2 and laughed at. The firft is prejudicial to others, the other only to himself. This being premised, I muft in the next place fubdivide the Gunner into feveral branches: All, or the chief of which are, I think, as follows: First, The Bombardier. And First, Of the firft. The Bombardier toffes his balls fometimes into the midft of a city, with a defign to fill all around him with terror and combuftion. He has been fometimes known to drop a bomb in a senate-house, and to scatter a pannic over a nation. But his chief aim is at feveral eminent fations, which he looks upon as. the fairest marks, and uses all his skill to do execution upon those who poffefs them. Every man fo fituated, let his merit be never so great, is fure to undergo a bombardment. It is further observed, that the only way to be out of danger from the bursting of a bomb, is to lie proftrate on the ground; a pofture too abject for generous fpirits. Secondly, The Miner. As the bombardier levels his mischief at nations and cities, the Miner bufies himself in ruining and overturning private houfes and particular perfons. He often acts as a spy, in difcovering the secret avenues and unguarded acceffes of families, where, after he has made his proper discoveries and difpofitions, he fets fudden fire to his train, that blows up families, fcatters friends, feparates lovers, difperfes kindred, and fhakes a whole neighbourhood. It is to be noted, that feveral females are great proficients in this way of engineering. The marks by which they are to be known are a wonderful folicitude for the reputation of their friends, and a more than ordinary concern for the good of their neighbours. There is alfo in them fomething fo very like religion, as may deceive the vulgar; but if you look upon it more nearly, you you fee on it fuch a cast of cenforioufnefs, as difcovers it to be nothing but hypocrify. Cleomilla is a great inftance of a female Miner: But as my defign is to expofe only the incorrigible, let her be filent for the future, and I fhall be fo too. Thirdly, The Squib. The Squibs are thofe, who in the common phrafe of the word are called libellers, lampooners, and pamphleteers. Their fire-works are made up in paper; and it is obferved, that they mix abundance of charcoal in their powder, that they may be fure to blacken where they cannot finge. These are obferved to give a confternation and disturbance only to weak minds; which, according to the proverb, are always "afraid than hurt." Fourthly, Serpents. more The Serpents are a pretty kind of Gunners, more pernicious than any of the reft. They make ufe of a fort of white powder, that goes off without any violent crack, but gives a gentle found, much like that of a whifper ; and is more deftructive in all parts of life than any of the materials made ufe of by any of the fraternity. Come we now to the Gunfters. This race of engineers deals altogether in wind guns, which, by recoiling, often knock down those who difcharge them, without hurting any body elfe; and according to the various compreffions of the air, make such ftrange fqueaks, cracks, pops and bounces, as it is impoffible to hear without laughing. It is obfervable how ever, that there is a difpofition in a Gunfter to become a Gunner; and though their proper inftruments are only loaden with wind, they often, out of wantonness, fire a bomb, or fpring a mine, out of their natural inclination to engineering; by which means they do mifchief when they do not defign it, and have their bones broken when they do not deferve it. This fort of engineers are the most unaccountable race of men in the world: Some of them have received above an hundred wounds, and yet have not a fcar in their bodies; bodies; fome have debauched multitudes of women who have died maids. You may be with them from morning until night, and the next day they fhall tell you a thoufand adventures that happened when you were with them, which you know nothing of. They have a quality of having been prefent at every thing they hear related ; and never heard a man commended, who was not their intimate acquaintance, if not their kinfman. I hope these notes may ferve as a rough draught for a new eftablishment of engineers, which I shall hereafter fill up with proper perfons; according to my cwn obfervations on their conduct, having already had one recommended to me for the General of my artillery. But that, and all the other pofts, I intend to keep open, until I can inform myfelf of the candidates, having refolved in this cafe to depend no more upon their friends word, than I would upon their own. From my own Apartment, October 31. I am I was this morning awaked by a fudden fhake of the houfe; and as foon as I had got a little out of my confternation, I felt another, which was followed by two or three repetitions of the fame convulfion. I got up as faft as poffible, girt on my rapier, and fnatched up my hat, when my landlady came up to me, and told me, that the Gentlewoman of the next house begged me to ftep thither, for that a lodger fhe had taken in was run mad; and fhe defired my advice, as indeed every body in the whole lane does upon important occafions. not, like fome artists, faucy, because I can be beneficial, but went immediately. Our neighbour told us, he had the day before let her fecond floor to a very genteel youngish man, who told her, he kept extraordinary good hours, and was generally at home moft part of the morning and evening at ftudy; but that this morning he had for an hour together made this extravagant noife which we then heard. I went up ftairs with my hand upon the hilt of my rapier, and approached this new lodger's door. I looked in at the key-hole, and there I saw a well-made man look with great attention on a book, and on a fudden jump into the air fo high, that his head head almoft touched the cieling. He came down fafe on his right foot, and again flew up alighting on his left; then looked again at his book, and holding out his right leg, put it into fuch a quivering motion, that I thought he would have fhaked it off. He used the left after the fame manner, when on a sudden, to my great furprize, he stooped himself incredibly low, and turned gently on his toes. After this circular motion, he continued bent in that humble pofture for fome time, looking on his book. After this, he recovered himself with a fudden fpring, and flew round the room in all the violence and diforder imaginable, until he made a full paufe for want of breath. In this interim my women afked what I thought I whispered, that I thought this learned perfon an Enthusaft, who poffibly had his firft education in the Peripatetic way, which was a fect of philofophers, who always ftudied when walking. But obferving him much out of breath, I thought it the best time to mafter him if he were difordered, and knocked at his door. I was furprized to find him open it, and fay with great civility and good mien, that he hoped he had not difturbed us. I believed him in a lucid interval, and defired he would please to let me fee his book. He did fo, fmiling. I could not make any thing of it, and therefore asked in what language it was writ. He faid, it was one he ftudied with great application; but it was his profeffion to teach it, and could not communicate his knowledge without a confideration. I anfwered, that I hoped he would hereafter keep his thoughts to himself, for his meditation this morning had coft me three coffee-dishes, and a clean pipe. He feemed concerned at that, and told me he was a dancing-mafter, and had been reading a dance or two before he went out, which had been written by one who taught at an academy in France. He obferved me at a stand, and went on to inform ine, that now articulate motions, as well as founds, were expreffed by proper characters; and that there is nothing fo common, as to communicate a dance by a Letter. I befeeched him hereafter to meditate in a ground-room, for that otherwife it would be impoffible for an artift of any other kind to live near him; and that I was fure feveral of of his thoughts this morning would have fhaken my fpectacles off my nofe, had I been myfeif at ftudy. I then took my leave of this Virtuofo, and returned to my chamber, meditating on the various occupations of sational creatures. N° 89. Thursday, November 3, 1709. Rura mihi placeant, riguique in vallibus amnes, VIRG. Georg. 2. v. 485. My next defire is, void of care and strife, I Grecian Coffee-house, November z. DRYDEN. Have received this fhort Epiftle from an unknown hand. I Have no more to trouble you with, than to defire you would in your next help me to fome anfwer "to the inclofed concerning yourfelf. In the mean "time I congratulate you upon the increafe of your "Fame, which you fee has extended itself beyond the "bills of mortality." 66 SIR, TH HAT the country is barren of news, has been the excufe, time out of mind, for dropping a "correfpondence with our friends in London, as if it were impoffible out of a coffee-house to write an agree "able |