have taken folemn oaths, to adhere to the interests of his Swedish Majefty.

Advices from the Hague of the fourteenth instant, N. S. fay, that all things tended to a vigorous and active campaign; the Allies having ftrong refentmentsagainst the late behaviour of the Court of France; and the French ufing all poffible endeavours to animate their men to defend their country against a victorious and exafperated enemy. Monfieur Rouille had paffed through Bruffels without vifiting either the Duke of Marlborough or Prince Eugene, who were both there at that time. The States have met, and publicly declared their fatisfaction in the conduct of their Deputies during the whole Treaty. Letters from France fay, that the Court is refolved to put all to the iffue of the enfuing campaign. In the mean time, they have ordered the preliminary Treaty to be published, with obfervations. upon each article, in. order to quiet the minds of the people, and perfuade them, that it has not been in the power of the King to procure a peace, but to the diminution of his Majefty's glory, and the hazard of his dominions. His Grace the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, arrived at Ghent on Wednesday laft,, where, at an affembly of all the General Officers, it was thought proper, by reafon of the great rains which have lately fallen, to defer forming a camp, or bringing the troops together; but as foon as the weather would permit, to march upon the enemy with all 'expedition.

N° 26.

I

Thursday, June 9, 1709.

From my own Apartment, June 8.

Have read the following Letter with delight and ap probation; and I hereby order Mr. Kidney, at St. James's, and Sir Thomas at White's, (who are my clerks for enrolling all men in their different claffes, before:

H. 5

theyy

they prefume to drink tea or chocolate in thofe places) to take care, that the perfons within the defcriptions in the latter be admitted and excluded, according to my friend's remonstrance.

દ

་་

SIR,

Y

June 6, 1709.

OUR Paper of Saturday has raifed up in me a noble emulation, to be recorded in the foremost *** rank of Worthies therein mentioned; and if any regard be had to merit or industry, I may hope to fucceed in the promotion, for I have omitted no toil or expence to be a proficient; and if my friends do not "flatter, they affure me, I have not loft my time fince I came to town. To enumerate but a few particu"lars; there is hardly a coachman I meet with, but "defires to be excufed taking me, because he has had 86 me before. I have compounded two or three rapes; "and let out to hire as many baftards to beggars. I never faw above the firft Act of a Play: And as to my courage, it is well known, I have more than once had "fufficient witneffes of my drawing my fword both in tavern and playhoufe. Dr. Wall is my particular *friend; and if it were any fervice to the Public to 66 compofe the difference between Martin and Sintilaer "the Pear-Driller, I do not know a judge of more ex"perience than myfelf: For in that I may fay with ***the Poet;

Que regio in villa noftri non plena laboris ?

What ftreet refounds not with my great exploits ?

"I omit other lefs particulars, the neceffary confequences of greater actions. But my reason for - troubling you at this prefent is, to put a ftop, if it may be, to an infinuating increafing fet of people, "who fticking to the letter of your treatife, and not to "the fpirit of it, do affume the name of Pretty Fellows; nay, and even get new names, as you very well hint. "Some of them I have heard calling to one another as "I have fat at White's and St. James's, by the names "of Betty, Nelly, and fo forth, You fee them accost

6. each

"each other with effeminate airs: They have their figns "and tokens like Free-mafons: They rail at woman"kind; receive vifits on their beds in gowns, and do a thousand other unintelligible prettineffes that I cannot tell what to make of. I therefore heartily, defire 66 you would exclude all this fort of animals.

"There is another matter I forefee an ill confequence from, but may be timely prevented by prudence; "which is, that for the last fortnight, prodigious fhoals "of volunteers have gone over to bully the French, upon hearing the peace was juft figning; and this is fo true, that I can affure you, all engroffing work about "the Temple is rifen above three fhillings in the pound "for want of hands. Now as it is poffible, fome little "alteration of affairs may have broken their measures, "and that they will poft back again, I am under the "laft apprehenfion, that thefe will, at their return, all "fet up for Pretty Fellows, and thereby confound all "merit and service, and impofe on us fome new altera"tion in our nightcaps, wigs, and pockets, unless you can provide a particular clafs for them. I cannot apply myself better than to you, and I am fure I fpeak the mind of a very great number, as deferving "as myself."

