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1

of Pride in all men, and particularly in Writers of every kind; The danger and interest of Great Britain with regard to the Ruffian empire; Obfervations upon the Convention; Bob Booty's (peech; A fhort differtation upon Mafquerades; Further remarks on the Convention; Portrait of a Learned Coxcomb, and the folly of boafting an Illuftrious Defcent where an anfwerable fortune is wanting; Hiftory of Appius; The fatal confequences of a Divifion in Rome; The caufes of the lofs of the Liberties of Caftile; Conteft between Lord Strutt and 'Squire Bull.

man's dog; Rural Virtue; A panegyrick on a Court; The Lover's monument; On the Duke of Argyle; The Fallen Angel; A decifion for the Ladies; On a Lady buried in marriage; Pfalm xxix. paraphras'd; A Night-piece; On the Spaniards having liberty to fearch British ships; Songs, &c.

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99

UNIVERSAL SPECTATOR, N°. 540. The force and folly of Pride in all men ; particularly in Writers of every kind.

SIR.

W

HEN I tell you I had the honour of converfing intimately with that celebrated conftellation of wits, who were concerned in the Spectaters and Tatlers; and that I even remember many of the sprightly fallies of the Sackvilles, Sedleys and Drydens, from their own mouths, you will naturally conclude I am far from being a young man; and, confequently, 'tis my own fault, if I have not acquired fome few advantages to myself, both from the merits and follies of my contemporaries.-If I have, I frankly own they are due to the dint of age and experience only inftead of purfuing knowledge, I have purfued pleasure; and if pleasure itself had not in fome fort paved the way for knowledge, I believe the little fhare I now have, had been much lefs. In a long courie of years, and a great variety of acquaintance, 'tis impoiible to avoid making fome obferrations; and, as these are rather the refalt of what we feel than what we are taught, they are perhaps both more ufeful in practice, and harder to be effaced, than any others. Of thefe, I look upon the modeft diftruft of our own abilities, and a decent regard for thofe of cur friends, or of whoever we converse with, or address ourselves to, to deserve a place among the principal. As there is hardly a man living who has not fome pride in his compofition, 'tis fcarce pofble to ufurp a fuperiority without of

fence (I had like to have faid, injury) to those to whom the infult is offer'd.

Precedencies, arifing from birth, titles, wealth, place and authority, are easily allowed, from the force of cuftom and the laws of fociety; but those that are challenged from the pre-eminence of understanding alone, are never exacted but to the manifeft difgrace and prejudice of him who is confider'd as the inferior. Hence, though his refentment may be awed or ftifled, it burns inward; and he that thinks he triumphs, inftead of conquering, has only made an enemy. Whatever real difference there may be in capacities, the vanity of the fool may be as large as that of the wit; and the tenderer the part, the more grievous the wound. Even, therefore, where 'tis charity to instruct, such addrefs fhould be used as to convey it almost infenfibly; and the giver should be as delicate in his terms, as the trulygenerous endeavour to be in bestowing an alms.

I should be forry, Sir, if there was any occafion to apply what I have faid to Authors: they cannot but be fenfible of the truth and importance of these hints; and, no doubt, make it both their study and glory to comply with them in the exacteit and politeft manner imaginable. -- To inftruct a numerous, learned and accomplished nation, is no trifling task, requires no small stock of genius, no little application, no contemnptible fund of knowledge, no trifling refource of philofophy.'Tis to be prefumed, therefore, that all the Gentlemen who engage in that arduous undertaking, have examined themfelves by the fevereft tefts, and write from the

P z

honeft

honeft conviction of their hearts, that they are really qualified to top the character they affume. If fo, what large and ample opportunities does the prefent age afford us of felf-gratulation, for being bleffed with fuch numbers of Beaux Elprits in every branch and species of elegant or useful knowledge? Every year produces new writers in every science; and every season, every week, nay every day, brings to light most amazing inftances of their maftery in their different profeffions.-We have Politicians, on one fide, fo fhrewd and fo vigilant, that the smalleft fpeck or flaw in the most brilliant administration cannot escape their detection; and, on the other, fuch as will not suffer the moft refin'd, nay almost imperceptible beauty, to be paffed over without a due equivalent of praise. We have Orators that would make even Tully and Demofthenes blush, and Poets that mend Moliere, nay Shakespear himself. We have Hiftorians that can represent truth as fable, and fable as truth; we have Philofophers that can furnish out new hypothefes every day, all admitting of demonftration alike; and Polemic writers, who are in fo little danger of being confuted, that they are not to be underftood. Then for Satyrifts, there is hardly a vice but has its writer to expofe it; nay thofe that lafh, almost equal the number of thofe that offend: one would think, Parnaffus produced more birch than bays; and they lay it on fo home, as if they were poffeffed with the very fpirit of the beadle. Former ages, out of an ill-judg'd tenderness, were contented with expofing the crime, and fpared the criminal; but thofe 'tis our happiness to be difciplin'd by, call us into court by name, and tell us our faults as plainly as an indictment: befide which, to their honour be it fpoken, they are as impartial as death himself; neither age, fex or quality escape them; they make ufe of the fame free ftile to all, and peer and pick-pocket, proftitute and dutchefs, are executed on the fame fcaffold.

Perhaps, Sir, you may think thefe Drawcanfirs of the gray-goofe-quill, by

this conduct, trefpafs a little on the rules of decorum above mentioned; perhaps, likewife, many other odd, oldfashion'd fellows, like us, may be of the fame opinion: but will they not come off victorioufly, by pleading genius, fire, novelty, and the example of their great leader, not only to invalidate our cenfures, but warrant the general applaufe?-We are to confider, art, genius, wit and fancy, have guided numbers to the temple of fame; illnature, bitterness, railing and incivility, few or none: if, therefore, they can ftrike out a path of their own, they will have the honour of the difcovery; and perhaps with this peculiar circumstance, that none hereafter will dare to follow them. 'Tis true, this new path of theirs is as bread and eafy as that to hell; to call fool and knave, fop and coward, in rhyme, being no Herculean labour: and to write the names at the bottom of those they are fuppofed to belong to, very nearly resembles the ftory of the pain ter, who was forced to do the fame by his pictures. Befide, if a man would not be thought to expofe, merely to dif charge his own gall, or had the leaft tenderness for the frailties of his fellow. creatures; he would chufe rather to tickle than wound, and aim more at reformation than punishment. Moft men are inwardly convinced of their own follies and vices; but then they abhor to have them laid open to the cenfure of others. The firft Senfation that we feel, perhaps, on fuch occafions, is fhame; but the next is anger: and, inftead of efteeming the fatyrift as the phyfician of our fouls, as Shakespear expreffes it, we confider him as the aflaffin of our characters. In my humble opinion then, Sir, a writer fhould first give us teftimonials of his own prudence, before he commences cenfor of the abfurdities of others; and, at the fame time that he declares war with vice, he fhould make it appear he is in league with virtue. Alas! there is no fet of men in the univerfe, who have lefs rea fon to be vain than authors.-To look into the advertisements of books for the

year,