ronger, my Tea grows weaker; and while he pleads at my Bar, none
come to him for Counsel but _in Forma Pauperis_. Dear Mr. SPECTATOR,
advise him not to insist upon hard Articles, nor by his irregular
Desires contradict the well-meaning Lines of his Countenance. If we
were agreed we might settle to something, as soon as we could
determine where we should get most, by the Law, at the Coffee-house,
or at Westminster.

_Your humble Servant_,

Lucinda Parly.

_A Minuit from Mr_. John Sly.

The World is pretty regular for about forty Rod East, and ten West of
the Observatory of the said Mr. _Sly_; but he is credibly informed,
that when they are got beyond the Pass into the _Strand_, or those who
move City-ward are got within _Temple-Bar_, they are just as they were
before. It is there-fore humbly proposed that Moving-Centries may be
appointed all the busy Hours of the Day between the _Exchange_ and
_Westminster_, and report what passes to your Honour, or your
subordinate Officers, from Time to Time.

_Ordered_,

That Mr. _Sly_ name the said Officers, provided he will answer for their
Principles and Morals.

T.

* * * * *

No. 535. Thursday, November 13, 1712. Addison.

'Spem longam reseces--'

Hor.

My Four Hundred and Seventy First Speculation turned upon the Subject of
Hope in general. I design this Paper as a Speculation upon that vain and
foolish Hope, which is misemployed on Temporal Objects, and produces
many Sorrows and Calamities in human Life.

It is a Precept several times inculcated by _Horace_, that we should not
entertain an Hope of any thing in Life which lies at a great Distance
from us. The Shortness and Uncertainty of our Time here, makes such a
kind of Hope unreasonable and absurd. The Grave lies unseen between us
and the Object which we reach after: Where one Man lives to enjoy the
Good he has in view, ten thousand are cut off in the Pursuit of it.

It happens likewise unluckily, that one Hope no sooner dies in us but
another rises up in its stead. We are apt to fancy that we shall be
happy and satisfied if we possess ourselves of such and such particular
Enjoyments; but either by reason of their Emptiness, or the natural
Inquietude of the Mind, we have no sooner gained one Point but we extend
our Hopes to another. We still find new inviting Scenes and Landskips
ly