The TATLE R. [N° 117. Durate, & vofmet Rebus fervate fecundis. Virg. From Thursday Jan. 5. to Saturday Jan. 7. 1709. Sheer-Lane, Fanuary 65 Wtution of my own Mind, there is no 7Hen I look into the Frame and Confti- 3 Part of it which I obferve with greater Satif faction, than that Tenderness and Concern which it bears for the Good and Happinefs of Mankind. My own Circumftances are indeed fo narrow and fcanty, that I fhould tafte but very little Plea fure, could I receive it only from thofe Enjoyments which are in my own Poffeffion, but by this great Tincture of Humanity, which I find in all my Thoughts and Reflections, I am happier than any fingle Perfon can be, with all the Wealth, Strength, Beauty, aud Succefs, that can be conferred upon a Mortal,if he only relishes fuch a Proportion of thefe Bleffings as is vested in himfelf, and is his own private Property. By this Means, every Man that does himself any real Service, does me a Kindnefs. I come in for my Share in all the Good that happens to Man of Merit and Virtue, and partake of many Gifts of Fortune and Power that I was never born to. There is nothing in particular in which I fo much rejoice, as the Deliverance of good and ge nerous Spirits out of Dangers, Difficulties, and Diftrefles. And becaufe the World does not fup ply Inftances of this Kind to furnifh our fufficient Entertainments for fuch an Humanity and Bene volence of Temper, I have ever delighted in read 7 reading the Hiftory of Ages paft, which draws together into a narrow Compafs the great Oecurrences and Events that are but thinly fown in thofe Tracts of Time which lie within our own Knowledge and Obfervation. When I fee the Life of a great Man, who has deferved well of his Country, after having ftruggled through all the Oppofitions of Prejudice and Envy, breaking out with Luftre, and fhining forth in all the Splendor of Succefs, I close my Book, and am an nappy Man for a whole Evening. But fince in Hiftory, Events are of a mixed Nature, and often happen alike to the Worthlefs and the Deferving, infomuch that we frequently fee a virtuous Man dying in the Midlt of Difappointments and Calamities, and the Vicious ending their Days in Profperity and Peace; I love to amufe my felf with the Accounts I meet with in fabulous Hiftories and Fictions: For in this Kind of Writings we have always the Pleasure of feeing Vice punished, and Virtue rewarded. Indeed, were we able to view a Man in the whole Circle of his Existence, we fhould have the Satisfaction of feeing it clofe with Happiness or Mifery, according to his proper Merit: But tho our View of him is interrupted by Death before the finifhing of his Adventures, (if I may fo fpeak) we may be fure that the Conclufion and Cataftrophe is altogether fuitable to his Behaviour. On the contrary, the whole Being of a Man, confidered as an Hero, or a Knight-Errant, is comprehended within the Limits of a Poem or Romance, and therefore always ends to our Satisfaction; fo that Inventions of this Kind bare like Food and Exercife to a good-natured Dif pofition, which they please and gratifie at the fame Time that they nourish and ftrengthen. The greater the Affliction is in which we fee our Favourites in thefe Relations engaged, the greater is the Pleasure we take in feeing them relieved. Among Among the many feigned Hiftories which I have met with in my Reading, there is none in which the Hero's Perplexity is greater, and the winding out of it more difficult, than that in a French Author whofe Name I have forgot. It fo happens, that the Hero's Miftrefs was the Sifter of his most intimate Friend, who for certain Reasons was given out to be dead, while he was preparing to leave his Country in Quest of Adventures. The Hero having heard of his Friend's Death, immediately repaired to his Miftrefs, to condole with her, and comfort her. Upon his Arrival in her Garden, he discovered at a Distance a Man clafp'd in her Arms, and em braced with the most endearing Tenderness. What should he do? It did not confift with the Gentleness of a Knight-Errant either to kill his Mistress, or the Man whom he was pleased to favour. At the fame Time, it would have spoiled a Romance, fhould he have laid violent Hands on himself. In fhort, he immediately entered upon his Adventures; and after a long Series of Exploits, found out by Degrees, that the Perfon he faw in his Miftrefs's Arms was her own Bro ther, taking Leave of her before he left his Country, and the Embrace the gave him nothing elfe but the affectionate Farewel of a Sifter: So that he had at once the Two greatest Satif factions that could enter into the Heart of Man, in finding his Friend alive, whom he thought dead; and his Miltress faithful, whom he had 5 believed inconftant. There are indeed fome Difafters fo very fatal, that it is impoffible for any Accidents to rectifie them. Of this Kind was that of poor Lucretia and yet we see Ovid has found an Expedient even in this Cafe. He defcribes a Beautiful and Royal Virgin walking on the Sea-fhore, where fhe was discovered by Neptune, and violated after a long and unfuccesful Importunity. To miti gate 3 The TATLER. [No 118. Lufifti fatis, edifti fatis, atque bibifti, From Saturday Jan. 7. to Tuesday Jan. 10. 1709. From my own Apartment, January 8.. Thought to have given over my Profecution of the Dead for this Seafon, having by me many other Projects for the Reformation of Mankind; but I have received fo many Complaints from fuch different Hands, that I fhall difoblige Multitudes of my Correfpondents, if I do not take Notice of them. Some of the Deceafed, who I thought had been laid quietly in their Graves, are fuch Hobgoblins in publick Affemblies, that I must be forced to deal with them as Evander did with his triple-lived Adverfary, who, according to Virgil, was forced to kill him thrice over before he could difpatch him. Ter Letho fternendus erat. I am likewife informed, That feveral Wives of my Dead Men have, fince the Deceafe of their Husbands, been feen in many publick Places without Mourning, or Regard to common De cency. I am further advifed, That feveral of the Defunct, contrary to the Woollen. Act, prefume to drefs themfelves in Lace, Embroidery, Silks, Muflins, and other Ornaments forbidden to Perfons in their Condition. Thefe and other the like Informations moving me thereunto, I muft defire, for Diftinction-Sake, and to conclude this Subject for ever, that when any of thefe Pofthumous Perfons appear, or are spoken of, that their Wives may be called Widows; their Houfes, Sepulchres; their Chariots, Hearfes; and their Gar ments, Flannel: On which Condition, they fhall be allowed all the Conveniences that Dead Men/ can in Reafon defire. As I was writing this Morning on this Subject, (7) From the Banks of Styx. Muft confefs I treated you very fcurriously 2 when you first fent me hither; but you have difpatched fuch Multitudes after me to keep me in Countenance, that I am very well reconciled both to you and my Condition. We live 3 very lovingly together; for as Death makes us all equal, it makes us very much delight in one another's Company. Our Time pafles away much after the fame Manner as it did when we 니 were among you: Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping, are our chief Diverlions. Our Quid Nuncs between Whiles go to a Coffee-houfe, where 5 they have feveral warm Liquors made of the Waters of Lethe, with very good Poppy Tea. We that are the fprightly Genius's of the Place, refresh our felves frequently with a Bottle of Mum, and tell Stories till we fall asleep. You would do well to fend among us Mr. Dodwell's Book against the Immortality of the Soul which would be of great Confolation to our whole Fraternity, who would be very glad to find that they are dead for good and all, and would in particular make me reft for ever,, Yours, John Partridge. P. S. Sir James is just arrived here in good Health. The foregoing Letter was the more pleafing to me, becaufe I perceive fome little Symptoms in |