Thus his immenfity of thought Is deeply form'd, and gently wrought, Thus, Madam, all mankind behold. St. James's Coffee-houfe,. July 24. My brethren of the quill, the ingenious fociety of News-writers, having, with great fpirit and elegance, already informed the world, that the town of Tournay capitulated on the twenty-eighth inftant; there is nothing left for me to fay, but to congratulate the good. company here, that we have reafon to hope for an opportunity of thanking Mr. Withers next winter in this place, for the fervice he has done his country. No man deferves better of his friends than that Gentleman, whofe diftinguishing character it is, that he gives his orders with: the familiarity, and enjoys his fortune with the generofity, of a fellow-foldier. His Grace the Duke of Argyle had alfo an eminent part in the reduction of this impor tant place. That illuftrious Youth difcovers the peculiar. turn of fpirit and greatnefs of Soul, which only make men of high birth and Quality ufeful to their country ;: and confiders Nobility as an imaginary diftin&tión, un-Jefs accompanied with the practice of thofe generous virtues by which it ought to be obtained. But that our military A a 3 military glory is arrived at its present height, and that men of all ranks fo paffionately affect their fhare in it, is certainly owing to the merit and conduct of our glorious General: For, as the great fecret in Chymiftry, though not in Nature, has occafioned many useful discoveries; and the fantastic notion, of being wholly difinterested in friendship, has made men do a thoufand generous actions above themselves: fo, though the prefent grandeur and fame of the Duke of Marlborough is a ftation of glory to which no one hopes to arrive, yet all carry their actions to an higher pitch, by having that great example laid before them. N° 47. Thursday, July 28, 1709. Quicquid agunt homines-noftri farrago libelli. Whatever good is done, whatever ill- White's Chocolate-haufe, July 27. Y friend Sir Thomas has communicated, to me his My Letters from Epfem of the twenty-fifth inftant, which give, in general, a very good account of the prefent polture of affairs in that place; but that the tranquillity and correfpondence of the company begins to be interrupted by the arrival of Sir Taffety Trippet, a fortunehunter, whofe follies are too grofs to give diverfion, and whofe vanity is too ftupid to let him be fenfible that he is a public offence. If people will indulge a fplenetic humour, it is impoffible to be at eafe, when fuch creatures as are the scandal of our fpecies fet up for gallantry and adventures. It will be much more eafy, therefore, to laugh Sir Tafety into reafon, than convert him from his his foppery by any serious contempt. I knew a Gentleman that made it a maxim to open his doors, and ever run into the way of Bullies, to avoid their infolence. This rule will hold as well with Coxcombs: They are never mortified, but when they fee you receive and despise them; otherwife they reft affured, that it is your ignorance makes them out of your good graces; or, that it is only want of admittance prevents their being amiable where they are fhunned and avoided. But Sir Taffety is a Fop of fo fanguine a complexion, that I fear it will be very hard for the Fair-one he at prefent purfues to get rid of the chafe, without being fo tired, as, for her own ease, to fall into the mouth of the mongrel she runs from. But the hiftory of Sir Taffety is as pleasant as his character. 8 It happened, that when he first fet up for a Fortunehunter, he chofe Tunbridge for the fcene of action, where were at that time two fifters upon the fame defign. The Knight believed of courfe the elder must be the better prize; and confequently makes all his fail that way. People that want fenfe do always in an egregious manner want modefty, which made our Hero triumph in making his amour as public as was poffible. The adored Lady was no lefs vain of his public addreffes. An Attorney with one cause is not half fo reftlefs as a woman with one Lover. Wherever they met, they talked to each other aloud, chose each other partner at Balls, faluted at the moft confpicuous parts of the fervice at Church, and practifed, in honour of each other, all the remarkable particularities which are ufual for perfons who admire one another, and are contemptible to the reft of the world. Thefe two Lovers feemed as much made for each other as Adam and Eve, and all pronounced it a match of Nature's own making; but the night before the nuptials, fo univerfally approved, the younger fifter, envious of the good fortune, even of her fifter, who had been prefent at most of their interviews, and had an