vain part of that fex, as the glory of deceiving them who have deceived others. Defunt multa, ST. JAMES'S COFFEE-HOUSE, MAY II. LETTERS from Berlin, bearing date May the eleventh, N. S. inform us, that the birth-day of her Pruffian Majeły has been celebrated there with all polible 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 diftinguished himself by his great zeal for the Proteftant intereft, was, at the time of the difpatch of thefe letters, at that court, foliciting 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 fourteenth, that his Electoral Highness had received an exprefs 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 meafures towards bringing the Imperial army into the field. There are very many fpeculations 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 Majefty will be entertained in Saxony with much more elegance than he met with in Italy itself. Letters from the Hague,of the eighteenth inftant, N. S. fay, that his Grace the Duke of Marlborough landed the night before at the Brill, after having been kept out at fea, by adverse winds, two days longer than is ufual in that paffage. His Excellency the Lord Town fhend, her Maiefty's ambaffado -extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the States General, was driven into the Veer in Zealand on Thursday laft, from whence he came to the Hague within a few hours after the arrival of his Grace. The Duke, foon after his coming to the Hague, had a vifit from the Penfioner of Holland. All things relating to the peace were in fufpence until this interview; nor is it yet known what refolutions will be taken on that fubject; for the troops of the Allies have fresh orders difpatched to them, to move from their respective quarters, and march with all expedition to the frontiers, where the enemy are making their utmoft efforts for the defence of their country. Thefe advices further inform us, that the Marquis de Torcy had received an antwer from the Court of France to his letters which he had fent thither by an exprefs on the Friday before. Mr. Bickerftaff has received letters from Mr. Coltitaff, Mr. Whipftaff, and Mrs. Rebecca Wagitaff; all which relate chiefly to their being firft left out in the genealogy of the family lately publifhed; but my cousin who writ that draught, being a clerk in the Herald's Office, and being at prefent under the displeasure of the Chapter; it is feared if that matter thould be touched upon at this time, the young gentleman would lofe his place for treafon against the King at Arms. No XV. SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1709. FROM MY OWN APARTMENT, MAY 12. Have taken a refolution hereafter, on I a refolution be, afterary my Familiar abroad with me, who has promised to give me very proper and just notices of perfons and things, to make up the hiftory of the paffing day. He is wonderfully fkilful in the knowledge of men and manners, which has made me more than ordinary curious to know how he came to that perfection, and I communicated to him that doubt. Mr. 'Pacolet, faid I, I am mightily fur prized to fee you so good a judge of C our nature and circumftances, fince you are a mere fpirit, and have no knowledge of the bodily part of us." He anfwered, finiling You are mif'taken; I have been one of you, and lived a month amongst you, which gives me an exact fenfe of your condition. You are to know, that all who enter into human life have a certain date or flamen given to their being, which they only who die of age may be faid to have arrived at; but it is ordered fometimes by fate, that fuch as • die 6 ⚫ die infants, are, after death, to attend mankind to the end of that famen of being in themselves, which was broke off by fickness or any other difaster. Thefe are proper guardians to men, as being fenfible of the infirmity of their state. You are philofopher ⚫ enough to know, that the difference of mens understanding proceeds only from the various difpofitions of their " organs; fo that he who dies at a month old, is in the next life as knowing, though more innocent, as they who live to fifty; and after death, they have as perfect a memory and judgment of all that paffed in their life-time, as I have of all the revolutions in that uneafy, turbulent condition of yours; and you would fay I had enough of it in a month, were I to tell you all my misfortunes. A life of a ⚫ month cannot have, one would think, much variety: but pray,' faid I, let us have your ftory." ་ Then he proceeds in the following manner: It was one of the most wealthy families in Great Britain into which I was born; and it was a very great happiness to me that it fo happened, otherwife I had till, in all probability, been living: but I fhall recount to you all the occurrences of my fhort and miferable existence, jutt as, by examining into the traces made in my brain, they appeared to me at that time. The first thing that ever struck at my fenfes, was a noife over my head of one fhrieking; after which, methought, I took a full jump, and found myself in the hands of a forcerefs, who feemed as if fhe had been long waking, and employed in fome incantation: I was thoroughly frightened, and cried out; but the immediately feemed to go on in fome magical operation, and anointed me from head to foot. What they meant, I could not imagine; for there gathered a great crowd about me, crying“ An heir! an heir!" upon which I grew a little ftill, and believed this was a ceremony to be used only to great perfons, and fuch as made them what they called Heirs. I lay very quiet; but the witch, for no manner of reafon or provocation in the world, takes me, and binds my head as hard as pollibly fhe could; then ties up both my legs, and makes The me fwallow down an horrid mixture. ́ 'I thought it an harsh entrance into life, to begin with taking phyfic; but 'I was forced to it, or else must have taken down a great inftrument in which he gave it me. When I was 'thus dreffed, I was carried to a bed• fide, where 2 fine young lady (my mother I wot) had like to have hugged me to death. From her they faced 'me about, and