his way of bearing a beating, as he does in this drama, and that with such a natural air and propriety of folly, that one cannot help wishing the whip in one's own hand: so richly does he seem to deserve his chastisement. Skilful actors think it a very peculiar happiness to play in a scene with such as top their parts. Therefore I cannot but say, when the judgment of any good author directs him to write a beating for Mr. Bullock from Mr. William Pinkethman, or for Mr. William Pinkethman from Mr. Bullock, those excellent players seem to be in their most shining cercumstances, and please me more, but with a different sort of delight, than that which I receive from those 'grave scenes of Brutus and Cassius, or Antony and Ventidius. The whole comedy is very just, and the low part of human life represented with much humour and wit. St. James's Coffee-house, April 25. We are advised from Vienna, by letters of the twentieth instant, that the Emperor hath lately added twenty new members to his Council of State, but they have not yet taken their places at the board. General Thaun is returned from Baden, his health being so well re-established by the baths of that place, that he designs to set out next week for Turin, to his command of the Imperial troops in the service of the Duke of Savoy. His Imperial Majesty has advanced his brother, Count Henry Thaun, to be a brigadier, and a counsellor of the Aulic council of war. These letters import, that King Stanislaus and the Swedish General Crassau are directing their March to the Nieper, to join the king of Sweden's army in Ukrania; that the States of Austria have furnished Marshal Heister with a considerable sum of money, to enable him to push on the war vigorously in Hungary, where all things as yet are in perfect tranquillity; and that General Thungen has been very importunate for a speedy reinforcement of the forces on the Upper Rhine; representing at the same time what miseries the inhabitants must necessarily undergo, if the designs of France on those parts be not speedily and effectually prevent ed. Letters from Rome, dated the thirteenth instant, say, that, on the preceeding Sunday, his Holiness was carried in an open chair from St. Peter's to St. Mary's, attended by the sacred College, in cavalcade; and, after mass, distributed several dowries for the marriage of poor and distressed virgins. The proceedings of that court are very dilatory concerning the recognition of King Charles, notwithstanding the pressing instances of the Marquis de Prie, who has declared, that if this affair be not wholly concluded by the fifteenth instant, he will retire from that court, and order the Imperial troops to return into the Ecclesiastical State. On the other hand, the Duke of Anjou's minister has, in the name of his master, demanded of his Holiness to explain himself on that affair; which, it said, will be finally determined in a consistory to be held on Monday next; the Duke of d'Uzeda designing to delay his departure until he sees the issue. These letters also say, that the court was mightily alarmed at the news which they received by an express from Ferrara, that General Boneval, who commands in Camachio, had sent circular letters to the Inhabitants of St. Alberto, Longastrino, Fillo, and other adjacent parts, enjoining them to come and swear fealty to the Emperor, and receive new vestitures of their fiefs from his hands. Letters from other parts of Italy say, that the king of Denmark continues at Lucca; that four English and Dutch men of war were seen off Oneglia, bound for Final, in order to transport the troops designed for Barcelona; and that jesty's ship the Colchester arrived at I G fourth instant from Port Mahon, with advice, that Major General Stanhope designed to depart from thence the first instant with six or seven thousand men, to attempt the relief of the castle of Alicant. Our last advices from Berlin, bearing date the twenty-seventh instant, import, that the king was gone to Linum, and the queen to Mecklenburgh; but that their majesties designed to return the next week to Oranienburgh, where a great chase of wild beasts was prepared for their diversion, and from thence they intend to proceed together to Potsdam; that the prince royal was set out for Brabant, but intended to make some short stay at Hanover. These letters also inform us, that they are advised from Obory, that the king of Sweden, being on his march towards Holkl, met General Renne with a detachment of Muscovites, who placed some regiments in ambuscade, attacked the Swedes in their rear, and putting them to flight, killed two thousand men, king himself having his horse shot under him. the We hear from Copenhagen, that, the ice being broke, the Sound is again open for the ships; and that they hoped his majesty would return sooner than they at first expected. Letters from the Hague, dated May the fourth, N. S. say, that an express arrived there on the first, from Prince Eugene to his grace the Duke of Marlborough. The States are advised that the auxiliaries of Saxony were arrived on the frontiers of the United Provinces; and also, that the two regiments of Wolfenbuttel, and four thousand troops from Wertemberg, who are to serve in Flanders, are in full march thither. Letters from Flanders say, that the great convoy of ammunition and provisions, which set out from Ghent for Lisle, was safely arrived at Courtray. We hear from Paris, that the king has ordered the militia on the coasts of Normandy and Bretagne to be in readiness to march; and that the court was in apprehension of a descent, to animate the people to rise in the midst of their present hardships. They write from Spain, that the Pope's Nuncio left Madrid the tenth of April, in order to go to Bayonne; that the Marquis de Bay was at Badajos, to observe the motions of the Portugueze: and that the Count d'Estain, with a body of five thousand men, was on his march to attack Gironne. The Duke of Anjou has deposed the Bishop of Lerida, as being a favourer of the interest of King Charles, and has summoned a convocation at Madrid, composed of the archbishops, bishops, and states of that kingdom, wherein he hopes they will come to a resolution to send for no more bulls to Rome. N° 8. THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1709. Quicquid agunt homines nostri est farrago libelli, Whate'er men do, or say, or think, or dream, Will's Coffee-house, April 26. P. THE play of The London Cuckolds was acted this evening before a suitable audience, who were extremely well diverted with that heap of vice and absurdity. The indignation which Eugenio, who is a gentleman of just taste, has upon occasion of seeing human nature fall so low in its delights, made him, I thought, expatiate upon the mention of this play very agreeably. Of all men living, said he, I pity players (who must be men of good understanding, to be capable of being such), that they are obliged to repeat and assume proper gestures for representing things of which their reason must be ashamed, and which they must disdain their audience for approving. The amendment of these low gratifications is only to be made by people of condition, by encouraging the representation of the noble characters drawn by Shakespeare and others; from whence it is impossible to return without strong impressions of honour and humanity. On these occasions, distress is laid before us with all its causes and consequences, and our resentment placed according to the merit of the Were afflicted. persons dramas of this nature more acceptable to the taste of the town, men who have genius would bend their studies to excel in them. How forcible an effect this would have on our minds, one needs no more than to observe how strongly we are touched by mere pictures. Who can see Le Brun's picture of the Battle of Porus without entering into the character of that fierce and gallant man, and being accordingly spurred to an emulation of his constancy and courage? When he is falling with his wound, his features are at the same time very terrible and languishing; and there is such a stern faintness diffused through all his look, as is apt to move a kind of horror, as well as pity, in the beholder. This, I say, is an effect wrought by mere lights and shades; consider also a representation made by words only, as in an account given by a good writer. Catiline in Sallust makes just such a figure as Porus by Le Brun. It is said of him, Catalina vero longè a suis inter hostitum cadevera repertus est: paululum etiam spirans, ferocitatemque animi, quam vivus habuerat, in vultu retinens. Catiline was found killed, far from his own men, among the dead bodies of the enemy; he seemed still to breathe, and still retained in his face the same fierceness he had when he was living." You have in that one sentence a lively impression of his whole life and actions. What I would insinuate from all this is, that if the painter |