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was fure to have a fide-glance of observation: if a difagreeable fellow, he had a full face, out of mere inclination to conquefts. But at the clofe of the evening, on the fixth of the laft month, my Ward was fitting on a couch, reading Ovid's Epiftles; and as fhe came to this line of Helen to Paris,

She half confents who filently denies,

entered Philander, who is the most skilful of all men in an addrefs to women. He is arrived at the perfection of that art which gains them, which is, " to talk like a very miferable man, but look like a very happy * one." I faw Dictinna blush at his entrance, which gave me the alarm; but he immediately faid fomething fo agreeably on her being at ftudy, and the novelty of finding a Lady employed in fo grave a manner, that he on a fudden became very familiarly a man of no confequence; and in an inftant laid all her fufpicions of his fkill asleep, as he almost had done mine, until I observed him very dangerously. turn his difcourfe upon the ele gance of her drefs, and her judgment in the choice of that very pretty mourning. Having had women before under my care, I trembled at the apprehenfion of a man of fenfe who could talk upon trifles, and refolved to ftick to my poft with all the circumfpection imaginable. In fhort, I prepoffeffed her against all he could fay to the advantage of her drefs and perfon; but he turned again the difcourfe, where I found I had no power over her, on the abufing her friends and acquaintance. He allowed indeed that Flora had a little beauty, and a great deal of wit; but then he was fo ungainly in her beha viour, and fuch a laughing Hoyden.--Paftorella, had with him the allowance of being blameless: But what was that towards being praife-worthy? To be only in nocent, is not to be virtuous. He afterwards spoke fo much agaiuft Mrs. Dipple's forehead, Mrs. Prim's mouth, Mrs Dentifrice's teeth, and Mrs. Fidget's cheeks, that fhe grew downright in love with him: For it is always to be understood, that a Lady takes all you detract from the rest of her sex to be a gift to her. In a word, things went fo far, that I was difmiffed, and fhe will remember

that.

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that evening nine months, from the fixth of April, by a very remarkable token. The next, as I faid, I went to, was a common Swearer: never was a creature fo puzzled as myself, when I came firft to view his brain : half of it was worn out, and filled up with mere expletives, that had nothing to do with any other parts of the texture; therefore when he called for his clothes in the morning, he would cry, John--John does not anfwer." What a plague! no body there? What the "devil, and rot me! John for a lazy dog as you are."" I knew no way to cure him, but by writing down all he faid one morning as he was dreffing, and laying it be. fore him on the toilet when he came to pick his teeth. The last recital I gave him of what he said for half an hour before was, "What,, a pox rot me! where is the wash-ball call the chairmen: damn them, I warrant they are at the alehoufe already! zounds, and confound them." When he came to the glafs, he takes up my note" Ha! this fellow is worfe "than me what, does he fwear with pen and ink!"" But reading on, he found them to be his own words. The ftratagem had fo good an effect upon him, that he grew immediately a new man, and is learning to fpeak: without an oath, which makes him extremely fhort in his phrafes: for, as I observed before, a common fwearer has a brain without any idea on the fwearing fide; there fore my Ward has yet a mighty little to fay, and is forced to fubftitute fome other vehicle of nonfenfe, to fupply the defect of his ufual expletives. When I left him, he made ufe of "Odfbodikins! Oh me! and never ftir alive!" and fo forth; which gave me hopes; of his recovery. So I went to the next I told you of the Gamester. When we first take our place about a man, the receptacles of the Pericranium are immediately fearched. In his, I found no one ordinary trace of thinking; but ftrong paffion, violent defires, and a continued feries of different changes, had torn it to pieces.. There appeared no middle condition; the triumph of a prince, or the mifery of a beggar were his alternate flates. I was with him no longer than one day, which was yesterday. In the morning at twelve we were worth four thousand pounds; at three, we were arrived at fix thousand;

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thousand; half an hour after, we were reduced to onethousand; at four of the clock, we were down to two hundred; at five, to fifty; at fix, to five; at feven, to one guinea; the next bet, to nothing. This morning he borrowed half a crown of the maid who cleans his fhoes; and is now gaming in Lincoln's-Inn Fields among the boys for farthings and oranges, until he has made up three pieces, and then he returns to White's into the beft company in town. This ended our first discourse ; and it is hoped, you will forgive me that I have picked fo little out of my companion at our first interview. the next, it is poffible, he may tell me more pleafing incidents; for though he is a familiar, he is not an evil Spirit.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, May 9.

