[21] Beau Feilding. See No. 50.
[22] Properly speaking, the tumbril was a truck, the contents of which
could be easily shot out. It was often used for the conveyance of
corpses.
[23] The "Banquet of Trimalchio" is the most complete and best known of
the fragments of Petronius Arbiter's satiric romance "Saturæ."
[24] Egerton (or whoever wrote the "Memoirs of Gamesters") confirms
what is here said of Feilding's vanity in displaying his figure
(p. 70). Feilding was not a man of real courage; his dress was
always extraordinary, and the liveries of his footmen were equally
fantastical; they generally wore yellow coats, with black feathers in
their hats, and black sashes.--("Memoirs of Gamesters," pp. 208-211.)
[25] The Duchess of Cleveland. See No. 50.
[26] Feilding died of fever, at the age of 61, in a house in Scotland
Yard.
[27] Cromwell's porter, Daniel, who was for many years in Bedlam, is
said to have been the original from whom Caius Gabriel Cibber copied a
figure of a lunatic on the gate of the hospital. He was given to the
study of mystical divines. See Dr. King's Works, 1776, i. 217, and
Granger's "Biog. Hist." 1824, vi. 12.
[28] Probably Clinch, of Barnet. From the _London Daily Post_, 1734,
it appears that on December 11, in that year, died, aged about 70, the
famous Mr. Clinch, of Barnet, who diverted the town many years with
imitating a drunken man, old woman, pack of hounds, &c. He exhibited at
the corner of Bartholomew Lane, by the Royal Exchange. See _Spectator_,
No. 24.
[29] Estcourt. See No. 20.
[30] George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. See "Absalom and
Architophel," p. 545:
"A man so various that he seemed to be
Not one, but all mankind's epitome;
Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong,
Was everything by starts, and nothing long."
[31] Dr. Blackall. See No. 45.
[32] Admiral Sir John Jennings (1664-1743) was employed during 1709-10
in watching the Straits of Gibraltar. Afterwards he was made one of
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and Governor of Greenwich
Hospital.
[33] In August James Stanhope, afterwards first Earl Stanhope
(1673-1721), went to Gibraltar to command an expedition against Cadiz;
but the idea was abandoned.
[34] See No. 24, and "Pylades and Corinna," i. 67.
[35] This is an animadversion, says Nichols, on the method of securing
votes, and extending his influence in Middlesex, adopted by a knight
near Brentford. In the copy of the _Tatler_, in folio, with old MS.
notes, mentioned in a note to No. 4, Palatine is said to have been
"Mr. A--- n, K--- t of the shire"; and this appears to be correct, for
on March 3, 1708-9, at Brentford, John Austin, Esq., was unanimously
chosen knight of the shire for Middlesex, in the room of Sir John
Wolstenholm, deceased (Luttrell's "Diary," vi. 414). Mr. Austin was not
re-elected after the dissolution in 1710.
No. 52. [STEELE.
From _Saturday, August 6_, to _Tuesday August 9, 1709_.
* * * * *
_White's Chocolate-house, August 7._
_Delamira resigns her Fan._[36]
Long had the crowd of the gay and young stood in suspense as to their
fate in their passion to the beauteous Delamira; but all their hopes
are lately vanished by the declaration that she has made of her choice
to take the happy Archibald[37] for her companion for life. Upon her
making this public, the expense of sweet powder and jessamine[38] are
considerably abated; and the mercers and milliners complain of her
want of public spirit, in not concealing longer a secret which was so
much to the benefit of trade. But so it has happened; and no one was
in confidence with her in carrying on this treaty but the matchless
Virgulta, whose despair of ever entering the matrimonial state, made
her, some nights before Delamira's resolution was made known to the
world, address herself to her in the following manner:
"Delamira, you are now going into that state of life, wherein the use
of your charms is wholly to be applied to the pleasing only one man.
That swimming air of your body; that jaunty bearing of your head over
one shoulder; and that inexpressible beauty in your manner of playing
your fan, must be lowered into a more confined behaviour, to show that
you would rather shun than receive addresses in the future. Therefore,
dear Delamira, give me those excellences you leave, and acquaint me
with your manner of charming. For I take the liberty of our friendship
to say, that when I consider my own stature, motion, complexion, wit
or breeding, I cannot think myself any way your inferior; yet do I go
through crowds without wounding a man, and all my acquaintance marry
round me, while I live a virgin unasked, and (I think) unregarded."
