her, and have been her Man in the Sight and Expectation of the whole Town [these [1]] three Years, and thought my self near the End of my Wishes; when the other Day she called me into her Closet, and told me, with a very grave Face, that she was a Woman of Honour, and scorned to deceive a Man who loved her with so much Sincerity as she saw I did, and therefore she must inform me that she was by Nature the most inconstant Creature breathing, and begg’d of me not to marry her; If I insisted upon it, I should; but that she was lately fallen in Love with another.  What to do or say I know not, but desire you to inform me, and you will infinitely oblige,

  SIR, Your most humble Servant,

  Charles Yellow.

[Footnote 1:  “this”, and in first reprint.]

* * * * *

ADVERTISEMENT.

Mr. Sly, Haberdasher of Hats,
at the Corner of Devereux-Court in the Strand,
gives notice,
That he has prepared very neat Hats, Rubbers, and Brushes
for the Use of young Tradesmen in their last Year of Apprenticeship,
at reasonable Rates. [1]

[Footnote 1: 

“Last night died of a mortification in his leg, after a long time
enduring the same, John Sly, the late famous haberdasher, so often
mentioned in the ’Spectator’.”

‘Evening Post’, April 15, 1729.]

* * * * *

No. 188.  Friday, October 5, 1711.  Steele.

      ‘Loetus sum Laudari a te Laudato viro.’

      Tull.

He is a very unhappy Man who sets his Heart upon being admired by the Multitude, or affects a general and undistinguishing Applause among Men.  What pious Men call the Testimony of a good Conscience, should be the Measure of our Ambition in this Kind; that is to say, a Man of Spirit should contemn the Praise of the Ignorant, and like being applauded for nothing but what he knows in his own Heart he deserves.  Besides which the Character of the Person who commends you is to be considered, before you set a Value upon his Esteem.  The Praise of an ignorant Man is only Good-will, and you should receive his Kindness as he is a good Neighbour in Society, and not as a good Judge of your Actions in Point of Fame and Reputation.  The Satyrist said very well of popular Praise and Acclamations, Give the Tinkers and Coblers their Presents again, and learn to live of your self. [1] It is an Argument of a loose and ungoverned Mind to be affected with the promiscuous Approbation of the Generality of Mankind; and a Man of Virtue should be too delicate for so coarse an Appetite of Fame.  Men of Honour should endeavour only to please the Worthy, and the Man of Merit should desire to be tried only by his Peers.  I thought it a noble Sentiment which I heard Yesterday uttered in Conversation; I know, said a Gentleman, a Way to be greater than any Man: