breeches and his doublet of one continued piece of cloth, after the manner of the huffars. In fhort, by following the pure dictates of reason, he at length departed fo much from the reft of his countrymen, and indeed from his whole fpecies, that his friends would have clapped him into Bedlam, and have begged his estate; but the judge, being informed that he did no harm, contented himself with iffuing out a commiffion of lunacy against him, and putting his estate into the hands of proper guardians. 66 The fate of this philofopher puts me in mind of a remark in Monfieur Fontenelle's Dialogues of the Dead. "The ambitious and the cove"to us," fays he, "are madmen to all intents "and purposes, as much as those who are shut up in dark rooms; but they have the good "luck to have numbers on their fide; whereas "the frenzy of one who is given up for a lu"natic is a frenzy hors d'oeuvre;" that is, in other words, fomething which is fingular in its kind, and does not fall in with the madness of a multitude. The fubject of this Effay was occafioned by a letter which I received not long fince, and which, for want of room at prefent, I fhall infert in my next Paper. ** By ADDISON. On the authority of Mr. Tickell. **This day is publifhed, in a neat pocket volume, The Thousand and One Days' Perfian Tales: tranflated from the French by Mr. Philips. Printed for J. Tonfon, over against Catherine-ftreet, where may be had Paftorals, and The Diftreft Mother, by the fame author. SPECT. in folio, N° 565. See No. 578, Adv. and Note. No. 577. N° 577. Friday, August 6, 1714. Hoc tolerabile, fi non Et furere incipias T' * Juv. Sat. vi. 613. This might be borne with, if you did not 'rave.' HE letter mentioned in my last Paper is as follows. • SIR, YOU OU have fo lately decried that custom, too much in ufe amongst most people, of making themfelves the fubjects of their writings and converfation, that I had fome difficulty to perfuade myself to give you this trouble, until I had confidered that though I 'fhould fpeak in the firft perfon, yet I could 'not be justly charged with vanity, fince I 'fhall not add my name; as alfo, because what • I fhall write will not, to fay the best, redound, to my praife; but is only defigned to remove, a prejudice conceived against me, as I hope, with very little foundation. My fhort hiftory ⚫ is this. I have lived for fome years last past altogether in London, until about a month ago an 'acquaintance of mine, for whom I have done, fome fmall fervices in town, invited me to pafs part of the fummer with him at his house 1 2 • in ⚫ in the country. I accepted his invitation, and found a very hearty welcome. My friend, an honeft plain man, not being qualified to pafs away his time without the reliefs of bufinefs, has grafted the farmer upon the gentleman, and brought himself to fubmit even to the fervile parts of that employment, fuch as infpecting his plough, and the like. This neceffarily takes up fome of his hours every day; and, as I have no relish for such diverfion, I used at these times to retire either to my chamber, or a fhady walk near the house, ⚫ and entertain myself with fome agreeable author. Now, you must know, Mr. SPECTATOR, that when I read, especially if it be poetry, it is very usual with me, when I meet with any paffage or expreffion which 'ftrikes me much, to pronounce it aloud, with that tone of the voice which I think agree• able to the fentiments there expreffed; and to this I generally add fome motion or action of the body. It was not long before I was ob• ferved by fome of the family in one of these heroic fits, who thereupon received impref⚫fions very much to my difadvantage. This however I did not foon difcover, nor fhould • have done probably, had it not been for the following accident. I had one day shut myfelf up in my chamber, and was very deeply engaged in the second book of Milton's Paradife Loft. I walked to and fro with the book ⚫ in my hand; and, to speak the truth, I fear I • made 'made no little noife; when, presently coming 'to the following lines, On a fudden open fly, "With impetuous recoil and jarring found, I in great tranfport threw open the door of my chamber, and found the greatest part of the family standing on the outside in a very great confternation. I was in no lefs confufion, and begged pardon for having disturbed them; addreffing myself particularly to com'fort one of the children who received an unlucky fall in this action, while he was too 'intently furveying my meditations, through the key-hole. To be fhort, after this adventure I easily obferved that great part of the family, especially the women and children, looked upon me with fome apprehenfions of fear; and my friend himself, though he still ⚫ continues his civilities to me, did not feem altogether eafy: I took notice that the butler · was never after this accident ordered to leave the bottle upon the table after dinner. Add to this, that I frequently overheard the fervant mention me by the name of the crazed gentleman, the gentleman a little touched, the mad Londoner, and the like. This made me think it high time for me to fhift my quar6 ters, which I refolved to do the firft hand'fome opportunity; and was confirmed in this ⚫ refolution by a young lady in the neighbour• hood 1 3 hood who frequently vifited us, and who one day, after having heard all the fine things I was able to say, was pleased with a scornful fmile to bid me go to fleep. • The first minute I got to my lodgings in town I fet pen to paper to defire your opinion, • whether, upon the evidence before you, I am 6 mad or not. I can bring certificates that I behave myself foberly before company, and I hope there is at least fome merit in withdrawing to be mad. Look you, Sir, I am contented to be esteemed a little touched, as they phrafe it, but should be forry to be madder than my neighbours; therefore, pray let me be as much in my fenfes as you can afford. I know I could bring yourfelf as an instance of a man who has confeffed talking to him• felf; but yours is a particular cafe and cannot juftify me, who have not kept filence any part of my life. What if I fhould own myfelf in love? You know lovers are always allowed the comfort of foliloquy.--But I will fay no more upon this fubject, because I have long fince obferved the ready way to be thought mad is to contend that you are not fo; as we generally conclude that man drunk who takes pains to be thought fober. I will therefore leave myself to your determination; but am the more defirous to be thought in my fenfes, that it may be no difcredit to you when I affure you that I have always been very much • Your admirer. P. S. |