NO. 383. TUESDAY, MAY 20

_Criminibus debent hortos._

JUV. _Sat._ i. ver. 75.

A beauteous garden, but by vice maintain'd.

As I was sitting in my chamber and thinking on a subject for my next
_Spectator_, I heard two or three irregular bounces[182] at my landlady's
door, and upon the opening of it, a loud cheerful voice inquiring whether
the Philosopher was at home. The child who went to the door answered very
innocently, that he did not lodge there. I immediately recollected[183]
that it was my good friend Sir Roger's voice; and that I had promised to
go with him on the water to Spring Garden[184], in case it proved a good
evening. The Knight put me in mind of my promise from the bottom of the
staircase, but told me that if I was speculating[185] he would stay below
till I had done. Upon my coming down I found all the children of the
family got about my old friend, and my landlady herself, who is a notable
prating gossip, engaged in a conference with him; being mightily pleased
with his stroking her little boy upon the head, and bidding him be a good
child, and mind his book.

We were no sooner come to the Temple stairs, but we were surrounded with
a crowd of watermen offering us their respective services. Sir Roger,
after having looked about him very attentively, spied one with a wooden
leg, and immediately gave him orders to get his boat ready. As we were
walking towards it, "You must know," says Sir Roger, "I never make use of
any body to row me, that has not either lost a leg or an arm. I would
rather bate him a few strokes of his oar[186] than not employ an honest
man that has been wounded in the Queen's service. If I was a lord or a
bishop, and kept a barge, I would not put a fellow in my livery that had
not a wooden leg."

[Illustration: I found all the Children of the Family got about my old
Friend]

My old friend, after having seated himself, and trimmed[187] the boat
with his coachman, who, being a very sober man, always serves for
ballast on these occasions, we made the best of our way for Fox-Hall. Sir
Roger obliged the waterman to give us the history of his right leg, and
hearing that he had left it at La Hogue, with many particulars which
passed in that glorious action, the Knight in the triumph of his heart
made several reflections on the greatness of the British nation; as, that
one Englishman could beat three Frenchmen; that we could never be in
danger of popery so long as