of youth and health; and Cancrum for his meritorious rottennefs.

Thefe great and leading fpirits are propofed to all fuch of our British youth as would arrive at perfection in these different kinds; and if their parts and accomplishments were well imitated, it is not doubted but that our nation would foon excel all others in wit and arts, as they already do in arms.

N. B. The Gentleman who ftole Betty Pepin may own it, for he is allowed to be a very Pretty Fellow.

But we must proceed to the explanation of other terms in our writings.

To know what a Toaft is in the country gives as much perplexity as the herself does in town: And indeed the Learned differ very much upon the original of this word, and the acceptation of it among the moderns. However, it is by all agreed to have a joyous and chearful import. A Toast in a cold morning, heightened by nutmeg, and fweetened with fugar, has for many ages been given to our rural difpenfers of justice, before they entered upon caufes, and has been of great and politic ufe to take off the feverity of their fentences; but has indeed been remarkable for one ill effect, that it inclines those who ufe it immoderately to fpeak Latin, to the admiration rather than information of an audience. This application of a Toaft makes it very obvious, that the word may, without a metaphor, be understood as an apt name for a thing which raifes us in the moft fovereign degree. But many of the Wits of the laft age will affert that the word, in its prefent fenfe, was known among them in their youth, and had its rife from an accident at the town of Bath, in the reign of King Charles the Second.

It happened, that on a public day a celebrated Beauty of those time was in the Crofs Bath, and one of the croud of her admirers took a glass of the water in which the fair one flood, and drank her health to the company. There was in the place a gay fellow half fuddled, who offered to jump in, and fwore though he liked not the Liquor, he would have the Toaft. He was oppofed in

his refolution; yet this whim gave foundation to the prefent honour which is done to the Lady we mention in our liquors, who has ever fince been called a Toast.

Though this inftitution had fo trivial a beginning, it is now elevated into a formal order; and that happy virgin who is received and drank to at their meetings, has no more to do in this life but to judge and accept of the first good offer. The manner of her inauguration is much like that of the choice of a Doge in Venice: It is performed by balloting; and when the is fo chofen, she reigns indifputably for that enfuing year; but must be elected a-new to prolong her empire a moment beyond it. When she is regularly chofen, her name is written with a diamond on a drinking-glafs. The hieroglyphic of the diamond is to fhew her, that her value is imaginary; and that of the glass to acquaint her, that her condition is frail, and depends on the hand which holds her. This wife defign admonishes her, neither to over-rate or depreciate her charms; as well confidering and applying, that it is perfectly according to the humour and taste of the company, whether the Toaft is eaten, or left as an offal.

The foremost of the whole rank of Toafts, and the moft indifputed in their prefent empire, are Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Frontlet: The firft an agreeable, the fecond an awful Beauty. Thefe Ladies are perfect friends, out of a knowledge, that their perfections are too different to ftand in competition. He that likes Gatty, can have no relish for fo folemn a creature as Frontlet; and an admirer of Frontlet will call Gatty a maypole Girl. Gatty for ever fmiles upon you; and Frontlet difdains to fee you fmile. Gatty's love is a fhining quick flame; Frontlet's a flow wafting fire. Gatty likes the man that diverts her; Frontlet him who adores her. Gatty always improves the foil in which fhe travels; Frontlet lays wafte the country. Gatty does not only fmile, but laughs at her Lover; Frontlet not only looks ferious, but frowns at him. All the men of wit (and coxcombs their followers) are profeffed fervants of Gatty: The politicians and pretenders give folemn worship to Frontlet. Their reign will be beft judged of by its duration. Frontlet, will never be chofen and Gatty is a Toast for life.

more;

St.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, June 3.

Letters from Hamburgh of the feventh inftant, N. S. inform us, that no art or coft is omitted to make the lay of his Danish Majefty at Drefden agreeable; but there are various fpeculations upon the interview between King Auguftus and that Prince, many putting politic conftructions upon his Danish Majesty's arrival at a time when his troops are marching out of Hungary, with orders to pafs through Saxony, where it is given out, that they are to be recruited. It is faid alfo, that feveral Polish Senators have invited King Auguftus to return into Poland. His Majefty of Sweden, according to the fame advices, has paffed the Nieper without any oppofition from the Muscovites, and advances with all poffible expedition towards Volbinia, where he propofes to join king Stanislaus and General Craffau.

We hear from Bern of the first instant, N. S. that there is not a province in France, from whence the Court is not apprehenfive of receiving accounts of public emotions, occafioned by the want of corn. The General Diet of the thirteen cantons is affembled at Baden, but have not yet entered upon bufinefs, fo that the affair of Tockenburgh is yet at a stand.

Letters from the Hague, dated the eleventh inftant, N. S. advife, that Monfieur Rouille having acquainted the Minifters of the Allies, that his Mafter had refufed to ratify the preliminaries of a Treaty adjusted with Monfieur Torcy, fet out for Paris on Sunday morning. The fame day the foreign Minifters met a Committee of the States-General, where Monfieur van Heffen opened the business upon which they were affembled, and in a very warm difcourfe laid before them the conduct of France in the late negotiations, reprefenting the abject manner in which he had laid open her own diftreffes, that reduced her to a compliance with the demands of all the Allies, and her meanness in receding from those points to which Monfieur Torcy had confented. The refpective Minifters of each potentate of the alliance feverally expreffed their refentments of the faithlefs behaviour of the Freuch, and gave each other mutual affuVOL. I.

H

rances

rances of the conftancy and refolution of their principals, to proceed with the utmoft vigour against the common enemy. His grace the Duke of Marlborough set out from the Hague on the ninth of the afternoon, and lay that night at Rotterdam, from whence at four the next morning he proceeded towards Antwerp, with a defign reach Ghent the next day. All the troops in the Low Countries are in motion towards the general rendezvous etween the Scheld and the Lis: The whole army will e formed on the twelfth inftant; and it is faid, that on e fourteenth they will advance towards the enemy's country. In the mean time, the Marfhal de Villars has ffembled the French forces between Lens, la Baffee, and Douay.

Yesterday morning Sir John Norris, with the fquadron under his command, failed from the Downs for Holland.

From my own Apartment, June 3.

I have the honour of the following letter from a gentleman whom I receive into my family, and order the Heralds at Arms to enroll him accordingly.

cr

Mr. BICKER STAFF,

T

Hough you have excluded me the honour of your family, yet I have ventured to correfpond "with the fame great perfons as yourself, and have wrote this poft to the King of France; though I am "in a manner unknown in his country, and have not "been feen there these many months."

To LEWIS le Grand.

Though in your country I'm unknown,
Yet, Sir, I must advise you;

Of late fo poor and mean you're grown,
That all the world despise you.

Here vermin eat your Majefty,
There meagre fubjects ftand unfed:
What furer figns of poverty,

Than many lice and little Bread?

What

A

White's Chocolate-house, June 6.

Letter from a young Lady, written in the most paffionate terms, wherein the laments the misfortune of a Gentleman, her Lover, who was lately wounded in a Duel, has turned my thoughts to that fubject, and inclined me to examine into the caufes which precipitate men into fo fatal a folly. And as it has been propofed to treat of fubjects of Gallantry in the articles from hence, and no one point in Nature is more proper to be confidered by the company who frequent this place than that of Duels, it is worth our confideration to examine into this chimerical groundless humour, and to lay every other thought afide, until we have ftripped it of all its falfe pretences to credit and reputation amongst

men.

But I must confefs, when I confider what I am going about, and run over in my imagination all the endlefs croud of men of honour who will be offended at fuch a

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dif