I am credibly informed that Tom Tattle passes for an impertinent Fellow, that Will Trippet begins to be smoaked, and that Frank Smoothly himself is within a Month of a Coxcomb, in case I think fit to continue this Paper.  For my part, as it is my Business in some measure to detect such as would lead astray weak Minds by their false Pretences to Wit and Judgment, Humour and Gallantry, I shall not fail to lend the best Lights I am able to the fair Sex for the Continuation of these their Discoveries.

[Footnote 1:  By Mrs. Perry, whose sister, Miss Shepheard, has letters in two later numbers, 140 and 163.  These ladies were descended from Sir Fleetwood Shepheard.]

[Footnote 2:  Michael Dalton’s ‘Country Justice’ was first published in 1618.  Joseph Mede’s ‘Clavis Apocalyptica,’ published in 1627, and translated by Richard More in 1643, was as popular in the Pulpit as ’The Country Justice’ on the Bench.  The negotiations of Count d’Estrades were from 1637 to 1662.  The translation of Bayle’s Dictionary had been published by Tonson in 1610.  Dr. William Wall’s ’History of Infant Baptism,’ published in 1705, was in its third edition.  ‘Aurungzebe’ was by Dryden.  ‘Mithridates’ and ‘Theodosius’ were by Lee.]

* * * * *

No. 93.  Saturday, June 16, 1711.  Addison.

      ’...  Spatio brevi
      Spem longam reseces:  dum loquimur, fugerit Invida
      AEtas:  carpe Diem, quam minimum credula postero.’

      Hor.

We all of us complain of the Shortness of Time, saith Seneca [1] and yet have much more than we know what to do with.  Our Lives, says he, are spent either in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the Purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do:  We are always complaining our Days are few, and acting as though there would be no End of them.  That noble Philosopher has described our Inconsistency with our selves in this Particular, by all those various Turns of Expression and Thought which are peculiar to his Writings.

I often consider Mankind as wholly inconsistent with itself in a Point that bears some Affinity to the former.  Though we seem grieved at the Shortness of Life in general, we are wishing every Period of it at an end.  The Minor longs to be at Age, then to be a Man of Business, then to make up an Estate, then to arrive at Honours, then to retire.  Thus although the whole of Life is allowed by every one to be short, the several Divisions of it appear long and tedious.  We are for lengthening our Span in general, but would fain contract the Parts of which it is composed.  The Usurer would be very well satisfied to have all the Time annihilated that lies between the present Moment and next Quarter-day.  The Politician would be contented to lose three Years in his Life, could he place things in the Posture which he fancies they will stand in after such a Revolution