ask for the key, and say, “he would himself gó with this chest, and have it opened before the captain of the ship, for the greater safety of so valuable a lading." The goods were hoisted away; and Mr. Balance, marching by his chest with great care and diligence, omitted nothing that might give his passenger perplexity. But, to consummate all, he delivered the chest, with strict charge, in case they were in danger of being taken, to throw it overboard, for there were letters in it, the matter of which might be of great service to the enemy." N. B. It is not thought adviseable to proceed further in this account; Mr. Varnish being just returned from his travels, and willing to conceal the occasion of his first applying himself to the languages. St. James's Coffee-house, February 20. This day came in a mail from Holland, with a confirmation of our late advices, that a treaty of peace would very suddenly be set on foot, and that yachts were appointed by the States to convey the ministers of France from Moerdyke to Gertruydenburgh, which is appointed for the place wherein this important negociation is to be transacted. It is said, this affair has been in agitation ever since the close of the last campaign; Mons. Pettecum having been appointed to receive from time to time the overtures of the enemy. During the whole winter, the ministers of France have used their utmost skill in forming such answers as might amuse the Allies, in hopes of a favourable event, either in the North, or some other part of Europe, which might affect some part of the alliance too nearly to leave it in a capacity of adhering firmly to the interest of the whole. In all this transaction, the French king's him; but, finding him grow upon him to a degree of scurrility, as believing the advice proceeded from fear; "Sirrah," says he, "if a thunderbolt does not strike thee dead before I come at thee, I shall not fail to chastise thee for thy profaneness to thy Maker, and thy sauciness to his servant." Upon this he drew his sword, and cried out with a loud voice, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" which so terrified his antagonist, that he was immediately disarmed, and thrown upon his knees. In this posture he begged his life; but the Major refused to grant it, before he had asked pardon for his offence in a short extemporary prayer, which the old gentleman dictated to him upon the spot, and which his proselyte repeated after him in the presence of the whole ordinary, that were now gathered about him in the garden. N° 136. TUESDAY, FEB. 21, 1709-10. Deprendi miserum est: Fabio vel judice vincam. HOR. 1. Sat. II. ver. ult. To be surpris'd, is, sure a wretched tale, And for the truth to Fabius I appeal. FRANCIS. White's Chocolate-house, February 18. THE HISTORY OF TOM VARNISH. BECAUSE I have a professed aversion to long beginnings of stories, I will go into this at once, by telling you, that there dwells near the Royal Exchange as happy a couple as ever entered into wed lock. These live in that mutual confidence of each other, which renders the satisfactions of marriage even greater than those of friendship, and makes wife and husband the dearest appellations of human life. Mr. Balance is a merchant of good consideration, and understands the world, not from speculation, but practice. His wife is the daughter of an honest house, ever bred in a family-way; and has, from a natural good understanding, and great innocence, a freedom which men of sense know to be the certain sign of virtue, and fools take to be an encouragement to vice. Tom Varnish, a young gentleman of the MiddleTemple, by the bounty of a good father, who was so obliging as to die, and leave him, in his twentyfourth year, besides a good estate, a large sum which lay in the hands of Mr. Balance, had by this means an intimacy at his house; and being one of those hard students who read plays for the improvement in the law, took his rules of life from thence. Upon mature deliberation, he conceived it very proper, that he, as a man of wit and pleasure of the town, should have an intrigue with his merchant's wife. He no sooner thought of this adventure, but he began it by an amorous epistle to the lady, and a faithful promise to wait upon her at a certain hour the next evening, when he knew her husband was to be absent. The letter was no sooner received, but it was communicated to the husband, and produced no other effect in him, than that he joined with his wife to raise all the mirth they could out of this fantastical piece of gallantry. They were so little con• cerned at this dangerous man of mode, that they plotted ways to perplex him without hurting him. Varnish comes exactly at this hour; and the lady's well-acted confusion at his entrance gave him op own name has been as little made use of as póssible: but the season of the year advancing too fast to admit of much longer delays in the present condition of France, Mons. Torcy, in the name of the king, sent a letter to Mons. Pettecum, wherein he says," That the king is willing all the preliminary articles shall rest as they are during the treaty for the 37th." Sheer-lane, February 20. I have been earnestly solicited for a further term for wearing the fardingal, by several of the fair sex, but more especially by the following petitioners. "The humble petition of DEBORAH HARK, SARAH THREADPAPER, and RACHAEL THIMBLE, spinsters, and single women, commonly called waitingmaids, in behalf of themselves and their sisterhood, "Showeth, "That your worship has been pleased to order and command, that no person or persons shall presume to wear quilted petticoats on forfeiture of the said petticoats, or penalty of wearing ruffs, after the seventeenth instant now expired. "That your petitioners have, time out of mind, been entitled to wear their ladies cloaths, or to sell the same. "That the sale of the said cloaths is spoiled by your worship's said prohibition. "Your petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that your worship will please to allow, that all gentlewomen's gentlewomen may be allowed to wear the said dress, or to repair the loss of such a perquisite jn such manner as your worship shall think fit. And your petitioners, &c.", I do allow the allegations of this petition to be just; and forbid all persons, but the petitioners, or those who shall purchase them, to wear the said garment after the date hereof. No 137. THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 1709-10. Ter centum tonat ore Deos, Erebúmque, Chaosque, Tergeminámque Hecaten VIRG. Æn. IV. 510. He thrice invokes th' infernal powers profound On Hecate's triple form R. WYNNE. Sheer-lane, February 22. DICK REPTILE and I sat this evening later than the rest of the club; and as some men are better company when only with one friend, others when there is a larger number, I found Dick to be of the former kind. He was bewailing to me, in very just terms, the offences which he frequently met with in the abuse of speech; some use ten times more words than they need; some put in words quite foreign to their purpose; and others adorn their discourses with oaths and blasphemies, by way of tropes and figures. What my good friend started dwelt upon me after I came home this evening, and led me into an inquiry with myself, Whence should arise such strange excrescences in discourse? where |