Doggerel, Humour, Burlesque, and all the trivial Arts of Ridicule. We meet with more Rallery among the Moderns, but more good Senfe among the Ancients.

THE two great Branches of Ridicule in Writing are Comedy and Burlesque. The first ridicules Perfons by drawing them in their proper Characters, the other by drawing them quite unlike themselves. Burlesque is therefore of two Kinds; the first represents mean Persons in the Accoutrements of Heroes, the other describes great Perfons acting and speaking like the basest among the People. Don Quixote is an Instance of the first, and Lucian's Gods of the fecond. It is a Difpute among the Criticks, whether Burlesque Poetry runs beft in Heroick Verfe, like that of the Difpenfary; or in Doggerel, like that of Hudibras. I think where the low Character is to be raised, the Heroick is the proper Measure; but when an Hero is to be pulled down and degraded, it is done beft in Doggerel.

IF Hudibras had been fet out with as much Wit and Humour in Heroick Verse as he is in Doggerel, he would have made a much more agreeable Figure than he does; though the generality of his Readers are fo wonderfully pleafed with the double Rhimes, that I do not expect many will be of my Opinion in this Particular.

I fhall conclude this Effay upon Laughter with obferving, that the Metaphor of Laughing, applied to Fields and Meadows when they are in Flower, or to Trees when they are in Bloffom runs, through all Languages; which I have not obferved of any other Metaphor, excepting that of Fire and Burning when they are applied to Love. This fhews that we naturally regard Laughter, as what is in it felf both amiable and beautiful. For this Reafon likewife Venus has gained the Title of noμedns, the Laughter-loving Dame,as Waller has tranflated it, and is reprefented by Horace as the Goddess who delights in Laughter. Milton, in a joyous Aflembly of imaginary Perfons, has given us a very Poetical Figure of Laughter. His whole Band of Mirth is fofinely defcribed, that I fhall fet down the Paffage at length. But come thou Goddefs fair and free, In Heaven ycleap'd Euphrofyne. And by Men, heart-eafing Mirth, Whom lovely Venus at a Birth With tavo Sifter Graces more To Tuy-crowned Bacchus bore:

Hafe

Hafte thee Nymph, and bring with thee
Feft and youthful Follity,

Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles,
Nods, and Becks, and wreathed Smiles,
Such as hang on Hebe's Cheek,
And love to live in Dimple fleek:
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his Sides.
Come, and trip it as you go,
On the light fantastick Toe,

And in thy right Hand lead with thee,
The Mountain Nymph, fweet Liberty;
And if I give thee Honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy Crew,

To live with her, and live with thee,
In unreproved Pleasures free.

N° 250. Monday, December 17.

Difce docendus adhuc, quæ cenfet amiculus, ut ft
Cacus iter monftrare velit; tamen afpice fi quid
Et nos, quod cures proprium feciffe, loquamur. Hor.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

Y

YOU fee the Nature of my Request by the Latin Motto which I addrefs to you. I am very fenfible I ought not to use many Words to you, who are one of but few; but the following Piece, as it relates to Speculation in Propriety of Specch, being a Curiofity in its Kind, begs your Patience. It was found in a Po⚫etical Virtuofo's Clofet among his Rarities; and fince the feveral Treatifes of Thumbs, Ears, and Noses, have obliged the World, this of Eyes is at your Service.

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THE firft Eye of Confequence (under the invifible Author of all) is the vifible Luminary of the Univerfe. This glorious Spectator is faid never to open his Eyes at his Rifing in a Morning, without having a whole Kingdom of Adorers in Perfian Silk waiting at his Levée. Millions of Creatures derive their Sight 'from this Original, who, befides his being the great. Director of Opticks, is the fureft Teft whether Eyes

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⚫ be of the fame Species with that of an Eagle, or that of an Owl: The one he emboldens with a manly Aflurance to look, fpeak, act or plead before the Faces of a numerous Affembly; the other he dazzles out of Coun⚫tenance into a fheepish Dejectedness. The Sun-proof Eye dares lead up a Dance in a full Court; and without blinking at the Luftre of Beauty, can diftribute an Eye of proper Complaifance to a Room crowded with Company, each of which deferves particular Regard; "while the other fneaks from Converfation, like a fear• ful Debtor, who never dares to look out, but when he can fee no Body, and no Body him.

THE next Inftance of Opticks is the famous Argus, who (to fpeak the Language of Cambridge) was one of an Hundred; and being ufed as a Spy in the Affairs of Jealoufy, was obliged to have all his Eyes about him. We have no Account of the particular Colours, Cafts and Turns of this Body of Eyes; but as he was Pimp for his Mistress Juno, 'tis probable he used all the modern Leers, fly Glances, and other ocular • Activities to serve his Purpose. Some look upon him as the then King at Arms to the Heathenish Deities; and make no more of his Eyes than as fo many Spangles of his Herald's Coat.

