Favourite of his Officer. But the whole History of the feveral Changes in the Order of Sharpers, from thofe Myrmidons to our modern Men of Addrefs and Plunder, will require that we confult fome ancient Manufcripts. As we make thefe Enquiries, we shall diurnally communicate them to the Publick, that the Knights of the Industry may be better understood by the good People of England. Thefe Sort of Men in fome Ages, were Sycophants and Flatterers only, and were endued with Arts of Life to capacitate them for the Converfation of the Rich and Great; but now the Bubble courts the Imptor, and pretends at the utmost to be but his Equal. To clear up the Reasons and Caufes in fuch Revolutions, and the different Conduct between Fools and Cheats, fhall be one of our Labours for the Good of this Kingdom. How therefore Pimps, Footmen, Fiddlers, and Lacqueys, are elevated into Companions in this prefent Age, fhall be accounted for from the Influence of the Planet Mercury on this Ifland; the Afcendency of which Sharper over Sol, who is a Patron of the Mufes, and all honeft Profeffions, has been noted by the learned Job Gadbury to be the Caufe, that Cunning and Trick are more efteemed than Art and Science. It must be allowed alfo, to the Memory of Mr. Partridge, Jate of Cecil-ftreet in the Strand, that in his Answer to an Horary Question, At what Hour of the Night to fet a Fox-Trap in June, 1705? he has largely difcufs'd, under the Character of Reynard, the Manner of furprizing all Sharpers as well as him. But of thefe great Points, after more mature Deliberation.

SIR,

St. James's Coffee-boufe, August 17.

To Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq;

E have nothing at prefent new, but that we underStand by fome Owlers, old People die in France, Letters from Paris of the 10th Inftant, N. S. fay, That Monfieur d' Andre, Marquis d'Oraifon, died at 85; Monfieur Brumars, at 102 Years, died for Love of his Wife, who was 92 at her Death, after 70 Years Cohabitation. Nicholas de Boutheiller, Parish-Preacher of Saffeville, being a Batchelor, held out till 116. Dame Claude de Maffy, Relict of Monfieur Peter de Monceaux, Grand

Audiencer

Audiencer of France, died on the 7th Inftant, aged 107. Letters of the 17th fay, Monfieur Chreftien de Lamoignon died on the 7th Inftant, a Perfon of great Piety and Virtue, but having died young, his Age is concealed for Reafons of State. On the 15th his moft Chriftian Majesty, attended by the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke and Dutchess of Berry, affifted at the Proceffion which he yearly performs in Memory of a Vow made by Lewis the XIIIth, 1638. For which Act of Piety, his Majefty received Abfolution of his Confeffor, for the Breach of all inconvenient Vows made by himself. I am,

SIR,

Your moft humble Servant,

Humphrey Kidney. From my own Apartment, August 17.

I am to acknowledge feveral Letters which I have lately received; among others, one fubfcribed Philanthropos, another Emilia, both which fhall be honour'd. I have a Third from an Officer of the Army, wherein he defires I would do Juftice to the many gallant Actions which have been done by Men of private Characters, or Officers of lower Stations, during this long War; that their Families may have the Pleafure of feeing we lived in an Age wherein Men of all Orders had their proper Share in Fame and Glory. There is nothing I fhould undertake with greater Pleasure than Matters of this Kind: If therefore they who are acquainted with fuch Facts, would please to communicate them, by Letter directed to me at Mr. Morphew's, no Pains fhould be fpared to put them in a proper and diftinguishing Light.

This is to admonifh Stentor,That it was not Admiration of his Voice, but my Publication of it, which has lately in ereafed the Number of his Hearers.

N° 57.

Quicquid agunt Homines noftri Farrago Libelli..

Saturday, August 20. 1709.

Will's Coffee-houfe, August 19.

Was this Evening reprefenting a Complaint fent me Neighbours there have fo little Senfe of what a refined Lady of the Town is, that fhe who was a celebrated Wit in London, is in that dull Part of the World in fo little Efteem, that they call her in their bafe Style a Tongue-Pad. Old Truepenny bid me advife her to keep her Wit till fhe comes to Town again, and admonish her, that both Wit and Breeding are local; for a fine Court-Lady is as aukward among Country Housewives, as one of them would appear in a Drawing-Room. 'Tis therefore the moft ufeful Knowledge one can attain at, to understand among what Sort of Men we make the beft Figure, for if there be a Place where the beauteous and accomplish'd Emilia is unacceptable, it is certainly a vain Endeavour to attempt pleafing in all Converfations. Here is Will, Ubi, who is fo thirsty after the Reputation of a Companion, that his Company is for any Body that will accept of it; and for Want of knowing whom to chufe for himself, is never chofen by others. There is a certain Chastity of Behaviour,which makes a Man defirable, and which, if he tranfgreffes, his Wit will have the fame Fate with Delia's Beauty, which no one regards, because all know it is within their Power. The beft Courfe Emilia can take, is, to have lefs Humility; for if fhe could have as good an Opinion of her felf for having every Quality, as fome of her Neighbours have of themselves with one, fhe would infpire even them with a Senfe of her Merit, and make that Carriage (which is now the Subject of their Derifion) the fole Object of their Imitation. Till she

.

has.

has arrived at this Value of her felf, fhe must be contented with the Fate of that uncommon Creature, a Wife too humble.

