ready to encourage and protect that qualification in another, which they themselves are masters of. For their own application implies the pursuit of something commendable; and when they see their own characters proposed as imitable, they must be won by such an irresistible flattery. But those of the university, who are to make their fortunes by a ready insinuation into the favour of their superiors, contemn this necessary foppery so far, as not to be able to speak common sense to them without hesitation, perplexity, and confusion. For want of care in acquiring less accomplishments which adorn ordinary life, he that is so unhappy as to be born poor, is condemned to a method that will very probably keep him so.

I hope all the learned will forgive me what is said purely for their service, and tends to no other injury against them, than admonishing them not to overlook such little qualifications, as they every day see defeat their greater excellences in the pursuit both of reputation and fortune.

If the youth of the university were to be advanced, according to their sufficiency in the severe progress of learning; or riches could be secured to men of understanding, and favour to men of skill;' then indeed all studies were solemnly to be defied, that did not seriously pursue the main end; but since our merit is to be tried by the unskilful many, we must gratify the sense of the injudicious majority, satisfying ourselves that the shame of a trivial qualification sticks only upon him that prefers it to one more substantial. The more accomplishments a man is master of, the better is he prepared for a more extended acquaint

b If the universities are to be modelled agreeably to the fancies of the unskilful, I cannot think at what point they are to stop. All that can be said is, that accomplished characters are formed at our universities, and not on too slavish a plan; for Cromwell, Milton, Locke, &c. were bred there. A.

ance, and upon these considerations, without doubt, the author of the Italian book called Il Cortegiano, or the Courtier, makes throwing the bar, vaulting the horse, nay even wrestling, with several other as low qualifications, necessary for the man whom he figures for a perfect courtier; for this reason no doubt, because his end being to find grace in the eyes of men of all degrees, the means to pursue this end was the furnishing him with such real and seeming excellences as each degree had its particular taste of. But those of the university, instead of employing their leisure hours in the pursuit of such acquisitions as would shorten their way to better fortune, enjoy those moments at certain houses in the town, or repair to others at very pretty distances out of it, where they drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.' Persons of this indigent education are apt to pass upon themselves and others for modest, especially in the point of behaviour; though it is easy to prove, that this mistaken modesty not only arises from ignorance, but begets the appearance of its opposite, pride. For he that is conscious of his own insufficiency to address his superiors without appearing ridiculous, is by that betrayed into the same neglect and indifference towards them, which may bear the construction of pride. From this habit they begin to argue against the base submissive application from men of letters to men of fortune, and to be grieved when they see, as Ben Jonson says,

" The learned pate

Duck to the golden fool'

though these are points of necessity and convenience, and to be esteemed submissions rather to the occasion

c Written by Conte Baldassar Castiglione, and published in Italian and English, with a life of the author, by A. P. Castiglione, of the same family. 4to. Lond. 1727.

than to the person. It was a fine answer of Diogenes, who being asked in mockery, why philosophers were the followers of rich men, and not rich men of philosophers, replied, Because the one knew what they had need of, and the other did not.' It certainly must be difficult to prove, that a man of business, or a profession, ought not to be what we call a gentleman, but yet very few of them are so. Upon this account they have little conversation with those who might do them most service, but upon such occasions only as application is made to them in their particular calling; and for any thing they can do or say in such matters have their reward, and therefore rather receive than confer an obligation: whereas he that adds his being agreeable to his being serviceable, is constantly in a capacity of obliging others. The character of a beau, is, I think, what the men that pretend to learning please themselves in ridiculing: and yet if we compare these persons as we see them in public, we shall find that the lettered coxcombs without goodbreeding, give more just occasion to raillery, than the unlettered coxcombs with it: as our behaviour falls within the judgment of more persons than our conversation, and a failure [in it is] therefore more visible. What pleasant victories over the loud, the saucy, and the illiterate, would attend the men of learning and breeding; which qualifications, could we but join them, would beget such a confidence, as arising from good sense and good nature, would never let us oppress others, or desert ourselves. In short, whether a man intends a life of business or pleasure, it is impossible to pursue either in an elegant manner, without the help of good breeding. I shall conclude with the face at least of a regular discourse; and say, if it is our behaviour and address upon all common occasions that prejudice people in our favour, or to our disadvan

tage, and the more substantial parts, as our learning and industry, cannot possibly appear but to few; it is not justifiable to spend so much time in that which so very few are judges of, and utterly neglect that which falls within the censure of so many.

No. 95. TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1713.*

—Aliena negotia centum.

A crowd of petitioners.

HOR. 2 Sat. vi. 33.

CREECH.

1 FIND business increase upon me very much, as will appear by the following letters:

THIS day Mr. Oliver Purville, gentleman, property-man to the theatre royal in the room of Mr. William Peer, deceased, arrived here in widow Bartlett's waggon. He is an humble member of the Little Club, and a passionate man, which makes him tell the disasters which he met with on his road hither, a little too incoherently to be rightly understood. By what I can gather from him, it seems that within three miles of this side Wickham, the party was set upon by highwaymen. Mr. Purville was supercargo to the great hamper in which were the following goods. The chains of Jaffier and Pierre; the crowns and sceptres of the posterity of Banquo; the bull, bear and horse of captain Otter; bones, skulls, pickaxes, a bottle of brandy and five muskets; fourscore pieces of stock-gold, and thirty pieces of tin-silver hid in a green purse within a skull. These the robbers, by being put up safe, supposed to be true, and

* STEELE'S.

d See Guard. No. 82. Account of Mr. William Peer, property-man. See Guard. Nos. 91. and 92. by Mr. Pope.

rid off with, not forgetting to take Mr. Purville's own current coin. They broke the armour of Jacomo, which was cased up in the same hamper, and one of them put on the said Jacomo's mask to escape. They also did several extravagances with no other purpose but to do mischief; they broke a mace for the lord mayor of London. They also destroyed the world, the sun and moon, which lay loose in the waggon. Mrs. Bartlett is frightened out of her wits, for Purville says he has her servant's receipt for the world, and expects she shall make it good. Purville is resolved to take no lodgings in town, but makes behind the scenes a bed chamber of the hamper. His bed is that in which Desdemona is to die, and he uses the sheet in which Mr. Johnson is tied up in a comedy, for his own bed of nights. It is to be hoped the great ones will consider Mr. Purville's loss. One of the robbers has sent, by a country fellow, the stockgold, and had the impudence to write the following letter to Mr. Purville:

"SIR,

"If you had been an honest man, you would not have put bad money upon men who ventured their lives for it. But we shall see you when you come back. PHILIP SCOWRER.'

There are many things in this matter which employ the ablest men here, as whether an action will lie for the world among people who make the most of words? or whether it be adviseable to call that round ball the world, and if we do not call it so, whether we can have any remedy? The ablest lawyer here says there is no help; for if you call it the world, it will be answered how could the world be in one shire, to wit, that of Buckingham; for the county must be named, and if you do not name it we shall certainly