White's Chocolate-house, June 30. This day appeared here a figure of a perfon, whofe fervices to the Fair Sex have reduced him to a kind of exiftence for which there is no name. If there be a condition between life and death, without being abfolutely dead or living, his ftate is that. His afpect and complexion in his robuft days gave him the illustrious title of Africanus: But it is not only from the warm climates in which he has ferved, nor from the difafters which he has fuffered, that he deferves the fame appellation with that renowned Roman; but the magnanimity with which he appears in his last moments, is what gives him the undoubted character of Hero. Cato ftabbed himself, and Hannibal drank poison; but our Africanus lives in the continual puncture of aching bones and poifoned juices. The old Heroes fled from torments by death, and this modern lives in death and torments, with an heart wholly bent upon a fupply for remaining in them. An ordinary spirit would fink under his oppreffions, but he makes an advantage of his very forrow, and raifes an income from his difeafes. Long has this Worthy been converfant in bartering, and knows that when ftocks are loweft, it is the time to buy. Therefore, with much prudence and tranquillity, he thinks that now he has not a bone found, but a thousand nodous parts for which the anatomifts have not words, and more diseases than the college ever heard of, it is the only time to purchase an annuity for life. Sir Thomas. told me, it was an entertainment more furprizing and pleafant than can be imagined, to fee an inhabitant of neither world without hand to lift, or leg to move, fcarce tongue to utter his meaning, fo keen upon biting the whole world, and making bubbles at his Exit. Sir Thomas added, that he would have bought twelve fhillings a year of him, but that he feared there was some trick in it, and believed him already dead. What, fays the Knight, is Mr. Partridge, whom I met juft now going on both his legs firmer than I can, allowed to be quite dead; and fhall Africanus, without one limb that can do its office, be pronounced alive? What What heightened the tragi-comedy of this market for annuities was, that the obfervation of it provoked Monoculus (who is the most eloquent of all men) to many excellent reflections, which he spoke with the vehemence and language both of a gamefter and an Orator. "When "I caft (faid that delightful speaker) my eye upon "thee, thou unaccountable Africanus, I cannot but call myfelf as unaccountable as thou art; for certainly we 66 were born to fhew what contradictions Nature is pleased to form in the fame fpecies. Here am I, able "to eat, to drink, to fleep, and to do all acts of Na"ture, except begetting my like; and yet by an unin"telligible force of fpleen and fancy, I every moment "imagine I am dying. It is utter madness in thee to 66 provide for fupper; for I will bet you ten to one, you "do not live until half an hour after four; and yet I 66 am fo distracted as to be in fear every moment, though "I will lay ten to three, I drink three pints of burnt "claret at your funeral three nights hence. After all, "I envy thee, thou that haft no fenfe of death, art hap"pier than one that always fears it." The Knight had gone on, but that a third man ended the fcene by applauding the Knight's eloquence and philofophy, in a laughter too violent for his own conftitution, as much as he mocked that of Africanus and Monoculus. St. James's Coffee-houfe, June 1. This day arrived three mails from Holland, with advices relating to the pofture of affairs in the Low-Countries, which fay, that the confederate army extends from Luchin, on the causeway between Tournay and Lifle, to Epain near Mortagne on the Scheld. The Marshal Villars remains in his camp at Lens; but it is faid, he detached ten thousand men under the command of the Chevalier de Luxemburg, with orders to form a camp at Crepin on the Haine, between Conde and St. Guillain, where he is to be joined by the electer of Bavaria with a body of troops, and after their conjunction, to attempt to march into Brabant. But they write from Bruffels, that the Duke of Marlborough having it equally in his power to make detachments to the fame parts, they are under no L 2 appre apprehenfions from thefe reports for the fafety of their country. They further add from Bruffels, that they have good authority for believing that the French troops under the conduct of the Marshal de Bezons are retiring out of Spain. N° 37. Tuesday, July 5, 1709. By Mrs. Jenny Distaff, Half-Sifter to Mr. Bickerstaff. White's Chocolate-houfe, July 2. T may be thought very unaccountable, that I, who can never be fuppofed to go to White's, fhould pretend to talk to you of matters proper for, or in the style of, that place. But though I never vifit the public haunts, I converse with thofe that do; and for all they pretend fo much to the contrary, they are as talkative as. our Sex, and as much at a lofs to entertain the prefent company, without facrificing the laft, as we ourselves. This reflection has led me into the confideration of the ufe of fpeech; and made me look over in my memory áll my acquaintance of both Sexes, to