Delamira heard her with great attention, and with that dexterity which
is natural to her, told her, that all she had above the rest of her
sex and contemporary beauties was wholly owing to a fan[39] (which
was left her by her mother, and had been long in the family), which
whoever had in possession, and used with skill, should command the
hearts of all her beholders: "And since," said she, smiling, "I have
no more to do with extending my conquests or triumphs, I'll make you
a present of this inestimable rarity." Virgulta made her expressions
of the highest gratitude for so uncommon a confidence in her, and
desired she would show her what was peculiar in the management of
that utensil, which rendered it of such general force while she was
mistress of it. Delamira replied, "You see, madam, Cupid is the
principal figure painted on it; and the skill in playing this fan is,
in several motions of it, to let him appear as little as possible;
for honourable lovers fly all endeavours to ensnare them; and your
Cupid must hide his bow and arrow, or he'll never be sure of his game.
You may observe," continued she, "that in all public assemblies, the
sexes seem to separate themselves, and draw up to attack each other
with eyeshot: that is the time when the fan, which is all the armour
of woman, is of most use in our defence; for our minds are construed
by the waving of that little instrument, and our thoughts appear in
composure or agitation according to the motion of it. You may observe,
when Will Peregrine comes into the side-box,[40] Miss Gatty flutters
her fan[41] as a fly does its wings round a candle; while her elder
sister, who is as much in love with him as she is, is as grave as a
vestal at his entrance, and the consequence is accordingly. He watches
half the play for a glance from her sister, while Gatty is overlooked
and neglected. I wish you heartily as much success in the management
of it as I have had: if you think fit to go on where I left off, I
will give you a short account of the execution I have made with it.
Cymon, who is the dullest of mortals, and though a wonderful great
scholar, does not only pause, but seems to take a nap with his eyes
open between every other sentence in his discourse: him have I made a
leader in assemblies; and one blow on the shoulder as I passed by him,
has raised him to a downright impertinent in all conversations. The
airy Will Sampler is become as lethargic by this my wand, as Cymon is
sprightly. Take it, good girl, and use it without mercy; for the reign
of beauty never lasted full three years, but it ended in marriage, or
condemnation to virginity. As you fear therefore the one, and hope for
the other, I expect an hourly journal of your triumphs; for I have it
by certain tradition, that it was given to the first who wore it by
an enchantress, with this remarkable power, that it bestows a husband
in half a year to her who does not overlook her proper minute; but
assigns to a long despair the woman who is well offered, and neglects
that proposal. May occasion attend your charms, and your charms slip no
occasion. Give me, I say, an account of the progress of your forces at
our next meeting; and you shall hear what I think of my new condition.
I should meet my future spouse this moment. Farewell. Live in just
terror of the dreadful words, SHE WAS."
_From my own Apartment, August 8._
I had the honour this evening to visit some ladies, where the subject
of the conversation was Modesty, which they commended as a quality
quite as becoming in men as in women. I took the liberty to say, it
might be as beautiful in our behaviour as in theirs; yet it could
not be said, it was as successful in life; for as it was the only
recommendation in them, so it was the greatest obstacle to us both
in love and business. A gentleman present was of my mind, and said,
that we must describe the difference between the modesty of women and
that of men, or we should be confounded in our reasonings upon it;
for this virtue is to be regarded with respect to our different ways
of life. The woman's province is to be careful in her economy, and
chaste in her affection: the man's to be active in the improvement of
his fortune, and ready to undertake whatever is consistent with his
reputation for that end. Modesty therefore in a woman has a certain
agreeable fear in all she enters upon; and in men it is composed of a
right judgment of what is proper for them to attempt. From hence it
is, that a discreet man is always a modest one. It is to be noted
that modesty in a man is never to be allowed as a good quality, but a
weakness, if it suppresses his virtue, and hides it from the world,
when he has at the same time a mind to exert himself. A French author
says very justly, that modesty is to the other virtues in a man, what
shade in a picture is to the parts of the thing represented: it makes
all the beauties conspicuous which would otherwise be but a wild heap
of colours. This shade on our actions must therefore be very justly
applied; for if there be too much, it hides our good qualities, instead
of showing them to advantage. Nestor[42] in Athens was an unhappy
instance of this truth; for he was not only in his profession the
greatest man of that age, but had given more proofs of it than any
other man ever did; yet for want of that natural freedom and audacity
which is necessary in commerce with men, his personal modesty overthrew
all his public actions. Nestor was in those days a skilful architect,
and in a manner the inventor of the use of mechanic powers, which he
brought to so great perfection that he knew to an atom what foundation
would bear such a superstructure: and they record of him that he was so
prodigiously exact that for the experiment-sake he built an edifice of
great beauty, and seeming strength; but contrived so as to bear only
its own parts, and not to admit the addition of the least particle.
