and Complexions, whether the Severe, the Delightful,
the Impertinent, the Agreeable, the Thoughtful, Busie,
or Careless; the Serene or Cloudy, Jovial or Melancholy,
Untowardly or Easie; the Cold, Temperate, or Sanguine;
and of what Manners or Dispositions soever, whether
the Ambitious or Humble-minded, the Proud or Pitiful,
Ingenious or Base-minded, Good or Ill-natur’d,
Publick-spirited or Selfish; and under what Fortune
or Circumstance soever, whether the Contented or Miserable,
Happy or Unfortunate, High or Low, Rich or Poor (whether
so through Want of Money, or Desire of more) Healthy
or Sickly, Married or Single; nay, whether Tall or
Short, Fat or Lean; and of what Trade, Occupation,
Profession, Station, Country, Faction, Party, Persuasion,
Quality, Age or Condition soever, who have ever made
Thinking a Part of their Business or Diversion, and
have any thing worthy to impart on these Subjects
to the World, according to their several and respective
Talents or Genius’s, and as the Subject given
out hits their Tempers, Humours, or Circumstances,
or may be made profitable to the Publick by their
particular Knowledge or Experience in the Matter proposed,
to do their utmost on them by such a Time; to the
End they may receive the inexpressible and irresistible
Pleasure of seeing their Essay allowed of and relished
by the rest of Mankind.
I will not prepossess the Reader with too great Expectation
of the extraordinary Advantages which must redound
to the Publick by these Essays, when the different
Thoughts and Observations of all Sorts of Persons,
according to their Quality, Age, Sex, Education, Professions,
Humours, Manners and Conditions, &c. shall be set out
by themselves in the clearest and most genuine Light,
and as they themselves would wish to have them appear
to the World.
The Thesis propos’d for the present
Exercise of the Adventurers to write Spectators,
is MONEY, on which Subject all Persons are
desired to send their Thoughts within Ten Days after
the Date hereof.
T.
* * * *
*
No. 443. Tuesday, July 29, 1712. Steele
‘Sublatam ex oculis Quaerimus invidi.’
Hor.
Camilla to the SPECTATOR.
Venice, July 10, N. S.
Mr. SPECTATOR,
’I Take it extreamly ill, that you
do not reckon conspicuous Persons of your Nation
are within your Cognizance, tho’ out of the Dominions
of Great Britain. I little thought in the green
Years of my Life, that I should ever call it an
Happiness to be out of dear England; but as
I grew to Woman, I found my self less acceptable
in Proportion to the Encrease of my Merit.
Their Ears in Italy are so differently formed
from the Make of yours in England, that I
never come upon the Stage, but a general Satisfaction