portunity to repeat some couplets, very fit for the occasion, with very much grace and spirit. His theatrical manner of making love was interrupted by an alarm of the husband's coming; and the wife, in a personated terror, beseeching him, if he had any value for the honour of a woman that loved him, he would jump out of the window.' He did so, and fell upon feather-beds placed on purpose to receive him. 6 It is not to be conceived how great the joy of an amorous man is, when he has suffered for his mistress, and is never the worse for it. Varnish, the -next day writ a most elegant billet, wherein he said all that imagination could form upon the occasion. He violently protested, going out of the window was no way terrible, but as it was going from her ;' with several other kind expressions, which procured him a second assignation. Upon his second visit, he was conveyed by a faithful maid into her bed-chamber, and left there to expect the arrival of her mistress. But the wench, according to her instructions, ran in again to him, and locked the door after her to keep out her master. She had just time enough to convey the lover into a chest before she admitted the husband and his wife into the room. You may be sure that trunk was absolutely necessary to be opened; but upon her husband's ordering it, she assured him, she had taken all the care imaginable in packing up the things with her own hand, and he might send the trunk aboard as soon as he thought fit.' The easy husband believed his wife, and the good couple went to bed; Varnish having the happiness to pass the night in his mistress's bed-chamber without molestation. The morning arose, but our lover was not well situated to observe her blushes; so that all we know of his -sentiments on this occasion is, that he heard Balance ask for the key, and say, he would himself go 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 Mordyke 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 own name has been as little made use of as pos→ sible 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, set a letter to Mons. Pettecum, wherein he That the king is willing all the preliminary says, articles shall rest as they are doing 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 RACHEL THIMBLE, spinsters, and single women, commonly called waiting-maids, in behalf of themselves and their sisterhood, 6 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 seventeeth instant now expired. That your petitioners have, time out of mind, been entitled to wear their ladies' clothes, or to sell the same. That the sale of the said clothes 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 in such manner as your worship shall think fit. And your petitioner,' &c. I do allow the allegations of this petition to be just; and forbid all persons, but the petitioners, or those who shall purchase from them, to wear the said garment after the date hereof. No. 137. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1709-10. Tercentum tonat ore Deos, Erebumque, Chaosque, Tergeminamque Hecaten VIRG. N. iv. 510, He thrice invokes th' infernal powers profound 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 as it must be obvious to all reasonable beings, that the sooner a man speaks his mind, the more conplaisant he is to the man with whom he talks: but, upon mature deliberation, I am come to this resolution, that for one man who speaks to be understood, there are ten who talk only to be admired. The ancient Greeks had little independent syllables called expletives, which they brought into their discourses both in verse and prose, for no other purpose but for the better grace and sound of their sentences and periods. I know no example but this, which can authorise the use of more words than are necessary. But whether it be from this freedom taken by that wise nation, or however it arises, Dick Reptile hit upon a very just and common cause of offence in the generality of people of all orders. We have one here in our lane, who speaks nothing without quoting an authority; for it is always with him, so and so, as the man said.' He asked me this morning, how I did, as the man said?' and hoped I would come now and then to see him, 6 as the man said.' I am acquainted with another, who never delivers himself upon any subject, but he cries, he only speaks his poor judgement; this is his humble opinion; or as for his part, if he might presume to offer any thing on that subject.'-But of all the persons who add elegances and superfluities to the discourses, those who deserve the foremost rank are the swearers; and the lump of these may, I think, be very aptly divided into the common distinction of High and Low. Dulness and barrenness of thought is the original of it in both these sects, and they differ only in constitution: the Low is generally a phlegmatic, and the High a choleric coxcomb. The man of phlegm is sensible of the emptiness of his discourse, and will tell you, that I'fackins,' such a thing |