HAD

Thurfday, May 12, 1709.

From my own Apartment, May 10.

AD it not been that my Familiar had appeared to me, as I told you in my laft, in Perfon, I had certainly been unable to have found even Words, without Meaning, to keep up my Intelligence with the Town; but he has checked me feverely for my Defpondence, and ordered me to go on in my Defign of obferving upon Things, and forbearing Perfons; for, faid he, the Age you live in is fuch, that a good Picture of any Vice or Virtue will infallibly be mifreprefented; and though none will take the kind Descriptions you make fo much to themselves, as to wish well to the Author, yet all will refent the ill Characters you produce, out of fear of their own Turn in the Licence you must be obliged to take, if you point at particular Perfons. I took this Admonition kindly, and immediately promised him to beg pardon of the Author of the Advice to the Poets, for my Raillery upon his Work; though I aimed at no more in that Examination, but to convince him, and all Men of Genius, of the Folly of laying themselves out on fuch Plans as are below their Characters. I hope too it was done without Ill-breeding, and nothing fpoken below what a Civilian, (as it is allowed I am) may utter to a Phyfician. After this Preface, all the World may be fafe from my Writings; for if I can find nothing to commend, I am filent, and will forbear the Subject: For, though I am a Reformer, I fcorn to be an Inquifitor.

IT would become all Men as well as me, to lay before 'em the noble Character of Verus the Magistrate, who always fat in Triumph over, and Contempt of Vice: He never searched after it, or spared it when it came before him: At the fame time, he could fee through the Hypocrify and Difguife of thofe, who have no Pretence to Virtue themselves, but by their Severity to the Vi

cious. The fame Verus was, in Times long past, Chief Juftice (as we call it amongft us) in Felicia. He was a Man of profound Knowledge of the Laws of his Coun try, and as just an Obferver of 'em in his own Perfon, He confidered Justice as a Cardinal Virtue, not as a Trade for Maintenance. Where-ever he was Judge, he never forgot that he was alfo Counsel. The Criminal before him was always fure he ftood before his Country, and, in a fort, a Parent of it. The Prifoner knew, that though his Spirit was broken with Guilt, and incapable of Language to defend itself, all would be gathered from him which could conduce to his Safety; and that his Judge would wreft no Law to destroy him, nor conceal any that could fave him. In his Time there was a Nest of Pretenders to Justice, who happened to be imployed to put Things in a Method for being examined before him at his ufual Seffions: Thefe Animals were to Verus, as Monkies are to Men, fo like, that you can hardly disown them; but fo base, that you are ashamed of their Fraternity. It grew a Phrafe, Who would do Fufiice on the Fuftices? That certainly would Verus. · I have feen an old Trial where he fat Judge on two of them; one was called Trick-Track, the other Tearshift: One was a learned Judge of Sharpers,the other the quickeft of all Men at finding out a Wench. Trick-Track never fpared a Pick-pocket, but was a Companion to Cheats: Tearshift would make Complements to Wenches of Quality, but certainly commit poor Ones. If a poor Rogue wanted a Lodging, Trick-Track sent him to Gaol for a Thief: If a poor Whore went only with one thin Petticoat, Tearshift would imprison her for being loofe in her Drefs. Thefe Patriots infefted the Days of Verus, while they alternately committed and released each other's Prisoners. But Verus regarded them as Criminals, and always looked upon Men as they stood in the Eye of Juftice, without refpecting whether they fat on the Bench, or stood at the Bar.

Will's Coffee-boufe, May 11.

YESTERDAY we were entertained with the Tragedy of The Earl of Effex, in which there is not one good Line, and yet a Play which was never seen without drawing Tears from fome Part of the Audience: A remarkable Inftance, that the Soul is not to be mov'd by Words, but Things; for the Incidents in this Drama are laid together fo happily, that the Spectator makes the Play for himself, by the Force which the Circumstance has upon his imagination. Thus, in fpite of the most dry Discourses, and Expreffions almost ridiculous with respect to Propriety, it is impoffible for one unprejudiced to see it untouched with Pity. I must confefs, this effect is not wrought on fuch as examine why they are pleased; but it never fails to appear on those who are not too learned in Nature, to be moved by her firft Suggeftions. It is certain, the Person and Behaviour of Mr: Wilks has no fmall share in conducing to the Popularity of the Play; and when an handfome Fellow is going to a more coarse Exit than Beheading, his Shape and Countenance make every Tender One reprieve him with all her heart, without waiting till she hears his dying Words.

