lar's popularity, feems juftly to claim the honour which has been hitherto denied him, of fhewing his countrymen that something more was to be defired, and that English verse might be exalted into poetry.

FROM the time of Gower and Chaucer, the English writers have ftudied elegance, and advanced their language, by fucceffive improvements, to as much harmony as it can eafily receive, and as much copiousness as human knowledge has hitherto required. Thefe advances have not been made at all times with the same diligence or the fame fuccefs. Negligence has fufpended the courfe of improvement, or affectation turned it afide; time has elapsed with little change, or change has been made without amendment. But elegance has been long kept in view with attention as near to conftancy as life permits, till every man now endeavours to excel others in accuracy, or outshine them in splendour of ftyle, and the danger is, left care fhould too foon pass to affectation.

N° 64.

No 64. Saturday, July 7.

SIR,

A

To the IDLER.

S nature has made every man defirous of happiness, I flatter myself, that you and your readers cannot but feel some curiofity to know the fequel of my ftory; for tho' by trying the different fchemes of pleasure, I have yet found nothing in which I could finally acquiefce; yet the narrative of my attempts will not be wholly without use, fince we always approach nearer to truth as we detect more and more varieties of error.

WHEN I had fold my Racers, and put the orders of Architecture out of my head, my next refolution was to be a fine Gentleman. I frequented the polite Coffee-houses, grew acquainted with all the men of humour, and gained the right of bowing familiarly to half the nobility. In this new scene of life my great

great labour was to learn to laugh. I had been used to confider laughter as the effect of merriment, but I foon learned that it is one of the arts of adulation, and from laughing only to fhew that I was pleafed, I now began to laugh when I wifhed to please. This was at first very difficult. I fometimes heard the story with dull indifference, and not exalting myself to merriment by due gradations, burst out fuddenly into an aukward noise which was not always favourably interpreted. Sometimes I was behind the rest of the company, and loft the grace of laughing by delay, and sometimes when I began at the right time was deficient in loudnefs or in length. But by diligent imitation of the best models, I attained at last such flexibility of muscles, that I was always a welcome auditor of a story, and got the reputation of a good-natured fellow.

THIS was something; but much more was to be done, that I might be univerfally allowed to be a fine Gentleman. I appeared at Court on all publick days; betted at gaming tables, and played at all the routs of eminence. I went every night to the Opera, took a Fidler dif puted merit under my protection, be

came

came the head of a mufical faction, and had fometimes Concerts at my own house. I once thought to have attained the highest rank of elegance, by taking a foreign finger into keeping. But my favourite Fidler contrived to be arrested on the night of a concert for a finer fuit of cloaths than I had ever prefumed to wear, and I loft all the fame of Patronage by refufing to bail him.

my

Pic

My next ambition was to fet for ture. I spent a whole winter in going from Painter to Painter, to bespeak a whole length of one, and a half length of another; I talked of nothing but attitudes, draperies, and proper lights; took my friends to fee the pictures after every fitting; heard every day of a wonderful performer in crayons and miniature, and fent my pictures to be copied; was told by the judges that they were not like, and was recommended to other artists. At length, being not able to please my friends I grew less pleased myself, and at laft resolved to think no more about it.

IT was impoffible to live in total idleness; and wandering about in fearch of fomething to

do,

do, I was invited to a weekly meeting of Virtuofos, and felt myself inftantaneously seized with an unextinguishable ardour for all natural Curiofities. I ran from auction to auction, became a Critic in Shells and Foffils, bought a Hortus ficcus of ineftimable value, and purchased a secret art of preserving Infects, which made my collection the envy of the other Philofophers. I found this pleasure mingled with much vexation. All the faults of my life were for nine months circulated thro' the town with the most active malignity, because I happened to catch a Moth of peculiar variegation; and because I once out-bid all the Lovers of Shells and carried off a Nautilus, it was hinted that the validity of my Uncle's Will ought to be difputed. I will not deny that I was very proud both of the Moth and of the shell, and gratified myself with the envy of my companions, perhaps more than became a benevolent Being. But in time I grew weary of being hated for that which produced no advantage, gave my Shells to children that wanted play-things, and fuppreffed the art of drying Butterflies, because I would not tempt Idlenefs and Cruelty to kill them.