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cannot easily answer, for that will put me in a pas

sion.

I order you to handle only these two propositions, to which our dispute may be reduced: the first, whether I have not an absolute power, whenever I please, to light a pipe with one of Punch's legs, or warm my fingers with his whole carcass? the second, whether the devil would not be in Punch, should he by word or deed oppose my sovereign will and pleasure? and then, perhaps, I may, if I can find leisure for it, give you the trouble of a second letter.

But if you intend to tell me of the original of puppet-shows; and the several changes and revolutions that have happened in them since Thespis, and I do not care who, that is Noli me tangere! I have solemnly engaged to say nothing of what I cannot approve. Or, if you talk of certain contracts with the mayor and burgesses, or fees to the constables, for the privilege of acting, I will not write one single word about any such matters; but shall leave you to be mumbled by the learned and very ingenious author of a late book, who knows very well what is to be said and done in such cases. He is now shuffling the cards, and dealing to Timothy; but if he wins the game, I will send him to play at back-gammon with you; and then he will satisfy you, that deuce-ace makes five.

And so, submitting myself to be tried by my country, and allowing any jury of twelve good men, and true, to be that country; not excepting any unless Mr. Isaac Bickerstaff to be of the pannel, for you are neither good nor true, I bid you heartily farewell; and am,

SIR, your loving friend,
' POWEL.'

STEELE.

INDEX.

ABSOLUTE power represented in a dance.........

Advice not asked for information, but out of fulness

and perplexity of heart..

- not to be given to every body..

Esculapius falls in love with the divine Hebe....

his recipe for love

Africanus, character of......

..........

magnanimity of, and manner of purchasing

annuities

Age, by what rendered most agreeable.....
indecent when not spent in virtue....

Alchymist, of Ben Jonson, remarks on...............................................
Alicant, castle of, surrendered.....

......

Allen, a player, founder of Dulwich college

Almanack, Oxford, for 1709, considered..............
Alost, attempt to surprise the garrison of.....

25

25

44

47

... ..........

Amanda, the happy wife of Florio, character of........
Annihilation described by Milton and Dryden......

Annuities, how purchased by Africanus......

Argyle, character of John, duke of.....

Artillery company of London, description of an exer-
cise of arms performed by.........

Aspasia, a most excellent woman, character of...........
first of the beauteous order of love......

Asturias, prince of, acknowledged heir to the crown of
Spain..........

Avaro, a mean-spirited rich man, described......
Aurengezebe, an Indian stockjobber, history of, with
his indecent manner of spending old age.

BACHELOR'S Scheme to govern a wife.......

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Bankers, why poems ought to be taken for bills by....
Barry, Mrs. an excellent player......

desired to act the widow at Mr. Bicker-
staff's funeral.............................................

1

7

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Bath, commotions among the good company at
Bays, expedient of, to procure applause at the play-
house.

Beadlestaff's testimony of a reformation and puppet-
show at Oxford.

Bear, meaning of the word, explained.
Bear-garden of great antiquity...

Beauty, every temper to be softened by

force and efficacy of..............

Ne.

16

6

38

10

..10, 15

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Belfry, an ignorant clown, behaviour of, at lady Dainty's 37
Bernard, a French banker, consequences of the failure
of...

offer of, to his creditors....

Betterton, a celebrated player, account of the benefit
play of.

.3, 5, 29

9

I

2

did not compound with the milliners

and toymen..

30

Bickerstaff, Isaac, an adept in astronomical specula-
tions.

disposes of his three nephews........ 30
expects hush money...

extraordinary cures performed by,

at his lodgings...

genealogy of..

gives advice for his own sake
will of.......

Bicknell, or Bignell, Mrs. a comedian, commended

acts the Country Wife

Billet-doux concerning a rival.......................

Birth, to be proud of, the greatest of vanities

Bodily wits, who......

.............

Bracegirdle, Mrs. an excellent player...................
Bribery, a poem on.......

a treatise on.............

Brunette, colonel, a very pretty fellow..

Brussels postscript, a poem, remarks on.........................

Buckley, Mr. a Drawcansir...

Bullock and Penkethman, comedians, to attend Mr.

Bickerstaff's funeral..

Busy Body, a comedy, character of.

But, the particle, used too frequently

..............

CADOGAN, major-general, arrives at Brussels.
Calia, why so long a maid..

Cæsar, Julius, compared with Alexander.....

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42

42

24

46

18

11

19

38

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26

7

3

3

29

1566

Camilla, account of the person who performed the cha-

racter of, in the cpera..........

Campaign, a poem, by Addison, character of............ 43

Cancrum, merit of....

Cant of modern men of wit

Cards take the place of poetry

Careless, Frank, opposed to Fop Nice..................

Ceremony, invention and use of.

Challenge, the style of......

Children, the manner of nursing....

Chloe, love of, makes coxcombs.....................................

Circumspection-water, Bickerstaff's, wonderful effects

of...

Citizens distinguished from cits......

Clarissa, love of, makes madmen.

Clidamira, a woman of distinction, a pretty lady.

Comment on stone walls.......

2, 34

Companions, what sort of, most desirable

Contention between two ladies for the title of very

pretty

Compassion often the weakest part about us.........................................
Conscience described...

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34

Conversation, mutual goodwill the quintessence of......
repartees in...

the most necessary talent in................... 21

Copenhagen poetically described by Ambrose Philips. 12
Coquetry, what.

Coquettes a mischievous sect.........

Corinna, a kept mistress, manner of life of, with Lim-

berham.....

Country, ignorant of Mr. Bickerstaff's writings

Country Wife, a comedy, remarks on...

Credit described.......

Critic, great, falls into a fit at the opera..............
Critics of all mortals the silliest........

opposed to wits.....

Custom the cause of duels.....

Cynthio, adventure of, at the playhouse

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dictating on the passion of love...............

-effects of a bow from his mistress on...........
falls in love......

-resolution of, and letter to his mistress thereon 35

DAMIA, a woman of distinction, a very pretty lady..... 34
Dancing displays beauty..

Dassapas, Tom, his potions

Dawks, honest Icabod, the news-letter-writer, an ac-

count of him

Decius, the character of a lewd person..........................
Dedications, abuse of them....

play dedicated to a city knight.

Distaff, Jenuy, Mr. Bickerstaff's half sister, her con-
duct in an amour..

her discourse on love; the command

and power of woman..

ings

her reflections on her brother's writ-

Divito (or Christopher Rich, esq.) sale of his goods, ce-

lestial and terrestrial...

Dogs, account of the loss of a lady's lap-dog..

Dryden's verses on empire applied...

Duel, inquiry into the genealogy of that monster....
Duellers, how treated after death...

Duelling and its terms explained

custom the source of it

dialogue thereon.....

how used by different nations...

stripped of its pretensions to credit and repu-
tation......

Dulwich college founded by Allyen the player.........
Dumb fortune-teller, some account of him.....

Durfey, Mr. the lyric poet, account of his great abili-
ties..

Durfey, Mr. dedication to his Modern Prophets
writes state plays and political dances....

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EARL of Essex, character of that play.

Ease in writing, what it is

Emblem of the parrot and dove, a poem..

Epigram on marriage....

Epithets of Homer and Virgil compared......

Epsom, adventures of a fortune-hunter there........

diversions there

Epsom Wells, a comedy by Shadwell, account of it...
Esquire, the appellation of, notoriously abused...
Exercise of arms in the city of London, with remarks
thereon.....

Extasy described by Dryden

FELICIA, the island of, happy in good ministers of state
VOL. I.

B b

9

27

40

47

36

7

19

41

8

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