of Authority, the Captain of the Guards who faw all their Infolence, pretended, That he had represented to the King their deplorable Condition, and had obtained their Pardon. It is further reported, That the Dauphin and Duchefs of Burgundy, as they went to the Opera, were furrounded by Crouds of People, who upbraided them with their Neglect of the general Calamity, in going to Diverfions, when the whole People were ready to perifh for want of Bread. Edicts are daily published to fupprefs thofe Riots; and Papers, with Menaces against the Government, as publickly thrown about. Among others, thefe Words were dropped in a Court of Justice, France wants a Ravilliac or a Jefuit to deliver her. Befides this universal Distress, there is a contagious Sickness, which, it is feared, will end in a Pestilence. Letters from Bourdeaux bring Accounts no less lamentable: The Peasants are driven by Hunger from their Abodes. into that City, and make Lamentations in the Streets without Redrefs.

WE are advised by Letters from the Hague, dated the oth Inftant, N. S. That on the 6th the Marquis de Torcy arrived there from Paris, but the Paffport, by which he came, having been fent blank by Monfieur Rouille, he was there two Days before his Quality was known. That Minifter offered to communicate to Monfieur Heinfius the Propofals which he had to make; but the Penfionary refused to fee them, and faid, He would fignify it to the States, who deputed fome of their own Body to acquaint him, That they would enter into no Negotiation till the Arrival of his Grace the Duke of Marlborough, and the other Minifters of the Alliance. Prince Eugene was expected there the 12th Inftant from Bruffels. It is faid, That befides Monfieur de Torcy, and Monfieur Pajot, Director General of the Posts, there are two or three Perfons at the Hague whofe Names are not known; but it is fuppofed, that the Duke d'Alba, Embaffador from the Duke of Anjou, was one of them. The States have fent Letters to all the Cities of the Provinces, defiring them to fend their Deputies to receive the Propofitions of Peace made by the Court of France.

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By Ifaac Bickerstaft, Efq;

Thursday, May 5, 1709.

Will's Coffee-boufe, May 3.

Kinfman has fent me a Letter, wherein he informs me, he had lately refolved to write an Heroick Poem; but by Bufinefs has been interrupted, and has only made one Similitude, which he fhould be afflicted to have wholly loft, and begs of me to apply it to Something, being very defirous to fee it well placed in the World. I am fo willing to help the Diftreffed, that I have taken it in: But though his greater Genius might very well diftinguish his Verfes from mine, I have mark'd where his begin. His Lines are a Description of the Sun in Eclipfe, which I know nothing more like than a brave Man in Sorrow, who bears it as he fhould, without imploring the Pity of his Friends, or being dejected with the Contempt of his Enemies: As in the Cafe of Cato.

WHEN all the Globe to Cafar's Fortune bow'd, Cato alone his Empire difallow'd;

With inborn Strength alone oppos'd Mankind,
With Heav'n in View, to all below it blind:
Regardless of his Friends Applaufe, or Moan,,
Alone triumphant fince he falls alone:

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THUS when the Ruler of the Genial Day,
Behind fome dark'ning Planet forms his Way,
Defponding Mortals, with officious Care,
The concave Drum, and magick Brafs prepare;
Implore him to fuftain th' important Fight,
And fave depending Worlds from endless Night,
Fondly they hope their Labour may avail,
To ease his Conflict, and affift his Toil.
Whilst he in Beams of native Splendor bright,
(Tho' dark his Orb appear to Human Sight)
Shines to the Gods with more diffufive Light;

• Το

• To diftant Stars with equal Glory burns,

• Inflames their Lamps, and feeds their golden Urns, • Sure to retain his known fuperior Tract,

And proves the more illuftrious by Defect.

THIS is a very lively Image; but I must take the liberty to fay, My Kinsman drives the Sun a little like Phaeton: He has all the Warmth of Phebus, but won't ftay for his Direction of it. Avail and Toil, Defect and Tract, will never do for Rhimes. But however, he has the true Spirit in him; for which reafon I was willing to entertain any thing he pleased to send me. The Subject which he writes upon naturally raifes great Reflec tions in the Soul, and puts us in mind of the mixed Condition which we Mortals are to fupport; which as it varies to Good or Bad, adorns or defaces our Actions to the Beholders: All which Glory and Shame muft end in what we so much repine at, Death. But Doctrines on this occafion, any other than that of living well, are the most infignificant and moft empty of all the Labours of Men. None but a Tragedian can die by Rule, and wait till he discovers a Plot, or fays a fine thing upon his Exit. In real Life, this is a Chimera; and by noble Spirits, it will be done decently, without the Oftentation of it. We fee Men of all Conditions and Characters go through it with equal Refolution: And if we confider the Speeches of the mighty Philofophers, Heroes, Lawgivers, and great Captains, they can produce no more in å difcerning Spirit, than Rules to make a Man a Fop on his Death-bed. Commend me to that natural Greatnefs of Soul, expreffed by an innocent, and confequently refolute Country-Fellow, who faid in the Pains of the Cholick, If I once get this Breath out of my Body, you fhall bang me before you put it in again. Honeft Ned!" and fo he died.

