charms me wonderfully.  As an Instance of it, I must acquaint you, and by your means the whole Club, that I have lately married one of my Tenants Daughters.  She is born of honest Parents, and though she has no Portion, she has a great deal of Virtue.  The natural Sweetness and Innocence of her Behaviour, the Freshness of her Complection, the unaffected Turn of her Shape and Person, shot me through and through every time I saw her, and did more Execution upon me in Grogram, than the greatest Beauty in Town or Court had ever done in Brocade.  In short, she is such an one as promises me a good Heir to my Estate; and if by her means I cannot leave to my Children what are falsely called the Gifts of Birth; high Titles and Alliances:  I hope to convey to them the more real and valuable Gifts of Birth; strong Bodies, and Healthy Constitutions.  As for your fine Women, I need not tell thee that I know them.  I have had my share in their Graces, but no more of that.  It shall be my Business hereafter to live the Life of an honest Man, and to act as becomes the Master of a Family.  I question not but I shall draw upon me the Raillery of the Town, and be treated to the Tune of the Marriage-Hater match’d; but I am prepared for it.  I have been as witty upon others in my time.  To tell thee truly, I saw such a Tribe of Fashionable young fluttering Coxcombs shot up, that I did not think my Post of an homme de ruelle any longer tenable.  I felt a certain Stiffness in my Limbs, which entirely destroyed that Jauntyness of Air I was once Master of.  Besides, for I may now confess my Age to thee, I have been eight and forty above these Twelve Years.  Since my Retirement into the Country will make a Vacancy in the Club, I could wish you would fill up my Place with my Friend Tom Dapperwit.  He has an infinite deal of Fire, and knows the Town.  For my own part, as I have said before, I shall endeavour to live hereafter suitable to a Man in my Station, as a prudent Head of a Family, a good Husband, a careful Father (when it shall so happen) and as

  Your most Sincere Friend,
  and Humble Servant,

  WILLIAM HONEYCOMB.

O.

[Footnote 1:  Heartwell in the play of the Old Batchelor.  Addison here continues the winding up of the Spectator by finally disposing of another member of the club.]

[Footnote 2:  [about]]

[Footnote 3:  [the]]

* * * * *

No. 531.  Saturday, November 8. 1712.  Addison.

  ’Qui mare et terras variisque mundum
  Temperat horis: 
  Unde nil majus generatur ipso,
  Nec viget quicquam simile aut secundum.’

  Hor.

Simonides being ask’d by Dionysius the Tyrant what God was, desired a Day’s time to consider of it before he made his Reply.  When the Day was expired, he desired two Days; and afterwards, instead of returning his Answer, demanded still double the Time to consider of it.  This great Poet and Philosopher, the more he contemplated the Nature of the Deity, found that he waded but the more out of his Depth; and that he lost himself in the Thought, instead of finding an End of it. [1]