London, May 31.

Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efquire, of Great Britain, to Lewis the Fourteenth of France.

THE furprising news which arrived this day, of your majesty's having refused to fign the treaty your minifters have in a manner fued for, is what gives ground to this application to your majefty, from one, whofe name, perhaps, is too obfcure to have ever reached your territories; but one who, with all the European world, is atfected with your determinations. Therefore, as it is mine and the common caufe of mankind, I presume to expoftulate with you on this occafion. It will, I doubt not, appear to the vulgar extravagant, that the actions of a mighty prince should be balanced by the cenfure of a private man, whofe approbation or diflike are equally contemptible in their eyes, when they regard the thrones of fovereigns. But your majefty has fhewn, through the whole courfe of your reign, too great a value for liberal arts, to be infenfible that true fame lies only in the hands of learned men, by whom it is to be tranfmitted to futurity, with marks of honour or reproach to the end of time. The date of human life is too fhort to recompenfe the cares which attend the moft private condition. Therefore it is, that our fouls are made as it were too big for it; and extend themselves in the profpect of a longer exiftence, in a good fame, and memory of worthy actions, after our decease, The whole race of men have this paffion in fome degree implanted in their bofoms, which is the ftrongeft and nobleft incitation to honeft attempts: but the bafe ufe of the arts of peace, eloquence, poetry, and all the parts of learning, have been poffeffed by fouls fo unworthy of thofe faculties, that the names and appellations of things have been confounded by the la bours and writings of proftituted men, who have stamped a reputation upon fuch actions, as are in themselves the objects of contempt and difgrace. This is that which has mifled your majetty in the conduct of your reign, and made that life which might have been the most imitable, the most to be avoided. To this it is, that the great and

excellent

excellent qualities, of which your majefty is mafter, are loft in their application; and your majefty has been carrying on for many years the most cruel tyranny, with all the noble methods which are used to support a juft reign. Thus it is, that it avails nothing that you are a bountiful master; that you are fo generous as to reward even the unfuccefsful with honour and riches; that no laudable action paffes unrewarded in your kingdom; that you have fearched all nations for obfcure merit: in a word, that you are in your private character endowed with every princely quality; when all this is fubjected to unjust and ill-taught ambition, which, to the injury of the world, is gilded by those endowments. However, if your majefty will condefcend to look into your own foul, and confider all its faculties and weakneffes with impartiality; if you will but be convinced, that life is fupported in you by the ordinary methods of food, reft, and fleep; you will think it impoffible that you could ever be fo much impofed on, as to have been wrought into a belief, that fo many thoufands of the fame make with yourself were formed by Providence for no other end, but by the hazard of their very being to extend the conquests and glory of an individual of their own fpecies. A very little reflection will convince your majefty, that fuch cannot be the intent of the Creator; and if not, what horror muft it give your majefty to think of the vast devaftations your ambition has made among your fellow-creatures? While the warmth of youth, the flattery of crowds, and a continual series of fuccefs and triumph, indulged your majefty in this illufion of mind, it was lefs to be wondered at, that you proceeded in this mistaken pursuit of grandeur; but when age, difappointments, public calamities, personal diftempers, and the reverse of all that makes men forget their true being, are fallen upon you: heaven! is it poffible you can live without remorfe? can the wretched man be a tyrant? can grief ftudy torments? can forrow be cruel?

Your majefty will obferve, I do not bring against you a railing accufation; but as you are a strict profeffor of religion, I beseech your majefty to ftop the effufion of blood, by receiving the opportunity which prefents itself

fr

for the prefervation of your diftreffed people. Be no longer fo infatuated, as to hope for renown from murder and violence: but confider that the great day will come in which this world and all its glory fhall change in a moment; when nature fhall ficken, and the earth and fea give up the bodies committed to them, to appear before the laft tribunal. Will it then, oh king! be an answer for the lives of millions, who have fallen by the sword? "They perifhed for my glory." That day will come on, and one like it is immediately approaching: injured nations advance towards thy habitation: vengeance has began its march, which is to be diverted only by the penitence of the oppreffor. Awake, O monarch, from thy lethargy! difdain the abufes thou haft received: pull down the ftatue which calls thee immortal: be truly great: tear thy purple, and put on fackcloth. I am,

Thy generous enemy,

ISSAAC BICKERSTAFF.

