hypocrify and difguife of thofe, who have no pretence to virtue themselves, but by their severity to the vicious. The fame Verus was, in times long paft, Chief Justice (as we call it amongst us) in Felicia. He was a man of profound knowledge of the laws of his country, and as juft an obferver of them in his own perfon. He confidered juftice as a cardinal virtue, not as a trade for maintenance. Wherever he was Judge, he never forgot that he was alfo Counsel. The criminal before him was always fure he flood before his country, and, in a fort, the parent of it. The prifoner knew, that though his fpirit was broken with guilt, and incapable of language to defend itfelf, all would be gathered from him which could conduce to his fafety; and that his Judge would wreft no law to destroy him, nor conceal any that could fave him. In his time there was a neft of pretenders to justice, who happened to be employed, to put things in a method for being examined before hina at his ufual feffions: Thefe animals were to Verus, as monkies are to men, fo like, that you can hardly dif own them; but fo bafe, that you are afhamed of their fraternity. It grew a phrafe, "Who would do juftice

on the juftices?" that certainly would Verus. I have feen an old trial where he fat Judge on two of them; one was called Trick-Track, the other Tearshift: One: was a learned judge of fharpers, the other the quickeit of all men at finding out a wench. Trick-Track never fpared a pick-pocket, but was a companion to Cheats : Tearshift would make compliments to wenches of Quality,, but certainly commit poor ones. If a poor rogue wanted a lodging, Trick-Track fent him to gaol for a thief: If a poor whore went only with one thin petticoat, Tearshift would imprison her for being loofe in her drefs. Thefe patriots infefted the days of Verus, while they alternately committed and releafed each others prifoners. But Verus regarded them as criminals, and always looked upon men as they ftood in the eye of juftice, without refpecting whether they fat on the Bench, or stood at the Bar.

Will's Coffee-houfe, May 11.

Yefterday we were entertained with the Tragedy of The Earl of Effex; in which there is not one good line, and yet a Play which was never feen without drawing tears from fome part of the audience: A remarkable inftance that the Soul is not to be moved by words, but things; for the incidents in this Drama are laid toge ther fo happily, that the fpectator makes the Play for himself, by the force which the circumftance has upon his imagination. Thus, in fpite of the moft dry dif courfes, and expreffions almoft ridiculous with refpect to propriety, it is impoffible for one unprejudiced to fee it, untouched with pity. I must confefs, this effect is not wrought on fuch as examine why they are pleased; but it never fails to appear on those who are not too learned In Nature, to be moved by her firft fuggeftions. It is certain, the perfon and behaviour of Mr. Wilks has no fmall share in conducing to the popularity of the Play; and when an handsome fellow is going to a more coarfe Exit than beheading, his fhape and countenance make every Tender One reprieve him with all her heart, without waiting until the hears his dying words.

This evening, The Alchymift was played. This Comedy is an example of Ben Johnson's extenfive genius, and penetration into the paffions and follies of mankind. The fcene in the fourth Act, where all the cheated people oppofe the man that would open their eyes, has fomething in it fo inimitably excellent, that it is certainly as great a mafter-piece as has ever appeared by any hand. The Author's great addrefs in fhewing covetoufnefs, the motive of the actions of the Puritan, the Epicure, the Gamefter, and the Trader; and that all their endeavours, how differently foever they feem to tend, center only in that one point of gain, fhews he had, to a great perfection, that difcernment of fpirit which conftitutes a genius for Comedy,

White's Chocolate-house, May 11.

It is not to be imagined, how far the violence of our defires will carry us towards our own deceit in the pur

