After having despatched these two important Points of Grinning and Whistling, I hope you will oblige the World with some Reflections upon Yawning, as I have seen it practised on a Twelfth-Night among other Christmas Gambols at the House of a very worthy Gentleman, who always entertains his Tenants at that time of the Year.  They Yawn for a Cheshire Cheese, and begin about Midnight, when the whole Company is disposed to be drowsie.  He that Yawns widest, and at the same time so naturally as to produce the most Yawns among his Spectators, carries home the Cheese.  If you handle this Subject as you ought, I question not but your Paper will set half the Kingdom a Yawning, tho’ I dare promise you it will never make any Body fall asleep.

L.

[Footnote 1:  Upon Roscommon’s Tr. of Horace’s ’Art of Poetry’.]

[Footnote 2:  provoked to]

* * * * *

No. 180.  Wednesday, September 26, 1711.  Steele.

      ‘...  Delirant Reges, plectuntur Achivi.’

      Hor.

The following Letter [1] has so much Weight and good Sense, that I cannot forbear inserting it, tho’ it relates to an hardened Sinner, whom I have very little Hopes of reforming, viz.  Lewis XIV. of France.

  Mr.  SPECTATOR,

’Amidst the Variety of Subjects of which you have treated, I could wish it had fallen in your way to expose the Vanity of Conquests.  This Thought would naturally lead one to the French King, who has been generally esteemed the greatest Conqueror of our Age, ’till her Majesty’s Armies had torn from him so many of his Countries, and deprived him of the Fruit of all his former Victories.  For my own Part, if I were to draw his Picture, I should be for taking him no lower than to the Peace of Reswick [2], just at the End of his Triumphs, and before his Reverse of Fortune:  and even then I should not forbear thinking his Ambition had been vain and unprofitable to himself and his People.

  As for himself, it is certain he can have gained nothing by his
  Conquests, if they have not rendered him Master of more Subjects, more
  Riches, or greater Power.  What I shall be able to offer upon these
  Heads, I resolve to submit to your Consideration.

To begin then with his Increase of Subjects.  From the Time he came of Age, and has been a Manager for himself, all the People he had acquired were such only as he had reduced by his Wars, and were left in his Possession by the Peace; he had conquered not above one third Part of Flanders, and consequently no more than one third Part of the Inhabitants of that Province.

About 100 Years ago the Houses in that Country were all Numbered, and by a just Computation the Inhabitants of all Sorts could not then exceed