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its Creator, and encompassed round with the immensity of the Godhead. Whilst we are in the body he is not less present with us because he is concealed from us. O that I knew where I might find him!' says Job. Behold I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him.' In short, reason as well as revelation assures us that he cannot be absent from us, notwithstanding he is undiscovered by us,

In this consideration of God Almighty's omnipresence and omniscience, every uncomfortable thought vanishes. He cannot but regard every thing that has being, especially such of his creatures who fear they are not regarded by him. He is privy to all their thoughts, and to that anxiety of heart in particular which is apt to trouble them on this occasion; for as it is impossible he should overlook any of his creatures, so we may be confident that he regards with an eye of mercy those who endeavour to recommend themselves to his notice, and in an unfeigned humility of heart think themselves unworthy that he should be mindful of them,

ADDISON.

ON INNUENDOS, PAPER I.

No. 567.

I HAVE received private advice from some of my correspondents, that if I would give my Paper a general run, I should take care to season it with scandal. I have indeed observed of late, that few writings sell which are not filled with great names and illustriQus titles. The reader generally casts his eye upon a new book, and if he finds several letters separated

from

T

from one another by a dash, he buys it up, and peruses it with great satisfaction. An M and an b, a and an r, with a short line between them, has sold many insipid pamphlets. Nay, I have known a whole edition go off by virtue of two or three well-written &c

-S.

A sprinkling of the word faction, Frenchman, papist, plunderer, and the like insignificant terms, in an ItaHic character, have also a very good effect upon the eye of the purchaser; not to mention scribbler, liar, rogue, rascal, knave, and villain, without which it is impossible to carry on a modern controversy.

Our party-writers are so sensible of the secret virtue of an innuendo to recommend their productions, that of late they never mention the Q-n or P―t at length, though they speak of them with honour, and with that deference which is due to them from every private person. It gives a secret satisfaction to a peruser of these mysterious works, that he is able to decypher them without help, and, by the strength of his own natural parts, to fill up a blank space, or make out a word that has only the first or last letter to it.

Some of our authors, indeed, when they would be more satirical than ordinary, omit only the vowels of a great man's name, and fall most unmercifully upon all the consonants. This way of writing was first of all introduced by T-m Br-wn, of facetious memory, who, after having gutted a proper name of allits intermediate vowels, used to plant it in his works, and make as free with it as he pleased, without any danger of the statute.

That I may imitate these celebrated authors, and publish a Paper which shall be more taking than ordi

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nary, I have here drawn up a very curious libel, in which a reader of penetration will find a great deal of concealed satire, and, if he be acquainted with the present posture of affairs, will easily discover the meaning of it.

• If there are four persons in the nation who endeavour to bring all things into confusion, and ruin their native country, I think every honest Engl-shm-n ought to be upon his guard. That there are such, every one will agree with me, who hears me name with his first friend and favourite ***, not to mention *** nor ***. These people may cry Ch―rch, ch―rch as long as they please; but, to make use of a homely proverb, "The proof of the p-dd-ng is in the eating.' This I am sure of, that if a certain prince should concur with a certain prelate, (and we have monsieur Z-n's word for it) our posterity would be in a sweet p――kle, Must the British nation suffer, forsooth, because my lady Q-p-t-s has been disobliged? Or, is it reasonable that our English fleet, which used to be the terror of the ocean, should lie wind-bound for the sake of a ———————? I love to speak out and declare my mind clearly, when I am talking for the good of my country. I will not make my court to an ill man, though he were a By or a T-t. Nay, I would not stick to call so wretched a politician, a traitor, an enemy to his country, and a bl-nd-rb-ss, &c. &c.'

I hope this short essay will convince my readers, it is not for want of abilities that I avoid state tracts, and that, if I would apply my mind to it, I might in a little time be as great a master of the political scratch as any the most eminent writer of the age. I shall only add, that in order to outshine all this modern

race

race of Syncopists, and thoroughly content my English reader, I intend shortly to publish a Spectator that shall not have a single vowel in it.

ON INNUENDOS, PAPER II. No. 568.

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I WAS yesterday in a coffee-house not far from the Royal Exchange, where I observed three persons in conference over a pipe of tobacco; upon which, having filled one for my own use, I lighted it at the little wax candle that stood before them; and after having thrown in two or three whiffs amongst them, sat down and made one of the company. I need not tell my reader, that lighting a man's pipe at the same candle is looked upon among brother smokers as an overture to conversation and friendship. As we here laid our heads together in a very amicable manner, being entrenched under a cloud of our own raising, I took up the last Spectator, and casting my eye over it, The Spectator,' says I, is very witty to-day;' upon which a lusty lethargic old gentleman, who sat at the upper end of the table, having gradually blown out of his mouth a great deal of smoke, which he had been collecting for some time before, Ay,' says he, more witty than wise, I am afraid.' His neighbour, who sat at his right hand, immediately coloured, and, being an angry politician, laid down his pipe with so much wrath that he broke it in the middle, and by that means furnished me with a tobacco-stopper. I took it up very sedately, and, looking him full in the face, made use of it from time to time all the while he was speaking: This fellow,' says he, cann't for his life keep out of politics. Do you see how he

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abuses four great men here?' I fixed my eye very attentively on the Paper, and asked him if he meant those who were represented by asterisks. · Asterisks,' says he, do you call them? they are all of them stars. He might as well have put garters to them. Then pray do but mind the two or three next lines. Ch-ch and p-dd-ng in the same sentence ! Our clergy are very much beholden to him.' Upon this the third gentleman, who was of a mild disposition, and, as I found, a whig in his heart, desired him not to be too severe upon the Spectator, neither; for,' says he, you find he is very cautious of giving offence, and has therefore put two dashes into his pudding.' A fig for his dash!' says the angry politician. In his next sentence he gives a plain innuendo, that our posterity will be in a sweet p-kle. What does the fool mean by his pickle? Why does he not write it at length, if he means honestly?" 'I have read over the whole sentence,' says I; but I look upon the parenthesis in the belly of it to be the most dangerous part, and as full of insinuations as it can hold. But who,' says I,

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is my lady Q-p-t-s?'

Ay, answer that if you can, sir,' says the furious statesman to the poor whig that sat over against him. But without giving him time to reply, I do assure you,' says he, were I my lady Q-p-t-s, I would sue him for scandalum magnatum. What is the world come to Must every body be allowed to-?' He had by this time filled a new pipe, and applying it to his lips, when we expected the last word of his sentence, put us off with a whiff of tobacco; which he redoubled with so much rage and trepidation, that he almost stifled the whole company. After a short pause, I owned that I thought the Spectator had gone

too

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