may impart fome light towards a discovery of the origin of punning among us, and the foundation of its prevailing fo long in this famous body. "Tis notorious from the inftance under confideration, that it must be owing chiefly to the use of brown jugs, muddy belch, and the fumes of a certain memorable ⚫ place of rendezvous with us at meals, known by the " name of Staincoat Hole: For the atmosphere of the kitchen, like the tail of a comet, predominates least about the fire, but refides behind and fills the fragrant ⚫ receptacle above-mentioned. Befides, 'tis farther ob⚫ fervable, that the delicate fpirits among us, who declare against thefe naufeous proceedings, fip tea, and put up for critic and amour, profefs likewife an equal abhorrence for punning, the ancient innocent • diverfion of this fociety. After all, Sir, tho' it may appear fomething abfurd, that I seem to approach you with the air of an advocate for punning, (you who have juftified your cenfures of the practice in a fet differtation upon that fubject;) yet I'm confident, you'll think it abundantly atoned for by obferving, that this humbler exercife may be as inftrumental in diverting us from any innovating fchemes and hypothefis in wit, as dwelling upon honeft orthodox logic would be in fecuring us from herefy in religion. Had Mr. W -n's refearches been confined within the bounds of Ramus or Crackenthorp, that learned newsmonger might have acquiefced in what the holy oracles pronounced upon the deluge, like other chrif tians; and had the furprifing Mr. L- y been content with the employment of refining upon Shakespear's points and quibbles, (for which he must be allowed to ⚫ have a fuperlative genius) and now and then penning catch or a ditty, instead of indicting odes, and fonnets, the gentlemen of the Bon Goût in the pit would never have been put to all that grimace in damning the frippery of ftate, the poverty and languor of thought, the unnatural wit, and inartificial ftructure • of his dramas. I am, Sir,

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N° 397

Thursday, July 5.

Dolor ipfe difertum

Fecerat

Ovid. Metam. 1. 13. v. 225.

For grief infpir'd me then with eloquence.

A

DRYDEN.

S the Stoic philofophers difcard all paffions in general, they will not allow a wife man fo much as to pity the afflictions of another. If thou feeft thy friend in trouble, fays Epictetus, thou mayeft put on a look of forrow and condole with him, but take care that thy forrow be not real. The more rigid of this fect would not comply fo far as to fhew even fuch an outward appearance of grief, but when one told them of any calamity that had befallen even the nearest of their acquaintance, would immediately reply, What is that to me? If you aggravated the circumftances of the affliction, and fhewed how one misfortune was followed by another, the answer was ftill, All this may be true, and what is it to me?

For my own part, I am of opinion, compaffion does not only refine and civilize human nature, but has fomething in it more pleafing and agreeable than what can be met with in fuch an indolent happiness, fuch an indifference to mankind as that in which the Stoics placed their wifdom. As love is the most delightful paffion, pity is nothing else but love foftened by a degree of forrow: In fhort, it is a kind of pleafing anguish, as well as generous fympathy, that knits mankind together, and blends them

in the fame common lot.

Those who have laid down rules for rhetoric or poetry, advise the writer to work himself up, if poffible to the pitch of forrow which he endeavours to produce in others, There are none therefore who ftir up pity fo much as those who indite their own fufferings. Grief has a naturat eloquence belonging to it, and breaks out in more

moving fentiments than can be fupplied by the finest imagination. Nature on this occafion dictates a thousand paffionate things which cannot be fupplied by art.

It is for this reafon that the fhort fpeeches or fentenceswhich we often meet with in hiftories, make a deeper impreffion on the mind of the reader, than the most laboured ftrokes in a well-written tragedy. Truth and matter of fact fets the perfon actually before us in the one, whom fiction places at a greater diftance. from us in the other. I do not remember to have feen any ancient or modern flory more affecting than a letter of Ann of Bolegne, wife to King Henry the eighth, and mother to Queen Elizabeth, which is ftill extant in, the Cotton library, as written by her own hand.

