Volume I Part 109 (2/2)

Your Judgment upon this Method of _Love_ and _Gallantry_, as it is at present practised amongst us in the Country, will very much oblige,

_SIR, Yours_, &c.'

If I would here put on the Scholar and Politician, I might inform my Readers how these bodily Exercises or Games were formerly encouraged in all the Commonwealths of _Greece_; from whence the _Romans_ afterwards borrowed their _Pentathlum_, which was composed of _Running, Wrestling, Leaping, Throwing_, and _Boxing_, tho' the Prizes were generally nothing but a Crown of Cypress or Parsley, Hats not being in fas.h.i.+on in those Days: That there is an old Statute, which obliges every Man in _England_, having such an Estate, to keep and exercise the long Bow; by which Means our Ancestors excelled all other Nations in the Use of that Weapon, and we had all the real Advantages, without the Inconvenience of a standing Army: And that I once met with a Book of Projects, in which the Author considering to what n.o.ble Ends that Spirit of Emulation, which so remarkably shews it self among our common People in these Wakes, might be directed, proposes that for the Improvement of all our handicraft Trades there should be annual Prizes set up for such Persons as were most excellent in their several Arts. But laying aside all these political Considerations, which might tempt me to pa.s.s the Limits of my Paper, I confess the greatest Benefit and Convenience that I can observe in these Country Festivals, is the bringing young People together, and giving them an Opportunity of shewing themselves in the most advantageous Light. A Country Fellow that throws his Rival upon his Back, has generally as good Success with their common Mistress; as nothing is more usual than for a nimble-footed Wench to get a Husband at the same time she wins a Smock. Love and Marriages are the natural Effects of these anniversary a.s.semblies. I must therefore very much approve the Method by which my Correspondent tells me each s.e.x endeavours to recommend it self to the other, since nothing seems more likely to promise a healthy Offspring or a happy Cohabitation. And I believe I may a.s.sure my Country Friend, that there has been many a Court Lady who would be contented to exchange her crazy young Husband for _Tom Short_, and several Men of Quality who would have parted with a tender Yoke-fellow for _Black Kate_.

I am the more pleased with having _Love_ made the princ.i.p.al End and Design of these Meetings, as it seems to be most agreeable to the Intent for which they were at first inst.i.tuted, as we are informed by the learned Dr. _Kennet_, [1] with whose Words I shall conclude my present Paper.

_These Wakes_, says he, _were in Imitation of the ancient [Greek: agapai], or Love-Feasts; and were first established in_ England _by Pope_ Gregory _the Great, who in an Epistle to_ Melitus _the Abbot gave Order that they should be kept in Sheds or Arbories made up with Branches and Boughs of Trees round the Church_.

He adds,

_That this laudable Custom of Wakes prevailed for many Ages, till the nice Puritans began to exclaim against it as a Remnant of Popery; and by degrees the precise Humour grew so popular, that at an_ Exeter _a.s.sizes the Lord Chief Baron_ Walter _made an Order for the Suppression of all Wakes; but on Bishop_ Laud's _complaining of this innovating Humour, the King commanded the Order to be reversed_.

X.

[Footnote 1: 'Parochial Antiquities' (1795), pp. 610, 614.]

No. 162 Wednesday, September 5, 1711 Addison

'... Servetur ad imum, Qualis ab incoepto processerit, et sibi constet.'

Hor.

Nothing that is not a real Crime makes a Man appear so contemptible and little in the Eyes of the World as Inconstancy, especially when it regards Religion or Party. In either of these Cases, tho' a Man perhaps does but his Duty in changing his Side, he not only makes himself hated by those he left, but is seldom heartily esteemed by those he comes over to.

In these great Articles of Life, therefore, a Man's Conviction ought to be very strong, and if possible so well timed that worldly Advantages may seem to have no Share in it, or Mankind will be ill natured enough to think he does not change Sides out of Principle, but either out of Levity of Temper or Prospects of Interest. Converts and Renegadoes of all Kinds should take particular care to let the World see they act upon honourable Motives; or whatever Approbations they may receive from themselves, and Applauses from those they converse with, they may be very well a.s.sured that they are the Scorn of all good Men, and the publick Marks of Infamy and Derision.

Irresolution on the Schemes of Life [which [1]] offer themselves to our Choice, and Inconstancy in pursuing them, are the greatest and most universal Causes of all our Disquiet and Unhappiness. When [Ambition [2]] pulls one Way, Interest another, Inclination a third, and perhaps Reason contrary to all, a Man is likely to pa.s.s his Time but ill who has so many different Parties to please. When the Mind hovers among such a Variety of Allurements, one had better settle on a Way of Life that is not the very best we might have chosen, than grow old without determining our Choice, and go out of the World as the greatest Part of Mankind do, before we have resolved how to live in it. There is but one Method of setting our selves at Rest in this Particular, and that is by adhering stedfastly to one great End as the chief and ultimate Aim of all our Pursuits. If we are firmly resolved to live up to the Dictates of Reason, without any Regard to Wealth, Reputation, or the like Considerations, any more than as they fall in with our princ.i.p.al Design, we may go through Life with Steadiness and Pleasure; but if we act by several broken Views, and will not only be virtuous, but wealthy, popular, and every thing that has a Value set upon it by the World, we shall live and die in Misery and Repentance.

One would take more than ordinary Care to guard ones self against this particular Imperfection, because it is that which our Nature very strongly inclines us to; for if we examine ourselves throughly, we shall find that we are the most changeable Beings in the Universe. In respect of our Understanding, we often embrace and reject the very same Opinions; whereas Beings above and beneath us have probably no Opinions at all, or at least no Wavering and Uncertainties in those they have.

<script>