comb, which arifes from his own falfe maxims, and the aggravation of his pain, by the very words in which he fees her innocence, makes a very pleasant and inftructive fatire. The character of Horner, and the defign of it, is a good reprefentation of the age in which that Comedy was written; at which time love and wenching were the bufinefs of life, and the gallant manner of purfuing women was the best recommendation at Court. To this only it is to be imputed, that a Gentleman of Mr. Wycherley's character and fenfe, condefcends to reprefent the infults done to the honour of the bed, without juft reproof; but to have drawn a man of probity with regard to fuch confiderations had been a monster, and a Poet had at that time difcovered his want of knowing the manners of the Court he lived in, by a virtuous character in his fine Gentleman, as he would fhow his ignorance, by drawing a vicious one to please the prefent audience. Mrs. Bignell did her part very happily, and had a certain grace in her rufticity, which gave us hopes of feeing her a very fkilful player, and in fome parts fupply our lofs of Mrs. Verbruggen. I cannot be of the fame opinion with my friends and fellow-labourers, the Reformers of Manners, in their severity toward's plays; but must allow, that a good Play acted before a well-bred audience, muft raife very proper incitements to good behaviour, and be the moft quick and moft prevailing method of giving young people a turn of fenfe and breeding. But as I have fet up for a weekly hiftorian, I refolve to be a faithful one; and therefore take this public occafion to admonifh a young Nobleman, who came fluftered into the box last night, and let him know how much all his friends were out of countenance for him. The women fat in terror of hearing fomething that fhould fhock their modefty, and all the Gentlemen in as much pain out of compaffion to the Ladies, and perhaps refentment for the indignity which was offered in coming into their prefence in fo difrefpectful a manner. Wine made him fay nothing that was rude, therefore he is forgiven, upon condition he never will hazard his offending more in this kind. As I juft now hinted, I own myself of the fociety for Reformation of Man, We have lower inftruments than those of the

ners.

family of Bickerstaff, for punishing great crimes, and expofing the abandoned. Therefore, as I defign to have notices from all public affemblies, I fhall take upon me only indecorums, improprieties, and negligences, in fuch as fhould give us better examples. After this declaration, if a fine Lady thinks fit to giggle at church, or a great Beau come in drunk to a Play, either fhall be fure to hear of it in my enfuing Paper. For merely as a well-bred man, I cannot bear thefe enormities.

After the Play we naturally ftroll to this Coffee-house, in hopes of meeting fome new poem, or other entertainment, among the men of wit and pleasure, where there is a dearth at prefent. But it is wonderful there should be fo few writers, when the art is become merely mechanic, and men may make themselves great that way, by as certain and infallible rules as you may be a Joiner or a Mafon. There happens a good inftance of this in what the hawker has juft now offered to fale, to wit, "Inftructions to Vanderbank: A Sequel to the Advice "to the Poets: A Poem, occafioned by the glorious "fuccefs of her Majefty's arms, under the command of

the Duke of Marlborough; the last year in Flanders.” Here you are to understand, that the Author, finding the Poets would not take his advice, troubles himself no more about them; but has met with one Vanderbank, who works in arras, and makes very good tapestry hangings: Therefore, in order to celebrate the hero of the age, he claps together all that can be faid of a man that makes hangings::

Then, artift, who doft Nature's face exprefs
In filk and gold, and scenes of action dress;
Doft figur'd arras animated leave,

Spin a bright ftory, or a paffion weave;

By mingling threads, canft mingle fhade and light, Delineate triumphs, or defcribe a fight?

Well, what fhall this workman do? why? to shew How great an her the Poet intends, he provides him a very good horfe

Champing

Champing his foam, and bounding on the plain,
Arch his high neck, and graceful spread his mane.

Now as to the intrepidity, the calm courage, the confant application of the hero, it is not neceffary to take that upon yourself; you may, in the lump, bid him you employ, raife him as high as he can, and if he does it not, let him answer for disobeying orders.

Let fame and victory in inferior fky

Hover with balanc'd wings, and fmiling fly
Above his head, &c.

