N° 43. Thursday, April 19, 1711. Ha tibi erunt Artes; pacifque imponere morem, VIRG. Æn. vi. 854 Be these thy Arts; to bid contention cease, T HERE are crowds of men, whofe great misfortune it is that they were not bound to Mechanic ARTS or Trades; it being abfolutely neceffary for them to be led by fome continual task or employment. These are fuch as we commonly call Dull FELLOWS; perfons, who for want of fomething to do, out of a certain vacancy of thought, rather than curiofity, are ever meddling with things for which they are unfit. I cannot give you a notion of them better, than by presenting you with a letter from a gentleman, who belongs to a fociety of this order of men refiding at Oxford. 'SIR, • IN Oxford, April 13, 1711. Four o'clock in the morning. N fome of your late SPECULATIONS, I find some sketches towards an History of CLUBS: • but you seem to me to fhew them in fomewhat too ludicrous a light. I have well weighed ⚫ that matter, and think, that the most important ⚫ negotiations may best be carried on in fuch af• femblies. • femblies. I fhall therefore, for the good of mankind (which I trust, you and I are equally 'concerned for) propose an inftitution of that nature for example fake. 'I must confefs the design and tranfactions of too many Clubs are trifling, and manifeftly of no confequence to the nation or public weal. • Those I will give you up. But you must do me then the justice to own, that nothing can be more useful or laudable, than the fcheme we go upon. To avoid nicknames and witticifms, we call ourfelves" The Hebdomadal Meeting." Our prefident continues for a year at least, and fometimes four or five: we are all grave, ferious, defigning men, in our way: we think it our duty, as far as in us lies, to take care the constitution receives no harm-Ne quid detrimenti res capiat publica-To cenfure doctrines or facts, perfons or things, which we 'do not like; to settle the nation at home, and carry on the war abroad, where and in wha manner we fee fit. If other people are not of our opinion, we cannot help that. It were better they were. Moreover we now and then condefcend to direct in fome measure, the little affairs of our own university. Verily Mr. SPECTATOR, we are much of'fended at the act for importing French wines. A bottle or two of good folid edifying port at 'honeft George's, made a night chearful, and 'threw off referve. But this plaguy French CLARET will not only coft us more money, 'but do us lefs good. Had we been aware of it, • before R 3 you, we before it had gone too far, I must tell would have petitioned to be heard upon that 'fubject. But let that pass. I must let you know likewife good Sir, that we look upon a certain northern prince's march, in conjunction with infidels, to be palpably against our good-will and liking; and, for all Monfieur Palmquist, a most dangerous ⚫ innovation; and we are by no means yet fure, ⚫ that fome people are not at the bottom of it, At least my own private letters leave room for a politician, well verfed in matters of this nature, to fufpect as much, as a penetrating 'friend of mine tells me, • We think we have at laft done the business with the malecontents in Hungary, and fhall clap up a peace there. • What the neutrality army is to do, or what the army in Flanders, and what two or three other princes, is not yet fully determined among us; and we wait impatiently for the coming in of the next Dyer's, who you muft know is our authentic intellience, our Ariftotle in politics. And indeed it is but fit there fhould be fome dernier refort, the abfolute decider of all controverfies. We were lately informed, that the gallant trained - bands had patrolled all night long about the streets of London. We indeed could not imagine any occafion for it, we gueffed not a tittle on it aforehand, we were in nothing of the fecret; and that city tradesmen, for their apprentices, fhould do duty or work 'during during the holidays, we thought abfolutely impoffible. But Dyer being pofitive in it, ' and fomne letters from other people, who had 'talked with some who had it from those who 'fhould know, giving fome countenance to it, the chairman reported from the committee appointed to examine into that affair, that it 'was poffible there might be fomething in it. I have much more to say to you, but my two good friends and neighbours Dominic and Slyboots, are just come in, and the coffee is ready. I am, in the mean time, Mr. SPECTATOR, • Your admirer and humble fervant, 'ABRAHAM FROTH.' You may obferve the turn of their minds tends only to novelty, and not fatisfaction in any thing. It would be disappointment to them, to come to certainty in any thing, for that would gravel them and put an end to their enquiries, which dull fellows do not make for information, but for exercife. I do not know but this may be a very good way of accounting for what we frequently fee, to wit, that Dull FELLOWS prove very good men of business *. Business relieves them from their own natural heaviness, by furnishing them with what to do; whereas bufinefs to mercurial men, is an interruption from their real existence and happiness. Though the dull part of mankind are harmless in their amusements, it were to be wished they * See N° 222, Note, and N° 469. R 4 had had no vacant time, because they usually un- A painted veft Prince Voltager had on, Here, if the poet* had not been vivacious, as well as ftupid, he could not, in the warmth and hurry of nonfenfe, have been capable of forgetting, that neither Prince Voltiger, nor his The Hon. Edward Howard. See TAT. N° 63, Note on NED SOFTLY; fee alfo TAT, N° 17, N° 21, and Notes. grand |