it in a manner that makes me indeed thankful for his kindness, but the more inclinable to repeat the imprudence from the neceffity of the circumstance. FRIEND ISAAC, The 23d of the 6th month, which is the month June. FORASMUCH as I love thee, I cannot any longer refrain declaring my mind unto thee concerning fonie things. Thou didst thyself indite the epiftle in one of thy late Lucubrations, as thou wouldst have us call them for verily thy friend of ftone, and I speak according to knowledge, hath no fingers; and though he hath a mouth, yet speaketh he not therewith; nor yet did that epiftle at all come unto thee from the manfion-house of the scarlet whore. It is plain, therefore, that the truth is not in thee: but, fince thou wouldst lie, couldst thou not lie with more discretion? Wherefore fhouldft thou infult over the afflicted, or add forrow unto the heavy of heart? Truly this gall proceedeth not from the spirit of meekness. I tell thee, moreover, the people of this land be marvelloufly given to change; infomuch that it may likely come to pafs, that before thou art many years nearer to thy diffolution, thou mayeft behold him fitting on a high place whom thou now laugheft to fcorn: and then how wilt thou be glad to humble thyfelf to the ground, and lick the duft of his feet, that thou mayeft find favour in his fight? If thou didst meditate as much upon the word, as thou doft upon the profane fcribblings of the wife ones of this generation, thou wouldst have remembered what happened unto Shimei, the fon of Gera the Benjamite, who curfed the good man David in his diftrefs. David pardoned his tranfgreffion, yet was he afterwards taken as in a fnare by the words of his own mouth, and fell by the fword of Solomon, the chief ruler. Furthermore, I do not remember to have heard in the days of my youth and vanity, when, like thine, my converfation was with the Gentiles, that the men of Rome, which is Babylon, ever fued unto the men of Carthage for tranquillity, as thou doft aver: neither was Hannibal, the fon of Hamilcar, called home by his countrymen until these faw faw the fword of their enemies at their gates; and then was it not time for him, thinkeft thou, to return? It appeareth, therefore, that thou doft prophefy backwards thou doft row one way and look another; and indeed in all things art thou too much a time-ferver; yet feemest thou not to confider what a day may bring forth. Think of this, and take tobacco. If the zealous writer of the above letter has any meaning, it is of too high a nature to be the subject of my Lucubrations. I fhall therefore wave such high points, and be as useful as I can to perfons of lefs moment than any he hints at. When a man runs into a little fame in the world, as he meets with a great deal of reproach which he does not deserve, fo does he also a great deal of esteem to which he has in himself no pretenfions. Were it otherwife, I am sure no one would offer to put a law-case to me: but, because I am an adept in phyfic and aftrology, they will needs perfuade me that I am no less a proficient in all other sciences. However, the point mentioned in the following letter is fo plain a one, that I think I need not trouble myself to caft a figure to be able to discuss it. Mr. BICKERSTAFF, It is fome years ago fince the entail of the eftate of our family was altered, by paffing a fine in favour of me, who now am in poffeffion of it, after some others deceased. The heirs-general, who lived beyond fea, were excluded by this fettlement, and the whole eftate is to pafs in a new channel after me and my heirs. But feveral tenants of the lordship perfuade me to let them hereafter hold their lands of me according to the old cuftoms of the barony, and not oblige them to act by the limitations of the laft fettlement. This, they fay, will make me more popular among my dependants, and the ancient vassals of the eftate, to whom any deviation from the line of fucceffion is always invidious. B 2 Yours, &c.' • SIR, SIR, Sheer-lane, June 24. You have by the fine a plain right, in which none else of your family can be your competitor; for, which reafon, by all means demand vaffalage upon that title. The contrary advice can be given for no other purpose in nature but to betray you, and favour other pretenders, by making you place a right, which is in you only, upon a level with a right which you have in common with others. I am, Sir, Your most faithful fervant, until death, I. B." There is nothing fo dangerous or fo pleafing, as compliments made to us by our enemies: and my correfpondent tells me, that though he knows feveral of those who give him this counsel were at firft againft paffing the fine in favour of him; yet he is fo touched with their homage to him, that he can hardly believe they have a mind to fet it afide, in order to introduce the heirs-general into his eftate. These are great evils: but fince there is no proceeding with fuccefs in this world, without complying with the arts of it, I fhall use the fame method as my correfpondent's tenants did with him, in relation to one whom I never had a kindness for; but fhall, notwithstanding, presume to give him my advice. ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efquire, of Great Britain, to Lewis the Fourteenth of France. • SIR, YOUR majefty will pardon me while I take the liberty to acquaint you, that fome paffages, written from your fide of the water, do very much obftruct your intereft. We take it very unkindly that the prints of Paris are fo very partial in favour of one fet of men among us, and treat the others as irreconcileable to your interests. Your Your writers are very large in recounting any thing which relates to the figure and power of one party, but are dumb when they should reprefent the actions of the other. This is a trifling circumftance which many here are apt to lay fome ftref upon; therefore I thought fit to offer it to your confideration before you dispatch the next courier. I. B.' NO. 191. THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1710. -Propter vitam vivendi perdere caufas. -Bafely they Juv. Sat. 8. ver. 84. The facred caufe for which they're born, betray, R. WYNNE. From my own Apartment, June 28. Of all the evils under the fun, that of making vice, commendable is the greateft; for it seems to be the batis of fociety, that applaufe and contempt fhould be always given to proper objects. But in this age we behold things, for which we ought to have an abhorrence, not only received without difdain, but even valued as motives of emulation. This is naturally the deftruction of fimplicity of manners, openness of heart, and generofity of temper. When a perfon gives himself the liberty to range and run over in his thoughts the different geniufes of men, which he meets in the world, one cannot but obferve, that moft of the indirection and artifice, which is ufed among men, does not proceed fo much from a dégeneracy in nature, as an affectation of appearing men of confequence by fuch practices. By this means it is, that a cunning man is fo far from being afhamed of being esteemed such, that he secretly rejoices in it. It has been B 3 a fort a fort of maxim, That the greatest art is to conceal art; but I know not how, among fome people we meet with, their greateft cunning is to appear cunning. There is Polypragmon makes it the whole bufinefs of his life to be thought a cunning fellow, and thinks it a much greater character to be terrible than agreeable. When it has once entered into a man's head to have an ambition to be thought crafty, all other evils are neceffary confequences. To deceive is the immediate endeavour of him who is proud of the capacity of doing it. It is certain, Polypragmon does all the ill he poffibly can, but pretends to much more than he performs. He is contented in his own thoughts, and hugs himself in his clefet, that though he is locked up there and doing nothing, the world does not know but that he is doing mifchief. To favour this fufpicion, he gives half-looks and fhrugs in his general behaviour, to give you to understand that you do not know what he means. He is alfo wonderfully adverbial in his expreffions, and breaks off with a Perhaps,' and a nod of the head, upon matters of the most indifferent nature. It is a mighty practice with men of this genius to avoid frequent appearance in public, and to be as mys-terious as poffible when they do come into company. There is nothing to be done, according to them, in the common way; and let the matter in hand be what it will, it must be carried with an air of importance, and tranfacted, if we may fo fpeak, with an oftentatious fecrecy. Thefe are your perfons of long heads, who would fain make the world believe their thoughts and ideas very much fuperior to their neighbours; and do not value what these their neighbours think of them, provided they do not reckon them fools. These have fuch a romantic touch in business, that they hate to perform any thing like other men. Were it in their choice, they had rather bring their purposes to bear by overreaching the perfons they deal with, than by a plain and fimple manner. They make difficulties for the honour of furmounting them. Polypragmon is eternally bufied after this manner, with no other profpect, than that he is in hopes to be thought the most cunning of all men, and fears the imputation of the |