portion--Or rather, let me die like the memorable Lucretia."-Upon which she stabs herself, The body is immediately examined after the manner of our coroners. Lucretia recovers by a cup of right Nantz; and the matron, who is her next relation, stops all process at law.

66

This unhappy affair is no sooner over, but a naked mad woman breaks into the room, calls for her duke, her lord, her emperor. As soon as she spies Aurengezebe, the object of all her fury and love, she calls for petticoats, is ready to sink with shame, and is dressed in all haste in new attire at his charge. This unexpected accident of the mad woman makes Aurengezebe curious to know, whether others who are in their senses can guess at his quality. For which reason, the whole convent is examined one by one. The matron marches in with a tawdry country girl- Pray, Winifred," says she, "who do you think that fine man with those jewels and pearls is?"-" I believe," says Winifred, it is our landlord-It must be the esquire himself."-The emperor laughs at her simplicity-" Go, fool," says the matron: then turning to the emperor-" Your greatness will pardon her ignorance!" After her, several others of different characters are instructed to mistake who he is, in the same manner: then the whole sisterhood are called together, and the emperor rises, and cocking his hat, declares, he is the Great Mogul, and they his concubines. A ge, neral murmur goes through the whole assembly: and Aurengezebe, certifying that he keeps them for state rather than use, tells them, they are permitted to receive all men into their apartments; then proceeds through the crowd, among whom he throwa medals shaped like half-crowns, and returns to his chariot.

This being all that passed the last day in which Aurengezebe visited the women's apartments, I consulted Pacolet concerning the foundation of such strange amusements in old age: to which he answered, "You may remember, when I gave you an account of my good fortune in being drowned on the thirtieth day of my human life, I told you of the disasters I should otherwise have met with before I arrived at the end of my stamen, which was sixty years. I may now add an observation to you, that all who exceed that period, except the latter part of it is spent in the exercise of virtue and contemplation of futurity, must necessarily fall into an indecent old age; because, with regard to all the enjoyments of the years of vigour and manhood, childhood returns upon them: and as infants ride on sticks, build houses in dirt, and make ships in gutters, by a faint idea of things they are to act hereafter; so old men play the lovers, potentates, and emperors, from the decaying image of the more perfect performances of their stronger years: therefore, be sure to insert Esculapius and Aurengezebe in your next bill of mortality of the metaphorically defunct."

Will's Coffee-house, July 24.

As soon as I came hither this evening, no less than ten people produced the following poem, which they all reported was sent to each of them by the penny-post from an unknown hand. All the battlewriters in the room were in debate, who could be the author of a piece so martially written; and every body applauded the address and skill of the author, in calling it a postscript: it being the nature of a postscript to contain something very material which was forgotten, or not clearly expressed in the letter itself. Thus the verses being occasioned by a

march without beat of drum, and that circumstance being no ways taken notice of in any of the stanzas, the author calls it a postscript; not that it is a postscript, but figuratively, because it wants a postscript. Common writers, when what they mean is not expressed in the book itself, supply it by a preface; but a postscript seems to me the more just way of apology; because otherwise a man makes an excuse before the offence is committed. All the heroic poets were guessed at for its author; but though we could not find out his name, yet one repeated a couplet in Hudibras, which spoke his qualifications:

"I'th' midst of all this warlike rabble,

"Crowdero march'd, expert and able.”

The poem is admirably suited to the occasion: for to write without discovering your meaning, bears a just resemblance to marching without beat

of drum.

"On the march to Tournay without beat of drum,

"The BRUSSELS POSTSCRIPT.

"Could I with plainest words express
"That great man's wonderful address,
"His penetration, and his tow'ring thought;
"It would the gazing world surprise,

"To see one man at all times wise,
"To view the wonders he with ease has wrought.
"Refining schemes approach his mind,
"Like breezes of a southern wind,
"To temperate a sultry glorious day;
"Whose fannings, with an useful pride,
"Its mighty heat do softly guide,

"And, having clear'd the air, glide silently away.
"Thus his immensity of thought

"Is deeply form'd, and gently wrought,

"His temper always softening life's disease;
"That Fortune, when she does intend
"To rudely frown, she turns his friend,
"Admires his judgment, and applands his ease.
"His great address in this design
"Does now, and will for ever shine,
"And wants a Waller but to do him right;
"The whole amusement was so strong,
"Like fate he doom'd them to be wrong,
"And Tournay's took by a peculiar flight.
"Thus, Madam, all mankind behold
"Your vast ascendant, not by gold,
"But by your wisdom and your pious life;
"Your aim no more, than to destroy
"That which does Europe's ease annoy,
"And supersede a reign of shame and strife."

St. James's Coffee-house, July 24.

My brethren of the quill, the ingenious society of news-writers, having with great spirit and elegance already informed the world, that the town of Tournay capitulated on the twenty-eighth instant; there is nothing left for me to say, but to congralate the good company here, that we have reason to hope for an opportunity of thanking Mr. Withers next winter in this place, for the service he has done his country. No man deserves better of his friends than that gentleman, whose distinguishing character it is, that he gives his orders with the familiarity, and enjoys his fortune with the generosity, of a fellow-soldier. His grace the duke of Argyle had also an eminent part in the reduction of this important place. That illustrious youth discovers the peculiar turn of spirit and greatness of soul, which only make men of high birth and quality useful to their country; and considers nobility as an imaginary distinction, unless accompanied with the practice of those generous virtues by which it ought

:

to be obtained. But, that our military glory is arrived at its present height, and that men of all ranks so passionately affect their share in it, is certainly owing to the merit and conduct of our glorious general for as the great secret in chymistry, though not in nature, has occasioned many useful discoveries; and the fantastic notion of being wholly disinterested in friendship has made men do a thousand generous actions above themselves; so, though the present grandeur and fame of the duke of Marlborough is a station of glory to which no one hopes to arrive, yet all carry their actions to an higher pitch, by having that great example laid be fore them.

N° 47. THURSDAY, JULY 28, 1709.

Quicquid agunt bomines

nostri est farrago libelli.

JUV. Sat. I. 85, 86.

Whate'er men do, or say, or think, or dream,
Our motley paper seizes for its theme.

White's Chocolate-house, July 29.

P.

My friend Sir Thomas has communicated to me his letters from Epsom of the twenty-fifth instant, which give, in general, a very good account of the present posture of affairs in that place; but that the tranquillity and correspondence of the company begins to be interrupted by the arrival of Sir