thers lately landed from Holland: As yet, indeed, they have not made their publick Entry, but lodge and converfe at Wapping. They have merited already on the Water-fide particular Titles: The firft is called Hog beads the fecond, Culverin; and the third, Mufquet. This Fraternity is preparing for our End of the Town by their Ability in the Exercifes of Bacchus, and measure their Time and Merit by liquid Weight, and Power of Drinking. Hogbead is a prettier Fellow than Culverin, by two Quarts; and Culverin, than Mufquet, by a full Pint.. It is to be feared Hogshead is fo often too full, and Culverin overloaded, that Mufquet will be the only lafting very pretty Fellow of the three.

A THIRD Sort of this Denomination is fuch as by very daring Adventures in Love, have purchased to themselves Renown and new Names; as Jo. Carry for his exceffive Strength and Vigour; Tom Drybones for his generous Lofs of Youth and Health; and Cancrum for his meritorious Rottenness.

THESE great and leading Spirits are propofed to all fuch of our British Youth as would arrive at Perfection in these different Kinds; and if their Parts and Accomplishments were well imitated, it is not doubted but - that our Nation would foon excel all others in Wit and Arts, as they already do in Arms.

N. B. THE Gentleman who ftole Betty Peppin may own it, for he is allowed to be a very pretty Fellow. BUT we must proceed to the Explanation of other Terms in our Writings.

TO know what a Toaft is in the Country, gives as much Perplexity as the herself does in Town: And indeed the Learned differ very much upon the Original of this Word, and the Acceptation of it among the Moderns. However, it is by all agreed to have a joyous and chearful import. A Toaft in a cold Morning, heightened by Nutmeg, and fweetned with Sugar, has for many Ages been given to our Rural Difpenfers of Juftice, before they entered upon Causes, and has been of great and politick Use to take off the Severity of their Sentences;

but has indeed been remarkable for one ill Effect, that it inclines those who use it immoderately to speak Latin, to the Admiration rather than Information of an Audience. This Application of a Toast makes it very obvious, that the Word may, without a Metaphor, be understood as an apt Name for a Thing which raises us in the moft fovereign Degree. But many of the Wits of the last Age will affert, That the Word in its present Senfe, was known among them in their Youth, and had its Rife from an Accident at the Town of Bath, in the Reign of King Charles the Second.

IT happened, That on a publick Day a celebrated Beauty of thofe Times was in the Cross Bath, and one of the Croud of her Admirers took a Glafs of the Water in which the Fair One stood, and drank her Health to the Company. There was in the Place a gay Fellow half fuddled, who offered to jump in, and swore, Tho' he liked not the Liquor, he would have the Toast. He was oppofed in his Refolution; yet this Whim gave Foundation to the present Honour which is done to the Lady we mention in our Liquors, who has ever fince been called a Toaft.

THO' this Inftitution had fo trivial a Beginning, it is now elevated into a formal Order; and that happy Virgin who is received and drank too at their Meetings has no more to do in this Life, but to judge and accept of the first good Offer. The Manner of her Inauguration is much like that of the Choice of a Doge in Venice: It is performed by Balloting; and when she is fo chofen, fhe reigns indifputably for that infuing Year; but muft be elected a-new to prolong her Empire a Moment beyond it. When she is regularly chofen, her Name is written with a Diamond on a Drinking-glafs. The Hieroglyphick of the Diamond is to fhew her, that her Value is imaginary; and that of the Glass to acquaint her, that her Condition is frail, and depends on the Hand which holds her. This wife Defign admonishes her, neither to over-rate or depreciate her Charms; as well confidering and applying, that it is perfectly according to the Humour and Tafte of the Company, whether the Toast is eaten or left as an Offal.

THE

THE foremost of the whole Rank of Toafts, and the moft indisputed in their present Empire, are Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Frontlet: The firft an agreeable, the fecond an awful Beauty. These Ladies are perfect Friends, out of a Knowledge, that their Perfections are too different to stand in competition. He that likes Gatty, can have no relish for fo folemn a Creature as Frontlet; and an Admirer of Frontlet will call Gatty a May-pole Girl. Gatty for ever fmiles upon you; and Frontlet difdains to fee you fmile. Gatty's Love is a fhining quick Flame; Frontlet's a flow wafting Fire. Gatty likes the Man that diverts her; Frontlet him who adores her. Gatty always improves the Soil in which the travels; Frontlet lays waste the Country. Gatty does not only fmile, but laughs at her Lover; Frontlet not only looks serious but frowns at him. All the Men of Wit (and Coxcombs their Followers) are profeffed Servants of Gatty: The Politicians and Pretenders give folemn Worship to Frontlet. Their Reign will be best judged of by its Duration. Frontlet will never be chofen more; and Gatty is a Toaft for Life.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 3.

