fons of the greatest politeness, which has established it. If the Italians have a genius for mufic above the English, the English have a genius for other performances of a much higher nature, and capable of giving the mind a much nobler entertainment. Would one think it was poffible (at a time when an author lived that was able to write the Phadra and Hippolitus) for a people to be fo ftupidly fond of the Italian Opera, as fcarce to give a third day's hearing to that admirable tragedy? Mufic is certainly a very agreeable entertainment: but if it would take the entire poffeffion of our ears, if it would make us incapable of hearing fenfe, if it would exclude arts that have a much greater tendency to the refinement of human nature; I must confefs I would allow it no better quarter than Plato has done, who banishes it out of his commonwealth. At prefent our notions of mufic are so very uncertain, that we do not know what it is we like; only, in general, we are transported with any thing that is not English: fo it be of a foreign growth, let it be Italian, French, or High Dutch, it is the fame thing. In fhort, our English mufic is quite rooted out, and nothing yet planted in its ftead. When a royal palace is burnt to the ground, every man is at liberty to prefent his plan for a new one; and though it be but indifferently put together, it may furnish feveral hints that may be of use to a good architect. I fhall take the fame fame liberty in a following Paper, of giving my opinion upon the fubject of mufic; which I fhall lay down only in a problematical manner, to be confidered by those who are masters in the art. C*. N° 19. Thursday, March 22, 1710-11. Di bene fecerunt, inopis me quodque pufilli HOR. I Sat. iv. 17. Thank heaven that made me of an humble mind; To action little, lefs to words inclin'd! O BSERVING one perfon behold another, who was an utter ftranger to him, with a caft of his eye, which, methought, expreffed an emotion of heart very different from what could be raised by an object so agreeable as the gentleman he looked at, I began to confider, not without some secret forrow, the condition of an Envious Man. Some have fancied that ENVY has a certain magical force in it, and that the eyes of the Envious have by their fascination blasted the enjoyments of the happy. Sir Francis Bacon fays, fome have been fo curious as to remark the times and feafons when the ftroke of an Envious EYE is moft effectually per By ADDISON, dated it feems from Chelfea. See final Note to N° 7. nicious, nicious, and have obferved that it has been when the perfon envied has been in any circumstance of glory and triumph. At fuch a time the mind of the profperous man goes, as it were, abroad, among things without him, and is more exposed to the malignity. But I fhall not dwell upon Speculations fo abftracted as this, or repeat the many excellent things which one might collect out of authors upon this miferable affection; but keeping in the road of common life, confider the Envious MAN with relation to these three heads, his Pains, his Reliefs, and his Happinefs. The Envious MAN is in Pain upon all occafions which ought to give him pleasure. The relish of his life is inverted; and the objects which administer the highest satisfaction to those who are exempt from this paflion, give the quickeft pangs to perfons who are fubject to it. All the perfections of their fellow-creatures are odious. Youth, beauty, valour, and wifdom are provocations of their displeasure. What a wretched and apoftate ftate is this! to be offended with excellence, and to hate a man because we approve him! The condition of the Envious MAN is the most emphatically miserable; he is not only incapable of rejoicing in another's merit or fuccefs, but lives in a world wherein all mankind are in a plot against his quiet, by ftudying their own happiness and advantage. Will Profper is an honest tale * See SPECT. N° 20. bearer, bearer, he makes it his business to join in converfation with Envious MEN. He points to fuch an handsome young fellow, and whispers that he is fecretly married to a great fortune. When they doubt, he adds circumftances to prove it; and never fails to aggravate their diftrefs, by affuring them, that, to his knowledge, he has an uncle will leave him fome thousands. Will has many arts of this kind to torture this fort of temper, and delights in it. When he finds them change colour, and fay faintly they wish fuch a piece of news is true, he has the malice to speak fome good or other of every man of their acquaintance. The Reliefs of the Envious MAN are thofe little blemishes and imperfections that discover themfelves in an illuftrious character. It is a matter of great confolation to an Envious PERSON, when a man of known honour does a thing unworthy himself, or when any action which was well executed, upon better information appears fo altered in its circumftances, that the fame of it is divided among many, inftead of being attributed to one. This is a fecret fatisfaction to these malignants; for the perfon whom they before could not but admire, they fancy is nearer their own condition as foon as his merit is fhared among others. I remember fome years ago there came out an excellent poem without the name of the author. The little wits, who were incapable of writing it, began to pull in pieces the fuppofed writer. When that would not do, they took great pains to fupprefs the opinion that that it was his. That again failed. The next refuge was to say it was overlooked by one man, and many pages wholly written by another. An honeft fellow who fat among a cluster of them. in debate on this fubject, cried out, "Gentle66 men, if you are fure none of you yourfelves "had a hand in it, you are but where you << were, whoever writ it." But the moft ufual fuccour to the Envious, in cafes of namelefs merit in this kind, is to keep the property, if poffible, unfixed, and by that means to hinder the reputation of it from falling upon any particular perfon. You fee an Envious Man clear his countenance, if in the relation of any man's great happiness in one point, you mention his uneafinefs in another. When he hears fuch a one is very rich he turns pale, but recovers when you add that he has many children. In a word, the only fure way to an Envious Man's favour, is not to deferve it. up But if we confider the Envious MAN in delight, it is like reading of the feat of a giant in a romance; the magnificence of his house confifts in the many limbs of men whom he has flain. If any who promised themselves fuccefs in any uncommon undertaking mifcarry in the attempt, or he that aimed at what would have been useful and laudable, meets with contempt and derifion, the Envious Man, under the colour of hating vain-glory, can fmile with an inward wantonnefs of heart at the ill effect it may have upon an honeft ambition for the future. Having thoroughly confidered the nature of this |