thrived in Trade, tho’ he starves upon Physick;
as a Man would be well enough pleased to buy Silks
of one, whom he would not venture to feel his Pulse.
Vagellius is careful, studious and obliging,
but withal a little thick-skull’d; he has not
a single Client, but might have had abundance of Customers.
The Misfortune is, that Parents take a Liking to a
particular Profession, and therefore desire their
Sons may be of it. Whereas, in so great an Affair
of Life, they should consider the Genius and Abilities
of their Children, more than their own Inclinations.
It is the great Advantage of a trading Nation, that
there are very few in it so dull and heavy, who may
not be placed in Stations of Life which may give them
an Opportunity of making their Fortunes. A well-regulated
Commerce is not, like Law, Physick or Divinity, to
be overstocked with Hands; but, on the contrary, flourishes
by Multitudes, and gives Employment to all its Professors.
Fleets of Merchantmen are so many Squadrons of floating
Shops, that vend our Wares and Manufactures in all
the Markets of the World, and find out Chapmen under
both the Tropicks.
C.
[Footnote 1: At this time, and until the establishment
of New Style, from 1752, the legal year began in England
on the 25th of March, while legally in Scotland, and
by common usage throughout the whole kingdom, the
customary year began on the 1st of January. The
Spectator dated its years, according to custom,
from the first of January; and so wrote its first
date March 1, 1711. But we have seen letters in
it dated in a way often adopted to avoid confusion
(1710-11) which gave both the legal and the customary
reckoning. March 24 being the last day of the
legal year 1710, in the following papers, until December
31, the year is 1711 both by law and custom.
Then again until March 24, while usage will be recognizing
a new year, 1712, it will be still for England (but
not for Scotland) 1711 to the lawyers. The reform
initiated by Pope Gregory XIII. in 1582, and not accepted
for England and Ireland until 1751, had been adopted
by Scotland from the 1st of January, 1600.
[This reform was necessary to make up for the inadequate
shortness of the previous calendar (relative to the
solar year), which had resulted in some months’
discrepancy by the eighteenth century.]]
[Footnote 2: [that]
[Footnote 3: In Dugdale’s ‘Origines
Juridiciales’ we read how in the Middle Temple,
on All Saints’ Day, when the judges and serjeants
who had belonged to the Inn were feasted,
’the music being begun, the Master
of the Revels was twice called. At the second
call, the Reader with the white staff advanced, and
began to lead the measures, followed by the barristers
and students in order; and when one measure was
ended, the Reader at the cupboard called for another.’]
[Footnote 4: See Sir W. Temple’s Essay
on Heroic Virtue, Section 4.
