of the others, had no more effect upon the company, than if he had been a bankrupt. From my own Apartment, August 19. I have heard, it has been advised by a Diocefan to his inferior clergy, that, inftead of broaching opinions of their own, and uttering doctrines which may lead themfelves and hearers into error, they would read fome of the most celebrated fermons, printed by others, for the inftruction of their congregations. In imitation of fuch preachers at fecond-hand, I fhall tranfcribe from Bruyere one of the moft elegant pieces of raillery and fatire which I have ever read. He defcribes the French, as if fpeaking of a people not yet difcovered, in the air and ftyle of a traveller. 66 "I have heard talk of a country where the old men are gallant, polite, and civil: The young men, on "the contrary, ftubborn, wild, without either manners "or civility. They are free from paffion for women at "that age when in other countries they begin to feel "it; and prefer beafts, victuals, and ridiculous amours "before them. Amongst thefe people, he is fober who "is never drunk with any thing but wine; the too fre quent use of it having rendered it flat and infipid to "them: They endeavour by brandy, and other frong "liquors, to quicken their tafte, already extinguished, "and want nothing to complete their debauches, but "to drink Aqua-fortis. The women of that country "haften the decay of their beauty, by their artifices to "preferve it: They paint their checks, eyebrows, and "fhoulders, which they lay open, together with their "breafts, arms, and ears, as if they were afraid to "hide thofe places which they think will please, and never think they fhew enough of them. The phyfiognomies of the people of that country are not at "all neat, but confused and embarrassed with a bundle "of ftrange hair, which they prefer before their natural: "With this they weave fomething to cover their heads, "which defcends down half way their bodies, hides their features, and hinders you from knowing men by their faces. This nation has, befides this, their "God and their King. The Grandees go every day, at a certain hour, to a temple they call a Church: "At the upper end of that temple there ftands an altar "confecrated to their God, where the Priest celebrates "fome myfteries which they call holy, facred, and tre"mendous. The great men make a vast circle at the "foot of the altar, ftanding with their backs to the "Priefts and the holy myfteries, and their faces erected "towards their King, who is feen on his knees upon a throne, and to whom they feem to direct the defires "of their hearts, and all their devotion. However, in "this custom there is to be remarked a fort of fubordi"nation; for the people appear adoring their Prince, "and their Prince adoring God. The inhabitants of "this region call it-It is from forty-eight degrees of "Latitude, and more than eleven hundred leagues by "fea, from the Iroquois and Hurons.” 66 Letters from Hampstead fay, there is a coxcomb arrived there, of a kind which is utterly new. The fellow has courage, which he takes himself to be obliged to give proofs of every hour he lives. He is ever fighting with the men, and contradicting the women. A Lady, who fent him to me, fuperfcribed him with this defcription out of Suckling; I am a man of war and might, And know thus much that I can fight, No woman under heaven I fear, Tuesday, N° 58. Tuesday, Auguft 23, 1709. POOR White's Chocolate-house, Auguft 22. OOR Cynthio, who does me the honour to talk to me now and then very freely of his moft fecret thoughts, and tells me his most private frailties, owned to me, that though he is in his very prime of life, Love had killed all his defires, and, he was now as much to be trufted with a fine Lady, as if he were eighty. That one paffion for Clarifa has taken up, faid he, my whole Soul; and all my idle flames are extinguished, as you may obferve, ordinary fires are often put out by the funshine. This was a declaration not to be made but upon the highest opinion of a man's fincerity; yet as much a fubject of raillery as fuch a fpeech would be, it is certain, that Chastity is a nobler quality, and as much to be valued in men as in women. The mighty Scipio, "who, 66 as Bluffe fays in the Comedy, was a Pretty Fellow in "his time," was of this mind, and is celebrated for it by an Author of good fenfe. When he lived, wit, and humour, and raillery, and public fuccefs, were at as high a pitch at Rome, as at present in England; yet, [ believe, there was no man in those days thought that General at all ridiculous in his behaviour in the following account of him. Scipio, at four and twenty