"nefs which Sir Harry will impart to you by word of "mouth. I thought it proper to acquaint you before "hand fo many perfons of quality came, that you might not be furprized therewith. Which concludes, "though by many years abfence fince I faw you at Stafford, unknown, Sir, Your most humble fervant, John Thrifty. I received this meffage with lefs furprize than I believe Mr. Thrifty imagined; for I knew the good company too well to feel any palpitations at their approach: But I was in a very great concern how I fhould adjust the ceremonial, and demean myfelf to all these great men, who perhaps had not feen any thing above themfelves for thefe twenty years laft paft. I am fure that is the cafe of Sir Harry. Befides which, I was fenfible that there was a great point in adjusting my behaviour to the fimple Efquire, fo as to give him fatisfaction, and not difoblige the Juftice of the Quorum. The hour of nine was come this morning, and I had no fooner fet chairs, by the steward's Letter, and fixed my tea-equipage, but I heard a knock at my door, which was opened, but no one entered; after which followed a long filence, which was broke at laft by, Sir, I beg your pardon; I think I know better: And another voice, Nay, good Sir Giles- I looked out from my window, and faw the good company all with their hats off, and arms fpread, offering the door to each other. After many offers, they entered with much folemnity, in the order Mr. Thrifty was fo kind as to name them to me. But they are now got to my chamber-door, and I faw my old friend Sir Harry enter. I met him with all the respect due to fo reverend a vegetable; for you are to know, that is my fenfe of a person who remains. idle in the fame place for half a century. I got him with great fuccefs into his chair by the fire, without throwing down any of my cups. The Knight-bachelor told told me, he had a great refpect for my whole family, and would, with my leave, place himself next to Sir Harry, at whofe right hand he had fat at every quarter feffions thefe thirty years, unless he was fick. The steward in the rear whispered the young Templar, That is true to my knowledge. I had the misfortune, as they ftood cheek by jole, to defire the Efquire to fit down before the Justice of the Quorum, to the no fmall fatiffaction of the former, and refentment of the latter: But I faw my error too late, and got them as foon as I could into their feats. Well, faid I, Gentlemen, after I have told you how glad I am of this great honour, I am to defire you to drink a dish of tea. They answered one and all, that they never drank tea in a morning. Not in a morning! faid I, ftaring round me. Upon which the pert jackanapes, Nic Doubt, tipped me the wink, and put out his tongue at his grandfather. Here followed a profound filence, when the fteward in his boots and whip propofed, That we fhould adjourn to fome public houfe, where every body might call for what they pleafed, and enter upon the bufinefs. We all ftood up in an inftant, and Sir Harry filed off from the left, very difcreetly, countermarching behind the chairs towards the door: After him, Sir Giles in the fame manner. The fimple Efquire made a fudden start to follow; but the Juftice of the Quorum whipped between upon the ftand of the stairs. A maid, going up with coals, made us halt, and put us into fuch confufion that we stood all in a heap, without any visible poffibility of recovering our order: For the young jackanapes feemed to make a jeft of this matter, and had fo contrived, by preffing amongst us, under pretence of making way, that his grandfather was got into the middle, and he knew no body was of Quality to ftir a step, until Sir Harry moved first. We were fixed in this perplexity for fome time, until we heard a very loud noise in the street; and Sir Harry asking what it was, I, to make them move, faid, it was fire. Upon this, all ran down as fast as they could, without order or ceremony, until we got into the street, where we drew up in very good order, and filed off down Sheer-lane; the impertinent Templar driving K 4 driving us before him, as in a ftring, and pointing to his acquaintance who paffed by. I must confefs, I love to ufe people according to their own fenfe of good breeding, and therefore whipped in between the Juftice and the Efquire. He could not properly take this ill; but I overheard him whifper the fteward, that he thought it hard, that a common conjurer fhould take place of him, though an elder Efquire. In this order we marched down Sheer-Lane, at the upper end of which I lodge. When we came to Temple-bar, Sir Harry and Sir Giles got over; but a run of the coaches kept the rest of us on this fide of the Atreet: However, we all at laft landed, and drew up in very good order before Ben Took's fhop, who favoured our rallying with great humanity. From whence we proceeded again, until we came to Dick's Coffee-houfe, where I defigned to carry them. Here we were at our old difficulty, and took up the street upon the fame ceremony. We proceeded through the entry, and were fo neceffarily kept