Befides that, the dropping of the firft Perfon is an artful Way to difengage a Man from the Guilt of rash Words or Promises. 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,

AM juft recovered out of a languishing Sickness

Iby Care of me

by the Care of Hippocrates, who visited me thro'out my whole Illness, and was fo far from taking any Fee, that he enquired into my Circumstances, and would ⚫ have relieved me alfo that Way, but I did not want it. 'I know no Method of Thanking him, but recommend⚫ing it to you to celebrate fo great Humanity in the Man• ner you think fit, and to do it with the Spirit and Sen⚫timents of a Man just relieved from Grief, Mifery, and Pain, to Joy, Satisfaction, and Ease: In which you will reprefent the grateful Sense of

Your obedient Servant,

T. B.

I THINK the Writer of this Letter has put the Matter in as good a Drefs as I can for him; yet I cannot but add my Applaufe to what this diftreffed Man has faid. There is not a more useful Man in a Commonwealth than a good Phyfician; and by Confequence no worthier a Perfon than he that ufes his Skill with Generofity, even to Ferfons of Condition, and Compaffion to those who are in Want: Which is the Behaviour of Hippocrates, who fhews as much Liberality in his Practice, as he does Wit in his Converfation, and Skill in his Profeffion. A wealthy Doctor, who can help a poor Man, and will not without a Fee, has lefs Senfe of Humanity than a poor Ruffian, who kills a rich Man to fupply his Neceffities. It is fomething monftrous, to confider a Man of a liberal Education tearing out the Bowels of a poor Family, by taking for a Vifit what would keep 'em a Week. Hippocrates needs not the Comparison of fuch Extortion to set off his Generofity; but I mention his Generosity to add Shame to fuch Extortion.

bred Coxcomb, and the Bride drank the Lieutenant's Health. We returned to my Lodging, and Tranquillus led his Wife to her Apartment, without the Ceremony of throwing the Stocking, which generally cofts two or three Maidenheads, without any Ceremony at all.

N° 80. Thursday, October 13, 1709.

T

Grecian Coffee-bouse, October 12.

HIS learned Board has complained to me of the exorbitant Price of late Years put upon Books, and confequently on Learning, which has raised the Reward demanded by learned Men for their Advice and Labour. In order to regulate and fix a Standard in these Matters; Divines, Phyficians, and Lawyers have sent in large Propofals, which are of great Light and Instruction. From the Perufal of these Memorials, I am come to this immediate Refolution, till I have Leisure to treat the Matter at large, viz. In Divinity, Fathers fhall be valued according to their Antiquity; Schoolmen by the Pound Weight; and Sermons by their Goodness. In my own Profeffion, which is mostly Phyfick, Authors fhall be rated according to their Language. The Greek is fo rarely understood, and the English fo well, 1 judge them of no Value, fo that only Latin fhall bear a Price, and that too according to its Purity, and as it ferves best for Prescription. In Law, the Value must be fet according to the Intricacy and Obfcurity of the Author, and Blackness of the Letter; provided always, that the Binding be of Calves-Skin. This Method I fhall fettle alfo with Relation to all other Writings; infomuch that even these our Lucubrations, though hereafter printed by Aldus, Elzevir, or Stephanus, fhall not advance above one fingle Penny.

White's

White's Chocolate-boufe, October 12.

IT will be allowed me, that I have all along fhewed great Refpect in Matters which concern the Fair Sex; but the Inhumanity with which the Author of the following Letter has been used, is not to be fuffered.

1

SIR,

Y

October 9.

ESTERDAY I had the Misfortune to drop in at my Lady Haughty's upon her Vifiting'Day. When I enter'd the Room where the receives • Company, they all ftood up indeed; but they flood as if they were to ftare at rather than to receive me. • After a long Pause, a Servant brought a round Stool, ⚫ on which I fat down at the lower End of the Room, in the Prefence of no lefs than Twelve Perfons, Gen⚫tlemen and Ladies, lolling in Elbow Chairs. And to compleat my Difgrace, my Mistress was of the Society. 'I tried to compose myself in Vain, not knowing how to difpofe of either my Legs or Arms, nor how to fhape my Countenance; the Eyes of the whole Room being * ftill upon me in a profound Silence. My Confufion was at last so great, that without fpeaking, or being spoken to, I fled for it, and left the Affembly to treat me at ⚫ their Difcretion. A Lecture from you upon these in⚫ human Distinctions in a free Nation, will, I doubt not, prevent the like Evils for the future, and make it, as we fay, As cheap fitting as Standing. I am, with the greatest Respect, Sir,

Your moft Humble, and

moft Obedient Servant,

P. S. I HAD almoft forgot to inform you,

J. R.

. That a

• fair young Lady fat in an armless Chair upon my Right

Hand, with manifest Difcontent in her Looks.'

SOON after the Receipt of this Epistle, I heard a very gentle Knock at my Door: My Maid went down, and brought up Word, that a tall, lean, black Man,

well

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 shall impower him to wear a Cane till the 13th of March next; Five Months being the most I can allow for a Sprain.

St. James's Coffee-house, October 12.

WE received this Morning a Mail from Holland, which brings Advice, That the Siege 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 ourselves on those Works without Oppofition. During this Storm, 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.

into fuch a Rage, that he threw down the Table before him, kick'd the Book round the Room; then recollected himself: Lord, Madam, faid he, Why did you run into fuch Expreffions? I was, faid he, in the highest Delight with that Author, when you clapp'd your Squirrel upon my Book; and fmiling, added upon Recollection, I have a great Respect for your Favourite, and pray let us all be Friends. My Lady was fo far from accepting this Apology, that the immediately conceived a Refolution to keep him under for ever; and, with a serious Air, replied, There is no Regard to be had to what a Man fays, who can fall into fo indecent a Rage, and such an abject Submiffion, in the fame Moment, for which I abfolutely defpife you. Upon which the rufhed out of the Room. Sir Harry ftaid fome Minutes behind, to think and command himfelf; after which he followed her into her Bed-Chamber, where she was proftrate upon the Bed, tearing her Hair, and naming Twenty Coxcombs who 、would have used her otherwise. This provoked him to fo high a Degree, that he forbore nothing but beating her; and all the Servants in the Family were at their feveral Stations listening, whilft the best Man and Woman, the best Master and Mistress, defamed each other in a Way that is not to be repeated even at Billingfgate. You know this ended in an immediate Separation: She longs to return home, but knows not how to do it: He invites her Home every Day, and lies with every Woman he can get. Her Husband requires no Submiffion of her; but the thinks her very Return will argue fhe is to blame, which she is refolved to be for ever, rather than acknowledge it.

THUS, dear Jenny, my great Advice to you is, Be guarded against giving or receiving little Provocations. Great Matters of Offence I have no Reason to fear either from you or your Husband. After this, we turned our Difcourfe into a more gay Style, and parted: But before we did fo, I made her refign her Snuff-Box for ever, and half drown herself with washing away the Stench of the Mufty.

BUT the wedding Morning arrived, and our Family being very numerous, there was no avoiding the Inconvenience of making the Ceremony and Festival more

publick,