were as many of our Sex who took the Liberty to vifit the Manfions of intended Severity; among others, a famous Rake of that Time, who had the grave Way to an Excellence. He came in firft; but upon feeing a Servant coming towards him, with a Defign to tell him, this was no Place for him or his Companions, up goes my grave Impudence to the Maid; Young Woman, faid he, if any of the Ladies are in the Way on this Side of the Houfe, pray carry us on the other Side towards the Gardens: We are, you must know, Gentlemen that are travelling England; after which we shall go into foreign Parts, where fome of us have already been. Here he bows in the moft humble Manner, and kiffed the Girl, who knew not how to behave to fuch a Sort of Carriage. He goes on: Now you must know we have an Ambition to have it to fay, That we have a Proteftant Nunnery in England: But pray Mrs. Betty-Sir, the replied, my Name is Sufan, at your Service. Then I heartily beg your Pardon No Offence in the leaft, (fays fhe) for I have a Coufin German, whofe Name is Betty. Indeed, faid he, I protest to you, that was more than I knew ; I fpoke at random: But fince it happens that I was near in the Right, give me Leave to prefent this Gentleman to the Favour of a civil Salute. His Friend advances, and fo on, till they had all faluted her. By this Means the poor Girl was in the middle of the Crowd of thefe Fellows at a Lofs what to do, without Courage to pass through them; and the Platonicks, at feveral Peep-holes, pale, trembling and fretting. Rake perceived they were obferved, and therefore took care to keep Suky in Chat with Questions concerning their Way of Life; when appeared at laft Madonella, a Lady who had writ a fine Book concerning the reclufe Life, and was the Projectrix of the Foundation She approaches into the Hall; and Rake knowing the Dignity of his own Mien and Afpect, goes Deputy from his Company. She begins; Sir,I am obliged to follow the Servant, who was sent out to know. What Affair could make Strangers press upon a Solitude which we, who are to inhabit this Place, have devoted to Heaven and our own Thoughts? Madam, replies Rake, (withan Air of great Distance, mixed with a certain Indiffe

rence, by which he could diffemble Diffimulation) your great Intention has made more Noife in the World, than you defign it should; and we Travellers, who have seen many foreign Inftitutions of this Kind, have a Curiosity to fee, in its firft Rudiments, the Seat of primitive Piety; for fuch it must be called by future Ages, to the eternal Honour of the Founders. I have read Madonella's excellent and feraphick Difcourfe on this Subject. The Lady immediately anfwers, If what I have faid could have contributed to raise any Thoughts in you that may make for the Advancement of intellectual and divine Converfation, I fhould think myself extreamly happy. He immediately fell back with the profoundest Veneration; then advancing, Are you then that admired Lady? if I may approach Lips which have uttered Things fo facred

He falutes her. His Friends followed his example. The Devoted within ftood in Amazement where this would end, to fee Madonella receive their Addrefs and their Company. But Rake goes on We would not trangrefs Rules; but if we may take the Liberty to fee the Place you have thought fit to chufe for ever, we would go into fuch Parts of the Gardens as are confiftent with the Severities you have impofed on yourselves. To be fhort, Madonella permitted Rake to lead her into the Affembly of Nuns, followed by his Friends, and each took his Fair One by the Hand, after due Explanation, to walk round the Gardens. The Conversation turned upon the Lillies, the Flowers, the Arbors, and the growing Vegetables; and Rake had the folemn Impudence, when the whole Company ftood round him, to say, That he fincerely wifhed Men might rife out of the Earth like Plants; and that our Minds were not of Neceffity to be fullied with carnivorous Appetites for the Generation, as well as Support of our Species. This was spoke with fo eafy and fixed an Affurance, that Madonella answered, Sir, under the Notion of a pious Thought, you deceive yourself in wishing an Inftitution foreign to that of Providence. Thefe Defires were implanted in us for reverend Purposes, in preferving the Race of Men, and giving Opportunities for making our Chastity more heroick. The Conference

195 Conference was continued in this Celestial Strain, and carried on fo well by the Managers on both Sides, that it created a fecond and a fecond Interview; and, without entering into further Particulars, there was hardly one of them but was a Mother or Father that Day Twelvemonth.