A whole Poem of this kind' may be ready against an enfuing campaign, as well as a space left in the canvas of a piece of tapestry for the principal figure, while the under-parts are working: So that in effect the Adviser copies after the man he pretends to direct. This me-thod fhould, methinks, encourage young beginners: For the invention is fo fitted to all capacities, that by the help of it a man may make a receipt for a poem A young man may obferve that the jig of the thing is, as 1 faid, finding out all that can be faid in his way whom you employ to fet forth your Worthy. Waller and Denham had worn out the expedient of Advice to a Painter: This Author has transferred the work, and fent his Advice to the Poets; that is to fay, to the Tur ners of Verfe, as he calls them. Well; that thought is worn out alfo, therefore he directs his genius to the loom, and will have a new fet of hangings in honour of the last year in Flanders. I must own to you, I approve extremely this invention, and it might be improved for the benefit of manufactory: As, fuppofe an ingenious Gentleman fhould write a Poem of advice to a CallicoPrinter; do you think there is a girl in England, that would wear any thing but the Taking of Lifle, or the Battle of Oudenarde: They would certainly be all the fashion, until the heroes abroad had cut out fome more patterns. I fhould fancy fmall fkirmishes might do for under-petticoats, provided they had a fiege for the upper. If our Adviser were well imitated, many induftrious people might be put to work. Little Mr. Dactile,

now

very

now in the room, who formerly writ a fong and an half, is a week gone in a very pretty work, upon this hint: He is writing an epigram to a young virgin who knits well: (It is a thousand pities he is a Jacobite) but his epigram is by way of advice to this damfel, to knit all the actions of the Pretender and the Duke of Bur gundy's laft campaign, in the clock of a stocking. It were endless to enumerate the many hands and trades that may be employed by poets, of fo ufeful a turn as this Advifer. I shall think of it; and, in this time of taxes, fhall confult a great critic employed in the cuftom-house, in order to propose what tax may be proper to put upon knives, feals, rings, hangings, wrought beds, gowns and petticoats, where any of these commodities bear mottoes that are worked upon poetical grounds.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, April 15,

Letters from Turin of the third inftant, N. S. inform us, that his Royal Highnefs' employs all his address in alarming the enemy, and perplexing their fpeculations. concerning his real defigns the enfuing campaign. Contracts are entered into with the Merchants of Milan, for a great number of mules to tranfport his provifions and ammunition. His Royal Highnefs has ordered the train of artillery to be conveyed to Sufa before the twenty-fixth of next ̧ month. In the mean time, all accounts agree, that the enemy are very backward in their preparations, and almoft incapable of defending themselves against an invafion, by reafon of the general murmurs of their own people; which, they find, are no way to be quieted, but by giving them hopes of a fpeedy peace. When thefe letters were difpatched, the Marshal de These was arrived at Genoa, where he has taken much pains to keep the correfpondents of the merchants of France in hopes, that meafures will be found out to fupport the credit and commerce between that ftate and Lyons: But the late declaration of the agents of Monfieur Bernard, that they cannot difcharge the demands made upou them, has quite difpirited all thofe who are engaged in the remittances of France.

From

From my own Apartment, April 15.

h is a very natural paffion in all good members of the commonwealth, to take what care they can of their families. Therefore I hope the reader will forgive me, that I defire he would go to the Play called the Stratagems this evening, which is to be acted for the benefit of my near kinfman Mr. John Bickerstaff. I proteft to you, the Gentleman has not fpoke to me to defire this favour but I have a refpect for him, as well in regard to con fanguinity, as that he is an intimate friend of that famous and heroic actor, Mr. George Powel who for merly played Alexander the Great in all places, though he is lately grown fo referved, as to act it only on the stage.

N° 4.

"

"

I

Tuesday, April 18, 1709.

Tis ufual with perfons who mount the ftage, for the cure or information of the croud about them, "to make folemn profeffions of their being wholly dif "interested in the pains they take for the public good. "At the fame time thofe very men, who make harangues in plufh doublets, and extol their own abi "lities and generous inclinations, tear their lungs in vending a drug, and fhow no act of bounty, except "it be, that they lower a demand of a crown to fix, nay, to one penny. We have a contempt for fuch paultry barterers, and have therefore all along informed the Public, that we intend to give them, our advices for our own fakes, and are labouring to "make our Lucubrations come to fome price in money, "for our more convenient fupport in the fervice of "the Public. It is certain that many other schemes have been propofed to me; as a friend offered to fhew

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me in a Treatife he had writ, which he called, The

whole