that you meet with moft affronts in rainy days? He anfwered candidly, that he had long obferved, that people were lefs faucy in funfhine than in cloudy weather. Upon which I told him plainly, his diftemper was the fpleen; and that though the world was very ill-natured, it was not fo bad as he believed it. I farther affured him, that his ufe of the cold-bath, with a course of steel which I fhould prefcribe him, would certainly cure moft of his acquaintance of their rudeness, ill-behaviour, and impertinence. My patient fmiled, and promifed to obferve my prefcriptions, not forgetting to give me an account of their operation. This distemper being pretty epidemical, I fhall, for the benefit of mankind, give the Public an account of the progrefs I make in the cure of it. From my own Apartment, October 12. The Author of the following Letter behaves himself fo ingenuously, that I cannot defer anfwering him any longer. I Honoured Sir, October 6. Have lately contracted a very honeft and undif fembled claudication in my left foot, which will "be a double affliction to me, if, according to your "Tatler of this day, it muft pafs upon the world for a piece of fingularity and affectation. I must therefore humbly beg leave to limp along the streets after my "own way, or Lshall be inevitably ruined in coach-hire. "As foon as I am tolerably recovered, I promise to walk as upright as a ghoft in a tragedy, being not of a ftature to fpare an inch of height that I can any way "pretend to. I honour your Lucubrations, and am, "with the most profound fubmiffion, Honoured Sir, Your moft dutiful, and moft obedient fervant, &c. Not Not doubting but the cafe is as the Gentleman reprefents, I do hereby order Mr. Morphew to deliver him out a licence, upon paying his fees, which fhall impower him to wear a cane until the thirteenth of March next; five months being the moft I can allow for a fpraia. St. James's Coffee-house, O&tober 12. We received this morning a mail from Holland, which brings advice that the fiege of Mons is carried on with fo great vigour and bravery, that we hope very fuddenly to be mafters of the place; all things neceffary being prepared for making the affault on the horn-work and ravelin of the attack of Bertamont, the charge began with the fire of bombs and grenadoes, which was fo hot, that the enemy quitted their poft, and we lodged ourfelves on those works without oppofition. During this form, one of our bombs fell into a magazine of the enemy, and blew it up. There are advices which fay, the Court of France had made new offers of peace to the Confederates; but this intelligence wants confirmation. VOL H. I Saturday, No 81. Saturday, October 15, 1709. Hic manus ob patriam pugnando vulnera paffi,- VIRG. En. 6. ver. 660. Here patriots live, who for their country's good, T From my own Apartment, Oober 14. DRYDEN, HERE are two kinds of immortality; that which the Soul really enjoys after this life, and that imaginary existence by which men live in their Fame and reputation. The beft and greatest actions have proceeded from the profpect of the one or the other of thefe; but my defign is to treat only of thefe who have chiefly propofed to themfelves the latter, as the principal reward of their labours. It was for this reafon that I excluded from my Tables of Fame all the great founders and votaries of religion; and it is for this reafon alfo, that I am more than ordinary anxious to do juftice to the perfons of whom I am now going to fpeak; for fince Fame was the only end of all their enterprizes and fludies, a man cannot be too fcrupulous in allotting them their du: proportion of it. It was this conficeration which made me call the whole body of the Learned to my my affiftance; to many of whom I must own my obligations for the catalogues of illuftrious perfons, which they have fent me in upon this occafion. I yefterday employed the whole afternoon in comparing them with each other; which made fo ftrong an impreffion upon my imagination, that they broke my fleep for the first part of the following night, and at length threw me into a very agreeable Vifion, which I fhall beg leave to defcribe in all its particulars. I dreamed that I was conveyed into a wide and boundlefs plain, that was covered with prodigious multitudes of people, which no man could number. In the midst of it there stood a mountain, with its head above the clouds. The fides were extremely fteep, and of fuch a particular ftructure, that no creature which was not made in an human figure could poffibly afcend it. On a fudden there was heard from the top of it a found like that of a trumpet; but fo exceeding fweet and harmonious, that it filled the hearts of those who heard it with raptures, and gave fuch high and delightful fenfations, as feemed to animate and raife human nature above itfelf. This made me very much amazed to find fo very few in that innumerable multitude, who had ears fine enough to hear or relish this mufic with pleafare: But my wonder abated, when, upon looking round me, I faw most of them attentive to three Sirens cloathed like goddeffes, and diftinguished by the names of Sloth, Ignorance, and Pleasure. They were feated on three rocks, amidit a beautiful variety of groves, meadows, and rivulets, that lay on the borders of the mountain. While the bafe and groveling multitude of different nations, ranks, and ages, were listening to these delufive deities; thofe of a more erect afpe& and exalted spirit, feparated themfelves from the reft, and marched in great bodies towards the mountain from whence they heard the found, which ftill grew fweeter, the more they liftened to it. On a fudden methought this felect band fprang forward, with a refolution to climb the afcent, and follow the call of that heavenly mufic. Every one took fomething with him, that he thought might be of affiftan: to him in his march. Several had their fwords drawn, fome carried rolls of paper in their hands, fome had compaffes, others quadrants, others telescopes, and others pencils: Some had laurels on their heads, and others bufkins on their legs: In fhort, there was fcarce any inftrument of a mechanic art or liberal fcience, which was not made ufe of on this occafion. My good Dæmon, who flood at my right hand during the course of this whole vifion, obferving in me a burning defire to join that glorious company, told me, he highly approved that generous ardor with which I fecmed tranfported; but at the fame time advised me to cover my face with a mask all the while I was to labour on the afcent. f took his counsel, without enquiring into his reafons. The whole body now broke into different parties, and began to climb the precipice by ten thousand different paths. Several got into little alleys, which did not reach far up the hill, before they ended and led no farther; and I obferved, that most of the artizans, which confiderably diminished our number, fell into thefe paths. We left another confiderable body of adventurers behind us, who thought they had difcovered by-ways up the hill, which proved fo very intricate and perplexed, that after having advanced in them a little, they were quite loft among the feveral turns and windings; and though they were as active as any in their motions, they made but little progrefs in the afcent. Thefe, as my guide informed me, were men of fubtle tempers, and puzzled politics, who would fupply the place of real wisdom with cunning and artifice. Among thofe who were far advanced in their way, there were fome that by one falfe ftep fell backward, and loft more ground in a moment, than they had gained for many hours, or could be ever able to recover. We were now advanced very high, and obferved, that all the different paths, which ran about the fides of the mountain, began to meet in two great roads; which infenfibly gathered the whole multitude of travellers into two great bodies. At a little diftance from the entrance of each road, there ftood an hideous phantom, that oppofed our further paffage. One of thefe apparitions had his right hand filled with darts, which he brandifhed in the face of all who came up that way: Crouds ran back at the appearance of it, and |