LETTERS from Hamburgb of the 7th Inftant, N. S. inform us, That no Art or Coft is omitted to make the Stay of his Danish Majefty at Dresden agreeable; but there are various Speculations upon the Interview be tween King Auguftus and that Prince, many putting politick Constructions upon his Danish Majesty's Arrival at a Time when his Troops are marching out of Hungary, with Orders to pafs through Saxony, where it is given out, that they are to be recruited. It is faid alfo, That feveral Polish Senators have invited King Auguftus to return into Poland. His Majefty of Sweden, according to the fame Advices, has paffed the Nieper without any Oppofition from the Muscovites, and advances with all poffible Expedition towards Volbinia, where he proposes to join King Stanislaus and General Craffau.

WE hear from Bern of the firft Inftant, N. S. That there is not a Province in France, from whence the Court is not apprehenfive of receiving Accounts of publick Emotions, occafioned by the Want of Corn. The General Diet of the 13 Cantons is affembled at Baden, but have not yet entered upon Bufinefs, fo that the Affair of Tockenburgh is yet at a stand.

LETTERS from the Hague, dated the 11th Instant, N. S. advife, That Monfieur Rouille having acquainted the Minifters of the Allies, that his Mafter had refused to ratify the Preliminaries of a Treaty adjusted with Monfieur Torcy, fet out for Paris on Sunday Morning. The fame Day the Foreign Minifters met a Committee of the States-General, where Monfieur van Heffer opened the Business upon which they were affembled, and in a very warm Discourse laid before them the Conduct of France in the late Negociations, representing the abject Manner in which she had laid open her own Diftreffes, that reduced her to a Compliance with the Demands of all the Allies, and her Meannefs in receding from those Points to which Monfieur Torey had confented. The respective Minifters of each Potentate of the Alliance feverally expreffed their Refentments of the faithlefs Behaviour of the French, and gave each other mutual Affurances of the Conftancy and Refolution of their Principals, to proceed with the utmost Vigour against the Common Enemy. His Grace the Duke of Marlborough fet out from the Hague on the 9th in the Afternoon, and lay that Night at Rotterdam, from whence at four the next Morning he proceeded towards Antwerp; with a Design to reach Ghent the next Day. All the Troops in the Low-Countries are in motion towards the general Rendezvous between the Scheld and the Lisè The whole Army will be formed on the 12th Inftant; and 'tis faid, That on the 14th they will advance towards the Enemy's Country. In the mean time, the Marshal de Villars has affembled the French Forces be tween Lens, la Baffee and Douay.

YESTERDAY Morning Sir John Norris, with the Squadron under his Command, failed from the Downs for Holland.

From

From my own Apartment, June 3.

I have the Honour of the following Letter from a Gentleman whom I receive into my Family, and order the Heralds at Arms to enroll him accordingly.

Mr. Bicker ftaff,

HO' you have excluded me the Honour of your Family, yet I have ventured to correspond with the fame great Perfons as yourself, and have wrote *this Poft to the King of France; though I am in a manner unknown in his Country, and have not been feen there these many Months.

To LEWIS le Grand.

Tho' in your Country I'm unknown,

Yet Sir, I must advise

you;

Of late fo poor and mean you're grown,
That all the World defpife you.

Here Vermin eat your Majefty,
There meagre Subjects ftand unfed ;

What furer Signs of Poverty,

Than many Lice, and little Bread♪

Then, Sir, the present Minute chufe,
Our Armies are advanced;
Those Terms you at the Hague refuse,
At Paris won't be granted.

Confider this, and Dunkirk raze,
And Anna's Title own;

Send one Pretender out to graze,

And call the other Home.

Your Humble Servant,

Bread, the Staff of Life.

G 4

No 25. Tues