in order by the fituation, that we were now got into the Coffee-houfe itself, where, as foon as we arrived, we repeated our civilities to each other; after which, we marched up to the high table, which has an afcent to it inclosed in the middle of the room. The whole houfe was alarmed at this entry, made up of perfons of fo much flate and rufticity. Sir Harry called for a mug of ale, and Dyer's Letter. The boy brought the ale in an inftant; but faid, they did not take in the Letter. No! fays Sir Harry, then take back your mug; we are like indeed to have good liquor at this houfe. Here the Templar tipped me a fecond wink, and if I had not looked very grave upon him, I found he was difpofed to be very familiar with me. In short, I obferved after a long paufe, that the Gentlemen did not care to enter upon bufinefs until after their morning draught, for which reafon I called for a bottle of mum; and finding that had no effect upon them, I ordered a fecond, and a third: After which Sir Harry reached over to me, and told me in a low voice, that the place was too public for bufinefs; but he would call upon me again to-morrow morning at my own lodgings, and bring fome more friends with him. Will's Coffee-house, October 26. Though this place is frequented by a more mixed company than it used to be formerly; yet you meet very often fome whom one cannot leave without being the better for their converfation. A Gentleman this evening, in a dictating manner, talked I thought very plea fingly in praise of Modefty, in the midst of ten or twelve libertines, upon whom it feemed to have had a good effect: He reprefented it as the certain indication of a great and noble fpirit. Modefty, faid he, is the virtue which makes men prefer the public to their private intereft, the guide of every honest undertaking, and the great guardian of innocence. It makes men amiable to their friends, and refpected by their very enemies. In all places, and on all occafions, it attracts benevolence, and demands approbation. One might give inftances, out of antiquity, of the ir-refiftible force of this quality in great minds; Cicereius, and Cneius Scipio, the fon of the great Africanus, were competitors for the office of Prætor. The croud followed Cicereius, and left Scipio unattended. Cicereius faw this with much concern; and defiring an audience of the people, he defcended from the place where the candidates were to fit, in the eye of the multitude; pleaded. for his adverfary; and with an ingenuous Modefty, whichit is impoffible to feign, reprefented to them, how much. it was to their dishonour, that a virtuous fon of Africanus, fhould not be preferred to him, or any other man what foever. This immediately gained the election for Scipio. but all the compliments and congratulations upon it. were made to Cicereius. It is eafier in this cafe to say,. who had the office, than the honour. There is no occurrence in life, where this quality is not more ornamental than any other.. After the battle of Pharfalia,. Pompey marching towards Lariffus, the whole people of that place came out in proceffion to do him honour. He thanked the magiftrates for their refpect to him; but. defired them to perform thefe ceremonies to the Conqueror. This gallant fubmiffion to his fortune, and difdain of making any appearance but like Pompey, was owing owing to his Modefty, which would not permit him to be fo difingenuous, as to give himself the air of profperity, when he was in the contrary condition. This I fay of Modefty, as it is the virtue which preferves a decorum in the general courfe of our life; but confidering it alfo as it regards our mere bodies, it is the certain character of a great mind. It is memorable of the mighty Cafar, that when he was murdered in the Capitol, at the very moment in which he expired, he gathered his robe about him, that he might fall in a decent pofture. In this manner, fays my Author, he went off, not like a man that departed out of life, but a deity that returned to his abode. N° 87. Saturday, October 29, 1709. Will's Coffee-house, October 28. HERE is nothing which I contemplate with dignity of human na ture, which often fhews itfelf in all conditions of life: For notwithstanding the degeneracy and meannefs that is crept into it, there are a thoufand occafions in which it breaks through its original corruption, and fhews what it once was, and what it will be hereafter. I confider the Soul of man, as the ruin of a glorious pile of building where amidft great heaps of rubbish, you meet with noble fragments of fculpture, broken pillars and obelisks, and a magnificence in confufion. Virtue and wisdom are continually employed in clearing the ruins, removing thefe diforderly heaps, recovering the noble pieces that lie buried under them, and adjusting. them as well as poffible according to their ancient fym, metry and beauty. A happy education, converfation with the fineft fpirits, looking abroad into the works of Nature, and obfervations upon mankind, are the great affistances to this neceffary and glorious work. But even among |