fuit of what we wish for. A Gentleman here this evening was giving me an account of a dumb Fortune-teller, who out-does Mr. Partridge, myfelf, or the Unborn Doctor, for predictions; all his vifitants come to him full of expectations, and pay his own rate for the interpretations they put upon his fhrugs and nods. There is a fine rich City-widow ftole thither the other day, (though it is not fix weeks, fince her husband's departure from her company to reft) and with her trufty maid, demanded of him, whether the fhould marry again, by holding up two fingers, like horns on her forehead. The wizard held up both his hands forked. The Relict defired to know, whether he meant by his holding up both hands, to reprefent that she had one hufband before, and that she should have another? Or that he intimated, the fhould have two more? The Cunning man looked a little four, upon which Betty jogged her mistress, who gave the other guinea; and he made her understand, the fhould pofitively have two more; but fhaked his head, and hinted that they should not live long with her. The widow fighed, and gave him the other half-guinea. After this prepoffeffion, all that the had next to do was to make fallies to our end of the town, and find out who it is her fate to have. There are two who frequent this place, whom she takes to be men of vogue, and of whom her imagination has given her the choice. They have both the appearances of fine Gentlemen, to fuch as do not know when they fee perfons of that turn; and indeed, they are industrious enough to come at that character, to deferve the reputation of being fuch. But this town will not allow us to be the things we feem to aim at, and is too discerning to be fobbed off with pretences. One of thefe pretty fellows fails by his laborious exactness; the other, by his as much ftudied negligence. Frank Careless, as foon as his valet has helped on and adjufted his clothes, goes to his glafs, fets his wig awry, tumbles his cravat; and, in fhort, undreffes himself to go into company. Will Nice

is fo little fatisfied with his drefs, that all the time he is at a vifit, he is ftill mending it, and is for that reafon the more infufferable; for he who ftudies careleffness has, at least, his work the fooner done of the two. The

Widow is distracted whom to take for her first man; for Nice is every way fo careful, that fhe fears his length of days; and Frank, is fo loofe, that he has apprehenfions for her own health with him. I am puzzled how to give a juft idea of them; but, in a word, Careless is a Coxcomb, and Nice a Fop: Both, you will fay, very hopeful candidates for a gay woman juft fet at liberty. But there is a whisper, her maid will give her to Tom Terror the gamefter. This fellow has undone fo many women, that he will certainly fucceed if he is introduced; for nothing fo much prevails with the vain part of that sex, as the glory of deceiving them who have deceived others. Defunt multa.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, May 11.

Letters from Berlin, bearing date May the eleventh, N. S. inform us, that the birth-day of her Pruffian Majefty has been celebrated there with all poffible magnificence; and the King made her, on that occafion, a prefent of jewels to the value of thirty thoufand crowns.. The Marquis de Quefne, who has diftinguifhed himself by his great zeal for the Proteftant intereft, was, at the time of the difpatch of these letters, at that Court, foliciting the King to take care, that an article in behalf of the Refugees, admitting their return to France, fhould be inferted in the treaty of peace. They write from Hanover, of the fourteenth, that his Electoral Highness had received an exprefs from Count Merci, reprefenting how neceffary it was to the common caufe, that he would please to haften to the Rhine; for that nothing but his prefence could quicken the meafures towards bringing the imperial army into the field. There are very many fpeculations upon the intended interview of the King of Denmark and King Auguftus. The latter has made fuch preparations for the reception of the other, that it is faid, his Danish Majefty will be entertained in Saxony with much more elegance than he met with in Italy itself.

Letters from the Hague, of the eighteenth inftant, N. S. fay, that his Grace the Duke of Marlborough

landed the night before at the Brill, after having been kept out at fea, by adverfe winds, two days longer than is ufual in that paffage. His Excellency the Lord Townshend, her Majefty's embaffador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the States General, was driven into the Veer in Zealand on Thurfday laft, from whence he came to the Hague within few hours after the arrival of his Grace. The Duke, foon after his coming to the Hague, had a vifit from the Penfioner of Holland. All things relating to the peace were in fufpence until this interview; nor is it yet known what refolutions will be taken on that fubject; for the troops of the Allies have fresh orders difpatched to them, to move from their respective quarters, and march with all expedition to the frontiers, where the enemy are making their utmost efforts for the defence of their country. Thefe advices further inform us, that the Marquis de Torcy had received an answer from the Court of France, to his letters which he had sent thither by an exprefs on the Friday before.

"Mr. Bickerstaff has received letters from Mr. Coltftaff, Mr. Whipftaff, and Mrs. Rebecca Wagstaff; all "which relate chiefly to their being firft left out in the ge"nealogy of the family lately published; but my Coufin "who writ that draught, being a clerk in the Herald's "Office, and being at prefent under the difpleasure of the

Chapter; it is feared, if that matter fhould be touched upon at this time, the young Gentleman would lofe "his place for treafon against the King at Arms."

N° 15. Saturday, May 14, 1709.

I

From my own Apartment, May 12.

1

HAVE taken a refolution hereafter, on any want of intelligence, to carry my Familiar abroad with me, who has promifed to give me very proper and juft notices of perfons and things, to make up the hiftory of

the