equal tafte for the charms of a Fop, as there are a fet of women made for that order of men; the younger, I say, unable to see fo rich a prize pafs by her, difcovered to Sir Taffety, that a coquet air, much tongue, and three fuits, was all the portion of his Miftrefs. His Love va nished nished that moment, himself and equipage the next morning. It is uncertain where the Lover has been ever fince engaged; but certain it is, he has not appeared in his character as a follower of Love and Fortune until he arrived at Epfom, where there is at prefent a young Lady of youth, beauty, and fortune, who has alarmed all the vain and the impertinent to infeft that quarter. At the head of this affembly, Sir Taffety fhines in the brightest manner, with all the accomplishments which ufually enfnare the heart of a woman; with this particular merit, which often is of great fervice, that he is laughed at for her fake. The friends of the Fair-one are in much pain for the fufferings fhe goes through from the perfeverance of this hero; but they may be much more fo from the danger of his fucceeding, toward which they give a helping hand, if they diffuade her with bitternefs; for there is a fantaftical generofity in the Sex to approve creatures of the leaft merit imaginable, when they fee the imperfections of their admirers are become marks of derifion for their fakes; and there is nothing fo frequent, as that he, who was contemptible to a woman in her own judgment, has won her by being too violently oppofed by others. Grecian Coffee-houfe, July 27. In the feveral capacities I bear, of Aftrologer, Civilian, and Phyfician, I have with great application studied the public emolument: To this end ferve all my Lucubrations, Speculations, and whatever other labours I undertake, whether nocturnal or diurnal. On this motive I am induced to publish a never-failing medicine for the Spleen My experience in this diftemper came from, a very remarkable cure on my ever worthy friend Tom Spindle, who through exceffive gaiety had exhaufted that natural ftock of wit and fpirits he had long been bleffed with He was funk and flattened to the loweft degree imaginable, fitting whole hours over the "Book of "Martyrs" and Pilgrim's Progrefs;" his other contemplations never rifing higher than the colour of his urine, or the regularity of his pulfe. In this condition. I found him, accompanied by the learned Dr. Drachm, and : and a good old nurfe. Drachm had prefcribed magazines of herbs, and mines of fteel. I foon discovered the malady, and defcanted on the nature of it, until I convinced both the Patient and his nurfe, that the Spleen is not to be cured by medicine, but by Poetry. Apollo, the Author of phyfic, fhone with diffufive rays, the best of Poets as well as of Phyficians; and it is in this double capacity that I have made my way; and have found fweet, eafy, flowing numbers are oft fuperior to our nobleft medicines. When the fpirits are low, and Nature funk, the Mufe, with fprightly and harmonious notes, gives an unexpected turn with a grain of poetry; which I prepare without the use of mercury. I have done wonders in this kind; for the Spleen is like the Tarantula, the effects of whofe malignant poifon are to be prevented by no other remedy but the charms of mufic: For you are to understand, that as fome noxious animals carry antidotes for their own poisons; fo there is fomething equally unaccountable in poetry: For though it is fometimes a difeafe, it is to be cured only by itself. Now I, knowing Tom Spindle's conftitution, and that he is not only a pretty Gentleman, but also a pretty Poet, found the true caufe of his diftemper was a violent grief, that moved his affections too ftrongly: For during the late treaty of peace, he had writ a most excellent poem on that fubject; and when he wanted but two lines in the laft ftanza for finishing the whole piece, there comes News that the French tyrant would not fign. Spindle in a few days took his bed, and had lain there ftill, had not I been fent for. I immediately told him, there was great probability the French would now fue to us for peace. I faw immediately a new life in his eyes; and I knew that nothing could help him forward fo well, as hearing verses which he would believe worfe than his own: I read him therefore the Bruffels Poftfcript. After which I recited fome heroic lines of my own, which operated fo ftrongly on the tympanum of his ear, that I doubt not but I have kept out all other founds for a fortnight; and have reafon to hope, we fhall fee him abroad the day before his poem. This, you fee, is a particular fecret I have found out, viz. That you are not to chufe your physician for his knowledge |