dency of which Sharper over Sol, who is a patron of the Mufes and all honeft profeffions, has been noted by the learned Job Gadbury to be the cause, "that cunning "and trick are more esteemed than art and science." It must be allowed alfo, to the memory of Mr. Partridge, late of Cecil-freet in the Strand, that in his answer to an horary queftion, At what hour of the night to fet a foxtrap in June 1705? he has largely difcuffed, under the character of Reynard, the manner of furprizing all Sharpers as well as him. But of these great points,, after more mature deliberation.. E have nothing at prefent new, but that we understand by fome Owlers, old people die in "France. Letters from Paris of the tenth inftant, N. S.. "fay, that Monfieur d'Andre, Marquis d'Oraifon, died at eighty-five: Monfieur Brumars, at one hundred "and two years, died for love of his wife who was "ninety-two at her death, after seventy years cohabita tion. Nicholas de Boutbeiller, parifh-preacher of Safe"ville, being a bachelor, held out, to one hundred and "fixteen. Dame Claude de Mafy, relict of Monfieur 66 Peter de Monceaux, Grand Audiencer of France, died on the seventh inftant, aged one hundred and feven. "Letters of the feventeenth fay, Monfieur Chreftien de Lamoignon died on the feventh inftant, a person of great piety and virtue; but having died young, his age is concealed for reasons of ftate. On the fifteenth "his Moft Chriftian Majefty, attended by the Dauphin,, "the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke and Dutchess of Berry, affifted at the proceffion which he yearly per-"forms in memory of a vow made by Lewis the Thirteenth, in 1638. For which act of piety, his Majefty received Abfolution of his Confeffor, for the breach of all inconvenient vows made by himself. * I am, Sir, your most humble fervant, Humphrey Kidney. From my own Apartment, August 17. I am to acknowledge feveral Letters which I have lately received; among others, one fubfcribed Philanthropos, another Emilia, both which fhall be honoured. I have a third from an Officer in the army, wherein he defires I would do juftice to the many gallant actions which have been done by men of private characters, or Officers of lower ftations, during this long war; that their families may have the pleasure of feeing we lived in an age, wherein men of all orders had their proper fhare in fame and glory. There is nothing I fhould undertake with greater pleasure than matters of this kind: If therefore they, who are acquainted with fuch facts, would pleafe to communicate them, by Letters directed to me at Mr. Morphew's, no pains fhould be fpared to put them in a proper and diftinguishing light. *This is to admonish Stentor, that it was not admi"ration of his voice, but my publication of it, which has lately increased the number of his hearers." Saturday, N° 57. Saturday, Auguft 20, 1709. I Quicquid agunt homines-noftri farrago libelli. Whatever good is done, whatever ill- Will's Coffee-house, August 19. Was this evening reprefenting a complaint fent me out of the country from Emilia. She fays, her neighbours there have fo little fenfe of what a refined Lady of the town is, that fhe, who was a celebrated wit in London, is in that dull part of the world in fo little efteem, that they call her in their bafe ftyle a TonguePad. Old True Penny bid me advife her to keep her wit until he comes to town again, and admonish her, that both wit and breeding are local; for a fine Court-lady is as aukward among country houfe-wives, as one of them would appear in a drawing-room. It is therefore the moft ufeful knowledge one can attain at, to understand among what fort of men we make the best figure; for if there be a place where the beauteous and accomplished Emilia is unacceptable, it is certainly a vain endeavour to attempt pleafing in all converfations. Here is Will Ubi, who is fo thirty after the reputation of a companion, that his company is for any body that will accept of it; and for want of knowing whom to choose for himfelf, is never chofen by others. There is a certain chaftity of behaviour which makes a man defirable, and which if he tranfgreffes, his wit will have the fame fate with Delia's beauty, which no one regards, becaufe all know it is within their power. The best courfe Emilia can take is, to have lefs humility; for if fhe could have as good an opinion of herfelf for having every quality, as fome of her neighbours have of themfelves with one, fhe would infpire even them with a fenfe of her merit, and make that carriage, which is now the fubject of their derifion, the fole object of their imitation. Until fhe has arrived at this value of herself, fhe must be contented with the fate of that uncommon creature, Woman too humble, White's Chocolate-houfe, Auguft 19. Since my laft, I have received a letter from Tom Trump, to defire that I would do the fraternity of gamefters the juftice to own, that there are notorious Sharpers, who are not of their clafs. Among others, he prefented me with the picture of Harry Coppersmith, in little, who, he fays, is at this day worth half a Plumb, by means much more indirect than by falfe dice. I muft. confess, there appeared fome reafon in what he afferted; and he met me fince, and accofted me in the following manner : "is wonderful to me, Mr. Bickerstaff, that you can pre"tend to be a man of penetration, and fall upon us ་་ "It Knights of the Induftry as the wickedeft of mortals, "when there are fo many, who live in the conftant "practice of bafer methods, unobferved. You cannot, though you know the ftory of myself and the North "Briton, but allow I am an honefter man than Will "Coppersmith, for all his great credit among the Lom bards. I get my money by mens follies, and he gets "his by their diftreffes. The declining merchant communicates his griefs to him, and he augments them by extortion. If therefore regard is to be had to the merit of the perfons we injure, who is the more "blameable, he that oppreffes an unhappy man, or he "that cheats a foolish one? All mankind are indiffer❝ently liable to adverfe ftrokes of fortune; and he who "adds to them, when he might relieve them, is certainly a worfe fubject, than he who unburdens a man whofe profperity is unwieldy to him. Befides all which, he that borrows of Copperfmith does it out of neceffity; he that plays with me does is out of choice.” I allowed I allowed Trump there are men as bad as himself, which is the height of his pretenfions: and muft confefs, that Coppersmith is the most wicked and impudent of all Sharpers: A creature that cheats with credit, and is a robber in the habit of a friend. The contemplation of this worthy perfon made me reflect on the wonderful fucceffes, I have obferved men of the meanest capacities meet with in the world, and recollect an obfervation I once heard a fage man make; which was, That he had obferved, that in fome profeffions, the lower the underftanding, the greater the capacity. I remember, he inftanced that of a banker, and faid, that the fewer appetites, paffions, and ideas a man had, he was the better for his business. There is little Sir Triftram, without connexion in his fpeech, or fo much as common fenfe, has arrived by his own natural parts at one of the greateft eftates amongst us. But honest Sir Triftram knows himself to be but a repofitory for cafh: He is juft fuch an utenfil as his iron cheft, and may rather be faid to hold money, than poffefs it. There is nothing so pleasant as to be in the converfation of thefe wealthy proficients. I had lately the honour to drink half a pint with Sir Triftram, Harry Coppersmith, and Giles Twofhoes. Thefe wags give one another credit in difcourfe, according to their purses; they jeft by the pound, and make anfwers as they honour bills. Without vanity, I thought myself the prettiest fellow of the company; but I had no manner of power over one muscle in their faces, though they fmerked at every word fpoken by each other. Sir Triftram called for a pipe of tobacco; and telling us tobacco was a Potberb, bid the drawer bring him the other half pint. Twofboes laughed at the Knight's wit without moderation; I took the liberty to fay, it was but a pun. A pun fays Coppersmith; you would be a better man by ten thousand pounds if you could pun like Sir Triftram. With that they all burft out together. The queer curs maintained this ftyle of dialogue until we had drank our quarts a-piece by half-pints. All I could bring away. with me is, that Twofhoes is not worth twenty thousand pounds;, for his mirth,, though he was as infipid as either ! of |