Shakefpear himself could not have made her talk in a ftrain fo fuitable to her condition and character. One fees in it the expoftulation of a flighted lover, the refentments of an injur'd woman, and the forrows of an imprifoned queen. I need not acquaint my reader that this princess was then under profecution for difloyalty to: the King's bed, and that he was afterwards publicly beheaded upon the fame account, tho' this profecution was believed by many to proceed, as the herself intimates, rather from the King's love to Jane Seymour, than from any actual crime in Ann of Bologne.

Queen Ann Boleyn's laft letter to King Henry.

Otho C. 10.

SIR,

Cotton Lib. 4. OUR Grace's difpleasure, and my YOU imprisonment are things fo ftrange unto me, as what to write, or what to excufe, I am altogether ignorant. Whereas you fend unto me, (willing me to confefs a truth, and to obtain your favour) by fuch an one, whom you know to be mine ancient profeffed enemy, I no fooner received this meffage by him, than I rightly conceived your meaning; and, if, as you fay, confeffing a truth indeed may procure my fafety, I fhall with all willingness and duty perform your command.

6.

6.

But let not your Grace ever imagine, that your poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a fault, where

where not fo much as a thought thereof preceded. And to speak a truth, never prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Ann Boleyn with which name and place I could willingly have contented myself, if God and your Grace's pleasure had been fo pleafed. Neither did I at any time fo far forget myfelf in my exaltation or received queenfhip, but that I always looked for fuch an alteration as I now find; for the ground of my preferment being on no furer foundation than " your Grace's fancy, the leaft alteration I knew was fit ⚫ and fufficient to draw that fancy to fome other object. You have chofen me from a low eftate, to be your Queen and companion, far beyond my defert or defire." If then you found me worthy of fuch honour, good your Grace let not any light fancy, or bad counfel of mine enemies, withdraw your princely favour from me; neither let that ftain, that unworthy ftain, of a difloyal heart towards your good Grace, ever caft fo foul a blot on your moft dutiful wife, and the infantprincefs your daughter. Try me, good King, but let: me have a lawful trial, and let not my fworn enemies fit as my accufers and judges; yea let me receive an open trial, for my truth fhall fear no open fhame; then fhall you fee either mine innocence cleared, your fufpicion and conscience fatisfied, the ignominy and flander of the world stopped, or my guilt openly declared.. • So that whatfoever God or you may determine of me, Grace your be freed from an open cenfure, and • mine offence being fo lawfully proved, your Grace is at liberty, both before God and man, not only to execute worthy punishment on me as an unlawful wife, but to follow your affection, already fettled on that party, for whofe fake I am now as I am, whofe name I could fome good while fince have pointed unto, your Grace not being ignorant of my fufpicion therein.

may

But if you have already determined of me, and that < not only my death, but an infamous flander muft bring you the enjoying of your defired happiness; then I defire of God, that he will pardon your great fin therein, and likewife mine enemies, the inftruments thereof, and that he will not call you to a ftrict account for

your

your unprincely and cruel ufage of me, at his general judgment feat, where both you and myself muft shortly appear, and in whofe judgment I doubt not (whatfo. ever the world may think of me) mine innocence fhall be openly known. and fufficiently cleared.

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My laff and only requeft fhall be, that myself may only bear the burden of your Grace's difpleafure, and that it may not touch the nocent fouls of those poor gentlemen, who (as unde: tand) are likewise in ftrait imprisonment for my fake. If ever I have found favour in your fight, if ever the name of Ann Boleyn hath b en pleafing in your ears, then let me obtain this request, and I will fo leave to trouble your Grace any further, with mine earnest prayers to the Trinity to have your Grace in his good keeping, and to direct you in all your actions. From my doleful prifon in the • Tower, this fixth of May;

With art and wisdom, and be mad by rule. CREECH.

YNTHIO and Flavia are perfons of distinction in this town, who have been lovers thefe ten months laft paft, and writ to each other for galantry fake, u ler thofe feigned names; Mr. Such-a-one and Mrs. Such-a-one not being capable of raising the foul out of the ordinary tracts and paffages of life, up to that elevation which makes the life of the enamoured fo much fuperior to that of the reft of the world. But