No. 85Thursday, June 7, 1711. ‘Interdum speciosa locis, morataque recte Fabula nullius Veneris, sine pondere et Arte, Valdius oblectat populum, meliusque moratur, Quam versus inopes rerum, nugaeque canorae.’ Hor. It is the Custom of the Mahometans, if they see any printed or written Paper upon the Ground, to take it up and lay it aside […]

No. 86Friday, June 8, 1711. ‘Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu!’ Ovid. There are several Arts which [all Men are [1]] in some measure [Masters [2]] of, without having been at the Pains of learning them. Every one that speaks or reasons is a Grammarian and a Logician, tho’ he may be wholly […]

No. 89Tuesday, June 12, 1711. ‘… Petite hinc juvenesque senesque Finem animo certum, miserisque viatica canis. Cras hoc fiet. Idem eras fiet. Quid? quasi magnum Nempe diem donas? sed cum lux altera venit, Jam cras hesternum consumpsimus; ecce aliud cras Egerit hos annos, et semper paulum erit ultra. Nam quamvis prope te, quamvis temone sub […]

No. 81Saturday, June 2, 1711 ‘Qualis ubi audito venantum murmure Tigris Horruit in maculas …’ Statins. About the Middle of last Winter I went to see an Opera at the Theatre in the Hay-Market, where I could not but take notice of two Parties of very fine Women, that had placed themselves in the opposite […]

No. 72Wednesday, May 23, 1711. ‘… Genus immortale manet, multosque per annos Stat fortuna Domus, et avi numerantur avorum.’ Virg. Having already given my Reader an Account of several extraordinary Clubs both ancient and modern, I did not design to have troubled him with any more Narratives of this Nature; but I have lately received […]

No. 73 Thursday, May 24, 1711. ‘… O Dea certe!’ Virg. It is very strange to consider, that a Creature like Man, who is sensible of so many Weaknesses and Imperfections, should be actuated by a Love of Fame: That Vice and Ignorance, Imperfection and Misery should contend for Praise, and endeavour as much as […]

No. 74Friday, May 25, 1711. ‘… Pendent opera interrupta …’ Virg. In my last Monday’s Paper I gave some general Instances of those beautiful Strokes which please the Reader in the old Song of Chevey-Chase; I shall here, according to my Promise, be more particular, and shew that the Sentiments in that Ballad are extremely […]

No. 068Friday, May 18, 1711. ‘Nos duo turba sumus …’ Ovid. One would think that the larger the Company is, in which we are engaged, the greater Variety of Thoughts and Subjects would be started in Discourse; but instead of this, we find that Conversation is never so much straightened and confined as in numerous […]

No. 69 Saturday, May 19, 1711. ‘Hic segetes, illic veniunt felicius uvae: Arborei foetus alibi, atque injussa virescunt Gramina. Nonne vides, croceos ut Tmolus odores, India mittit ebur, molles sua thura Sabaei? At Chalybes nudi ferrum, virosaque Pontus Castorea, Eliadum palmas Epirus equarum? Continuo has leges aeternaque foedera certis Imposuit Natura locis …’ Virg. There […]

No. 70Monday, May 21, 1711. ‘Interdum vulgus rectum videt.’ Hor. When I travelled, I took a particular Delight in hearing the Songs and Fables that are come from Father to Son, and are most in Vogue among the common People of the Countries through which I passed; for it is impossible that any thing should […]

No. 63Saturday, May 12, 1711. ‘Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam Jungere si velit et varias inducere plumas Undique collatis membris, ut turpiter atrum Desinat in piscem mulier formosa superne; Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici? Credite, Pisones, isti tabulae fore librum Persimilem, cujus, velut aegri somnia, vanae Finguntur species …’ Hor. It is very hard for […]

No. 59Tuesday, May 8, 1711. ‘Operose Nihil agunt.’ Seneca. There is nothing more certain than that every Man would be a Wit if he could, and notwithstanding Pedants of a pretended Depth and Solidity are apt to decry the Writings of a polite Author, as Flash and Froth, they all of them shew upon Occasion […]

No. 60Wednesday, May 9, 1711. ‘Hoc est quod palles? Cur quis non prandeat, Hoc est?’ Per. ‘Sat. 3.’ Several kinds of false Wit that vanished in the refined Ages of the World, discovered themselves again in the Times of Monkish Ignorance. As the Monks were the Masters of all that little Learning which was then […]

No. 61Thursday, May 10, 1711. ‘Non equidem studeo, bullalis ut mihi nugis Pagina turgescal, dare pondus idonea fumo.’ Pers. There is no kind of false Wit which has been so recommended by the Practice of all Ages, as that which consists in a Jingle of Words, and is comprehended under the general Name of Punning. […]

No. 62Friday, May 11, 1711. ‘Scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons.’ Hor. Mr. Lock has an admirable Reflexion upon the Difference of Wit and Judgment, whereby he endeavours to shew the Reason why they are not always the Talents of the same Person. His Words are as follows: And hence, perhaps, may be […]

No. 55Thursday May 3, 1711. ‘… Intus, et in jecore aegro Nascuntur Domini …’ Pers. Most of the Trades, Professions, and Ways of Living among Mankind, take their Original either from the Love of Pleasure or the Fear of Want. The former, when it becomes too violent, degenerates into Luxury, and the latter into Avarice. […]

No. 56Friday, May 4, 1711. ‘Felices errore suo …’ Lucan. The Americans believe that all Creatures have Souls, not only Men and Women, but Brutes, Vegetables, nay even the most inanimate things, as Stocks and Stones. They believe the same of all the Works of Art, as of Knives, Boats, Looking-glasses: And that as any […]

No. 57Saturday, May 5, 1711. ‘Quem praestare potest mulier galeata pudorem, Quae fugit a Sexu!’ Juv. When the Wife of Hector, in Homer’s Iliads, discourses with her Husband about the Battel in which he was going to engage, the Hero, desiring her to leave that Matter to his Care, bids her go to her Maids […]

No. 58Monday, May 7, 1711. Ut pictura poesis erit … Hor. Nothing is so much admired, and so little understood, as Wit. No Author that I know of has written professedly upon it; and as for those who make any Mention of it, they only treat on the Subject as it has accidentally fallen in […]

No. 47Tuesday, April 24, 1711. Addison. ‘Ride si sapis.’ Mart. Mr. Hobbs, in his Discourse of Human Nature, [1] which, in my humble Opinion, is much the best of all his Works, after some very curious Observations upon Laughter, concludes thus: ‘The Passion of Laughter is nothing else but sudden Glory arising from some sudden […]