and of the Inhabitants in the several Parts, by
something very particular in their Tone it self, in
the dwelling upon a Note, or else making themselves
wholly unintelligible by a Scream. The Person
I am so delighted with has nothing to sell, but
very gravely receives the Bounty of the People, for
no other Merit but the Homage they pay to his Manner
of signifying to them that he wants a Subsidy.
You must, sure, have heard speak of an old Man,
who walks about the City, and that part of the Suburbs
which lies beyond the Tower, performing the Office
of a Day-Watchman, followed by a Goose, which bears
the Bob of his Ditty, and confirms what he says
with a Quack, Quack. I gave little heed to the
mention of this known Circumstance, till, being
the other day in those Quarters, I passed by a decrepit
old Fellow with a Pole in his Hand, who just then
was bawling out, Half an Hour after one a-Clock, and
immediately a dirty Goose behind him made her Response,
Quack, Quack. I could not forbear attending
this grave Procession for the length of half a Street,
with no small amazement to find the whole Place so
familiarly acquainted with a melancholy Mid-night
Voice at Noon-day, giving them the Hour, and exhorting
them of the Departure of Time, with a Bounce at
their Doors. While I was full of this Novelty,
I went into a Friend’s House, and told him
how I was diverted with their whimsical Monitor
and his Equipage. My Friend gave me the History;
and interrupted my Commendation of the Man, by telling
me the Livelihood of these two Animals is purchased
rather by the good Parts of the Goose, than of the
Leader: For it seems the Peripatetick who walked
before her was a Watchman in that Neighbourhood;
and the Goose of her self by frequent hearing his
Tone, out of her natural Vigilance, not only observed,
but answer’d it very regularly from Time to Time.
The Watchman was so affected with it, that he bought
her, and has taken her in Partner, only altering
their Hours of Duty from Night to Day. The
Town has come into it, and they live very comfortably.
This is the Matter of Fact: Now I desire you,
who are a profound Philosopher, to consider this
Alliance of Instinct and Reason; your Speculation may
turn very naturally upon the Force the superior Part
of Mankind may have upon the Spirits of such as,
like this Watchman, may be very near the Standard
of Geese. And you may add to this practical Observation,
how in all Ages and Times the World has been carry’d
away by odd unaccountable things, which one would
think would pass upon no Creature which had Reason;
and, under the Symbol of this Goose, you may enter
into the Manner and Method of leading Creatures, with
their Eyes open, thro’ thick and thin, for
they know not what, they know not why.
All which is humbly submitted to your
Spectatorial Wisdom by,
SIR,
Your most humble Servant,
Michael Gander.
Mr. SPECTATOR,