in tavern and play-house. Doctor Wall* is my particular friend; and, if it were any service to the public to compose the difference between Martin,* and Sintilaer the Pearl-driller, † I do not know a judge of more experience than myself; for in that I may say, with the poet,

*

Quæ regio in villa nostri non plena laboris?

"What streets resound not with my great exploits?" I omit other less particulars, the necessary consequence of greater actions. But my reason for troubling you at this present is, to put a stop, if it may be, to an insinuating, increasing set of people, who, sticking to the letter of your treatise, and not to the spirit of it, do assume the name of " Pretty Fellows;" nay, and even get new names, as you very well hint. Some of them I have heard calling to one another, as I have sat at White's and St. James's, by the names of Betty, Nelly, and so forth. You see them accost each other with effeminate airs they have their signs and tokens like freemasons. They rail at woman-kind; receive visits on their beds in gowns, and do a thousand other unintelligible prettinesses that I cannot tell what to make of. I therefore heartily desire you would exclude all this sort of animals.

"There is another matter I foresee an ill consequence from, that may be timely prevented by prudence; which is, that for the last fortnight prodigious shoals of volunteers have gone over to bully the French, upon hearing the peace was just signing; and this is so true, that I can assure you, all ingrossing work about the Temple is risen above three shillings in the pound for want of hands. Now, as it is possible some little alteration of affairs may have broken their measures, and that they will post *Three practioners in physic or surgery, of some note at e, for curing diseases contracted by debauchery. rendered unintelligible by time.

thi

back again, I am under the last apprehension, that these will, at their return, all set up for " Pretty Fellows," and thereby confound all merit and service, and impose on us some new alteration in our night-cap wigs and pockets, unless you can provide a particular class for them. I cannot apply myself better than to you, and I am sure I speak the mind of a very great number, as deserving as myself."

The pretensions of this correspondent are worthy a particular distinction; he cannot, indeed, be admitted as a "Pretty," but is what we more justly call a "Smart Fellow." Never to pay at the playhouse is an act of frugality that lets you into his character; and his expedient in sending his children begging before they can go, are characteristical instances that he belongs to this class. I never saw the gentleman; but I know by his letter, he hangs his cane to his button; and by some lines of it he should wear red-heeled shoes; which are essential parts of the habit belonging to the order of Smart Fellows."

66

My familiar is returned with the following letter from the French king.

Versailles, June 3, 1709.

"LEWIS XIV. to ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq.

"Sir,

"I have your epistle, and must take the liberty to say, that there has been a time, when there were generous spirits in Great Britain, who would not have suffered my name to be treated with the familiarity you think fit to use. I thought liberal men would not be such time-servers, as to fall upon a man because his friends are not in power. But, having some concern for what you may commit to posterity concerning me, I am willing to keep terms with you; and make a request to you, which is, that you would give my service to the nineteenth c

tury (if ever you or yours reach them), and tell them that I have settled all matters between them and me by Monsieur Boileau. I should be glad to see you

here."

It is very odd, this prince should offer to invite me into his dominions, or believe I should accept the invitation. No, no; I remember too well how he served an ingenious gentleman, a friend of mine,* whom he locked up in the Bastile for no reason in the world, but because he was a wit, and feared he might mention him with justice in some of his writings. His way is, that all men of sense are preferred, banished, or imprisoned. He has indeed a sort of justice in him, like that of the gamesters; for if a stander-by sees one at play cheat, he has a right to come in for shares, as knowing the mysteries of the game.

This is a very wise and just maxim; and if I have not left at Mr. Morphew's, directed to me, bank bills for two hundred pounds, on or before this day sevennight, I shall tell how Tom Cash got his estate. I expect three hundred pounds of Mr. Soilett, for concealing all the money he has lent to himself, and his landed friend bound with him, at thirty per cent. at his scrivener's. Absolute princes make people pay what they please, in deference to their power: I do not know why I should not do the same, out of fear or respect to my knowledge. I always preserve decorums and civilities to the fair sex: therefore, if a certain lady, who left her coach at the New Exchange door in the Strand, and whipt down Durham-yard into a boat with a young gentleman for Vauxhall; I say, if she will send me word, that I may give the fan which she dropped, and I found, to my sister Jenny, there shall be no more said of it.

Sir John Vanbrugh, who was once confined in the Bastile, is probably the person here alluded to.

In the Original Folio it is "Fox-hall."

I expect hush-money to be regularly sent for every folly or vice any one commits in this whole town; and hope, I may pretend to deserve it better than a chamber-maid or a valet de chambre; they only whisper it to the little set of their companions; but I can tell it to all men living, or who are to live. Therefore I desire all my readers to pay their fines, or mend their lives.

White's Chocolate-house, June 8.

My familiar being come from France, with an answer to my letter to Lewis of that kingdom, instead of going on in a discourse of what he had seen in that court, he put on the immediate concern of a guardian, and fell to inquiring into my thoughts and adventures, since his journey. As short as his stay had been, I confessed I had had many occasions for his assistance in my conduct; but communicated to him my thoughts of putting all my force against the horrid and senseless customs of duels. "If it were possible," said he, "to laugh at things in themselves so deeply tragical as the impertinent profusion of human life, I think I could divert you with a figure I saw just after my death, when the philosopher threw me, as I told you some days ago, into the pail of water.

"You are to know that, when men leave the body, there are receptacles for them as soon as they depart, according to the manner in which they lived and died. At the very instant I was killed, there came away with me a spirit which had lost his body in a duel. We were both examined. Me the whole assembly looked at with kindness and pity, but at the same time with an air of welcome and consolation: they pronounced me very happy, who had died in innocence; and told me, a quite different place was allotted to me, than that which was appointed for my companion; there being a great

distance from the mansions of fools and innocents; though at the same time, said one of the ghosts, there is a great affinity between an idiot who has been so for a long life, and a child who departs before maturity. But this gentleman who has arrived with you is a fool of his own making, is ignorant out of choice, and will fare accordingly.' The assembly began to flock about him; and one said to him, 'Sir, I observed you came in through the gate of persons murdered, and I desire to know what brought you to your untimely end?' He said, he had been " a second." Socrates (who may be said to have been murdered by the commonwealth of Athens) stood by, and began to draw near him, in order, after this manner, to lead him into a sense of his error by concessions in his own discourse. Sir,' said that divine and amicable spirit, what was the quarrel ?' He answered, 'We shall know very suddenly, when the principal in the business comes; for he was desperately wounded before I fell.' 'Sir,' said the sage, 'had you an estate?' Yes, Sir,' the new

guest answered, 'I have left it in a very good condition, and made my will the night before this occasion.' 'Did you read it before you signed it?' 'Yes, sure, Sir,' said the new comer. Socrates replies, 'Could a man, that would not give his estate without reading the instrument, dispose of his life without asking a question?' That illustrious shade turned from him; and a crowd of impertinent goblins, who had been drolls and parasites in their life-time, and were knocked on the head for their sauciness, came about my fellow-traveller, and made themselves very merry with questions about the words Cart and Tierce, and other terms of fencers. But his thoughts began to settle into reflection upon the adventure which had robbed him of his late being: and with a wretched sigh, said he, How terrible are conviction and guilt, when they come too late for penitence!"