ANY unnatural Part is long taking up, and as long laying afide; therefore Mr. Sturdy may affure himself, Platonica will fly for ever from a forward Behaviour; but if he approaches her according to this Model, she will fall in with the Neceffities of mortal Life, and condefcend to look with Pity upon an unhappy Man,' imprisoned in fo much Body, and urged by fuch violent. Defires.

From my own Apartment, June 22.

THE Evils of this Town increase upon me to fo great a Degree, that I am half afraid I fhall not leave the World much better than I found it. Several worthy Gentlemen and Criticks have applied to me, to give my Cenfure of an Enormity which has been revived, (after being long fuppreffed) and is called Punning. I have feveral Arguments ready to prove, that he cannot be a Man of Honour who is guilty of this Abuse of human Society. But the Way to expose it, is, like the Expedient of curing Drunkenness, fhewing a Man in that Condition: Therefore I must give my Reader Warning, to expect a Collection of these Offences; without which Preparation, I thought it too adventurous to introduce the very Mention of it in good Company; and I hope, I shall be understood to do it, as a Divine mentions Oaths and Curfes, only for their Condemnation. I shall dedicate this Discourse to a Gentleman my very good Friend, who is the Janus of our Times, and whom by his Years and Wit, you would take to be of the laft. Age; but by his Drefs and Morals of this.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 22.

LAST Night arrived two Mails from Holland, which bring Letters from the Hague of the 28th Instant, N. S. with Advice that the Enemy lay incamped behind a ftrong Retrenchment, with the Marth of Romiers on their Right and Left, extending itself as far as Bethune: La Baffe is in their Front, Lens in their Rear, and their Camp is ftrengthened by another Line from Lexs to Doway. The Duke of Marlborough caufed an exact Obfervation to be made of their Ground, and the Works by which they were covered, which appeared fo strong, that it was not thought proper to attack them in their prefent Pofture. However, the Duke thought fit to make a Feint as if he defigned it: His Grace accordingly marched from the Abbey at Looze, as did Prince Eugene from Lampret, and advanced with all poffible Diligence towards the Enemy. To favour the Appearance of an intended Affault, the Ways were made, and Orders: diftributed in fuch Manner that none in either Camp could have Thoughts of any Thing but charging the Enemy by Break of Day next Morning: But foon after the Fall of the Night of the 26th, the whole Army faced towards Tournay which Place they invested early in the Morning of the 27th. The Marshal Villars was fo confident that we defigned to attack him, that he had drawn great Part of the Garrison of the Place, which is now invested, into the Field: For which reason, it is prefumed it muft fubmit within a small Thine, which the Enemy Cannot prevent, but by coming out of their present Camp, and hazarding a general Engagement. These Advices add, That the Garrison of Mons had marched out under the Command of Marfhal d'Arco; which, with the Bavarians, Walloons, and the Troops of Colagne, have joined the grand Army of the Enemy.

By

་

By Mrs. Jenny Diftaff, Half-Sifter to Mr. Bickerftaff.

No 33•

me.

Saturday, June 25, 1709.

From my own Apartment, June 23.

Y Brother has made an Excurfion into the Country, and the Work againft Saturday lies upon I am very glad I have got Pen and Ink in my Hand; for I have for fome Time longed for his Abfence, to give a right Idea of Things, which I thought he put in a very odd Light, and fome of them to the Difadvantage of my own Sex. It is much to be lamented, that it is neceffary to make Discourses, and publish Treatifes, to keep the horrid Creatures the Men within the Rules of common Decency. Turning over the Papers of Memorials or Hints for the enfuing Discourses, I find a Letter fubfcribed by Mr. Truman.

I

SIR,

Am lately come to Town, and have read your Works with much Pleafure: You make Wit fubfervient to good Principles and good Manners. Yet because I defign to buy the Tatlers for my Daughters to read, I take the Freedom to defire you for the Future, to say nothing about any Combat between Alexander and Thaleftris.

THIS Offence gives me Occafion to express my felf with the Refentment I ought, on People who take Liberties of Speech before that Sex of whom the honoured Names of Mother, Daughter and Sifter are a Part: I had like to have named Wife in the Number; but the fenfeless World are so mistaken in their Sentiments of Pleasure, that the most amiable Term in human Life is become the Derifion of Fools and Scorners. My Brother and I have at least fifty times quarrell'd upon this Topick. I ever argue, That the Frailties of Women

are