In

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We hear from the Hague of the fourteenth inftant, N. S. that Monfieur de Torcy hath had frequent conferences with the Grand Penfioner, and the other Minifters who were heretofore commiffioned to treat with Monfieur Rouille. The preliminaries of a peace are almoft fettled, and the proceedings wait only for the arrival of the Duke of Marlborough; after whofe approbation of the articles propofed, it is not doubted but the methods of the treaty will be publicly known. the mean time the States have declared an abhorrence of taking any ftep in this great affair, but in concert with the Court of Great-Britain, and other Princes of the alliance. The pofture of affairs in France does neceffarily oblige that nation to be very much in earnest in their offers; and Monfieur de Torcy hath profeffed to the Grand Penfioner, that he will avoid all occafions of giving him the leaft Jealoufy, of his ufing any address in private converfation for accomplishing the ends of his embaffy. It is faid, that as foon as the preliminaries are adjusted, that Minifter is to return to the French Court. The States of Holland have refolved to make it an inftruction to all their men of war and privateers, to bring into their ports whatever neutral fhips they shall meet with, laden with corn, and bound for France; and to avoid all caufe of complaint from the Potentates

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to whom thefe fhips fhall belong, their full demand for their freight fhall be paid them there. The French Proteftants refiding in that country have applied themselves to their respective magiftrates, defiring that there may be an article in the treaty of peace, which may give liberty of confcience to the Proteftants in France. Monfeur Bofnage, minister of the Walloon church at Rotterdam, has been at the Hague, and hath had fome conferences with the Deputies of the States on that fubject. It is reported there, that all the French Refugees in those dominions are to be naturalized, that they may enjoy the fame good effects of the treaty with the Hollanders themselves, in refpect of France.

Letters from Paris fay, the people conceive great hopes of a fudden peace, from Monfieur Torcy's being employed in the negotiation; he being a Minifter of too great weight in that Court, to be fent on any employment, in which his mafter would not act in a manner, wherein he might juftly promife himfelf fuccefs. The French advices add, that there is an infurrection in Poitou, 3000 men having taken up arms, and beaten the troops which were appointed to difperfe them: three of the mutineers, being taken, were immediately executed; and as many of the King's party were used after the fame manner.

Our late Act of naturalization hath had fo great an effect in foreign parts, that fome Princes have prohibited the French Refugees in their dominions, to fell or transfer their eftates to any other of their fubjects; and at the fame time have granted them greater immunities than they hitherto enjoyed. It has been alfo thought neceffary, to reftrain their own fubjects from leaving their native country on pain of death.

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N° 14.

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Thursday, May 12, 1709.

From my own Apartment, May 10.

A D it not been that my Familiar had appeared to me, as I told you in my laft, in perfon, I had certainly been unable to have found even words without meaning, to keep up my intelligence with the town ; but he has checked me feverely for my defpondence, and ordered me to go on in my defign of obferving upon things, and forbearing perfons; for, faid he, the age you live in is fuch, that a good picture of any vice or virtue will infallibly be mifreprefented; and though none will take the kind defcriptions you make so much to themselves, as to wish well to the Author, yet all will refent the ill characters you produce, out of fear of their own turn in the licence you must be obliged to take, if you point at particular perfons. I took this admonition kindly, and immediately promifed him to beg pardon of the author of the "Advice to the Poets," for my raillery upon his work; though I aimed at no more in that examination, but to convince him, and all men of genius, of the folly of laying themselves out on fuch plans as are below their characters. I hope too it was done without ill breeding, and nothing spoken below what a Civilian (as it is allowed I am) may utter to a phyfician. After this preface, all the world may be fafe from my Writings; for, if I can find nothing to commend, I am filent, and will forbear the fubject: for, though I am a reformer, I fcorn to be an inquifitor.

It would become all men, as well as me, to lay before them the noble character of Verus the magistrate, who always fat in triumph over, and contempt of, vice: He never searched after it, or fpared it when it came before him: At the fame time, he could fee through the hypocrify

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