White's Chocolate-house, August 19.

SINCE my laft, I have received a Letter from Tom Trump,to defire that I would do the Fraternity of Gameffers the Juftice to own, that there are notorious Sharpers, who are not of their Clafs. Among others, he prefented me with the Picture of Harry Coppersmith in Little, who (he fays) is at this Day worth half a Plumb, by Means much more indirect than by falfe Dice. I muft confefs, there appeared fome Reafon in what he afferted; and he met me fince, and accofted me in the following Manner: It is wonderful to me, Mr. BickerStaff, that you can pretend to be a Man of Penetration, and fall upon us Knights of the Industry as the wickedeft of Mortals, when there are fo many who live in the conftant Practice of bafer Methods unobferved. You cannot (though you know the Story of my self and the North Britain) but allow I am an honefter Man than Will. Coppersmith, for all his great • Credit among the Lombards. I get my Money by Men's Follies, and he gets his by their Diftreffes. The declining Merchant communicates his Griefs to him, and he augments them by Extortion. If therefore Regard is to be had to the Merit of the Perfons we injure, Who is the more blameable, he that oppreffes an unhappy Man, or he that cheats a foolish one? All • Mankind are indifferently liable to adverse Strokes of Fortune; and he who adds to them, when he might relieve them, is certainly a worfe Subject, than he who unburdens a Man whofe Profperity is unwieldy to him. Befides all which, he that borrows of Copperfmith, does it out of Neceflity; he that plays with me, does it out of Choice.

I allow'd Trump there are Men as bad as himself, which is the Height of his Pretenfions; and must con-. fefs, that Coppersmith is the moft wicked and impudent of all Sharpers. A Creature that cheats with Credit, and is a Robber in the Habit of a Friend. The Contemplation of this worthy Perfon made me reflect on the wonderful Succeffes I have observed Men of the meaneft

C. 4,

meanest Capacities meet with in the World, and recol lected an Obfervation I once heard a fage Man make; which was, That he had obferved, that in fome Profeffions, the lower the Understanding, the greater the Capacity. I remember, he inftanced that of a Banker, and faid, That the fewer Appetites, Paffions and Idea's a Man had, he was the better for his Bufinefs..

THERE is little Sir Triftram, without Connexion in his Speech, or fo much as common Senfe, has arrived by his own natural Parts at one of the greatest Eftates amongst us. But honeft Sir Triftram knows himself to be but a Repofitory for Cafh: He is juft fuch an Utenfil as his Iron Cheft, and may rather be faid to hold Money, than poffefs it. There is nothing so pleasant as to be in the Conversation of these wealthy Proficients. I had lately the Honour to drink half a Pint with Sir Triftram, Harry Coppersmith, and Giles Twofhoes. Thefe Wags give one another Credit in Difcourfe, according to their Purfes; they jeft by the Pound, and make Anfwers as they honour Bills. Without Vanity, I thought my felf the prettiest Fellow of the Company; but I had no Manner of Power over one Muscle in their Faces, though they fneer'd at every Word fpoken by each other. Sir Triftram call'd for a Pipe of Tobacco; and telling us Tobacco was a Pot-Herb, bid the Drawer bring him t'other Half-Pint. Twofhoes laughed at the Knight's Wit without Moderation. I took the Liberty to fay, it was but a Pun. A Pun! fays Coppersmith:You would be a better Man by 10000 l. if you could pun like Sir Triftram. With that, they all burft out together. The queer Curs maintain'd this Style of Dialogue, till we had drank our Quarts a-piece by HalfPints. All I could bring away with me, is, That Twofhoes is not worth twenty thoufand Pounds; for his Mirth, though he was as infipid as either of the others, had no more Effect upon the Company, than if he had been a Bankrupt.

From my own Apartment, August 19.

I have heard, it has been advifed by a Diocefan to his inferior Clergy, that inftead of broaching Opinions of their own, and uttering Doctrines which may lead themselves and Hearers into Errors, they would read

fome