ing the following letter, with a very fine copy of verfes upon a fubject perfectly new. 6 • Mr. SPECTATOR, You Dublin, Nov. 30, 1714. OU lately recommended to your female readers the good old cuftom of their grandmothers, who ufed to lay out a great part of their time in needle-work. I entirely · agree with you in your fentiments, and think it would not be of lefs advantage to themselves and their pofterity, than to the reputation of many of their good neighbours, if they pafs many of thofe hours in this innocent entertainment which are loft at the tea• table. I would, however, humbly offer to your confideration the cafe of the poetical ladies; who, though they may be willing to take any advice given them by the SPECTATOR, yet cannot fo eafily quit their pen and ink as you may imagine. Pray allow them, at least now and then, to indulge themfelves in other • amusements of fancy when they are tired with ftooping to their tapestry. There is a very particular kind of work, which of late feveral ladies here in our kingdom are very fond of, which feems very well adapted to a poetical genius: it is the making of grottos. I know a lady who has a very beautiful one, compofed by herfelf; nor is there one fhell in it not ftuck up by her own hands. I here fend you a poem to the fair architect, which 'I would not offer to herfelf until I knew whether this method of a lady's paffing her time were approved of by the British SPECTATOR; which, with the poem, I submit to your cenfure, who am, • Your conftant reader "To Mrs. • and humble fervant, on her Grotto. ' A. B.' A grotto fo complete, with fuch defign, "What hands, Calypfo, could have form'd but thine! "Each chequer'd pebble, and each fhining thell, "So well proportion'd, and difpos'd'fo well, 66 Surprifing luftre from thy thought receive, Affuming beauties more than nature gave. "To her their various fhapes and gloffy hue, "Their curious fymmetry they owe to you. "Not fam'd Amphion's lute, whofe powerful call "Made willing ftones dance to the Theban wall, "In more harmonious ranks could make them fall. I "Not evening cloud a brighter arch can show, "Nor richer colours paint the heavenly bow. "Where can unpolish'd nature boast a piece "In all her moffy cells exact as this; "At the gay party-colour'd fcene we start, "For chance too regular, too rude for art. "Charm'd with the fight, my ravish'd breaft is fir'd "With hints like thofe which ancient bards infpir'd; "All the feign'd tales by fuperftition told, "All the bright train of fabled Nymphs of old, "Th' enthufiaftic Mufe believes are true, "Thinks the fport facred, and its genius you. "Loft in wild rapture would fhe fain difclofe "How by degrees the pleafing wonder rofe; "Industrious "Industrious in a faithful verfe to trace "The various beauties of the lovely place: "And while the keeps the glowing work in view, "Through every maze thy artful hand purfue. "O, were I equal to the bold defign, "Or could I boaft fuch happy art as thine! "That could rude fhells in fuch fweet order place, "Give common objects fuch uncommon grace! "Like them my well chofe words in ev'ry line, "As fweetly temper'd thould as fweetly fhine. "So just a fancy fhould my members warm, "Like the gay piece fhould the defcription charm. Then with fuperior ftrength my voice I'd raise, The echoing grotto fhould approve my lays, "Pleas'd to reflect the well-fung founder's praife.") N° 633. Wednesday, December 15, 1714. Qmnia profecto cum fe a cæleftibus rebus referet ad bumanas excelfius magnificentiúfque & dicet & fentiet. CICERO. The contemplation of celeftial things will make a man both speak and think more fublimely and magnificently when he defcends to human affairs." HE following Difcourfe is printed, as it came to my hands, without variation*. TH Cambridge, Dec. 11. T was a very common inquiry among the ancients why the number of excellent orators, under all the encouragements the most * See SPECT. N° 572; and GUARDIAN, N° 121. 6 flourishing ftates could give them, fell fo far 'fhort of the number of thofe who excelled in all other fciences. A friend of mine ufed merrily to apply to this cafe an obfervation of Herodotus, who fays, that the moft ufeful animals are the moft fruitful in their generation; whereas the fpecies of those beasts that 6 are fierce and mifchievous to mankind are but fcarcely continued. The hiftorian instances in a hare, which always either breeds or brings forth; and a lionefs, which brings forth but and then lofes all power of conception. But leaving my friend to his mirth, I am of opinion that in thefe latter ages we have greater caufe of complaint than the ancients had. And fince that folemn feftival is approaching, which calls for all the power of oratory, and which affords as noble a fubject for the pulpit as any revelation has taught us, the defign of this Paper fhall be to fhew that our moderns have greater advantages towards true and folid eloquence than any which the • celebrated speakers of antiquity enjoyed. 6 6 6 once, The first great and substantial difference is, that their common-places, in which almost the whole force of amplification confifts, were drawn from the profit or honefty of the action, as they regarded only this prefent ftate of duration. But Chriftianity, as it exalts morality. to a greater perfection, as it brings the confideration of another life into the queftion, as it * Christmas. propofes 6 proposes rewards and punishments of a higher nature and a longer continuance, is more adapted to affect the minds of the audience, naturally inclined to purfue what it imagines its greatest interest and concern. If Pericles, as hiftorians report, could fhake the firmeft refolution of his hearers, and fet the paffions ⚫ of all Greece in a ferment, when the present welfare of his country, or the fear of hoftile invafions, was the fubject; what may be expected from that orator who warns his audience against thofe evils which have no remedy, when once undergone, either from prudence or time? As much greater as the evils in a future ftate are than thefe at prefent, fo much are the motives to perfuafion under Chriftianity greater than thofe which mere moral confiderations could fupply us with. But what I now mention relates only to the power of moving the affections. There is another part of eloquence which is indeed its masterpiece; I mean the marvellous, or fublime. In this the Chriftian orator has the advantage beyond contradiction. Our ideas are fo infinitely enlarged by revelation, the eye of reafon has fo wide a profpect into eternity, the notions of a Deity are fo worthy and refined, and the accounts we have of a ftate of happiness or mifery fo clear and evident, that the contemplation of fuch objects will give our difcourfe a noble vigour, an invincible force, beyond the power of any human confideration. Tully requires in his perfect Orator • fome |