there was a thing with quite another look from the rest of the company, to whom they talked about my note. He feemed wonderfully 'pleafed to fee me; but I knew fince, my nofe belonged to another family. That into which I was born is one of the most numerous amongst you; therefore crowds of relations came every day to congratulate my arrival, • amongst others, my cousin Betty, the greatest romp in nature: fhe whisks me fuch a height over her head, that I cried out for fear of falling. She pinched me, and called me fquealing chit, and threw me into a girl's arms that was taken in to tend me. girl was very proud of the womanly employment of a nurse, and took upon her to ftrip and drefs me anew, becaufe I made a noife, to see what ailed me: fhe did fo, and ftuck a pin in every joint about me. I ftill cried: upon which he lays me on my face in her lap; and, to quiet me, 'fell anailing in all the pins, by clapping me on the back, and screaming a lullaby. But my pain made me exalt my voice above hers, which brought пр the nurfe, the witch I firft faw, and my grandmother. The girl is turned down ftairs, and I ftripped again, as well to find what ailed me, as to fatisfy my granam's farther curiofity. This good old woman's vifit was the caufe of all my troubles. You are to understand, that I was hitherto • bred by hand, and any body that stood next gave me pap, if I did but open my lips; infomuch that I was grown fo cunning, as to pretend myself afleep when I was not, to prevent my being crammed. But my grandmother began a loud lecture upon the idlenefs of the wives of this age, who, for fear of their fhapes, forbear fuckling their own offspring: and ten nurfes were immediately fent for; one was whif pered to have a wanton eye, and would foon fpoil her milk; another was in a confumption; the third had an ill ⚫ voice, and would frighten me, instead of lulling me to fleep. Such excep. ⚫tions were made against all but one country milch-wench, to whom I was committed, and put to the breaft. • This careless jade was eternally romping with the footman, and downright • starved me; infomuch that I daily pined away, and fhould never have ⚫ been relieved, had it not been that, on the thirtieth day of my life, a Fellow of the Royal Society, who had writ upon Cold Baths, came to vifit me, and folemnly protested I was utterly loft for want of that method: upon which he foufed me head and ears ⚫ into a pail of water, where I had the good fortune to be drowned; and fo efcaped being lashed into a linguist ⚫ until fixteen, running after wenches ⚫ until twenty-five, and being married to an ill natured wife until fixty: which had certainly been my fate, had not the enchantment between body ⚫ and foul been broke by this philofopher. Thus, until the age I thouid have otherwife lived, I am obliged to watch the steps of men; and, if you pleafe, fhall accompany you in your prefent walks, and get you intelligence from the aerial lacquey, who is in 'waiting, what are the thoughts and purposes of any whom you enquire 'for. I accepted his kind offer, and immediately took him with me in a hack to White's. 'WHITE'S CHOCOLATE-HOUSE, MAY 13. WE got in hither, and my companion threw a powder round us, that made me as invisible as himself; so that we could fee and hear all others, ourselves unfeen and unheard. Ignorance, and want of Shame.”— Blefs me!' faid I, fure my lord 'does not fee what he plays for?''As well as I do,' fays Pacolet. He defpifes that fellow he plays with, and fcorns himfelf for making him his companion. At the very inftant he was fpeaking, I faw the fellow, who played with my lord, hide two cards in the roll of his stocking: Pacolet immediately ftole them from thence; upon which the nobleman foon after won the game. The little triumph he appeared in, when he got fuch a trifling stock of ready money, though he had ventured fo great fums with indifference, increafed my admiration. But Pacolet began to talk to me. Mr. Ifaac, this to you looks ⚫ wonderful, but not at all to us higher · beings: that nobleman has as many good qualities as any man of his order, and feems to have no fault but 6 what, as I may fay, are excrefcences from virtues. He is generous to a prodigality, more affable than is con tent with his quality, and courageous to a rathnefs. Yet, after all this, the fource of his whole conduct is (though he would hate himself if he knew it) < mere avarice. The ready-cafh laid before the gamefter's counters makes him venture, as you fee, and lay diftination againft infamy, abundance againít want; in a word, all that is defirable, against all that is to be 'avoided. However,' faid I, be fure you difappoint the fharpers tonight, and feal from them all the cards they hide.' Pacolet obeyed me, and my lord went home with their whole bank in his pocket. WILL'S COFFEE-HOUSE, MAY 15. TO-NIGHT was acted a fecond time, The first thing we took notice of was a comedy called the Bufy Body: this a nobleman of a goodly and frank af- play is written by a lady. In old times, pect, with his generous birth and tem- we ufed to fit upon a play here, after it per visible in it, playing at cards with was acted; but now the entertainment a creature of a black and horrid coun- is turned another way; not but that tenance, wherein were plainly delineated confiderable men appear in all ages, the arts of his mind, cozenage, and falfe-who, for fome eminent quality or mhood. They were marking their game with counters, on which we could fee infcriptions, imperceptible to any but us. My lord had fcored with pieces of ivory, on which were writ-- Good Fame, Glory, Riches, Honour, and Potterity. The fpectre over against him had on his counters the infcriptions of Dishonour, Impudence, Poverty, vention, deferve the esteem and thanks of the public. Such a benefactor is a gentleman of this houfe, who is obferved by the furgeons with much envy; for he has invented an engine for the prevention of harms by love adventures; and, by great care and application, hath made it an immodefty to name his name. This act of felf-denial has gained this worthy member |