St. James's Coffee-houfe, September 9.

We have received Letters from the Duke of Marlborough's camp, which bring us farther particulars of the great and glorious victory obtained over the enemy on the eleventh instant, N. S. The number of the wounded and prifoners is much greater than was expected from our firft account. The day was doubtful until after twelve of the clock; but the enemy made little resistance after their first line on the left began to give way. An exact narration of the whole affair is expected next poft. The French have had two days allowed them to bury their dead, and carry off their wounded men, upon parole. Thofe regiments of Great-Britain which fuffered moft are ordered into garrifon, and fresh troops.com. manded to march into the field. The States have alfo directed troops to march out of the towns, to relieve those who loft so many men in attacking the fecond in trenchment of the French in the plain between Sart and Janfart.

N° 67.

N

Tuesday, September 13, 1709.

From my own Apartment, September 12.

O man can conceive, until he comes to try it, how great a pain it is to be a public-fpirited perfon. I am fure I am unable to exprefs to the world what great anxiety I have fuffered, to fee of how little benefit my Lucubrations have been to my fellow-fubjects. Men will go on in their own way in spite of all my labour. I gave Mr. Didapper a private reprimand for wearing red-heeled fhoes, and at the fame time was fo indulgent as to connive at him for fourteen days, because I would give him the wearing of them out; but after all this, I am informed he appeared yesterday with a new

pair of the fame fort. I have no better fuccefs with Mr. What-d'ye-call, as to his buttons: Stentor ftill roars ; and box and dice rattle as loud as they did before I writ against them. Partridge walks about at noon-day, and Afculapius thinks of adding a new lace to his livery. However, I muft ftill go on in laying these enormities before mens eyes, and let them answer for going on in their practice.

My province is much larger than at firft fight men would imagine, and I fhall lofe no part of my jurifdiction, which extends not only to futurity, but alfo is retrofpect to things paft; and the behaviour of perfons, who have long ago acted their parts, is as much liable to my examination, as that of my own contemporaries.

In order to put the whole race of mankind in their proper diftinctions, according to the opinion their cohabitants conceived of them, I have with very much care, and depth of meditation, thought fit to erect a chamber of Fame; and established certain rules, which are to be obferved in admitting members into this illuftrious fociety. 1. In this chamber of Fame there are to be three tables, but of different lengths; the firft is to contain exactly twelve perfons; the fecond, twenty; and the third, an hundred. This is reckoned to be the full number of those who have any competent share of Fame. At the first of these tables are to be placed in their order the twelve most famous perfons in the world; not with regard to the things they are famous for, but according to the degree of their Fame, whether in valour, wit, or learning. Thus, if a fcholar be more famous than a foldier, he is to fit above him. Neither muft any preference be given to virtue, if the perfon be not equally famous.

When the first table is filled, the next in renown muft be feated at the fecond, and fo on in like manner to the number of twenty; as alfo in the fame order at the third, which is to hold an hundred. At these tables, no regard is to be had to feniority: For if Julius Cæfar fhall be judged more famous than Romulus and Scipio, he must have the precedence. No perfon who has not been dead an hundred years, must be offered to a place at any of thefe tables: And becaufe this is altogether a lay-fociety,

and

and that facred perfons move upon greater motives than that of Fame, no perfons celebrated in Holy Writ, or any ecclefiaftical men whatfoever, are to be introduced here.

At the lower end of the room is to be a fide-table for perfons of great Fame, but dubious exiftence; fuch as Hercules, Thefeus, Æneas, Achilles, Hector, and others. But because it is apprehended, that there may be great contention about precedence, the propofer humbly defires the opinion of the Learned towards his affiftance in placing every perfon according to his rank, that none may have juft occafion of offence.

The merits of the cause shall be judged by plurality of voices.

For the more impartial execution of this important affair, it is defired, that no man will offer his favourite Hero, Soldier, or Poet; and that the Learned will be pleafed to fend to Mr. Bickerstaff, at Mr. Morphew's near Stationers-ball, their feverat lifts for the firft table only, and in the order they would have them placed; after which the propofer will compare the feveral lifts, and make another for the public, wherein every name fhall be ranked according to the voices it has had. Under this chamber is to be a dark vault for the fame number of perfons of evil Fame.

