66 was indifpenfibly obliged to ftarve in armour a certain "number of years in the chace of monfters, encounter "them at the peril of his life, and fuffer ftill greater hardships, in order to gain the affection of the fair Lady, and qualify himfelf for affuming the Bel-Air; that is, of a Pretty Fellow, or man of honour, ac"cording to the fashion: But fince the publishing of "Don Quixote, and extinction of the race of dragons, "which Suetonius fays happened in that of Wantley, the "gallant and heroic fpirits of thefe later times have "been under the neceffity of creating new chimerical "monsters to entertain themfelves with, by way of fingle "combat, as the only proofs they are able to give their own Sex, and the Ladies, that they are in all points men of nice honour. But to do juftice to the ancient "and real monsters, I must obferve, that they never molefted those who were not of a humour to hunt for "them in woods and defarts; whereas, on the contrary, our modern monfters are fo familiarly admitted and "entertained in all the courts and cities of Europe, (ex I have fome further confl cept France) that one can fcarce be in the most hu "manized fociety without rifking one's life; the people "of the best fort, and the fine Gentlemen of the age, being fo fond of them, that they feldom appear in any public place without one. "derations upon this fubject, which, as you encourage me, fhall be communicated to you by, Sir, a Coufin " but one remove from the best family of the Staffs, namely, Sir, Your humble fervant, kinfman, and friend, Tim. Switch It is certain Mr. Switch has hit upon the true fource of this evil; and that it proceeds only from the force of cuftom, that we contradict ourselves in half the particulars and occurrences of life. But fuch a tyranny in love, which the Fair impofe upon us, is a little too fevere, that we must demonftrate our affection for them by no certain proof but hatred to one another, or come at them (only as one does to an eftate) by furvivorship. This way of application to gain a Lady's heart is taking her as we do towns and caftles, by diftreffing the place, and letting none come near them without our Pass. Were fuch a lover once to write the truth of his heart, and let her know his whole thoughts, he would appear indeed to have a paffion for her; but it would hardly be called love. The Billet-Doux would run to this purpofe : "I 66 66 MADAM, Have fo tender a regard for you, and your interefts, that I will knock any man on the head whom I "observe to be of my mind, and like you. Mr. Truman, the other day, looked at you in fo languishing a manner, that I am refolved to run him through to-morrow morning. This, I think, he deferves for his guilt "in admiring you: Than which I cannot have a greater "reafon for murdering him, except it be that you alfo approve him. Whoever fays he dies for you, I will "make his words good, for I will kill him. I am, 66 Madam, Your most obedient, moft humble fervant. From my own Apartment, June 14. I am just come hither at ten at night, and have, ever fince fix, been in the most celebrated, though most naufeous company in town: The two leaders of the society were a Critic and a Wit. These two Gentlemen are great opponents on all occafions, not difcerning that they are the nearest each other in temper and talents, of any two claffes of men in the world; for to profefs judgment, and to profefs wit, both arife from the fame failure, which is want of judgment. The poverty of the Critic this way proceeds from the abufe of his faculty; that of the Wit, from the neglect of it. It is a particular obfervation I have always made, that of all mortals a Critic is the fillieft; for by enuring himself to examine all things, whether they are of confequence or not, he never looks upon any thing but with a defign of paffing fentence upon it; by which means he is never a companion, but always a cenfor. This makes him earnest upon trifles, and difpute on the most indifferent occafions with vehemence. If he offers to speak or write, that talent, which fhould approve the work of the other faculties, prevents their operation. He comes upon action in armour, but without weapons; he ftands in fafety, but can gain no glory. The Wit, on the other hand, has been hurried fo long away by imagination only, that judgment feems not to have ever been one of his natural faculties. This Gentleman takes himself to be as much obliged to be merry, as the other to be grave. A thorough Critic is a fort of Puritan in the polite world. As an enthusiast in religion ftumbles at the ordinary occurrences of life, if he cannot quote Scripture examples on the occafion; fo the Critic is never fafe in his fpeech or writings, without he has among the celebrated Writers, an authority for the truth of his fentence. You will believe we had a very good time with these brethren, who were fo far out of the drefs of their native country, and fo loft in its dialect, that