Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

I shall conclude this effay upon laughter with obferving, that the metaphor of laughing, applied to fields and meadows when they are in flower, or to trees when they are in bloffom, runs through all languages; which I have not obferved of any other metaphor, excepting that of fire and burning when they are applied to love. This fhews that we naturally regard laughter, as what is in itself both amiable and beautiful. For this reafon likewife Venus has gained the title of sins, the laughterloving dame, as Waller has tranflated it, and is reprefented by Horace as the goddess who delights in laughter. Milton in a joyous affembly of imaginary perfons, has given us a very poetical figure of laughter. His whole band of mirth is fo finely defcribed, that I fhall fet down the paffage at length."

"But come thou goddess fair and free,
"In heav'n yclep'd Euphrofynè,
"And by men, heart-eafing mirth,
"Whom lovely Venus at a birth,
"With two fifter graces more,
"To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore :
"Hafte thee, nymph, and bring with thee
"Jeft and youthful jollity,

[ocr errors]

Quips and cranks, and wanton wiles,
"Nods, and becks, and wreathed fmiles,
"Such as hang on Hebe's cheek,
"And love to live in dimple fleek:

[ocr errors]

Sport that wrinkled care derides,

"And Laughter holding both his fides.
"Come, and trip it, as you go,
"On the light fantastic toe;

"And in thy right hand lead with thee
"The mountain nymph, fweet liberty;
"And if I give thee honour due,
"Mirth, admit me of thy crew,
"To live with her, and live with thee,
"In unreproved pleasures free."

C.

N° 250.

[ocr errors]

Monday, December 17.

Difce docendus adhuc, quæ cenfet amiculus, ut fi
Cacus iter monftrare velit ; tamen afpice fi quid
Et nos, quod cures proprium feciffe, loquamur.

HOR. Ep. 17. lib. 1. ver. 3.

Yet hear what thy unfkilful friend can fay,
As if one blind pretends to fhew the way;
Yet fee a-while, if what is fairly thown
Be good, and fuch as you may make your own.

• Mr. SPECTATOR,

CREECH.

YOU fee the nature of my request by the Latin

⚫ motto which I addrefs to you. I am very fenfible I ought not to use many words to you, who are one of but few; but the following piece, as it relates to fpeculation in propriety of speech, being a curiofity in its kind, begs your patience. It was found in a poeti'cal virtuofo's closet among his rarities; and fince the • feveral treatises of thumbs, ears, and nofes, have obliged the world, this of eyes is at your fervice.

[ocr errors]

>

The firft eye of confequence, under the invisible Author of all, is the vifible luminary of the universe. This glorious fpectator is faid never to open his eyes at his rifing in the morning, without having a whole kingdom ⚫of adorers in Perfian filk waiting at his levée. Millions of creatures derive their fight from this original, who befides his being the great director of optics, is the fureft teft whether eyes be of the fame fpecies with that of an eagle, or that of an owl: the one he emboldens with a manly affurance to look, speak, act or plead before the faces of a numerous affembly; the other he dazzles out of countenance into a sheepish dejectedness. The fun-proof eye dares lead up a dance in a full court; and without blinking at the luftre of beauty, can diftribute an eye of proper complaisance

to a room crouded with company, each of which de'ferves particular regard: while the other fneaks from 'converfation, like a fearful debtor, who never dares to ⚫ look out, but when he can fee no body, and no body ⚫ him.

[ocr errors]

The next inftance of optics is the famous Argus, who, to speak the language of Cambridge, was one of an hundred; and being used as a spy in the affairs of jealoufy, was obliged to have all his eyes about him. We have no account of the particular colours, casts and turns of this body of eyes; but as he was pimp for his miftrefs Juno, it is probable he used all the modern leers, fly glances, and other ocular activities to 'ferve his purpose. Some look upon him as the then king at arms to the heathenifh deities; and make no more of his eyes than so many spangles of his herald's

[ocr errors]

' coat.

