have the Skin; and the Bones are pick'd clean by a little French Shock that belongs to the Family, &c.

:

I am,

SIR,

Your bumble Servant, &c.

• I HAD almoft forgot to tell you, That Ringwood bites at Hampstead with falfe Teeth.

N° 71.

I'

Thursday, September 22, 1709.

From my own Apartment, September 21.

HAVE long been against my Inclination employed in Satire, and that in Profecution of fuch Perfons who are below the Dignity of the true Spirit of it; fuch who I fear are not to be reclaimed by making them only ridiculous. The Sharpers fhall therefore have a Month's Time to themselves free from the Obfervation of this Paper; but I must not make a Truce without letting them know, that at the fame Time I am preparing for a more vigorous War; for a Friend of mine has promised me, he will employ his Time in compiling fuch a Tract before the Seffion of the enfuing Parliament, as fhall lay Gaming home to the Bofoms of all who love their Country or their Families; and he doubts not but it will create an Act, that shall make these Rogues as fcandalous, as those less mifchievous ones on the High Road.

I HAVE received private Intimations to take Care of my Walks, and remember there are fuch Things as Stabs and Blows: But as there never was any Thing in this Design which ought to difplease a Man of Honour, or which was not defigned to offend the Rascals, I fhall give myself very little Concern for finding what

are fe; but ye feed not the Flock. The Difcafid have *ye not strengthened; neither have ye healed that which was fick; neither have ye bound up that which was broken; neither have ye brought again that which was • driven away; neither have ye fought that which was loft; but with Force and with Cruelty have ye ruled them, &c. Now, I pray thee, Friend, as thou art a Man killed in many Things, tell me, who is meant by the Difeas'd, the Sick, the Broken, the Driven away, and the Loft? And whether the Prophecy in this Chapter be accomplished, or yet to come to pass? And thou wilt oblige thy Friend, though un'known.'

་

THIS Matter is too facred for this Paper; but I cannot fee what Injury it would do to any Clergyman to have it in his Eye, and believe all that are taken from him by his Want of Industry, are to be demanded of him. I dare fay, Favonius has very few of these Loffes. Favonius, in the Midft of a Thousand impertinent Affailants of the Divine Truths, is an undisturbed Defender of them. He protects all under his Care, by the Clearness of his Understanding, and the Example of his Life: He vifits dying Men with the Air of a Man who hoped for his own Diffolution, and enforces in others a Contempt of this Life, by his own Expectation of the next. His Voice and Behaviour are the lively Images of a compofed and well governed Zeal. None can leave him for the frivolous Jargon uttered by the ordinary Teachers among the Diffenters, but fuch who cannot diflinguish Vociferation from Eloquence, and Argument from Railing. He is fo great a Judge of Mankind, and touches our Paffions with fo fuperiour a Command, that he who deferts his Congregation must be a Stranger to the Dictates of Nature, as well as thofe of Grace.

BUT I must proceed to other Matters, and refolve the Questions of other Enquirers; as in the following:

the World of himself; and would be more juftifiable in it, to all Sorts of Men, than you in your committing fuch a Violence on his Reputation, which perhaps you may be convinced of in another Manner than you deserve from him.

A MAN of your Capacity, Mr. Bickerstaff, should have. more noble Views, and pursue the true Spirit of Satire; but I will conclude, left I grow out of Temper, and will only beg for your own Prefervation, to remember the Proverb of the Pitcher.

I am yours,

A. J.

THE Proverb of the Pitcher I have no Regard to; but it would be an Infenfibility not to be pardoned, if a Man could be untouch'd at fo warm an Accusation, and that laid with fo much feeming Temper. All I can fay to it, is, That if the Writer, by the fame Method whereby he conveyed this Letter, fhall give me an Inftance wherein I have injured any good Man, or pointed at any Thing which is not the true Object of Raillery, I fhall acknowledge the Offence in as open a Manner as the Press can do it, and lay down this Paper for

ever.

THERE is fomething very terrible in unjustly attacking Men in a Way that may prejudice their Honour or Fortune; but when Men of too modeft a Sense of themselves will think they are touch'd, it is impoffible to prevent ill Confequences from the most innocent and general Difcourfes. This I have known happen in Circumftances the most foreign to theirs who have taken Offence at them. An Advertisement lately published, relating to Omicron, alarm'd a Gentleman of good Sense, Integrity, Honour and Industry, which is, in every Particular, different from the trifling Pretenders pointed at in that Advertisement. When the Modefty of fome is as exceffive, as the Vanity of others, What Defence is there against Mifinterpretation? However, giving DiAturbance, though not intended, to Men of virtuous Characters, has fo fincerely troubled me, that I will break from this Satirical Vein; and to fhew I very little value. myfelf upon it, fhall for this Month enfuing leave the

Sharper,

N73

I

Tuesday, September 27, 1709.

White's Chocolate-boufe, September 26.

CANNOT exprefs the Confufion the following Letter gave me, which I received by Sir Thomas this Morning. There cannot be a greater Surprize, than to meet with fudden Enmity in the midft of a familiar and friendly Correfpondence; which is my Cafe in Relation to this Epiftle: And I have no way to purge myself to the World, but publishing both it and my Answer.

Mr. Bickerstaff,

Y

OU are a very impudent Fellow to put me into the Tatler. Rot you, Sir, I have more Wit than you; and rot me, I have more Money than most • Fools I have bubbled. All Perfons of Quality admire me, tho', rot me, if I value a Blue Garter any more than I do a Blue Apron. Every Body knows I am brave; therefore have a Care how you provoke

Monoculus.

The ANSWER.

SIR,

D'

not

ID I not very well know your Hand, as well by the Spelling as the Character, I should have believed yours of to-day had come from you. ⚫ But when all Men are acquainted, that I have had all my Intelligence from you relating to your Fraternity, let them pronounce who is the more impudent. I ⚫ confefs I have had a peculiar Tenderness for you, by • Reason of that luxuriant Eloquence of which you are Master, and have treated you accordingly; for which you have turned your florid Violence against your antient Friend and School-fellow. You know in your own Confcience, you gave me Leave to touch upon

G 5

" yo

your Vein of Speaking, provided I hid your other Talents; in which I believed you fincere, because, like the antient Simon, you have before now, fuffered yourfelf to be defaced to carry on a Plot. Befides, Sir, Rot me, Language for a Person of your prefent Station. Fie, fie, I am really afhamed for you, and shall no more depend upon your Intelligence. Keep your Temper, ⚫ wash your Face, and go to Bed.

Ifaac Bickerstaff.

FOR ought I know, this Fellow may have confused the Description of the Pack, on Purpose to enfnare the Game, while I have all along believed he was destroying them as well as myself. But because they pretend to bark more than ordinary, I fhall let 'em fee that I will not throw away the Whip, till they know better how to behave themfelves. But I muft not at the fame Time omit the Praifes of their Oeconomy expreffed in the following Advice.

Mr. Bickerstaff,

T

Sept. 17. HOUGH your Thoughts are at prefent employed upon the Tables of Fame, and marshalling your illuftrious Dead, 'tis hoped the Living may not be neglected, nor defrauded of their juft Honours; And fince you have begun to publish to the World the great Sagacity and Vigilance of the Knights of the Industry, it will be expected you shall proceed to do Juftice to all the Societies of them you can be informed of, especially fince their own great Industry covers their • Actions as much as poffible from that publick Notice " which is their Due.

Hidden Vice, and conceal'd Virtue, are much alike.

BE pleafed therefore to let the following Memoirs have a Place in their Hiftory.

IN a certain Part of the Town, famous for the freshest Oysters and the plainest English, there is a

Houfe,