they were as much ftrangers to themselves, as to their relation to each other. They took up the whole difcourfe; fometimes the Critic grew paffionate, and when reprimanded by the Wit for any trip or hesitation in his voice, he would answer, Mr. Dryden makes fuch a character, on fuch an occafion, break off in the fame manner; fo that the ftop was according to Nature; and as a man in a paffion fhould do. The Wit, who is as far gone in letters as himfelf, seems to be at a loss to anfwer fuch an apology; and concludes only, that though his anger is jufly vented, it wants fire in the utterance. If wit is to be measured by the circumftances of time and place, there is no man has generally fo little of that talent, as he who is a Wit by profeffion. What he fays, instead of arising from the occa fion, has an occafion invented to bring it in. Thus he is new for no other reason, but that he talks like no body elfe; but has taken up a method of his own, without commerce of dialogue with other people. The lively Jasper Dactyle is one of this character. He feems to have made a vow to be witty to his life's end. When you meet him, What do you think, fays he, I have been entertaining myself with? Then out comes a premeditated Turn; to which it is to no purpose to anfwer, for he goes on in the fame ftrain of thought he defigned without your fpeaking. Therefore I have a general anfwer to all he can fay; as, "Sure there never was any "creature had fo much fire!" Spondee, who is a Critic, is feldom out of this fine man's company. They have no manner of affection for each other, but keep together, like Novel and Oldfox in the Plain Dealer, because they fhow each other. I know feveral men of fenfe who can be diverted with this couple; but I fee no curiofity in the thing, except it be, that Spondee is dull, and feems dull; but Dayle is heavy with a brisk face. owned alfo, that Dactyle has almoft vigour enough to be a coxcomb; but Spondee, by the lownefs of his conftitution, is only a blockhead. St. James's Coffee-houfe, June 15. It must be We have no particulars of moment fince our laft, exccpt it be, that the copy of the following original letter came by the way of Oftend. It is faid to have been found in the closet of Monfieur Chamillard, the late Secretary of State of France, fince his difgrace. It was figned by two brothers of the famous Cavalier, who led the Cevennois, and had a perfonal interview with the King, as well as a capitulation to lay down his arms, ́ and leave the dominions of France. There are many other names to it; among whom is the chief of the family of the Marquis Guifcard. It is not yet known, whether Monfieur Chamillard had any real defign to favour the Proteftant intereft, or only thought to place himfelf at the head of that people, to make himself confiderable enough to oppofe his enemies at Court, and re-inftate himfelf in power there. SIR, W Letter to the E have read your Majefty's Governors of your provinces, with inftruc❝tions what fentiments to infinuate into the minds of "your people: But as you have alway's acted upon the "maxim, That we were made for you, and not you "for us; we must take leave to affure your Majefty, "that we are exactly of the contrary opinion; and must. "defire you to fend for your grandson home, and acquaint him, that you now know by experience, abfo"lute power is only a vertigo in the brain of princes, 66 66 which for a time may quicken their motion, and "double in their difeafed fight the inftances of power "above them; but must end in their fall and deftruction. "Your Memorial fpeaks a good father of your family, "but a very ill one of your people. Your Majefty is "reduced to hear truth, when you are obliged to fpeak "it. There is no governing any but favages by other "methods than their own confent, which you feem to acknowledge, in appealing to us for our opinion of 66 your conduct in treating of peace. Had your people "been always of your council, the King of France had never been reduced fo low, as to acknowledge his "arms were fallen into contempt. But fince it is thus, 66 me muft afk, How is any man of France, but they of "the houfe of Bourbon, the better, that Philip is King "of Spain? We have outgrown that folly of placing "our happiness in your Majefty's being called, The "Great. Therefore as you and we are all alike "Bankrupts, and undone, let us not deceive ourselves ; "but compound with our adverfaries, and not talk like: "their equals. Your Majefty muft forgive us, that we cannot wish you fuccefs, or lend you help; for if you lofe one battle more, we may have a hand in the peace 66. your 1.5 Soon after the breaking off of the late treaty of peace, the French King difperfed a letter through his dominions, wherein he fhews the reasons why he could not ratify the preliminaries. Vide "the public News Papers of this date." "N. B. Monfieur Bernard, and the chief Bankers of France, " became bankrupts about this time." |