No. 137 Tuesday, August 7, 1711. At haec etiam Servis semper libera fuerunt, timerent, gauderent, dolerent, suo potius quam alterius arbitrio. Tull. Epist. It is no small Concern to me, that I find so many Complaints from that Part of Mankind whose Portion it is to live in Servitude, that those whom they depend upon […]

No. 133Thursday, August 2, 1711. ‘Quis Desiderio sit pudor aut modus Tam Chari capitis?’ Hor. There is a sort of Delight, which is alternately mixed with Terror and Sorrow, in the Contemplation of Death. The Soul has its Curiosity more than ordinarily awakened, when it turns its Thoughts upon the Conduct of such who have […]

No. 114.Wednesday, July 11, 1711. ‘… Paupertatis pudor et fuga …’ Hor. Oeconomy in our Affairs has the same Effect upon our Fortunes which Good Breeding has upon our Conversations. There is a pretending Behaviour in both Cases, which, instead of making Men esteemed, renders them both miserable and contemptible. We had Yesterday at SIR […]

No. 118.Monday, July 16, 1711. ‘… Haret lateri lethalis arundo.’ Virg. This agreeable Seat is surrounded with so many pleasing Walks, which are struck out of a Wood, in the midst of which the House stands, that one can hardly ever be weary of rambling from one Labyrinth of Delight to another. To one used […]

No. 107Tuesday, July 3, 1711. ‘AEsopo ingentem statuam posuere Attici, Servumque collocarunt AEterna in Basi, Patere honoris scirent ut Cuncti viam.’ Phaed. The Reception, manner of Attendance, undisturbed Freedom and Quiet, which I meet with here in the Country, has confirm’d me in the Opinion I always had, that the general Corruption of Manners in […]

No. 100Monday, June 25, 1711. ‘Nil ego contulerim jucundo sanus amico.’ Hor. A man advanced in Years that thinks fit to look back upon his former Life, and calls that only Life which was passed with Satisfaction and Enjoyment, excluding all Parts which were not pleasant to him, will find himself very young, if not […]

No. 103.Thursday, June 28, 1711. ‘… Sibi quivis Speret idem frusta sudet frustraque laboret Ausus idem …’ Hor. My Friend the Divine having been used with Words of Complaisance (which he thinks could be properly applied to no one living, and I think could be only spoken of him, and that in his Absence) was […]

No. 104.Friday, June 29, 1711. ‘… Qualis equos Threissa fatigat Harpalyce …’ Virg. It would be a noble Improvement, or rather a Recovery of what we call good Breeding, if nothing were to pass amongst us for agreeable which was the least Transgression against that Rule of Life called Decorum, or a Regard to Decency. […]

No. 96Wednesday, June 20, 1711. … AmicumMancipium domino, et frugi … Hor. Mr. SPECTATOR, I have frequently read your Discourse upon Servants, and, as I am one my self, have been much offended that in that Variety of Forms wherein you considered the Bad, you found no Place to mention the Good. There is however […]

No. 97Thursday, June 21, 1711. ‘Projecere animas.’ Virg. Among the loose Papers which I have frequently spoken of heretofore, I find a Conversation between Pharamond and Eucrate upon the Subject of Duels, and the Copy of an Edict issued in Consequence of that Discourse. Eucrate argued, that nothing but the most severe and vindictive Punishments, […]

No. 91Thursday, June 14, 1711. ‘In furias ignemque ruunt, Amor omnibus Idem.’ Virg. Tho’ the Subject I am now going upon would be much more properly the Foundation of a Comedy, I cannot forbear inserting the Circumstances which pleased me in the Account a young Lady gave me of the Loves of a Family in […]

No 95Tuesday, June 19, 1711. Curae Leves loquuntur, Ingentes Stupent. [1] Having read the two following Letters with much Pleasure, I cannot but think the good Sense of them will be as agreeable to the Town as any thing I could say either on the Topicks they treat of, or any other. They both allude […]

No. 87Saturday, June 9, 1711. ‘… Nimium ne crede colori.’ Virg. It has been the Purpose of several of my Speculations to bring People to an unconcerned Behaviour, with relation to their Persons, whether beautiful or defective. As the Secrets of the Ugly Club were exposed to the Publick, that Men might see there were […]

No. 088Monday, June 11, 1711. ‘Quid Domini facient, audent cum tulia Fures?’ Virg. May 30, 1711. Mr. SPECTATOR, I have no small Value for your Endeavours to lay before the World what may escape their Observation, and yet highly conduces to their Service. You have, I think, succeeded very well on many Subjects; and seem […]

No. 80Friday, June 1, 1711. ‘Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt.’ Hor. In the Year 1688, and on the same Day of that Year, were born in Cheapside, London, two Females of exquisite Feature and Shape; the one we shall call Brunetta, the other Phillis. A close Intimacy between their Parents made each […]

No. 082Monday, June 4, 1711. ‘… Caput domina venate sub hasta.’ Juv. Passing under Ludgate [1] the other Day, I heard a Voice bawling for Charity, which I thought I had somewhere heard before. Coming near to the Grate, the Prisoner called me by my Name, and desired I would throw something into the Box: […]

No. 84 Wednesday, June 6, 1711. ‘… Quis talia fando Myrmidonum Dolopumve aut duri miles Ulyssei Temperet a Lachrymis?’ Virg. Looking over the old Manuscript wherein the private Actions of Pharamond [1] are set down by way of Table-Book. I found many things which gave me great Delight; and as human Life turns upon the […]

No. 76Monday, May 28, 1711. ‘Ut tu Fortunam, sic nos te, Celse, feremus.’ Hor. There is nothing so common as to find a Man whom in the general Observations of his Carriage you take to be of an uniform Temper, subject to such unaccountable Starts of Humour and Passion, that he is as much unlike […]

No. 78Wednesday, May 30, 1711. Cum Talis sis, Utinam noster esses! The following Letters are so pleasant, that I doubt not but the Reader will be as much diverted with them as I was. I have nothing to do in this Day’s Entertainment, but taking the Sentence from the End of the Cambridge Letter, and […]

No. 79Thursday, May 31, 1711. ‘Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore.’ Hor. I have received very many Letters of late from my Female Correspondents, most of whom are very angry with me for Abridging their Pleasures, and looking severely upon Things, in themselves, indifferent. But I think they are extremely Unjust to me in this Imputation: […]