which a grave author informs me is practised in Monomotapa, where, when the king sneezes in a room, those present greet him in a voice loud enough to be heard by those in the antichamber; these give the same warning to those in the next rooms; thence it goes into the court, next into the places nearest the palace, and at length into the town; so that in a few moments all places resound with acclamations. If every action of those above us could be so extended, and every sound that issues from them be promulgated in the same authentic and official manner, it would afford infinite satisfaction to their curious inferiors; and I am sure none would take greater delight in hearing from them this way than, "Sir, No. 40. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9. O imitatores, servum pecus, ut mihi sæpe O imitators vile! O slavish herd! HOR. EPL. I. 19, 19. How oft within me have your efforts stirr'd The spleen, how oft with laughter shook my beard! I KNOW of no quality of the mind of a more general force than the love of imitation: every circumstance of opinion or behaviour bends to it by degrees; and often while we suppose ourselves intrenched in a most inflexible singularity, we are working after some secret model which engages us insensibly, and in a manner steals us from ourselves. My old housekeeper is an instance of the truth of this observation; the irregularities and roughnesses of whose temper are every day yielding to the contagion of tranquillity, and to the gentle influence of my mother's example. My principal correspondent in town, between whom and myself there subsists so regular an intercourse, and who is my first cousin by my father's side, is mightily taken with the smooth and uniform character of the Olive-Branch family. I am informed he has so successfully hit my manner, and the turn of my features, that the other day, upon his entering the coffee-room, a Northamptonshire gentleman declared, that Old Simon was come up to town-and spread a general alarm. The curiosity of all present grew so troublesome to my representative, that he could not forbear contracting his brows, and showing evident signs of dissatisfaction and distress, which immediately convinced the whole room that the original Mr. Simon Olive-Branch must be still in Northamptonshire. I have desired him to add a tail to his wig, and to dismiss his little round buckles and sugar-loaf buttons, that he may be less suspicious for the future in public places. In our own society, I have seen both the good and the bad effects of this love of imitation. It appears very evident to me that the gentlemanlike and easy manners of Mr. Shapely have greatly won upon Mr. Barnaby, the churchwarden, with whose homely style of behaviour my readers have been long ago made acquainted. If my friend, Mr. Barnaby, could have contented himself with catching the spirit of Mr. Shapely's behaviour, his fear of disconcerting, his attention to the person addressing himself to him, his tenderness of contradiction, his silence on all matters of obligation, his frugal mention of himself, and his little curiosity in other men's concerns, he might have gained his point without laying himself open to ridicule by abandoning his natural manners. But, unhappily, it is the exterior about which Mr. Barnaby has grown so solicitous; and being of a bulky unactive make, the determined manner in which he executes his civilities, frequently ends in a catastrophe that completely disappoints his purpose. If you drop your tea-spoon, your head encounters Mr. Barnaby's as you endeavour to recover it. As he rises with the prize in his hand, he comes with such fury against the table, that every glass and tea-cup is thrown down, and the Echo vehemently excited. At last you are presented with your spoon, but the same courteous hand oversets your tea. You are scalded, and rendered uncomfortable for the evening; and Mr. Barnaby retires to his place, with a fit of coughing, that lasts him a quarter of an hour, and keeps the Echo in constant amaze. Last night this singular gentleman came to our society with a pair of ruffles and a snuff-box; looking, as Mr. Allworth says, like beef à la mode. Every tender of his snuff-box is sure to be followed by some inconvenience to his neighbour; for as he generally gives his arm a swing upon these occasions, it is sure to take by the way sombody's nose, or wig, or spectacles, and give them a very rude assault. In short, Mr. Barnaby's hostile civilities have put us all in such bodily fear, that it is agreed amongst us, that, unless the paroxysm die away of itself, which we trust it will soon do, we must think of some laws for the restraint of boisterous breeding. I observe with great pleasure, however, that this love of imitation is directed to another object in our club, from which no ridiculous misconceptions can possibly arise. The sentiments and maxims of Mr. Allworth begin to be retailed by every member of the society, and his temperate use of words is becoming very general. Thus, when we are emulous of a person's spirit and principles, rather than his manner, our attempts are generally to a certain de ́gree successful; and if we fail, we are but where we were, without any superinduced absurdities of carriage and behaviour. If we succeed in our endeavours, we often carry more points than one; for the new habits of thinking and conversing we have acquired, seldom fail to give a new effect and colour to our manners, to impress on our conduct new modes of address aad delivery, and to give to our feelings new tones of utterance and expression. The other evening, as my mother and myself were sitting over the parlour fire, we happened to fall upon the subject of to-day's paper. I remember it was a remark of my mother's, that those persons whom it has pleased Providence to place in such situations of eminence as necessarily hold them out as objects of imitation to half the world, must have a vast deal more to answer for than their own conduct. "The eldest son of the crown," continued she, "what a mighty influence has this man over the nation in general! Let him wear the bow of his neckcloth at the back of his neck, and the seam of his stocking on the front of his leg, and in a fortnight's time not a leg or a neck but would receive the same twist. How worthily might such an influence be exerted on the moral character of his countrymen! How easy 'twere to make it the fashion to be just, honourable, and religious, if this great personage could be convinced that these were points of equal importance with the style of a head-dress, or the structure of a phaeton! I wish he would read and study," continued the good old lady, reaching from the window-seat a small octavo, with black covers, "this excellent book, which belonged to your great-grandfather, and, for aught I know, to his ancestors before him." She then read to me a great part of the Life of Sir Philip Sydney, till beginning to grow weary, she shut up the book, and thus continued- -"This bright and accomplished cavalier might, if he pleased, in his day, have set the fashion of a shoetie, or have altered the shape of every man's peruke in the country; but he thought it more beseeming his manhood and his greatness of soul to hold out a brave example of virtue and religion. While all were looking up to him as the sample of courtesy, of elegance and gallantry, he was be |