured worthlefs creature cries," the vain thing," when I am rapt up in the performance of my part, and fenfibly touched with the effect my voice has upon all who hear me. I live here diftinguished as one 'whom nature has been liberal to in a graceful perfon, an exalted mien, and heavenly voice. Thefe parti'cularities in this ftrange country, are arguments for respect and generofity to her who is poffeffed of them.