spur him up to the point. Nay, 'tis the opinion of that grave lady, Madam Match well, that 'tis absolutely convenient for every prudent family to have several of these implements about the house, to clap on as occasion serves, and that every spark ought to produce a certificate of his being a shoeing-horn before he be admitted as a shoe. A certain lady, whom I could name, if it were necessary, has at present more shoeinghorns of all sizes, countries, and colours in her service, than ever she had new shoes in her life. I have known a woman make use of a shoeinghorn for several years, and finding him unsuccessful in that function convert him at length into a shoe. I am mistaken if your friend Mr. William Honeycomb was not a cast-off shoeinghorn before his late marriage. As for myself I must frankly declare to you that I have been an errant shoeing-horn for above these twenty years. I served my first mistress in that capacity above five of the number before she was shod. I confess, though she had many who made their applications to her, I always thought myself the best shoe in her shop, and it was not till a month before her marriage that I discovered what I was. This had like to have broke my heart, and raised such suspicions in me, that I told the next I made love to, upon receiving some unkind usage from her, that I began to look upon myself as no more than her shoeing-horn. Upon which my dear, who was a coquette in her nature, told me I was hypochondriacal, and that I might as well look upon myself to be an egg or a pipkin. But in a very short time after she gave me to know that I was not mistaken in myself. It would be

tedious to recount to you the life of an unfortunate shoeing-horn, or 1 might entertain you with a very long and melancholy relation of my sufferings. Upon the whole, I think, sir, it would very well become a man in your post to determine in what cases a woman may be allowed, with honour, to make use of a shoeing-horn, as also to declare whether a maid on this side of five-andtwenty, or a widow who has not been three years in that state, may be granted such a privilege, with other difficulties which will naturally occur to you upon that subject. I am, sir, with the most profound veneration, yours, &c.

ADDISON.

0.

SIR,

Το μεν γαρ γενος εσμεν.

For we are his offspring.

ARAT.

ACTS xxvii. 28.

'TO THE SPECTATOR.

IT has been usual to remind persons of rank on great occasions in life, of their race and quali ty, and to what expectations they were born, that by considering what is worthy of them, they may be withdrawn from mean pursuits, and encouraged to laudable undertakings. This is turning nobility into a principle of virtue, and making it productive of merit, as it is understood to have been originally a reward of it.

It is for the like reason, I imagine, that you have, in some of your speculations, asserted to

your readers the dignity of human nature. But you can not be insensible that this is a controverted doctrine; there are authors who consider human nature in a very different view, and books of maxims have been written to show the falsity of all human virtues. The reflections which are made on this subject usually take some tincture from the tempers and characters of those that make them. Politicians can resolve the most shining actions among men into artifice and design; others who are soured by discontent, repulses, or ill-usage, are apt to mistake their spleen for philosophy; men of profligate lives, and such as find themselves incapable of rising to any distinction among their fellow-creatures, are for pulling down all appearances of merit, which seem to upbraid them; and satirists describe nothing but deformity. From all these hands we have such draughts of mankind as are represented in those burlesque pictures which the Italians call caricaturas; where the art consists in preserving, amidst distorted proportions and aggravated features, some distinguishing likeness of the person, but in such a manner as to transform the most agreeable beauty into the most odious

monster.

'It is very disingenuous to level the best of mankind with the worst, and for the faults of particulars to degrade the whole species. Such methods tend not only to remove a man's good opinion of others, but to destroy that reverence for himself, which is a great guard of innocence, and a spring of virtue.

It is true, indeed, that there are surprising mixtures of beauty and deformity, of wisdom

and folly, virtue and vice, in the human make; such a disparity is found among numbers of the same kind, and every individual, in some instances, or at some times, is so unequal to himself, that man seems to be the most wavering and inconstant being in the whole creation. So that the question in morality, concerning the dignity of our nature, may at first sight appear like some difficult questions in natural philosophy, in which the arguments on both sides seem to be of equal strength. But as I began with considering this point as it relates to action, I shall here borrow an admirable reflection from Monsieur Paschal, which I think sets it in its proper light.

"It is of dangerous consequence," says he, "to represent to man how near he is to the level of beasts, without showing him at the same time his greatness. It is likewise dangerous to let him see his greatness, without his meanness. It is more dangerous yet to leave him ignorant of either; but very beneficial that he should be made sensible of both." Whatever imperfections we may have in our nature, it is the business of religion and virtue to rectify them, as far as is consistent with our present state.

In the mean time, it is no small encouragement to generous minds to consider that we shall put them all off with our mortality. That sublime manner of salutation with which the Jews approached their kings,

"O king, live for ever!"

may be addressed to the lowest and most despised mortal among us, under all the infirmities and distresses with which we see him surround

ed.

And whoever believes the immortality of the soul, will not need a better argument for the dignity of his nature, nor a stronger incitement to actions suitable to it.

'I am naturally led by this reflection to a subject I have already touched upon in a former letter, and can not without pleasure call to mind the thoughts of Cicero to this purpose, in the close of his book concerning old age. Every one who is acquainted with his writings, will remember, that the elder Cato is introduced in that discourse as the speaker, and Scipio and Lelius as his auditors. This venerable person is represented looking forward, as it were, from the verge of extreme old age into a future state, and rising into a contemplation on the unperishable part of his nature and its existence after death. I shall collect part of his discourse. And as you have formerly offered some arguments for the soul's immortality, agreeable both to reason and the christian doctrine, I believe your readers will not be displeased to see how the same great truth shines in the pomp of the Roman eloquence.

"This," says Cato, "is my firm persuasion, that since the human soul exerts itself with so great activity, since it has such a remembrance of the past, such a concern for the future; since it is enriched with so many arts, sciences, and discoveries, it is impossible but the being which contains all these must be immortal."

6

"The elder Cyrus, just before his death, is represented by Xenophon speaking after this mannet. Think not, my dearest children, that when I depart from you I shall be no more; but remember that my soul, even while I lived

VOL. XI.-3