NO. 24. SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1709.

White's Chocolate-boufe, June 2.

In my paper of the twenty-eighth of the last month, I mentioned feveral characters which want explanation to the generality of readers: among others, I spoke of a pretty fellow. I have fince received a kind admonition in a letter, to take care that I do not omit to fhew alfo what is meant by a very pretty fellow, which is to be allowed as a character by itself, and a perfon exalted above the other by a peculiar fprightlinefs; as one who, by a diftinguifhing vigour, outftrips his companions, and has thereby deferved and obtained a particular appellation or nickname of familiarity. Some have this diftinction from the fair-fex, who are fo generous as to take into their protec

tion

tion fuch as are laughed at by the men, and place them for that reason in degrees of favour.

The chief of this fort is colonel Brunett, who is a man of fashion, because he will be fo; and practises a very janty way of behaviour, because he is too careless to know when he offends, and too fanguine to be mortified. if he did know it. Thus the colonel has met with a town ready to receive him, and cannot poffibly fee why he fhould not make ufe of their favour, and fet himfelf in the first degree of converfation. Therefore he is very fuccessfully loud among the wits, and familiar among the ladies, and diffolute among the rakes. Thus he is admitted in one place, because he is fo in another; and every man treats Brunett well, not out of his particular efteem for him, but in respect to the opinion of others. It is to me a folid pleasure to see the world thus mistaken on the good-natured fide; for it is ten to one but the colonel mounts into a general officer, marries a fine lady, and is master of a good eftate, before they come to explain upon him. What gives moft delight to me in this obfervation, is, that all this arifes from pure nature, and the colonel can account for his fuccefs no more than those by whom he fucceeds. For these causes and confiderations I pronounce him a true woman's man, and in the first dedegree, 'a very pretty fellow.'

The next to a man of this univerfal genius, is one who is peculiarly formed for the fervice of the ladies, and his merit chiefly is to be of no confequence. I am indeed a little in doubt, whether he ought not rather to be called a very happy, than a very pretty fellow? for he is admitted at all hours: all he fays or does, which would offend in another, are paffed over in him; and all actions and fpeeches which please, doubly please if they come from him: no one wonders or takes notice when he is wrong; but all admire him when he is in the right.By the way it is fit to reinark, that there are people of better fense than thefe, who endeavour at this character; but they are out of nature; and though, with fome industry, they get the characters of fools, they cannot arrive to be very, feldom to be merely, pretty fellows. But where

I

nature

nature has formed a perfon for this ftation amongst men, he is gifted with a peculiar genius for fuccefs, and his very errors and abfurdities contribute to it; this felicity attending him to his life's end. For it being in a manner neceffary that he fhould be of no confequence, he is as well in old age as youth; and I know a man, whose fon has been fome years a pretty fellow, who is himself at this hour a very pretty fellow.

One must move tenderly in this place, for we are now in the ladies lodgings, and fpeaking of fuch as are fupported by their influence and favour; against which there is not, neither ought there to be, any difpute or observation. But when we come into more free air, one may talk a little more at large.

Give me leave then to mention three, whom I do not doubt but we fhall fee make confiderable figures; and thefe are fuch as for their Bacchanalian performances muft be admitted into this order. They are three brothers lately landed from Holland: as yet, indeed, they have not inade their public entry, but lodge and converfe at Wapping. They have merited already on the water-fide particular titles: the firft is called Hogfhead; the fecond, Culverin; and the third, Mufquet. This fraternity is preparing for our end of the town by their ability in the exercises of Bacchus, and measure their time and merit by liquid weight, and power of drinking. Hogfhead is a prettier fellow than Culverin, by two quarts; and Culverin than Mufquet, by a full pint. It is to be feared Hogfhead is fo often too full, and Culverin overloaded, that Mufquet will be the only lasting very pretty fellow of the three.

A third fort of this denomination is fuch as by very daring adventures in love, have purchased to themselves renown and new names; as Joe Carry for his exceffive ftrength and vigour; Tom Drybones for his generous lofs of youth and health; and Cancrum fór his meritorious rottennefs.

These great and leading fpirits are proposed to all fuch of our British youth as would arrive at perfection in these different kinds; and if their parts and accomplishments

were