་

THE next upon the Optick Lift is old Janus, who ⚫ stood in a double-fighted Capacity, like a Perfon placed ⚫betwixt two oppofite Looking Glaffes, and fo took a fort

of retrofpective Caft at one View. Copies of this double⚫ faced Way are not yet out of Fashion with many Pro⚫feffions, and the ingenious Artifts pretend to keep up

this Species by double-headed Canes and Spoons; but ⚫ there is no Mark of this Faculty, except in the emble ⚫matical Way of a wife General having an Eye to both • Front and Rear, or a pious Man taking a Review and • Profpect of his past and future State at the fame Time.

I must own, that the Names, Colours, Qualities, and Turns of Eyes vary almoft in every Head; for, not to mention the common Appellations of the Black, the Blue, the White, the Gray, and the like; the 'most remarkable are thofe that borrow their Titles from Animals, by Virtue of fome particular Quality of Refemblance they bear to the Eyes of the respective

Crea

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Creatures; as that of a greedy rapacious Afpect takes its Name from the Cat, that of a fharp piercing Nature from the Hawk, thofe of an amorous roguish Look derive their Title even from the Sheep, and we fay fuch an one has a Sheep's Eye, not fo much to denote the Innocence as the fimple Slynefs of the Caft: Nor is this metaphorical Inoculation a modern Invention, for we find Homer taking the Freedom to place the Eye of an Ox, • Bull, or Cow in one of his principal Goddeffes, by that frequent Expreffion of

Βοῶπις πότνια Ηρη

NOW as to the peculiar Qualities of the Eye, that 'fine Part of our Conftitution feems as much the Recep tacle and Seat of our Paffions, Appetites and Inclinations as the Mind itfelf; and at least it is the outward Por ⚫tal to introduce them to the House within, or rather the common Thorough-fare to let our Affections pafs in and out; Love, Anger, Pride, and Avarice, all vifibly move ⚫ in those little Orbs. I know a young Lady that can't fee a certain Gentleman pafs by without shewing a fecret De'fire of feeing him again by a Dance in her Eye-balls; nay, 'fhe can't for the Heart of her help looking Half a Street's Length after any Man in a gay Drefs. You can't behold a covetous Spirit walk by a Goldsmith's Shop, without cafting a wishful Eye at the Heaps upon the Counter. Does not a haughty Perfon fhew the Temper of his Soul in the fupercilious Rowl of his Eye? And how frequently in the Height of Paffion does that moving Picture in our Head ftart and ftare, gather a Redness ⚫ and quick Flashes of Lightning, and makes all its Hu⚫mours fparkle with Fire, as Virgil finely defcribes it, Ardentis ab ore

Scintille abfiftunt: oculis micat acribus ignis.

"AS for the various Turns of the Eye-fight, fuch as the • voluntary or involuntary, the half or the whole Leer, I fhall not enter into a very particular Account of them; but let me observe, that oblique Vifion, when natural, was anciently the Mark of Bewitchery and magical Fascination, and to this Day 'tis a malignant ill Look; but when 'tis forced and affected it carries a wanton Defign, ⚫ and in Play-houses, and other publick Places, this ocular

• Intimation is often an Affignation for bad Practices: But this Irregularity in Vifion, together with fuch Enormities as Tipping the Wink, the Circumfpective • Rowl, the Side peep through a thin Hood or Fan, muft ⚫ be put in the Clafs of Heteropticks, as all wrong Notions ⚫ of Religion are ranked under the general Name of He⚫terodox. All the pernicious Applications of Sight are more immediately under the Direction of a SPECTATOR; and I hope you will arm your Readers against the • Mischiefs which are daily done by killing Eyes, in which you will highly oblige your wounded unknown Friend,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

T. B.

YOU profeffed in feveral Papers your particular

Endeavours in the Province of SPECTATOR, to correct the Offences committed by Starers, who dif • turb whole Affemblies without any Regard to Time, Place or Modefty. You complained alfo, that a Starer is not ufually a Perfon to be convinced by the Reason of the Thing, nor so easily rebuked, as to amend by Ad ⚫ monitions. I thought therefore fit to acquaint you with a convenient Mechanical Way, which may eafily prevent or correct Staring, by an Optical Contrivance of new Perfpective-Glaffes, fhort and commodious like Opera Glaffes, fit for fhort-fighted People as well as others, thefe Glaffes making the Objects appear, either as they are ⚫ feen by the naked Eye, or more diftinct, though fome what lefs than Life, or bigger and nearer.. A Perfon may, by the Help of this Invention, take a View of another, without the Impertinence of Staring at the fame Time it fhall not be poffible to know whom or what he is looking at. One may look towards his Right or Left "Hand, when he is fuppofed to look forwards: This is fet forth at large in the printed Proposals for the Sale of these Glaffes, to be had at Mr. Dillon's in Long• Acre, next Door to the White-Hart. Now, Sir, as your Spectator has occafioned the Publishing of this Invention for the Benefit of modeft Spectators, the Inventor defires your Admonitions concerning the decent Ufe of it; and hopes, by your Recommendation, that for the future Beauty may be beheld without the Torture and Confufion which it fuffers from the, Infolence of Starers..