26

The pretenfions of this correfpondent are worthy.a particular diftinction; he cannot indeed be admitted as a Pretty, but is, what we more juftly call a Smart Fellow. Never to pay at the play-house in an act of frugality that lets you into his character; and his expedient in fending his children begging before they can go, are characteristical inftances that he belongs to this claís. I never faw the Gentleman; but I know by his letter, he hangs his cane on his button; and by fome lines of it he should wear red-heeled fhoes; which are ef fential parts of the habit belonging to the order of Smart Fellows.

My Familiar is returned with the following letter from the French King.

Verfailles, June 13, 1709.

LEWIS the Fourteenth to Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efquire.

SIR,

Have your epiftle, and must take the liberty to fay, that there has been a time, when they were generous fpirits in Great-Britain, who would not have "fuffered my name to be treated with the familiarity you think fit to ufe. I thought liberal men would not be fuch time-fervers, as to fall upon a man be❝ cause his friends are not in power. But having fome "concern for what you may tranfmit to pofterity con

cerning me, I am willing to keep terms with you, "and make a request to you, which is, that you would give my fervice to the nineteenth century, (if ever you or yours reach to them) and tell them, that I have fettled all matters between them and me by Monfieur Boileau. I fhould be glad to fee you here."

It is very odd, this Prince fhould offer to invite me into his dominions, or believe I should accept the invi̟tation. No, no, I remember too well how he served an ingenious Gentleman, a friend of mine, whom he locked up in the Bafile for no reafon in the world, but because he was a Wit, and feared he might mention him with juftice in fome of his writings. His way is, that all men of fenfe are preferred, banished, or imprisoned. He has indeed a fort of juftice in him, like that of the gamefters; for if a ftander-by fees one at play cheat, he has a right to come in for fhares, as knowing the mysteries of the game.

This is a very wife and just maxim; and if I have not left at Mr. Morphew's, directed to me, bank-bills för two hundred pounds, on or before this day feven-night, I fhall tell how Tom Cab got his eftate. I expect three hundred pounds of Mr. Soilett, for concealing all the money he has lent to himfelf, and his landed friend bound with him, at thirty per Cent. at his fcrivener's. Abfolute Princes make people pay what they please in deference

deference to their power: I do not know why I fhould not do the fame, out of fear or refpect to my knowledge. I always preferve decorums and civilities to the Fair Sex: Therefore, if a certain Lady, who left her coach at the New-Exchange door in the Strand, and whipt down Durham Yard into a boat with a young Gentleman for Vaux-Hall; I fay, if fhe will fend me word, that I may give the fan which the dropped, and I found, to my filter Jenny, there fhall be no more faid of it. I expect hufh-money to be regularly fent for every folly or vice any one commits in this whole town; and hope, I may pretend to deferve it better than a chamber-maid or a Valet de Chambre: They only whifper it to the little fet of their companions; but I can tell it to all men living, or who are to live. Therefore I defire all my readers to pay their fines, or mend their lives.

White's Chocolate-house, June 8.

My Familiar being come from France, with an answer to my letter to Lewis of that kingdom, inftead of going on in a difcourfe of what he had feen in that Court, he put on the immediate concern of a guardian, and fell to enquiring into my thoughts and adventures fince his journey. As fhort as his ftay had been, I confeffed I had had many occafions for his affiftance in my conduct; but communicated to him my thoughts of putting all my force against the horrid and fenfelefs cuftom of Duels: If it were poffible, faid he, to laugh at things in themfelves fo deeply tragical as the impertinent profufion of human life, I think I could divert you with a figure I faw juft after my death, when the Philofopher threw me, as I told you fome days ago, into the pail of water.

"You are to know, that when men leave the body, "there are receptacles for them as foon as they depart, according to the manner in which they lived and died. "At the very inftant I was killed, there came away "with me a Spirit which had loft its body in a Duel. "We were both examined. Me the whole affembly "looked at with kindness and pity, but at the fame "time with an air of welcome and confolation: They pronounced me very happy, who had died in inne

scence