It is humbly fubmitted to confideration, whether the project would not be better if the perfons of true Fame meet in a middle room, those of dubious existence in an upper room, and those of evil Fame in a lower dark room.

It is to be noted, that no historians are to be admitted at any of thefe tables; becanfe they are appointed to conduct the feveral perfons to their feats, and are to be made ufe of as ufhers to the affemblies.

I call upon the learned world to fend me their affiftance towards this defign, it being a matter of too great moment for any one perfon to determine. But I do affure them, their lifts fhall be examined with great fidelity, and those that are expofed to the Public, made with all the caution imaginable.

In the mean time, while I wait for thefe lifts, I am employed in keeping people in a right way, to avoid the contrary to Fame and Applaufe, to wit, Blame and

Derifion.

Derifion. For this end, I work upon that ufeful proje& of the penny-poft, by the benefit of which it is propofed, that a charitable fociety be establifhed: From which fociety there fhall go every day circular Letters to all parts within the bills of mortality, to tell people of their faults in a friendly and private manner, whereby they may know what the world thinks of them, before it is declared to the world that they are thus faulty. This method cannot fail of univerfal good confequences: For it is further added, that they who will not be reformed by it, must be contented to fee the feveral Letters printed, which were not regarded by them, that when they will not take private reprehenfion, they may be tried further by a public one. I am forry, I am obliged to print the following epiftles of that kind to fome perfons, and the more, because they are of the Fair Sex. This went on Friday laft to a very fine Lady.

४८

I

MADAM,

AM highly fenfible, that there is nothing of fo 86 tender a nature as the reputation and conduct of Ladies; and that when there is the leaft ftain got into their Fame, it is hardly ever to be washed out. When I have faid this, you will believe I am extremely con"cerned, to hear at every vifit I make, that your man"ner of wearing your hair is a mere affectation of beauty, as well as that your neglect of powder has been a common evil to your Sex. It is to you an advantage " to fhew that abundance of fine treffes: But I beseech you to confider, that the force of your beauty, and the "imitation of you, cofts Eleonora great fums of money "to her tire-woman for falfe locks, befides what is al"lowed to her maid for keeping the fecret, that he is

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gray. I must take leave to add to this admonition, "that you are not to reign above four months and odd "days longer. Therefore I muft defire you to raife and "friz your hair a little, for it is downright infolence to "be thus handsome without art; and you will forgive me "for intreating you to do now out of compaffion, what you must foon do out of neceffity. I am, Madam,

Your most obedient, and most humble fervant.

This perfon dreffes juft as fhe did before I writ; as does alfo the Lady to whom I addreffed the following Billet the fame day.

"

MADAM,

L

ET me beg of you to take off the patches at the lower end of your left cheek, and I will allow "two more under your left eye, which will contribute more to the fymmetry of your face; except you would "please to remove the ten black atoms on your Lady fhip's chin, and wear one large patch inftead of them. "Iffo, you may properly enough retain the theee patches "abovementioned. I am, &c."

་་

This, I thought, had all the civility and reafon in the world in it; but whether my letters are intercepted, or whatever it is, the Lady patches as the ufed to do. It is to be observed by all the charitable fociety, as an inftruction in their epiftles, that they tell people of nothing but what is in their power to mend. I fhall give another inftance of this way of writing: Two fifters in Effex-ftreet are eternally gaping out of the window, as if they knew not the value of time, or would call in companions. Upon which I writ the following line:

Dear Creatures,

"On the receipt of this, fhut your

cafements."

But I went by yesterday, and found them still at the window. What can a man do in this cafe? but go on, and wrap himself up in his own integrity, with fatisfaction only in this melancholy truth, that virtue is its own reward; and that if no one is the better for his admonitions, yet he is himself the more virtuous in that he gave thofe advices.

St. James's Coffee-houfe, September 12.

Letters of the thirteenth inftant from the Duke of Marlborough's camp at Havre advise, that the neceffary difpofitions were made for opening the trenches before ening VOL. II.

F

Alons