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the fame time, go to their houses, and you fhall fee them ftep as if they feared making a noife, and are as fond as an Alderman. I do not know, but fometimes these pretences may arife from a defire to conceal a contrary defect than that they fet up for. I remember, when I was a young fellow, we had a companion of a very fearful complexion, who, when we fat in to drink, would defire us to take his fword from him when he grew fuddled, for it was his misfortune to be quarrelfome.

There are many, many of thefe evils, which demand my obfervation; but because I have of late been thought fomewhat too fatirical, I fhall give them warning, and declare to the whole world, that they are not true, but falfe hypocrites; and make it out, that they are good men in their hearts. The motive of this monftrous affectation in the abovementioned, and the like particulars, I take to proceed from that noble thirst of fame and reputation which is planted in the hearts of all men. As this produces elegant writings and gallant actions in men of great abilities, it alfo brings forth fpurious productions in men who are not capable of diftinguishing themselves by things which are really praife-worthy. As the defire of fame in men of true wit and gallantry fhews itfelf in proper inftances, the fame defire in men who have the ambition without proper faculties, runs wild, and difcovers itself in a thoufand extravagancies, by which they would fignalize themselves from others, and gain a fet of admirers. When I was a middle-aged man, there were many focieties of ambitious young men in England, who, in their purfuits after fame, were every night employed in roafting Porters, fmoaking Coblers, knocking down Watchmen, overturning Conftables, breaking Windows, blackening Sign-pofts, and the like immortal enterprizes, that difperfed their reputation throughout the whole kingdom. One could hardly find a knocker at a door in a whole ftreet after a midnight expedition of thefe Beaux Efprits. I was lately very much furprized by an account of my maid, who entered my bed-chamber this morning in a very great fright, and told me, fhe was afraid my parlour was haunted; for that he had found feveral panes of my windows broken, and the floor ftrewed with half-pence. I have

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not yet a full light into this new way, but am apt to think, that it is a generous piece of wit that fome of my contemporaries make ufe of, to break windows, and leave money to pay for them.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, October 5.

I have no manner of news more than what the whole town had the other day; except that I have the original Letter of the Marshal Boufflers to the French King, after the late battle in the woods, which I tranflate for the benefit of the English reader.

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SIRE,

HIS is to let your Majefty understand, that to

THIS let

"the confederates, your troops have loft another battle. "Artagnan did wonders, Rohan performed miracles, "Guiche did wonders, Gattion performed miracles, the "whole army diftinguished themselves, and every body "did wonders. And to conclude the wonders of the "day, I can affure your Majefty, that though you "have loft the field of battle, you have not loft an inch of ground. The enemy marched behind us with refpect, and we ran away from them as bold as lions.”

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Letters have been fent to Mr. Bickerstaff, relating to the prefent ftate of the town of Bath, wherein the people of that place have defired him to call home the phyficians. All gentlemen therefore of that profeffion are hereby directed to return forthwith to their places of practice; and the ftage-coaches are required to take them in before other paffengers, until there fhall be a certificate figned by the Mayor or Mr. Powel, that there are but two Doctors to one patient left in town.

Saturday,

N° 78.

Saturday, October 8, 1709.

S

From my own Apartment, October 7.

As your painters, who deal in history-pieces, often

entertain themselves upon broken sketches, and fmaller flourishes of the pencil; fo I find fome relief in ftriking out mifcellaneous hints, and fudden ftarts of fancy, without any order or connexion, after having: fpent myself on more regular and elaborate differtations. I am at prefent in this eafy ftate of mind fat down to my fcrutoir; where, for the better difpofition of my correfpondence, I have writ upon every drawer the proper title of its contents; as hypocrify, dice, patches, politics, love, duels, and fo forth. My various advices are ranged under fuch feveral heads, faving only that I have a particular box for Pacolet, and another for Monoculus. I cannot but observe, that my duel-box, which is filled by the lettered men of honcur, is fo very ill fpelt, that it is hard to decypher their writings. My love-box, though on a quite contrary fubject, filled with the works of the fairest hands in Great-Britain, is almost as unintelligible. The private drawer, which is facred to politics, has in it fome of the most refined panegyrics and fatires that any age has produced.

I have now before me feveral recommendations for places at my Table of Fame: Three of them are of an extraordinary nature, in which I find I am misunderflood, and fhall therefore beg leave to produce them. They are from a quaker, a courtier, and a citizen.

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ISAAC,

TH

HY Lucubrations, as thou lovest to call them, have been perufed by feveral of our friends, "who have taken offence: Forafmuch as thou excludeft

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N° 78"out of the brotherhood all perfons who are praise"worthy for religion, we are afraid that thou wilt fill "thy Table with none but heathens, and cannot hope

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to fpy a Brother there; for there are none of us who "can be placed among murdering Heroes, or ungodly "Wits; fince we do not affail our enemies with the arm "of flesh, nor our gainfayers with the vanity of human "wifdom. If therefore thou wilt demean thyfelf on "this occafion with a right judgment, according to the gifts that are in thee, we defire thou wilt place James "Naylor at the upper end of thy Table.

Ezekiel Stiffrump.

In answer to my good friend Ezekiel, I muft ftand to it, that I cannot break my rule for the fake of James Naylor; not knowing, whether Alexander the Great, who is a choleric hero, would not resent his fitting at the upper end of the table with his hat on.

66

SIR,

But to my Courtier.

TAM furprised, that you lofe your time in complimenting the dead, when you may make your court to the living. Let me only tell you in the ear, "Alexander and Cafar, as generous as they were formerly, have not now a great to difpofe of. Fill your "Table with good company: I know a perfon of Qua"lity that fhall give you one hundred pounds, for a place at it. Be fecret, and be rich.

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Yours,

You know my hand,

This Gentleman feems to have the true fpirit, without the formality of an under-courtier; therefore I fhall be plain with him, and let him leave the name of his courtier, and one hundred pounds in Morphew's hands: If I can take it, I will.

My

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SIR,

Yo

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OUR Tatler, the thirteenth of September I am now reading, and in your lift of famous men, "defire you not to forget Alderman Whittington, who "began the world with a cat, and died worth three "hundred and fifty thousand pounds fterling, which he " left to an only daughter three years after his Mayor"alty. If you want any further particulars of ditto "Alderman, daughter, or cat, let me know, and per ❝ first will advife the needful: Which concludes,

Your loving friend,

Lemuel Leger

I fhall have all due regard to this Gentleman's recommendation; but cannot forbear obferving how wonderfully this fort of ftyle is adapted for the dispatch of bufinefs, by leaving out infignificant particles: Befides that, the dropping of the firft perfon is an artful way, to difengage a man from the guilt of rafh words or promifes. But I am to confider, that a citizen's reputation is Credit, not Fame; and am to leave these lofty subjects for a matter of private concern in the next Letter before me.

SIR,

IAM juft recovered out of a languishing fickness by the care of Hippocrates, who vifited me through66 out my whole illness, and was fo far from taking any "fee, that he enquired into my circumftances, and "would have relieved me alfo that way, but I did not "want it. I know no method of thanking him, but "recommending it to you to celebrate fo great huma-.. "nity in the manner you think fit, and to do it with "the spirit and fentiments of a man juft relieved from

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grief,

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