any two of these illuftrious fons of Mars fince their inftitution, which was decided by combat? I remember indeed to have read the Chronicle of an accident which had like to have occafioned blood shed in the very field before all the General Officers, though most of them were Juftices of the Peace. Captain Crabtree of BirchingLane, Haberdasher, had drawn a bill upon Major-general Maggot, Cheefemonger in Thames-freet. Crabtree draws this upon Mr. William Maggot and Company. A country-lad received this bill, and not understanding the word Company, ufed in drawing bills on men in partnership, carried it to Mr. Jeffery Stitch of Crooked lane (Lieutenant of the Major-General's company) whom he had the day before seen march by the door in all the pomp of his commiffion. The Lieutenant accepts it, for the honour of the company, fince it had come to him. But repayment being asked from the Major-General, he abfolutely refufes. Upon this, the Lieutenant thinks of nothing else than to bring this to a rupture, and takes for his fecond Tobias Armstrong of the Counter, and fends him with a challenge in a fcrip of parchment, wherein was written Stitch contra Maggot, and all the fury vanifhed in a moment. The Major-General gives fatiffaction to the second, and all was well.

Hence it is, that the bold fpirits of our city, are kept in fuch fubjection to the civil power. Otherwife, where would our liberties foon be? if wealth and valour were fuffered to exert themselves with their utmoft force. If fuch Officers as are employed in the terrible bands abovementioned, were to draw bills as well as fwords, thefe dangerous Captains, who could victual an army as well as lead it, would be too powerful for the State. But the point of honour juftly gives way to that of gain; and by long and wife regulation, the richest is the braveft man. I have known a Captain rife to a Colonel in two days by the fall of stocks; and a Major, my good friend, near the Monument, afcended to that honour by the fall of the price of fpirits, and the rifing of right Nantz. By this true fenfe of honour, that body of warriors are ever in good order and discipline, with their colours and coats all whole: As in other battalions (where their principles of action are less folid) you fee the men of

fervice

fervice look like spectres with long fides and lank cheeks. In this army you may measure a man's fervices by his waift, and the most prominent belly is certainly the man who has been most upon action. Befides all this, there is another excellent remark to be made in the difcipline of these troops. It being of abfolute neceffity, that the people of England fhould fee what they have for their money, and be eye-witneffes of the advantages they gain by it, all battles which are fought abroad are reprefented here. But fince one fide must be beaten, and the other conquer, which might create difputes, the eldest company is always to make the other run, and the younger retreats, according to the laft News and beft Intelligence. I have myself feen Prince Eugene make Catinat fly from the backfide of Gray's-Inn-Lane to Hockley in the Hole, and not give over the purfuit, until obliged to leave the BearGarden on the right, to avoid being borne down by fencers, wild bulls, and monfters, too terrible for the encounter of any Heroes, but fuch whofe lives are their livelihood.

We have here feen, that wife nations do not admit of fighting, even in the defence of their country, as a laudable action; and they live within the walls of our own city in great honour and reputation without it. It would be very neceffary to understand, by what force of the climate, food, education, or employment one man's fenfe is brought to differ fo effentially from that of another; that one is ridiculous and contemptible for forbearing a thing which makes for his fafety; and another applauded for confulting his ruin and deftruction.

It will therefore be neceffary for us (to fhew our travelling) to examine this fubject fully, and tell you how it comes to pafs, that a man of honour in Spain, though you offend him never fo gallantly, ftabs you bafely; in England, though you offend him never fo bafely, challenges fairly: The former kills you out of revenge, the latter out of good breeding. But to probe the heart of man in this particular to its utmoft thoughts and receffes, I must wait for the return of Pacolet, who is now attending a Gentleman lately in a duel, and fometimes vifits the perfon, by whose hand he received his wounds.

VOL. I.

I

St.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 13.

Letters from Vienna of the eighth inftant say, there has been a journal of the marches and actions of the King of Sweden, from the beginning of January to the eleventh of April, N. S. communicated by the Swedish Ministers to that Court. Thefe advices inform, that his Swedish Majefty entered the Territories of Mufcovy in February laft, with the main body of his army, in order to oblige the enemy to a general engagement; but that the Mufcovites declining a battle, and an univerfal thaw having rendered the rivers unpaffable, the King returned into Ukrania. There are mentioned feveral rencounters between confiderable detachments of the Swedish and Ruffian armies. Marfhal Heifter intended to take his leave of the Court on the day after the date of these letters, and put himself at the head of the army in Hungary. The Male-contents had attempted to fend in a fupply of provifion into Newhaufel; but their defign was difappointed by the Germans.