BUT it is to be fuppofed, from this Place you may expect, an Account of fuch a Thing as a new Play is not to be omitted. That acted this Night is the newest that ever was writ. The Author is my ingenious Friend Mr. Thomas D. -y. This Drama is called, The Modern Prophets, and is a most unanswerable Satire against

the

the late Spirit of Enthusiasm. The Writer had by long Experience obferved, That in Company, very grave Difcourfes had been followed by Bawdry; and therefore has turned the Humour that way with great Succefs, and taken from his Audience all Manner of Superftition, by the Agitations of pretty Mrs. Bignell, whom he has with great Subtilty, made a Lay-Sifter, as well as a Prophetefs; by which means the carries on the Affairs of both Worlds with great Succefs. My Friend defigns to go on with another Work against Winter, which he intends to call, The Modern Poets: A People no lefs miftaken in, their Opinions of being infpired, than the other. In order to this, he has by him feven Songs, befides many Ambiguities, which cannot be mistaken for any thing but what he means them. Mr. Dy generally writes State plays, and is wonderfully useful to the World in fuch Reprefentations. This Method is the fame that was used by the old Athenians, to laugh out of Countenance, or promote Opinions among the People. My Friend has therefore, against this Play is acted for his own Benefit, made two Dances, which may be alfo of an univerfal Benefit. the first, he has represented abfolute Power in the Perfon of a tall Man with an Hat and Feather, who gives his first Minister, that ftands juft before him, an huge Kick; the Minifter gives the Kick to the next before; and fo to the End of the Stage. In this moral and practical Jeft, you are made to underftand, That there is in an abfolute Government, no Gratification, but giving the Kick you receive from one above you, to one below you. This is performed to a grave and melancholy Air; but on a fudden the Tune moves quicker, and the whole Company fall into a Circle, and take Hands; then at a certain sharp Note, they move round, and kick as kick can. This latter Performance he makes to be the Representation of a free State; where, if you will all mind your Steps, you may go round and round very jollily, with a Motion pleafant to yourselves and those you dance with: Nay, If you put yourselves out, at the worft you only kick and are kicked, like Friends and Equals.

In

From

OF all the Vanities under the Sun, I confefs that of being proud of one's Birth is the greatest. At the fame time, fince in this unreasonable Age by the force, of prevailing Custom, Things in which Men have no hand, are imputed to them; and that I am used by fome people, as if Isaac Bickerstaff, though I write myself Efquire, was no body: To fet the World right in that Particular, I fhall give you my Genealogy, as a Kinsman of ours has fent it me from the Heralds Office. It is certain, and obferved by the wifest Writers, That there are Women who are not nicely chaste, and Men not severely honeft in all Families; therefore let those who may be apt to raise Aspersions upon ours, please to give us as impartial an Account of their own, and we shall be fatisfied. The Bufinefs of Heralds is a Matter of fo great Nicety, that, to avoid Mistakes, I fhall give you my Coufin's Letter verbatim, without altering a Syllable.

Dear Coufin,

INCE you have been pleased to make yourself fo famous of late, by your ingenious Writings, and fome time ago by your learned Predictions: Since Partridge of immortal Memory, is dead and gone, who, Poetical as he was, could not underftand his own Poetry; and Philomatical as he was, ' could not read his own Destiny: Since the Pope, the King of France, and great Part of his Court, are either literally or metaphorically defunct: Since, I fay, these things (not foretold by any one but your felf) have come to pass after so surprising a Manner : 'tis with no fmall Concern I see the Original of the Staffian Race fo little known to the World as it is at this time; for which reafon, as you have employed your Studies in Aftronomy, and the occult Sciences, fo I, my Mother being a Welsh Woman, dedicated. mine to Genealogy, particularly that of our own Family, which for its Antiquity and Number, may

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