powerful or inconsiderable in Europe, as they are Friends or Enemies to Great-Britain.  The Importance of those great Events which happened during that Administration, in which Your Lordship bore so important a Charge, will be acknowledgd as long as Time shall endure; I shall not therefore attempt to rehearse those illustrious Passages, but give this Application a more private and particular Turn, in desiring Your Lordship would continue your Favour and Patronage to me, as You are a Gentleman of the most polite Literature, and perfectly accomplished in the Knowledge of Books and Men, which makes it necessary to beseech Your Indulgence to the following Leaves, and the Author of them:  Who is, with the greatest Truth and Respect,

My Lord,
Your Lordship’s Obliged,
Obedient, and Humble Servant,
THE SPECTATOR.

[Footnote 1:  Charles Spencer, to whom the Sixth Volume of the Spectator is here inscribed, represented Tiverton, in 1700, when he took the Lady Anne Churchill, Marlborough’s second daughter, for his second wife.  On the death of his father Robert, in 1702, he became Earl of Sunderland.  He was an accomplished man and founder of the library at Althorpe.  In 1705 he was employed diplomatically at the courts of Prussia, Austria, and Hanover.  Early in 1706 he was one of the Commissioners for arranging the Union with Scotland, and in September of that year he was forced by the Whigs on Queen Anne, as successor to Sir Charles Hedges in the office of Secretary of State.  Steele held under him the office of Gazetteer, to which he was appointed in the following May.  In 1710 Sunderland shared in the political reverse suffered by Marlborough.  In the summer of that year Sunderland was dismissed from office, but with an offer from the Queen of a pension of L3000 a year.  He replied that he was glad her Majesty was satisfied that he had done his duty; but if he could not have the honour to serve his country, he would not plunder it.  The accession of George I. restored him to favour and influence.  He became Lord-lieutenant of Ireland; had, in 1715, a pension of L12,000 a year settled on him; in April, 1717, was again Secretary of State; and in the following March, Lord President of the Council.  His political influence was broken in 1721, the year before his death.]

* * * * *

No. 395.  Tuesday, June 3, 1712.  Budgell.

  ‘Quod nunc ratio est, Impetus ante fuit.’

  Ovid.

Beware of the Ides of March, said the Roman Augur to Julius Caesar:  Beware of the Month of May, says the British Spectator to his fair Country-women.  The Caution of the first was unhappily neglected, and Caesar’s Confidence cost him his Life.  I am apt to flatter my self that my pretty Readers had much more regard to the Advice I gave them, since I have yet received very few Accounts of any notorious Trips made in the last Month.

But tho’ I hope for the best, I shall not pronounce too positively on this point, till I have seen forty Weeks well over, at which Period of Time, as my good Friend Sir ROGER has often told me, he has more Business as a Justice of Peace, among the dissolute young People in the Country, than at any other Season of the Year.