years of age, had obtained a great victory; and a multitude of prifoners of each Sex,. and all conditions, fell into his poffeffion; among others, an agreeable virgin in her early bloom and beauty. Hehad too fenfible a spirit to fee the most lovely of all objects without being moved with paffion: Befides which, there was no obligation of honour or virtue to restrain his defires towards one who was his by the fortune of But a noble indignation, and á fudden forrow,. wan. which. which appeared in her countenance, when a conqueror caft his eyes upon her, raised his curiofity to know her ftory. He was informed, that he was a Lady of the highest condition in that country, and contracted to Indibilis, a man of Merit and Quality. The generous Ro-man foon placed himself in the condition of that unhappy man, who was to lofe fo charming a bride; and though a Youth, a Bachelor, a Lover, and a Conqueror, immediately refolved to refign all the invitations of his paffion, and the rights of his power, to restore her to her destined husband. With this purpofe he commanded her parents and relations, as well as her husband, to attend him at an appointed time. When they met, and were waiting for the General, my Author frames to himself the different concern of an unhappy Father, a despairing Lover, and a tender Mother, in the feveral perfons who were fo related to the captive. But for fear of injuring the delicate circumftances with an old tranflation. I fhall proceed to tell you, that Scipio appears to thein, and leads in his prifoner into their prefence. The Rmans, as noble as they were, feemed to allow themselves a little too much triumph over the conquered; therefore, as Scipio approached, they all threw themfelves on their knees except the Lover of the Lady: But Scipio obferving in him a manly fullennefs, was the more inclined to favour him, and spoke to him in these words: "It is not the manner of the Romans to use all the power they justly may: We fight not to ravage coun"tries, or break through the ties of humanity; I am "acquainted with your worth, and your interest in this "Lady: Fortune has made me your mafter; but I "defire to be your friend. This is your wife; take "her, and may the gods blefs you with her. But far "be it from Scipio to purchafe a loose and momentary "pleasure at the rate of making an honest man un"happy." Indibilis's heart was too full to make him any answer; but he threw himself at the feet of the General, and wept aloud. The captive Lady fell into the fame pofture, and they both remained fo, until the father burst into the 66 66 the following words: "Oh divine Scipio! the gods have given you more than human virtue. Oh glorious "leader! oh wondrous youth! does not that obliged virgin give you, while fhe prays to the gods for your. profperity, and thinks you fent down from them, rap66 tures, above all the tranfports which you could have "reaped from the poffeffion of her injured perfon ?" The temperate Scipio anfwered him without much emotion, and faying, "Father, be a friend to Rome," retired. An immenfe fum was offered as her ranfom, but he fent it to her husband, and fmiling, faid, this is a trifle after what I have given him already; but let Indibilis know, that Chaftity at my age is a much more difficult virtue to practife than generofity. I obferved, Cynthio was very much taken with my narrative; but told me, this was a virtue that would bear but a very inconfiderable figure in our days. However, I took the liberty to fay, that we ought not to lose our ideas of things, though we had debauched our true relish in our practice. For after we have done laughing, folid virtue will keep its place in mens opinions: And though custom made it not fo fcandalous as it ought to be, to enfnare innocent women, and triumph in the falfhood fuch actions, as we have here related, must be accounted true gallantry, and rife higher in our esteem, the farther they are removed from our imitation. Will's Coffee-houfe, August 22. A man would be apt to think, in this laughing town, that it were impoffible a thing fo exploded as fpeaking hard words, fhould be practifed by any one that had ever feen good company; but, as if there were a ftandard in our minds as well as bodies, you fee very many juft where they were twenty years ago, and more they cannot, will not arrive at. Were it not thus, the noble' Martius would not be the only man in England whom no body can understand, though he talks more than any man elfe. Will Dactyle the epigrammatift, Jack Comma the grammarian, Nick Croffe-grain who writes anagrams, and myfelf, made a pretty company at a corner of this room; and |