knee, with two large tassels at the hilt, that played about his ancles. I must confess I cannot help shrewdly suspecting the courage of the Terribles. I beg pardon if I am in the wrong when I think, that the long sword, and the swaggering cock, are the ordinary disguises of a faint heart. These men while they think to impose terror upon others, do but render themselves contemptible; their very dress tells you that they are surrounded with fears, that they live in Hobbes's state of nature, and that they are never free from apprehensions. I dare say, if one were to look into the hearts of these champions, one should find there a great tendency to go cased in armour, and that nothing but the fear of a stronger ridicule restrains them from it. A brave man scorns to wear any thing, that may give him an advantage over his neighbour; his great glory is neither to fear, nor to be feared. I remember, when I was abroad, to have seen a buffoon in an opera, whose excessive cowardice never failed to set the whole audience into a loud laughter: but the scene which seemed to divert them most, was that in which he came on with a sword that reached quite across the stage, and was put to flight by an adversary, whose stature was not above four foot high, and whose weapon was not three foot long. This brings to my mind what I have formerly read of a king of Arabia, who showing a rich sword, that had been presented to him, his courtiers unanimously gave their opinion, that it had no other fault, but that of being too short; upon which the king's son said, that there was no weapon too short for a brave man, since there needed no more but to advance one step to make it long enough. To this I shall subjoin by way of corollary, that there is no weapon long 3 enough for a coward, who never thinks himself secure while he is within sight of his adversary's point. I would therefore advise these men of distant courage, as they tender their honour, to shorten their dimensions, and reduce their tilters to a more reputable, as well as a more portable size'. No. 144. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1713.* Sua cuique quum sit animi cogitatio, PHÆDR. Prol. v. ver. 7. Every man has his peculiar way of thinking and acting. It is a very just, and a common observation upon the natives of this island, that in their different degrees, and in their several professions and employments, they abound as much and perhaps more, in good sense than any people; and yet, at the same time there is scarce an Englishman of any life and spirit, that has not some odd cast of thought, some original humour that distinguishes him from his neighbour. Hence it is that our comedies are enriched with such a diversity of characters, as is not to be seen upon any other theatre in Europe. Even in the masquerades that have been lately given to the town, though they are diversions we are not accustomed to, the singularities of dress were carried much further than is usual in foreign countries, where the natives are trained up, as it were, from their infancy, to those amusements. The very same measure of understanding, the very same accomplishments, the very same defects, shall, amongst us, appear under a quite dif * STEELE'S. 1 See Nos. 145. and 171, on this subject; and the final notes to Nos. 10. 11. and 15. ferent aspect in one man, to what they do in another. This makes it as impracticable to foreigners to enter into a thorough knowledge of the English, as it would be to learn the Chinese language, in which there is a different character for every individual word. I know not how to explain this vein of humour so obvious in my countrymen, better than by comparing it to what the French call Le goût du terroir in wines, by which they mean the different flavour one and the same grape shall draw from the different soils in which it is planted. This national mark is visible amongst us every rank and degree of men, from the persons of the first quality and politest sense, down to the rudest and most ignorant of the people. Every mechanic has a peculiar cast of head and turn of wit, or some uncommon whim, as a characteristic that distinguishes him from others of his trade, as well as from the multitudes that are upon a level with him. We have a small-coal-man", who from beginning with two plain in m Mr. Thomas Breton, the musical small-coal-man, the first who instituted a concert, and introduced musical meetings and clubs into this country, was a native of Northamptonshire. He served a regular apprenticeship to his employment with a small-coal-man, in St. John the Baptist's-street, and began to trade in this way for himself by the little gate of St. John's of Jerusalem, next to Clerkenwell-green. He became, soon after, an excellent chemist under the instructions of Dr. Garanciers, and by the help of a moveable elaboratory contrived and built by himself. He was likewise famous for his knowledge in the theory of music, and became no inconsiderable performer. He pricked music with neatness and accuracy, and a judicious collection pricked with his own hand was sold after his death for near 100%. He was a collector of curious books, and besides a collection in this kind sold before he died, left behind him, a choice library in the chemical and musical branches of science, both of printed books and manuscripts, with a very considerable collection of musical instruments, and many valuable curiosities. His death, which happened in Sept. 1714, was caused, or occasioned, by a trick of a ventriloquist, introduced on purpose to frighten him, to indulge the humour of a foolish justice of the peace in the neighbourhood, of the name of Robe. The circumstances are minutely related by sir John Hawkins in his History of Music, vol. v. b. i. chap. 9. where the curious may see a more particular account, and a fine print of this very singular and ingenious man. P. 71. et seqq. ut suprà. notes, which made up his daily cry, has made himself master of the whole compass of the gamut, and has frequent concerts of music at his own house, for the entertainment of himself and his friends. There is a person of great hospitality, who lives in a plastered cottage upon the road to Hampstead, and gets a superfluity of wealth, by accommodating holiday passengers with ale, brandy, pipes, tobacco, cakes, gingerbread, apples, pears, and other small refreshments of life; and on workydays takes the air in his chaise, and recreates himself with the elegant pleasures of the beau monde. The shining men amongst our mob, dignified by the title of ringleaders, have an inexhaustible fund of archness and raillery; as likewise have our sailors and watermen. Our very streetbeggars are not without their peculiar oddities, as the schoolmen term them. The other day a tattered wag followed me across the Mews with one farthing or halfpenny, good your honour, do your honour; and I shall make bold to pray for you.' Shakespear, who was a great copier of nature, whenever he introduces any artisans or low characters into his plays, never fails to dash them strongly with some distinguishing stain of humour, as may be seen more remarkably in the scene of the grave-diggers in Hamlet. Though this singularity of temper, which runs through the generality of us, may make us seem whimsical to strangers; yet it furnishes out a perpetual change of entertainment to ourselves, and diversifies all our conversations with such a variety of mirth, as is not to be met with in any other country. Sir William Temple, in his Essay upon Poetry, endeavours to account for the British humours in the following manner: This may proceed from the native plenty of our soil, the unequalness of our climate, as well as the ease of our government, and the liberty of professing opinions and factions, which perhaps our neighbours have about them, but are forced to disguise, and thereby may come in time to be extinguished. Thus we come to have more originals, and more that appear what they are. We have more humour, because every man follows his own, and takes a pleasure, perhaps a pride to show it. On the contrary, where the people are generally poor, and forced to hard labour, their actions and lives are all of a piece. Where they serve hard masters, they must follow their examples, as well as commands, and are forced upon imitation in small matters, as well as obedience in great so that some nations look as if they were cast all in one mould, or cut out all by one pattern, at least the common people in one, and the gentlemen in another. They seem all of a sort in their habits, their customs, and even their talk and conversation, as well as in the application and pursuit of their actions, and their lives. Besides all this, there is another sort of variety amongst us, which arises from our climate, and the dispositions it naturally produces. We are not only more unlike one another, than any nation I know; but we are more unlike ourselves too, at several times, and owe to our very air some ill qualities, as well as many good.' Ours is the only country, perhaps in the whole world, where every man, rich and poor, dares to have à humour of his own, and to avow it upon all occasions. I make no doubt, but that it is to this great freedom of temper, and this unconstrained manner of living, that we owe in a great measure, the number of shining geniuses, which rise up amongst us from time to time, in the several arts and sciences, for the service and for the ornament of life. This frank and |