who would intrude upon us, and has a Brifkness of Imagination more like Madness than regular Thought, faid, that Harry Jacks was the firft who told him of the taking of the Citadel of Tournay, and (fays he) Harry deferves a Statue more than the Boy who ran to the Senate with a Thorn in his Foot to tell of a Victory. We were aftonished at the Affertion, and Spondee afked him, What Affinity is there between that Boy and Harry, that you fay their Merit refembles fo much as you just now told us? Why (fays he) Harry, you know, is in the French Intereft, and it was more Pain to him to tell the Story of Tournay, than to the Boy to run upon a Thorn to relate a Victory which he was glad of. The Gentleman, who was in the Chair upon the Subject of Propriety of Words and Thoughts, would by no Means allow, that there was Wit in this Comparison; and urged, That to have any Thing gracefully faid, it must be natural; but that whatsoever was introduced in common Difcourfe with fo much Premeditation, was infufferable. That Critick went on: Had Mr. Jacks (faid he) told him the Citadel was taken, and another had anfwered, He deferves a Statue as well as the Roman Boy, for he told it, with as much Pain, it might have paffed for a sprightly Expreffion; but there is a Wit for Difcourfe, and a Wit for Writing. The Eafinefs and Familiarity of the first, is not to favour in the leaft of Study; but the Exactness of the other, is to admit of fomething like the Freedom of Discourse, especially in Treatifes of Humanity, and what regards the Belles Lettres. I do not in this allow, that Bickerftaff's Tatlers, or Difcourfe of Wit by Retail, and for the Penny, fhould come within the Defcription of Writing. I bowed at his Compliment, and-But he would not let me proceed.

YOU fee in no Place of Conversation the Perfection of Speech fo much as in an accomplished Woman. Whether it be, that there is a Partiality irrefiftible when we judge of that Sex, or whatever it is, you may obferve a wonderful Freedom in their Utterance, and an eafy Flow of Words, without being distracted (as we often are who read much) in the Choice of Dictions and Phrases. My Lady Courtly is an Inftance of this: She was talking the other Day of Drefs, and did it with fo excellent

excellent an Air and Gesture, that you would have fworn The had learned her Action from our Demofthenes. Befides which, her Words were fo particularly well adapted to the Matter fhe talked of, that though Drefs was a new Thing to us Men, the avoided the Terms of Art in it, and described an unaffected Garb and Manner in so proper Terms, that fhe came up to that of Horace's Simplex Munditiis; which, whoever can tranflate in two Words has as much Eloquence as Lady Courtly. I took the Liberty to tell her, That all fhe had faid with fo much good Grace, was fpoken in Two Words in Horace, but would not undertake to tranflate them; upon which the fmiled, and told me, She believed me a very great Scholar; and I took my Leave.

From my own Apartment, August 31.

I HAVE been just now reading the Introduction to the History of Catiline by Salluft, an Author who is very much in my Favour; but when I reflect upon his profeffing himself wholly difinterested, and at the fame Time fee how induftrioufly he has avoided faying any Thing to the Praife of Cicero, to whofe Vigilance the Commonwealth owed its Safety, it very much lessens my Efteem for that Writer, and is one Argument among others, for laughing at all who pretend to be out of the Interefts of the World, and profefs purely to act for the Service of Mankind, without the leaft Regard to themfelves. I do not deny but that the Rewards are different; fome aim at Riches, others at Honour, by their publick Services. However, they are all purfuing fome End to themfelves, though indeed thofe Ends differ as much as Right and Wrong. The most graceful Way then, I fhould think, would be to acknowledge, that you aim at ferving yourselves; but at the fame Time make it appear, it is for the Service of others that you have these Opportunities.

OF all the difinterested Profeffors I have ever heard of, I take the Boatfwain of Dampier's Ship to be the most impudent, but the most excufable. You are to know, that in the wild Searches that Navigator was making, they happened to be out at Sea, far diftant

from

from any Shore, in want of all the Neceffaries of Life: infomuch, that they began to look, not without Hunger, on each other. The Boatfwain was a fat, healthy, fresh Fellow, and attracted the Eyes of the whole Crew. In fuch an extreme Neceffity, all Forms of Superiority were laid afide: The Captain and Lieutenant were fafe only. by being Carrion, and the unhappy Boatfwain in Danger only, by being worth eating. To be fhort, the Company were unanimous, and the Boatfwain must be cut up. He faw their Intention, and defired he might fpeak a few Words before they proceeded; which being permitted, he delivered himself as follows:

Gentlemen Sailors,

Far be it that I should speak it for any private Intereft of my own, but I take it, that I should not die with a good Confcience, if I did not confefs to you, that I am not found. I fay, Gentlemen, Juftice, and the Teftimony of a good Confcience, as well as Love of my Country, to which I hope you will all return, oblige me to own, that Black Kate at Deptford has made me very unfafe to eat; and (I Speak it with Shame) I am afraid, Gentlemen, I should poifon you.