[ocr errors]

The next upon the optic lift is old Janus, who stood in a double-fighted capacity, like a perfon placed betwixt two oppofite looking-glaffes, and fo took a fort ' of retrospective caft at one view. Copies of this doublefaced way are not yet out of fashion with many profeffions, and the ingenious artists pretend to keep up this fpecies by doubled-headed canes and fpoons; but there is no mark of this faculty, except in the emble⚫matical way of a wife general having an eye to both front and rear, or a pious man taking a review and profpect of his paft and future ftate at the fame time.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

I muft own, that the names, colours, qualities, and turns of eyes vary almoft in every head; for, not to mention the common appellations of the black, the blue, the white, the gray and the like; the moft remarkable are thofe that borrow their titles from animals, by virtue of fome particular quality of refemblance they bear to the eyes of the refpective creatures; as that of a greedy rapacious afpect takes its name from the cat, that of a fharp piercing nature from the hawk, those ' of an amorous roguifh look derive their title even from the fheep, and we fay fuch an one has a fheep's eye, 6 not fo much to denote the innocence as the fimple flynefs of the caft: nor is this metaphorical inoculation a modern invention, for we find Homer taking the free'dom to place the eye of an ox, bull, or cow in one of

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

his principal goddesses, by that frequent expreffion of « Βοῶπις πότνια "Ηρη

"The ox-ey'd venerable Juno."

Now as to the peculiar qualities of the eye, that fine part of our conftitution feems as much the receptacle and feat of our paffions, appetites and inclinations as the mind itself; and at least it is as the outward portal to ⚫ introduce them to the house within, or rather the common thoroughfare to let our affections pafs in and out. Love, anger, pride, and avarice, all vifibly move in thofe little orbs. I know a young lady that cannot fee a certain gentleman pafs by without fhewing a fecret • defire of feeing him again by a dance in her eye-balls; nay, the cannot for the heart of her help looking half a ftreet's length after any man in a gay dress. cannot behold a covetous spirit walk by a goldfmith's shop without cafting a wifhful eye at the heaps upon the counter. Does not a haughty perfon fhew the temper of his foul in the fupercilious roll of his eye? and how frequently in the height of paffion does that moving picture in our head ftart and ftare, gather a redness and quick flafhes of lightning, and makes all its humours fparkle with fire, as Virgil finely describes it.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

<

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Ardentis ab ore

You

"Scintillæ abfiftunt: oculis micat acribus ignis. En. 12. ver. 101.

[ocr errors]

-From his wide noftrils flies

A fiery fteam, and fparkles from his eyes." DRYDEN. As for the various turns of the eye-fight, fuch as the voluntary or involuntary, the half or the whole leer, I • fhall not enter into a very particular account of them, but let me obferve, that oblique vifion, when natural, ⚫ was anciently the mark of bewitchery and magical fafcination, and to this day it is a malignant ill look; but when it is forced and affected, it carries a wanton defign, and in play-houses, and other public places, this ocular intimation is often an affignation for bad practices: but this irregularity in vifion, together with ⚫ fuch enormities as tipping the wink, the circumfpective roll, the fide-peep through a thin hood or fan, muft be put in the clafs of heteroptics, as all wrong notions of religion are ranked under the general name

of heterodox. All the pernicious applications of fight ⚫ are more immediately under the direction of a SPECTATOR; and I hope you will arm your readers against the mifchiefs which are daily done by killing eyes, in ⚫ which you will highly oblige your wounded unknown ⚫ friend, 'T. B.'

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Mr. SPECTATOR,

YOU profeffed in feveral papers your particular endeavours in the province of SPECTATOR, to correct 'the offences committed by starers who disturb whole 'affemblies without any regard to time, place or modefty. You complained alfo that a ftarer is not usually a perfon to be convinced by the reafon of the thing, nor fo eafily rebuked, as to amend by admonitions. I thought therefore fit to acquaint you with a convenient me'chanical way, which may eafily prevent or correct ftaring, by an optical contrivance of new perspectiveglaffes, fhort and commodious like opera-glaffes, fit for 'fhort-fighted people as well as others, thefe glaffes making the objects appear, either as they are feen by the naked eye, or more diftinct, though fomewhat lefs than life, or bigger and nearer. A perfon may, by the help of this invention, take a view of another, without the impertinence of ftaring at the fame time it fhall not be poffible to know whom or what he is looking at. One may look towards his right or left hand, when he is fuppofed to look forwards: this is fet forth at large in the printed propofals for the fale of these glaffes, to be had at Mr. Dillon's in Long-Acre, next door to the White-Hart. Now, fir, as your SPECTATOR has occafioned the publishing of this invention for the benefit of modeft fpectators, the inventor defires your admonitions concerning the decent use of it; and hopes, by your recommendation, that for the future beauty may be beheld without the torture and confufion which it fuffers from the infolence of ftarers. By this means you will relieve the innocent from an infult which there is no law to punish, though it is a greater ⚫ offence than many which are within the cognizance of justice. I am, Sir,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Q.

Your most humble fervant,
ABRAHAM SPY,'

« VorigeDoorgaan »