know a maiden aunt of a great family, who is one of these antiquated Sybils, that forebodes and prophefies from one end of the year to the other. She is always feeing apparitions, and hearing death-watches; and was the other day almost frighted out of her wits by the great houfe-dog, that howled in the ftable, at a time when the lay ill of the tooth-ach. Such an extravagant caft of mind engages multitudes of people, not only in impertinent terrors, but in fupernumerary duties of life; and arifes from that fear and ignorance which are natural to the foul of man. The horror with which we entertain the thoughts of death, (or indeed of any future evil) and the uncertainty of its approach, fill a melancholy mind with innumerable apprehenfions and fufpicions, and confequently difpofe it to the obfervation of fuch groundlefs prodigies and predictions. For as it is the chief concern of wife men to retrench the evils of life by the reafonings of Philofophy; it is the employment of fools to multiply them by the fentiments of Superftition.

For my own part, I fhould be very much troubled were I endowed with this divining quality, though it should inform me truly of every thing that can befal me. I would not anticipate the relish of any happiness, nor feel the weight of any misery, before it actually arrives.

I KNOW BUT ONE WAY OF FORTIFYING MY SOUL AGAINST THESE GLOOMY PRESAGES AND TERRORS OF MIND, AND THAT IS, BY SECURING TO MYSELF THE FRIEND

SHIP AND PROTECTION OF THAT BEING
WHO DISPOSES OF EVENTS, AND GOVERNS
FUTURITY. HE SEES, AT ONE VIEW, THE
WHOLE THREAD OF MY EXISTENCE, NOT
ONLY THAT PART OF IT WHICH I HAVE AL-
READY PASSED THROUGH, BUT THAT WHICH
RUNS FORWARD INTO ALL THE DEPTHS OF
ETERNITY.
WHEN I LAY ME DOWN TO
SLEEP, I RECOMMEND MYSELF TO HIS CARE:
WHEN I AWAKE, I GIVE MYSELF UP TO HIS
DIRECTION. AMIDST ALL THE EVILS THAT
THREATEN ME, I WILL LOOK UP TO HIM
FOR HELP, AND QUESTION NOT BUT HẺ
WILL EITHER AVERT THEM, OR TURN
THEM TO MY ADVANTAGE. THOUGH I

KNOW NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE MAN

NER OF THE DEATH I AM TO DIE, I AM NOT AT ALL SOLICITOUS ABOUT IT; BECAUSE I AM SURE THAT HE KNOWS THEM BOTH,

AND THAT HE WILL NOT FAIL TO COMFORT AND SUPPORT ME UNDER THEM.

C*.

*By ADDISON, dated it is fuppofed, from Chelsea. See N° 5. Note ad fin.

The fignatures of ADDISON'S Papers in the SPECT. OCcur in this order; 1. C. 2. L. 3. I. 4. O.; of the real meaning of them probably no unexceptionable explication can now be given; but it is not very credible that ADDISON adopted thefe letters, and placed them in this order, merely because the combination of them made up the name of the Mufe CLIO. The idea of their being the initials of the places from which ADDISON dated his Papers is a mere conjecture, which the conjecturer would gladly exchange for a more fatisfactory explanation. See No 555; and a vague paffage in STEELE'S Dedication of "The Drummer" to Mr. Congreve, relative to the fignatures, and tranfcribed as a proper Note on SPECT. N° 221.

I

N° 8. Friday, March 9, 1710-11.

At Venus obfcuro gradientes aëre fepfit,
Et multo nebula circùm Dea fudit amiƐtu,
Cernere ne quis eos

VIRG. Æn. i. 415.

They march obfcure, for Venus kindly shrouds, With mists their persons, and involves in clouds.

DRYDEN.

SHALL here communicate to the world a couple of letters, which I believe will give the reader as good an entertainment as any that I am able to furnish him with, and therefore fhall make no apology for them.

<

• SIR,

IA

To the SPECTATOR, &c.

AM one of the directors of the Society for 'the Reformation of Manners, and therefore think myself a proper person for your correfpondence. I have thoroughly examined the prefent state of Religion in Great-Britain, and am able to acquaint you with the predominant 'vice of every market town in the whole island. 'I can tell you the progress that Virtue has made in all our cities, boroughs, and corporations; and know as well the evil practices that are committed in Berwick or Exeter, as what is done in my own family. In a word, Sir, I have my correfpondents in the remoteft parts of the nation, who fend me up punctual acC counts from time to time of all the little irregularities,

4

gularities, that fall under their notice in their feveral diftricts and divifions.

'I am no lefs acquainted with the particular quarters and regions of this great town, than ' with the different parts and diftributions of ⚫ the whole nation. I can describe every parish by its impieties, and can tell you in which of our streets lewdnefs prevails, which gaming has taken the poffeffion of, and where drunkenness has got the better of them both. • When I am disposed to raise a fine for the poor, I know the lanes and alleys that are in'habited by common fwearers. When I would encourage the hofpital of Bridewell, and improve the hempen manufacture, I am very well acquainted with all the haunts and reforts of female night-walkers.

After this short account of myself, I must let you know, that the defign of this Paper is to give you information of a certain irregular affembly, which I think falls very properly under your obfervation, especially fince the perfons it is compofed of, are criminals too 'confiderable for the animadverfions of our Society. I mean, Sir, the Midnight MASK, which has of late been frequently held in one of the most confpicuous parts of the town, ' and which I hear will be continued with addi⚫tions and improvements*: As all the perfons who compofe this lawless affembly are Masked, we dare not attack any of them in our way,

6

*See N° 14, and VOL. II. N° 101.

• left

6

left we should fend a woman of quality to Bridewell, or a peer of Great-Britain to the • Counter: befides that their numbers are so very great, that I am afraid they would be able tò rout our whole fraternity, though we were accompanied with all our guard of constables. • Both these reasons, which fecure them from our authority, make them obnoxious to yours; ⚫ as both their disguise and their numbers will give no particular person reafon to think him• felf affronted by you.

C

If we are rightly informed, the rules that are obferved by this NEW SOCIETY, are wonderfully contrived for the advancement ⚫ of cuckoldom. The women either come by ⚫ themselves, or are introduced by friends who ⚫ are obliged to quit them, upon their first entrance, to the conversation of any body that • addreffes himself to them. There are feveral rooms where the parties may retire, and, if they please, fhew their faces by confent. Whispers, fqueezes, nods, and embraces, are the innocent freedoms of the place. In short, the whole defign of this libidinous affembly, feems to terminate in affignations and intrigues; and I hope you will take effectual ' methods by your publick advice and admonitions, to prevent fuch a promiscuous multitude of both fexes from meeting together in fo clandeftine a manner. I am

• Your humble fervant,

And fellow-labourer,

'T. B.'

Not