"fortunate, as are daily occafioned by our size: « these we faithfully communicate, either as mat"ter of mirth or of confolation to each other. "The Prefident had lately an unlucky fall, being "unable to keep his legs on a stormy day; where"upon he informed us it was no new difafter, but "the fame a certain ancient Poet had been subject "to; who is recorded to have been fo light that " he was obliged to poife himself against the wind, "with lead on one fide, and his own works on "the other. The Lover confeft the other night "that he had been cured of love to a tall woman, ron, by reading over the legend of Ragotine in Scarwith his tea, three mornings fucceffively. "Our Hero rarely acquaints us with any of his "unfuccefsful adventures: and as for the Politici an, he declares himself an utter enemy to all "kind of burlesque, fo will never difcompose the aufterity of his afpect by laughing at our adventures, much less discover any of his own in this " ludicrous light. Whatever he tells of any accidents that befal him, is by way of complaint, "nor is he ever laugh'd at but in his Abfence. "We are likewife particularly careful to com"municate in the club all fuch paffages of hiftory, "or characters of illuftrious perfonages, as any << way reflect honour on little men. Tim. Tuck having but just reading enough for a military man, perpetually entertains us with the fame "ftories of little David that conquer'd the mighty Goliah, and little Luxembourg that made Louis "xiv. a grand Monarque, never forgetting lit"tle Alexander the great. Dick Diftick celebrates "the exceeding humanity of Auguftus, who call"ed Horace lepidiffimum homunciolum ; and is wonderfully pleafed with Voiture and Scarron, for having fo well defcribed their diminutive forms "to pofterity. He is peremptorily of opinion, against a great Reader and all his adherents, that Afop was not a jot properer or handsomer than "he is reprefented by the common pictures. But the Soldier believes with the learned perfon above-mentioned; for he thinks none but an impudent tall author could be guilty of fuch an unmannerly piece of fatire on little warriors, as his Battle of the Moufe and the Frog. The Politician is very proud of a certain King of Egypt, called Bocchor, who, as Diodorus af"fures us, was a perfon of a very low ftature, but "far exceeded all that went before him in difcretion and politicks. "As I am fecretary to the club, 'tis my bufi nefs, whenever we meet, to take minutes of the "tranfactions: this has enabled me to fend you "the foregoing particulars, as I may hereafter "other memoirs. We have fpies appointed in every quarter of the town, to give us informa"tions of the mifbehaviour of fuch refractory per"fons as refufe to be fubject to our flatutes. "Whatsoever afpiring practices any of thefe our ર people fhall be guilty of in their Amours, fingle Combats, or any indirect means to manhood, we shall certainly be acquainted with, and pub lish to the world, for their punishment and re"formation. For the Prefident has granted me "the fole propriety of expofing and fhewing to "the town all fuch intractable Dwarfs, whofe cir"cumstances exempt them from being carried "about in Boxes: referving only to himself, as "the right of a Poet, thofe smart characters that "will shine in Epigrams. Venerable Neftor, I in the name of the club. falute you BOB. SHORT, Secretary. N°. 173. September 29, 1713. Nec fera comantem Narciffum, aut flexi tacuiffem vimen Acanthi, VIRG. Lately took a particular friend of mine to my house in the country, not without fome apprehenfion, that it could afford little entertainment to a man of his polite tafte, particularly in architecture and gardening, who had fo long been converfant with all that is beautiful and great in ei ther. But it was a pleafant furprize to me, to hear him often declare he had found in my little retirement that beauty which he always thought wanting in the most celebrated feats (or, if you will, Villa's) of the nation. This he described to me in thofe verfes with which Martial begins one of his epigrams: Baiana noftri villa, Baffe, Fauftini, There is certainly fomething in the amiable fimplicity of unadorned Nature, that spreads over the mind a more noble fort of tranquillity, and a loftier fenfation of pleasure, than can be raised from the nicer fcenes of art. This was the taste of the Ancients in their gardens, as we may difcover from the defcriptions extant of them. The two most celebrated wits of the world have cach of them left us a particular picture of a Garden; wherein thofe great mafters being wholly unconfined, and painting at pleasure, may be thought to have given a full idea of what they esteemed moft excellent in this way. These (one may observe) confift intirely of the useful part of horticulture, fruit trees, herbs, water, etc. The pieces I am speaking of are Virgil's account of the garden of the old Corycian, and Homer's of that of Alcinous in the feventh Oyffey, to which I refer the reader. Sir William Temple has remarked, that this garden of Homer contains all the jufteft rules and provifions which can go toward compofing the best gardens Its extent was four Acres, which, in those times of fimplicity, was looked upon as a large one, even for a Prince. It was inclofed all round for defence; and for conveniency joined clofe to the gates of the Palace. He mentions next the Trees, which were ftandards, and fuffered to grow to their full height. The fine description of the Fruits that never failed, and the eternal Zephyrs, is only a more noble and poetical way of expreffing the continual fucceffion of one fruit after another throughout the year. The Vineyard feems to have been a plantation diftinct from the Garden; as alfo the beds of Greens mentioned afterwards at the extremity of the inclosure, in the ufual place of our Kitchen Gardens. The two Fountains are difpofed very remarkably. They rofe within the inclosure, and were brought in by conduits or ducts; one of them to water all parts of the gardens, and the other underneath the Palace into the Town, for the fervice of the publick. How contrary to this fimplicity is the modern practice of gardening? We feem to make it our |