in 6 Days, brought Advice, That the Fleet commanded by Admiral Whitaker was fafely arrived at Barcelona, with the Troops and Ammunition which he had taken in at Naples.

General Boneval, Govenor of Commacchio, had fummoned the Magiftrates of all the Towns near that Place to appear before him, and take an Oath of Fidelity to his Imperial Majefty, commanding alfo the Gentry to pay him Ho0 mage, on Pain of Death and Confifcation of. $ Goods, Advices from Swifferland inform us, e That the Bankers of Geneva were utterly rui Vned by the Failure of Mr. Bernard. They add, $ That the Deputies of the Swiss Cantons were e returned from Soleure, where they were affemCbled at the Inftance of the French Ambaffador; but were very much diffatisfied with the Reception they had from that Minifter. 'Tis true, She omitted no Civilities, or Expreffions of Friendship from his Mafter, but he took no Notice of their Penfions and Arrears; what further provoked their Indignation, was, That instead of 25 Piftoles formerly allowed to each Member for their Charge in coming to the Diet, he had presented them with 6 only. They write from Drefden, That King Auguftus was ftill bufie in recruiting his Cavalry, and that the Danish Troops, which lately ferved in Hungary, had Orders to be in Saxony in the Middle of May, and that his Majefty of Denmark was expected at Drefden in the Beginning of that Month. King Auguftus makes great Prepara tions for his Reception, and has appointed Sixty Coaches, each drawn by Six Horfes, for that Purpose: The Interview of thefe Princes affords great Matter for Speculation. Letters from Paris of the 22d of this Month fay, That Marefchal Harcourt and the Duke of Berwick

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were preparing to go into Alface and Dauphiné, but that their Troops were in Want of all Manner of Neceffaries. The Court of France had received Advices from Madrid, That on the 7th of this Month the States of Spain had with much Magnificence acknowledged the Prince of Afturias Prefumptive Heir of the Crown. This was performed at Buen Retiro; the Deputies took the Oaths on that Occafion from the Hands of Cardinal Portocarrero, Thefe Advices add, That it was fignified to the Pope's Nuncio, by Order of Council, to depart from that Court in 24 Hours, and that a Guard was accordingly appointed to conduct him to Bay

onne.

Letters from the Hague of the 26th Instant inform us, That Prince Eugene was to fet out the next Day for Bruffels, to put all Things in a Readiness for opening the Campaign. They add, That the Grand Pensioner having reported to the Duke of Marlborough what paffed in the laft Conference with Mr. Rouille, his Grace had taken a Refolution immediately to return to Great Britain, to communicate to Her Majefty all that has been tranfa&ted in that important Affair.

From my own Apartment, April 20.

The Nature of my Mifcellaneous Work is fuch, that I fhall always take the Liberty to tell for News fuch Things (let 'em have happened never fo much before the Time of Writing) as have efcaped publick Notice, or have been mifreprefented to the World, provided that I am still within Rules, and trefpafs not as a Tatler any further than in an Incorrectnefs of Style, and writing in an Air of common Speech. Thus if any Thing that is faid, even of old Anchifes or neas, be fet by me in a different Light than has

hither

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hitherto been hit upon, in order to inspire the Love and Admiration of worthy Actions, you will, Gentle Reader, I hope, accept of it for Intelligence you had nor before. But I am going upon a Narrative, the Matter of which I know to be true: It is not only doing Juftice to the deceas'd Merit of fuch Perfons, as, had they li ved, would not have had it in their Power to thank me, but also an Inftance of the Greatness of Spirit in the lowest of Her Majesty's Subjects. Take it as follows:

At the Siege of Namur by the Allies, there were in the Ranks of the Company commanded by Captain Pincent, in Colonel Frederick Hamilton's Regiment, one Unnion a Corporal, and one Valentine a private Centinel: There happened between thefe Two Men a Difpute about a Matter of Love, which, upon fome Aggravations, grew to an irreconcileable Hatred. Unnion be ing the Officer of Valentine, took all Opportunities even to strike his Rival, and profefs the Spite and Revenge which moved him to it. The Centinel bore it without Reliftance, but frequent ly faid, He would die to be revenged of that Tyrant. They had spent whole Months thus, one injuring, the other complaining; when in the Midit of this Rage towards each other, they were commanded upon the Attack of the Ca ftle, where the Corporal received a Shot in the Thigh, and fell, the French preffing on, and he expecting to be trampled to Death, called out to his Enemy, Ah, Valentine! Can you leave me here? Valentine immediately ran back, and in the Midst of a thick Fire of the French, took the Corporal upon his Back, and brought him thro' all that Danger as far as the Abbey of Salfine, where a Cannon-Ball took off his Head: His Bo dy fell under his Enemy whom he was carrying

off.

off. Unnion immediately forgot his Wound, rofe up, tearing his Hair, and then threw himself upon the bleeding Carcafs, crying, Ah Valentine! Was it for me, who have fo barbaroully ufed thee, that thou haft died? I will not live after thee. He was not by any Means to be forced' from the Body, but was removed with it bleeding in his Arms, and attended with Tears by all their Comrades, who knew their Enmity. When he was brought to a Tent, his Wounds were dreffed by Force; but the next Day, ftill calling upon Valentine, and lamenting his Cruel-ties to him, he died in the Pangs of Remorfe and Defpair.

It may be a Question among Men of Noble Sentiments, Whether of thefe unfortunate Perfons had the greater Soul, he that was fo generous as to venture his Life for his Enemy, or he who could not furvive the Man that died, in laying upon him fuch an Obligation?

When we fee Spirits like thefe in a People, to what Heights may we not fuppofe their Glory may arife, but (as it is excellently obferved by Salluft) it is not only to the general Bent of a Nation that great Revolutions are owing, but to the extraordinary Genio's that lead 'em. On which Occafion he proceeds to fay, That the Roman Greatness was neither to be attributed to their fuperior Policy, for in that the Carthaginians excelled; nor to their Valour, for in that the French were preferable; but to particular Men, who were born for the Good of their Country, and formed for great Attempts. This he fays to introduce the Characters of Cæfar and Cato. It would be entring into too weighty a Difcourfe for this Place, if I attempted to fhow, that our Nas great and able Men for

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publick Affairs as any other. But I believe, the Reader outruns me, and fixes his Imagination upon the Duke of Marlborough. It is, methinks, a pleafing Reflection to confider the Difpenfations of Providence in the Fortune of this Illuftrious Man, who, in the Space of Forty Years, has paffed through all the Gradations of Humane Life, till he has afcended to the Character of a Prince, and become the Scourge of a Tyrant, who fate in one of the greatest Thrones of Europe, before the Man who was to have the greatest Part in his Downfal had made one Step in the World. But fuch Elevations are the Natural Confequences of an exact Prudence, a calm Courage, a well governed Temper, a patient Ambition, and an affable Behaviour. Thefe Arts, as they are the Steps to his Greatnefs, fo they are the Pillars of it now it is raised. To this her Glorious Son, Great Britain is indebted for the happy Conduct of her Arms, in whom he can boaft, She has produced a Man formed by Nature to lead a Nation of Heroes.

The TATLER.

[No 6.

From Tfd. April 21. to Saturd. April 23. 1709.

Will's Coffee-boule, April 22.

AM just come from vifiting Sappho, a fine Lady, who writes Verfes, fings, dances, and can fay and do whatever the pleases, without the Imputation of any Thing that can injure her Character; for he is fo well known to have no Paffion but Self-Love, or Folly, but Affectation, that now upon any Occalion, they only cry, 'Tis her Way, and That's Jo like her,

without