This building was beheld with much admiration by all the _virtuosi_
of that time; but fell down with no other pressure but the settling
of a wren upon the top of it.[43] But Nestor's modesty was such that
his art and skill were soon disregarded for want of that manner with
which men of the world support and assert the merit of their own
performances. Soon after this example of his art Athens was, by the
treachery of its enemies, burnt to the ground. This gave Nestor the
greatest occasion that ever builder had to render his name immortal,
and his person venerable: for all the new city rose according to his
disposition, and all the monuments of the glories and distresses of
that people were erected by that sole artist. Nay, all their temples,
as well as houses, were the effects of his study and labour; insomuch,
that it was said by an old sage, "Sure, Nestor will now be famous; for
the habitations of gods, as well as men, are built by his contrivance."
But this bashful quality still put a damp upon his great knowledge,
which has as fatal an effect upon men's reputation as poverty; for as
it was said, the poor man saved the city, and the poor man's labour
was forgot; so here we see, the modest man built the city, and the
modest man's skill was unknown.[44] Thus we see every man is the maker
of his own fortune; and what is very odd to consider, he must in some
measure be the trumpet of his fame: not that men are to be tolerated
who directly praise themselves, but they are to be endued with a
sort of defensive eloquence, by which they shall be always capable of
expressing the rules and arts by which they govern themselves. Varillus
was the man of all I have read of the happiest in the true possession
of this quality of modesty. My author says of him, Modesty in Varillus
is really a virtue; for it is a voluntary quality, and the effect
of good sense. He is naturally bold and enterprising; but so justly
discreet, that he never acts or speaks anything, but those who behold
him know he has forborne much more than he has performed or uttered,
out of deference to the persons before whom he is. This makes Varillus
truly amiable, and all his attempts successful; for as bad as the world
is thought to be by those who are perhaps unskilled in it, want of
success in our actions is generally owing to want of judgment in what
we ought to attempt, or a rustic modesty which will not give us leave
to undertake what we ought. But how unfortunate this diffident temper
is to those who are possessed with it may be best seen in the success
of such as are wholly unacquainted with it. We have one peculiar
elegance in our language above all others, which is conspicuous in
the term "fellow." This word added to any of our adjectives extremely
varies, or quite alters the sense of that with which it is joined.
Thus, though a modest man is the most unfortunate of all men, yet a
modest fellow is as superlatively happy. A modest fellow is a ready
creature, who with great humility, and as great forwardness, visits his
patrons at all hours, and meets them in all places, and has so moderate
an opinion of himself, that he makes his court at large. If you won't
give him a great employment, he will be glad of a little one. He has
so great a deference for his benefactor's judgment, that as he thinks
himself fit for anything he can get, so he is above nothing which is
offered; like the young bachelor of arts, who came to town recommended
to a chaplain's place; but none being vacant, modestly accepted of
that of a postillion. We have very many conspicuous persons of this
undertaking yet modest turn; I have a grandson who is very happy in
this quality: I sent him at the time of the last peace into France. As
soon as he landed at Calais, he sent me an exact account of the nature
of the people, and the policies of the King of France. I got him since
chosen a member of a corporation: the modest creature, as soon as he
came into the Common Council, told a senior burgess, he was perfectly
out in the orders of their house. In other circumstances, he is so
thoroughly modest a fellow, that he seems to pretend only to things he
understands. He is a citizen only at Court, and in the city a courtier.
In a word, to speak the characteristical difference between a modest
man and a modest fellow; the modest man is in doubt in all his actions;
a modest fellow never has a doubt from his cradle to his grave.