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381 The Poem is admirably fuited to the Occafion: For to write without discovering your Meaning, bears a juft Refemblance to Marching without Beat of Drum.

On the March to Tournay without Beat of Drum.
The Bruffels POSTSCRIPT.

Could I with plaineft Words exprefs
That great Man's wonderful Address,
His Penetration, and his towring Thought;
It would the gazing World furprize,
To fee one Man at all Times wife,
To view the Wonders he with Eafe has wrought.

Refining Schemes approach his Mind,
? Like Breezes of a Southern Wind,
To temperate a fultry glorious Day;
Whofe Fannings, with an useful Pride,
Its mighty Heat doth Softly guide,
And having cleared the Air, glide filently away.
Thus his Immenfity of Thought,

Is deeply form'd, and gently wrought,
His Temper always foftening Life's Difeafe;
That Fortune, when she does intend
To rudely frown, he turns his Friend,
Admires his Judgment, and applauds his Eafe.
His great Address in this Defign,
Does now, and will for ever fhine,
And wants a Waller but to do him Right:
The whole Amusement was so strong,
Like Fate he doom'd them to be wrong,
And Tournay's took by a peculiar Slight.

Thus,

Thus, Madam, all Mankind behold
Your vast Afcendant, not by Gold,
But by your Wisdom, and your pious Life;
Your Aim no more than to destroy
That which does Europe's Eafe annoy,
And fuperfede a Reign of Shame and Strife.

St. James's Coffee-house, July 24.

My Brethren of the Quill, the ingenious Society of News-Writers, having with great Spirit and Elegance already informed the World, that the Town of Tournay capitulated on the 28th Instant, there is nothing left for me to say, but to congratulate the good Company here, that we have Reafon to hope for an Opportunity of thanking Mr. Withers next Winter in this Place, for the Service he has done his Country. No Man deferves better of his Friends than that Gentleman, whose distinguishing Character it is, that he gives his Orders with the Familiarity, and enjoys his Fortune with the Generofity, of a Fellow-Soldier. His Grace the Duke of Argyle had also an eminent Part in the Reduction of this important Place. That illustrious Youth discovers the peculiar Turn of Spirit and Greatnefs of Soul, which only make Men of high Birth and Quality useful to their Country; and confiders Nobility as an imaginary Distinction, unless accompanied with the Practice of those generous Virtues by which it ought to be obtained. But that our Military Glory is arrived at its prefent Height, and that Men of all Ranks fo paffionately affect their Share in it, is certainly owing to the Merit and Conduct of

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our glorious General; for as the great Secret in Chymistry, tho' not in Nature, has occafioned many useful Discoveries; and the fantastick Notion of being wholly difinterested in Friendfhip, has made Men do a Thousand generous Actions above themselves; fo, tho' the present Grandeur and Fame of the Duke of Marlborough is a Station of Glory to which no one hopes to arrive, yet all carry their Actions to an higher Pitch, by having that great Example laid before them.

The TATLER.

[N° 47.

Quicquid agunt Homines noftri Farrago Libelli. From Tuesday July 26. to Thursday July 28. 1709.

MY

White's Chocolate-house, July 27.

Y Friend Sir Thomas has communicated to me his Letters from Epfom of the 25th Inftant, which give, in general, a very good Account of the prefent Posture of Affairs in that Place; but that the Tranquility and Correfpondence of the Company begins to be interrupted by the Arrival of Sir Taffety Trippet, a Fortune-hunter, whofe Follies are too grofs to give Diversion; and whofe Vanity is too ftupid to let him be fenfible that he is a publick Offence. If People will indulge a fplenatick Humour, it is impoffible to be at Eafe, when fuch Creatures as are the Scandal of our Species, fet up for Gallantry and Adventures.

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It will be much more eafy therefore to laugh Sir Taffety into Reason, than convert him from his Foppery by any ferious Contempt. I knew a Gentleman, that made it a Maxim to open his Doors, and ever run into the Way of Bullies, to avoid their Infolence. The Rule will hold as well with Coxcombs: They are never mortified, but when they fee you receive, and defpise them; otherwife they reft affured, that it is your Ignorance makes them out of your good Graces; or, that 'tis only want of Admittance prevents their being amiable where they are fhun'd and avoided. But Sir Taffety is a Fop of fo fanguine a Complexion, that I fear it will be very hard for the fair One he at prefent purfues to get rid of the Chace, without being fo tired, as for her own Eafe to fall into the Mouth of the Mungrel she runs from. But the History of Sir Taffety is as pleasant as his Character.

It happened, that when he first set up for a Fortune-hunter, he chose Tunbridge for the Scene of Action; where were at that Time two Sisters upon the fame Defign. The Knight believed of Course the Elder must be the better Prize; and confequently makes all his Sail that Way. People that want Senfe, do always in an egregious Manner want Modefty, which made our Heroe triumph in making his Amour as publick as was poffible. The adored Lady was no less vain of his publick Addreffes. An Attorney with one Cause is not half fo restlefs as a Woman with one Lover. Where-ever they met, they talked to each other aloud, chofe each other Partner at Balls, faluted at the most con

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385 spicuous Parts of the Service at Church, and practifed in Honour of each other all the remarkable Particularities which are usual for Perfons who admire one another, and are contemptible to the rest of the World. These Two Lovers feem'd as much made for each other as Adam and Eve, and all pronounced it a Match of Nature's own Making; but the Night before the Nuptials (fo univerfally approv'd) the younger Sifter, envious of the good Fortune even of her Sifter, who had been present at most of their Interviews, and had an equal Tast for the Charms of a Fop (as there are a Set of Women made for that Order of Men); the younger, I fay, unable to fee so rich a Prize pafs by her, difcovered to Sir Taffety, that a Coquet Air, much Tongue, and Three Suits, -was all the Portion of his Mistress. His Love vanished that Moment, himself and Equipage the next Morning. It is uncertain where the Lover has been ever fince engag'd; but certain it is, he has not appeared in his Character as a Follower of Love and Fortune till he arrived at

Epfom, where there is at prefent a young Lady of Youth, Beauty, and Fortune, who has alarm'd all the Vain and the Impertinent to infest that Quarter. At the Head of this Affembly, Sir Taffety fhines in the brightest Manner, with all the Accomplishments which ufually enfnare the Heart of Woman ; with this particular Merit, (which often is of great Service) that he is laughed at for her Sake. The Friends of the fair One are in much Pain for the Sufferings fhe goes thro' from the Perfeverance of this Hero;

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