know to which I may more justly impute the fin of fuperfluous difcourfe in regard to converfation, without entring into it, as it' refpects religion. I forefee may acquaintance will immediately, upon ftarting this fubject, ask me, how I fhall celebrate Mrs. Alfe Cop/wood, the Yorkshire huntress, who is come to town lately, and moves as if the were on her nag, and going to take a five-bar gate; and is as loud as if the were following her dogs? I can eafily anfwer that; for' fhe is as foft as Damon, in comparison of her brother-inlaw, Tom Bellfrey, who is the most accomplished man in this kingdom for all Gentleman-like activities and accomplishments. It is allowed, that he is a profeffed enemy to the Italian performers in mufic. But then for for our own native manner, according to the customs and known usages of our island, he is to be preferred, for the generality of the pleafure he beftows, much before thofe fellows, though they fing to full theatres. For what is a theatrical voice to that of a fox-hunter? I have been at a mufical entertainment in an open field, where it amazed me to hear to what pitches the chief mafters would reach. There was a meeting near our feat in Staffordshire, and the most eminent in all the counties of England were at it. How wonderful was the harmony between men and dogs! Robin Cartail of Bucks was to anfwer Fowler; Mr. Tinbreast of Cornwal was appointed to open with Sweetlips, and Beau Slimber a Londoner, undertook to keep up with Trips, a whelp juft fet in: Tom Bellfrey and Ringwood were coupled together, to fill the cry on all occafions, and be in at the death of the fox, hare or ftag; for which both the dog and the man were excellently fuited and loved one another, and were as much together as Banifter and King. When Fowler firft alarmed the field, Cartail repeated every note; Sreetlips's treble fucceeded, and fhook the wood; Tinbreaft echoed a quarter of a mile beyond it. We were foon after all at a lofs until we rid up, and found Trips and Slimber at a default in half notes: But the day and the tune was recovered by Tom Bellfrey and Ringwood, to the great joy of us all, though they drowned every other voice: For Bettfrey carries a note four furlongs, three rods and fix paces, further than any other in England. 1 fear the mention of this will be thought a digreffion from my purpose about speech: But I answer, no. Since this is used where speech rather fhould be employed, it may come into confideration in the fame chapter: For Mr. Bellfrey being at a vifit where I was, viz. his coufin's (Lady Dainty's) in Soho-Square, was afked, what entertainments they had in the country? now Bellfrey is very ignorant, and much a clown; but confident withal. In a word, he ftruck up a fox-chafe; Lady Dainty's dog, Mr. Sippet, as he calls him, ftarted and jumped out of his Lady's lap, and fell a barking. Bellfrey went on, and called all the neighbouring parishes into the fquare. Never was woman in fuch confufion as that delicate I. 3 Lady. Lady. But there was no stopping her Kinfman. A room full of Ladies fell into the most violent laughter: My Lady looked as if fhe was fhrieking; Mr. Sippet in the middle of the room, breaking his heart with barking, but all of us unheard. As foon as Bellfrey became filent, up gets my Lady and takes him by the arm to lead him off; Bellfrey was in his boots. As she was hurrying him away, his fpurs take hold of her petticoat; his whip throws down a cabinet of China: He cries What! Are your crocks rotten? are your petticoats ragged a man cannot walk in your houfe for trin ་་ cums.". Every county of Great-Britain has one hundred or more of this fort of fellows, who roar instead of speak. Therefore if it be true, that we women are alfo given to a greater fluency of words than is neceffary fure, she that difturbs but a room or a family is more to be tolerated, than one who draws together whole parishes and counties, and fometimes (with an eftate that might make him the bleffing and ornament of the world around him) has no other view and ambition, but to be an animal above dogs and horfes, without the relifh of any one enjoyment, which is peculiar to the faculties of human Nature. I know it will here be faid, that talking of mere country Squires at this rate, is, as it were, to write against Valeine and Orfon. To prove any thing against the race of men, you must take them as they are adorned with education, as they live in Courts, or have received in Aructions in Colleges. But I am fo full of my late entertainment by Mr. Bellfrey, that I must defer pursuing this fubject to another day; and wave the proper obfervations upon the different offenders in this kind, fome by profound eloquence on fmall occafions, others by degrading fpeech upon great circumftances. Expect therefore to hear of the whisperer without bufinefs, the laugher without wit, the complainer without receiving injuries, and a very large croud, which I fhall not foreftal, who are common (though not commonly obferved) impertinents, whose tongues are too voluble for their brains, and are the general defpifers of us women, though we have their fuperiors, the men of fenfe, for our fervants, St. |