Advices from Berlin of the fifteenth inftant, N. S. fay, that his Danish Majefty having received an invitation from the King of Pruffia to an interview, defigned to come to Potsdam within a few days, and that King Auguftus refolved to accompany him thither. To avoid all difficulties in ceremony, the three Kings and all the company who shall have the honour to fit with them at table, are to draw lots, and take precedence accordingly.

They write from Hamburgh of the eighteenth inftant, N. S. that fome particular letters from Dantzick fpeak of a late action between the Swedes and Muscovites near Feriflaru; but that engagement being mentioned from no other place, there is not much credit given to this intelligence.

We hear from Brussels, by letters dated the twentieth, that on the fourteenth in the evening, the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene arrived at Courtray, with a deign to proceed the day following to Lifle, in the neighbourhood of which city the confederate army was to rendezvous the fame day. Advices from Paris inform us, that the Marshal de Bezons is appointed to command

171 in Dauphiné, and that the Duke of Berwick is fet out for Spain, with a defign to follow the fortunes of the Duke of Anjou, in cafe the French King fhould comply with the late demands of the Allies.

The Court of France has fent a circular letter to all the Governors of the provinces, to recommend to their confideration his Majefty's late conduct in the affair of peace. It is thought fit in that epiftle, to condescend to a certain appeal to the people, whether it is confiftent with the dignity of the Crown, or the French name, to fubmit to the preliminaries demanded by the Confede rates? That letter dwells upon the unreafonableness of the Allies, in requiring his Majefty's affiftance in dethroning his grandfon; and treats this particular in language more fuitable to it, as it is a topic of oratory, than a real circumftance on which the interefts of nations, and reafons of ftate, which affect all Europe, are concerned.

The clofe of this memorial feems to prepare the people to expect all events, attributing the confidence of the enemy to the goodness of their troops; but acknowledging, that his fole dependance is upon the intervention of Providence.

N° 29.

H

Thursday, June 16, 1709.

White's Chocolate-houfe, June 14.

AVING a very folid refpect for human Nature, however it is diftorted from its natural make, by affectation, humour, cuftom, misfortune, or vice, I do apply myself to my friends to help me in raifing arguments for preferving it in all its individuals, as long as it is permitted. To one of my letters on this fubject, I have received the following anfwer:

6.6

SIR,

IN

N anfwer to your queftion, why men of fenfe, virtue, and experience, are feen ftill to comply "with that ridiculous cuftom of duelling? I must defire 86 you to reflect, that cuftom has difhed up in ruffs the "wifeft heads of our ancestors, and put the best of the

prefent age into huge Falbala periwigs. Men of fenfe "would not impofe fuch incumbrances on themselves, but be glad they might fhew their faces decently in public upon eafier terms. If then fuch men appear reasonably flaves to the fashion, in what regards the "figure of their perfons, we ought not to wonder, that they are at least fo in what seems to touch their reputation. Befides, you cannot be ignorant, that dress and chivalry have been always encouraged by the La"dies, as the two principal branches of gallantry. It

.66

is to avoid being fneered at for his fingularity, and "from a defire to appear more agreeable to his mistress, that a wife, experienced, and polite man, complies with the dress commonly received; and is prevailed upon to violate his reafon and principles, in hazarding his life and eftate by a tilt, as well as fuffering "his pleafures to be conftrained and fowered by the conftant apprehenfion of a quarrel. This is the more furprising, because men of the most delicate fenfe and principles have naturally in other cafes a particular repugnance in accommodating themselves to the maxims of the world: But one may easily distinguish the man that is affected with beauty, and the reputation of a tilt, from him who complies with both, merely as they are impofed upon him by cuftom; for in the "former you will remark an air of vanity and triumph; whereas when the latter appears in a long Duvillier "full of powder, or has decided a quarrel by the fword, you may perceive in his face, that he appeals to custom "for an excufe. I think it may not be improper to enquire into the genealogy of this chimerical monfter, called a Duel, which I take to be an illegitimate fpecies of the ancient Knight-errantry. By the laws of this whim, the heroic perfon, or man of gallantry,