THIS Speech had a good Effect in the Boatswain's Favour; but the Surgeon of the Ship protested, he had cured him very well, and offered to eat the firft Steak of him himself.

THE Boatfwain replied, (like an Orator, with a true Notion of the People, and in Hopes to gain Time) That he was heartily glad if he could be for their Service, and thanked the Surgeon for his Information. However, faid he, I must inform you, for your own Good that I have ever fince my Cure been very thirsty and dropfical; therefore I prefume it would be much better to tap me and drink me off, than eat me at once, and have no Man in the Ship fit to be drank. As he was going on with his Harangue, a fresh Gale arose, and gave the Crew Hopes of a better Repaft at the nearest Shore, to which they arrived next Morning.

MOST of the Self-Denials we meet with, are of this Sort; therefore I think he acts faireft who owns, he

hopes

hopes at least to have Brother's Fare, without profeffing that he gives himself up with Pleafure to be devoured for the Prefervation of his Fellows.

St. James's Coffee-house, August 31.

LETTERS from the Hague of the 6th of September, N. S. fay, That the Governor of the Citadel of Tournay having offered their Highneffes the Duke of Marlborough and the Prince of Savoy to furrender that Place on the 31st of the last Month, on Terms which were not allowed them by thofe Princes, Hoftilities were thereupon renewed; but that on the 3d the Place was furrender'd, with a feeming Condition granted to the Befieged above that of being Prifoners of War; for they were forthwith to be conducted to Conde, but were to be exchanged for Prisoners of the Allies, and particularly thofe of Warneton were mentioned in the Demand. Both Armies having stretched towards Mons with the utmost Diligence, that of the Allies, though they paffed the much more difficult Road, arrived first before that Town, which they have now actually invefted; and the Quarter-mafter General was, at the Time of dispatching thefe Letters, marking the Ground for the Encampment of the covering Army.

To the Bookfellers, or others, whom this Advertisement may concern.

Mr. OMICRON, the Unborn Poet, gives Notice, That he writes all Treatifes, as well in Verfe as Profe, being a ninth Son, and tranflates out of all Languages, without Learning or Study.

IF any Bookfeller will treat for his Paftoral on the Siege and Surrender of the Citadel of Tournay, he must fend in his Proposals before the News of a Capitulation for other Town.

any

THE Undertaker for either Play houfe may have an Opera written by him; or, if it shall fuit their Defign, a Satire upon Opera's; both ready for next Winter.

THIS is to give Notice, That Richard Farloe, M. A. well known for his Acuteness in Diffection of dead Bodies, and his great Skill in Ofteology, has now laid by that Practice; and having, by great Study and much Labour, acquired the Knowledge of an Antidote for all the most common Maladies of the Stomach, is removed, and may be applied to, at any Time of the Day, in the South Entrance from Newgate ftreet into Chrift's Hospital.

N° 63.

Saturday, September 3, 1709.

I

White's Chocolate-houfe, September 2.

Of the Enjoyment of Life with Regard to others.

HAVE ever thought it the greatest Diminution to the Roman Glory imaginable, that in their Institution of publick Triumphs, they led their Enemies in Chains when they were Prifoners. It is to be allowed, that doing all Honour to the Superiority of Heroes above the reft of Mankind, muft needs-conduce to the Glory and Advantage of a Nation; but what fhocks the Imagination to reflect upon, is, that a polite People fhould think it reasonable, that an unhappy Man, who was no way inferior to the Victor but by the Chance of War, fhould be led like a Slave at the Wheels of his Chariot. Indeed, these other Circumstances of a Triumph, That it was not allowed in a Civil War, left Part of it fhould be in Tears, while the other was making Acclamations; That it fhould not be granted, except fuch a Number were flain in Battle; That the General fhould be difgraced who Imade a falfe Mufter of his Dead; Thefe, I say, had great and politick Ends in their being established, and tended to the apparent Benefit of the Commonwealth. But this Behaviour to the Conquered had no

Foundation