THIS Evening, The Alchymift was played. This Comedy is an Example of Ben's extenfive Genius and Penetration into the Paffions and Follies of Mankind. The Scene in the Fourth Act, where all the cheated People oppose the Man that would open their Eyes, has fomething in it fo inimitably excellent, that it is certainly as great a Master-piece as has ever appeared by any Hand. The Author's great Address in fhewing Covetoufness, the Motive of the Actions of the Puritan, the Epicure, the Gamefter, and the Trader and that all their Endeavours, how differently foever they feem to tend, center only in that one Point of Gain, fhews he had, to a great Perfection, that Difcernment of Spirit, which conftitutes a Genius for a Comedy.

White's Chocolate-houfe, May 11.

IT is not to be imagined, how far the Violence of our Defires will carry us towards our own Deceit in the Purfuit

Purfuit of what we wish for. A Gentleman here this Evening was giving me an Account of a dumb Fortune-Teller, who out-does Mr. Partridge, myself, or the Unborn Doctor, for Predictions; all his Vifitants come to him full of Expectations, and pay his own Rate for the Interpretations they put upon his Shrugs and Nods. There is a fine rich City-Widow ftole thither the other day, (though it is not fix Weeks fince her Hufband's Departure from her Company to Reft) and with her trusty Maid, demanded of him, Whether fhe fhould marry again, by holding up two Fingers, like Horns on her Forehead. The Wizard held up both his Hands forked. The Relict defired to know, Whether he meant by his holding up both Hands, to represent that she had one Husband before, and that she fhould have another? Or that he intimated, she should have two more? The cunning Man looked a little four, upon which Betty jogged her Mistress, who gave t'other Guinea; and he made her understand, she fhould pofitively have two more; but shaked his Head, and hinted, that they should not live long with her. The Widow fighed, and gave him t'other Half-Guinea. After this Prepoffeffion, all that he had next to do, was to make Sallies to our End of the Town, and find out who it is her Fate to have. There are two who frequent this Place, whom he takes to be Men of Vogue, and of whom her Imagination has given her the Choice. They are both the Appearances of fine Gentlemen, to fuch as do not know when they fee Perfons of that Turn; and indeed they are industrious enough to come at that Character, to deserve the Reputation of being fuch. But this Town will not allow us to be the Things we feem to aim at, and are too difcerning to be fobb'd off with Pretences. One of these Pretty Fellows fails by his laborious Exactness ; the other, by his as much ftudied Negligence. Frank Carelejs, as foon as his Valet has helped on and adjufted his Clothes, goes to his Glafs, fets his Wig awry, tumbles his Cravat; and, in fhort, undreffes himself to go into Company, Will. Nice is fo little fatisfied with his Drefs, that all the Time he is at a Vifit, he is ftill

mending

mending it, and is for that reason the more infufferable; for he who ftudies Careleffnefs, has, at least, his Work the fooner done of the two. The Widow is diftracted whom to take for her first Man; for Nice is every way fo careful, that the fears his Length of days; and Frank is fo loose, that she has Apprehenfions for her own Health with him. I-am puzzled how to give a juft Idea of them; but, in a word, Carelefs is a Coxcomb, and Nice a Fop: Both, you'll fay, very hopeful Candidates for a gay Woman juft fet at liberty. But there is a Whisper, her Maid will give her to Tom Terrour the Gamefter. This Fellow has undone so many Women, that he'll certainly fucceed if he is introduced; for nothing fo much prevails with the vain Part of that Sex, as the Glory of deceiving them who have deceived others.

Defunt multa.

St. James's Coffee-house, May 11.

LETTERS from Berlin, bearing Date May 11. N. S. inform us, that the Birth-Day of her Pruffian Majefty has been celebrated there with all poffible Magnificence; and the King made her, on that occafion, a Prefent of Jewels to the Value of thirty thousand Crowns. The Marquis de Quefne, who has diftinguifhed himself by his great Zeal for the Proteftant Interest, was, at the time of the Difpatch of these Letters, at that Court, folliciting the King to take care, that an Article in behalf of the Refugees, admitting their Return to France, fhould be inferted in the Treaty of Peace. They write from Hanover, of the 14th, That his Electoral Highnefs had received an Express from Count Merci, reprefenting how neceffary it was to the Common Caufe, that he would please to haften to the Rhine; for that nothing but his Prefence could quicken the Measures towards bringing the Imperial Army into the Field. There are very many Speculations upon the intended Interview of the King of Denmark and King Auguftus. The latter has made fuch Preparations for the Reception of the other, that it is faid, his Danish Majesty will be entertained in Saxony with much more Elegance than he met with in Italy itself. LETTERS