can compofe herself at the approach of a man of a good eftate.

Will's Coffee-houfe, June 9.

A fine Lady fhewed a Gentleman of this company, for an eternal anfwer to all his addreffes, a Paper of Verfes, with which he is fo captivated, that the profeffed, the Author should be the happy man in fpight of all other pretenders. It is ordinary for Love to make men poetical, and it had that effect on this enamoured man: But he was refolved to try his vein upon fome of her confidents or retinue, before he ventured upon fo high a theme as herfelf. To do otherwife than fo, would be like making an heroic poem a man's first attempt. Among the Favourites to the Fair one, he found her perrot not to be in the laft degree: He faw Poll had her ear, when his fighs were neglected. To write against him had been a fruitless labour; therefore he refolved to flatter him into his intereft in the following manner :

To a Lady on her Parrot.

When nymphs were coy, and Love could not prevail,
The gods difguis'd were never known to fail;
Leda was chafte, but yet a feather'd Jove
Surpriz'd the fair, and taught her how to love.
There's no celeftial but his heaven would quit,
For
any form which might to thee admit.

See how the wanton bird, at ev'ry glance,
Swells his glad plumes, and feels an am'rous trance ;
The Queen of Beauty has forfook the dove:
Henceforth the parrot be the bird of love.

It is indeed a very juft propofition to give that honour rather to the parrot than the other volatile. The parrot reprefents us in the state of making love: The dove, in the poffeffion of the object beloved. But instead of turning the dove off, I fancy it would be better if the chaife of Venus had hereafter a parrot added (as we fee fometimes a third-horse to a coach) which might intimate, that to be a parrot, is the only way to fucceed; and to

be

be a dove, to preferve your conquefts. If the fwain would go on fuccefsfully, he muft imitate the bird he writes upon. For he who would be loved by women, muft never be filent before the favour, or open his lips after it.

From my own Apartment, June 10.

I have fo many meffages from young Gentlemen who expect preferment and diftinction, that I am wholly at a lofs in what manner to acquit myfelf. The writer of the following letter tells me in a poftfcript, he cannot go out of town until I have taken fome notice of him, and is very urgent to be fomebody in it, before he returns to his commons at the univerfity. But take it from himfelf.

To Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efquire, Monitor-General of Great-Britain.

66

I

SIR,

Sheer Lane, June 8. Have been above fix months from the University, of age these three months, and fo long in town. "I was recommended to one Charles Bubbleboy near the Temple, who has fupplied me with all the furniture he fays a Gentleman ought to have I defired a certificate thereof from him, which he faid would require "fome time to confider of; and when I went yesterday

་་

morning for it, he tells me upon due confideration, I "ftill want fome few odd things mote, to the value of "threescore or fourfcore pounds to make me complete. "I have bespoke them; and the favour I beg of you is, "to know, when I am equipped, in what part or clafs "of men in this town you will place me. Pray send me word what I am, and you shall find me,

66

Sir,

Your moft humble fervant,

Jeffry Nicknack.

I am very willing to encourage young beginners, but am extremely in the dark how to difpofe of this Gentleman. I cannot fee either his person or habit in this letter; but I will call at Charles's, and know the shape of his fnuff-box, by which I can fettle his character. Though indeed to know his full capacity, I ought to be informed whether he takes Spanish or Mufty.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 10.

Letters from the Low Countries of the feventeenth in ftant fay, that the Duke of Marlborough and the Prince of Savoy intended to leave Ghent on that day, and join the army which lies between Pont d'Efpiere and Courtray, their head-quarters being at Helchin. The fame day the Palatine foot were expected at Bruffels. Lieutenantgeneral Dompre, with a body of eight thousand men, is posted at Aloft, in order to cover Ghent and Brussels. The Marshal de Villars was ftill on the plain of Lenz; and it is faid the Duke of Vendofme is appointed to command in conjunction with that General. Advices from Paris fay, Monfieur Voifin is made Secretary of State, upon Monfieur Chamillard's refignation of that employment. The want of money in that kingdom is fo great, that the Court has thought fit to command all the plate of private families to be brought into the mint. They write from the Hague on the eighteenth, that the States of Holland continue their feffion; and that they have approved the refolution of the States-General, to publish a fecond edict to prohibit the fale of corn to the enemy. Many eminent perfons in that affembly have declared that they are of opinion, that all commerce whatfoever with France fhould be wholly forbidden: Which point is under prefent deliberation; but it is feared it will meet with powerful oppofition.

Tuesday,

N° 28.

Tuesday, June 14, 1709.

I

White's Chocolate-houfe, June 13.

HAD fufpended the bufinefs of duelling to a diftant time, but that I am called upon to declare myfelf on a point proposed in the following letter.

I

SIR,

June 9, at night.

Defire the favour of you to decide this queftion, 66 whether calling a Gentleman a Smart Fellow, is "an affront or not? a youth entering a certain coffee"houfe, with his cane tied at his button, wearing red"heeled shoes, I thought of your defcription, and could "not forbear telling a friend of mine next to me, there "enters a Smart Fellow. The Gentleman hearing it,

had immediately a mind to pick a quarrel with me, "and defired Satisfaction: At which I was more puzzled "than at the other, remembering what mention your "Familiar makes of thofe that had loft their lives on fuch occafions. The thing is referred to your judgment, and I expect you to be my fecond, fince you have been the cause of our quarrel. I am,

Sir,

Your friend, and humble servant.

I abfolutely pronounce, that there is no occafion of offence given in this expreffion; for a Smart Fellow is always an appellation of praise, and is a man of double capacity. The true caft or mould in which you may be fure to know him is, when his livelihood or education is in the Civil Lift, and you fee him exprefs a vivacity or mettle above the way he is in by a little jerk in his

motion,

motion, short trip in his fteps, well-fancied lining of his coat, or any other indications which may be given in a vigorous drefs. Now, what poffible infinuation can there be, that it is a caufe of quarrel for a man to fay, he allows a Gentleman really to be, what he, his Taylor, his Hofier, and his Milliner, have confpired to make him? I confefs, if this person who appeals to me had faid, he was 66 not a Smart Fellow," there had been cause for refentment; but if he ftands to it that he is one, he leaves no manner of ground for misunderstanding. Indeed it is a moft lamentable thing, that there fhould be a difpute raised upon a man's faying another is, what he plainly takes pains to be thought.

But this point cannot be fo well adjufled, as by enquiring what are the fentiments of wife nations and communities, of the use of the sword, and from thence conclude, whether it is honourable to draw it fo frequently or not? an illustrious commonwealth of Italy has preferved itself for many ages, without letting one of their fubjects handle this deftructive inftrument; always leaving that work to fuch of mankind as understand the use of a whole fkin fo little, as to make a profeffion of expofing it to cuts and fears.

But what need we run to fuch foreign inftances? our own antient and well-governed cities are confpicuous examples to all mankind in their regulation of military atchievements. The chief citizens, like the noble Italians, hire mercenaries to carry arms in their flead; and you fhall have a fellow of a defperate fortune, for the gain of one half-crown, go through all the dangers of TuttleFields, or the Artillery-Ground, clap his right jaw within two inches of the touch-hole of a mufquet, fire it off, and huzza, with as little concern as he tears a pullet. Thus you fee, to what fcorn of danger thefe mercenaries arrive, out of a mere love of fordid gain: But methinks it should take off the ftrong prepoffeffion men have in favour of bold actions, when they fee upon what low motives men afpire to them. Do bnt observe the common practice in the government of thofe heroic bodies, our militia and lieutenancies, the most antient corps af foldiers, perhaps, in the univerfe; I question, whether there is one inftance of an animofity between

any