were well imitated, it is not doubted but that our nation would foon excel all others in wit and arts, as they already do in arms.

N. B. The gentleman who stole Betty Pepin may own it, for he is allowed to be a very pretty fellow.

But we must proceed to the explanation of other terms in our writings.

To know what a toaft is in the country gives as much perplexity as fhe herself does in town: and indeed the learned differ very much upon the original of this word, and the acceptation of it among the moderns. However, it is by all agreed to have a joyous and cheerful import. A toast in a cold morning, heightened by nutmeg, and fweetened with fugar, has for many ages been given to our rural difpenfers of justice, before they entered upon causes, and has been of great and politic ufe to take off the feverity of their fentences; but has indeed been remarkable for one ill effect, that it inclines those who use it immoderately to fpeak Latin, to the admiration rather than information of an audience. This application of a toaft makes it very obvious, that the word may, without a metaphor, be understood as an apt name for a thing which raifes us in the most fovereign degree. But many of the wits of the last age will affert that the word, in its sent sense, was known among them in their youth, and had its rife from an accident at the town of Bath, in the reign of king Charles the Second.

pre

It happened, that on a public day a celebrated beauty of thofe times was in the cross bath, and one of the crowd of her admirers took a glafs of the water in which the fair one stood, and drank her health to the company. There was in the place a gay fellow half fuddled, who offered to jump in, and fwore, though he liked not the liquor, he would have the toast. He was oppofed in 'his refolution; yet this whim gave foundation to the present honour which is done to the lady we mention in our liquors, who has ever fince been called a toast.

Though

Though this inftitution had so trivial a beginning, it is now elevated into a formal order; and that happy virgin who is received and drank to at their meetings, has no more to do in this life but to judge and accept of the firft good offer. The manner of her inauguration is much like that of the choice of a doge in Venice: it is performed by balloting; and when the is fo chofen, the reigns indifputably for that enfuing year; but must be elected anew to prolong her empire a moment beyond it. When The is regularly chofen, her name is written with a diamond on a drinking-glafs. The hieroglyphic of the diamond is to fhew her, that her value is imaginary; and that of the glafs to acquaint her, that her condition is frail, and depends on the hand which holds her. This wife defign admonishes her, neither to overrate or depre ciate her charms; as well confidering and applying, that it is perfectly according to the humour and tafte of the company, whether the toaft is eaten, or left as an offal.

The foremost of the whole rank of toasts, and the most indifputed in their prefent empire, are Mrs. Gatty and Mrs. Frontlet: the first an agreeable, the second an awful beauty. These ladies are perfect friends, out of a knowledge, that their perfections are too different to ftand in competition. He that likes Gatty, can have no relish for fo folemn a creature as Frontlet; and an admirer of Frontlet will call Gatty a maypole girl. Gatty for ever fmiles upon you; and Frontlet difdains to fee you fmile. Gatty's love is a fhining quick flame; Frontlet's a flow wafting fire. Gatty likes the man that diverts her; Frontlet him who adores her. Gatty always improves the foil in which fhe travels; Frontlet lays waste the country. Gatty does not only fimile, but laughs at her lover; Frontlet not only looks ferious, but frowns at him. All the men of wit (and coxcombs their followers) are profeffed fervants of Gatty: the politicians and pretenders give folemn worship to Frontlet. Their reign will be best judged of by its duration. Frontlet will never be chosen more; and Gatty is a toast for life.

St.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 3.

LETTERS from Hamburgh of the feventh inftant, N. S. inform us, that no art or coft is omitted to make the stay of his Danish majefty at Drefden agreeable; but there are various fpeculations upon the interview between king Auguftus and that prince, many putting politic conftructions upon his Danifh majefty's arrival at a time when his troops are marching out of Hungary, with orders to pafs through Saxony, where it is given out, that they are to be recruited. It is faid alfo, that several Polish fenators have invited king Auguftus to return into Poland. His majefty of Sweden, according to the fame advices, has paffed the Nieper without any oppofition from the Mufcovites, and advances with all poffible expedition_towards Volhinia, where he propofes to join king StaniЯaus' and general Craffau.

We hear from Bern of the first inftant, N. S. that there is not a province in France, from whence the court is not apprehenfive of receiving accounts of public commotions, occafioned by the want of corn. The general diet of the thirteen cantons is affembled at Baden, but have not yet entered upon bufinefs, fo that the affair of Tockenburgh is yet at a stand..

Letters from the Hague, dated the eleventh inftant, N. S. advife, that monfieur Rouille having acquainted the minifters of the allies, that his mafter had refused to ratify the preliminaries of a treaty adjusted with monfieur Torcy, fet out for Paris on Sunday morning. The fame day the foreign minifters met a committee of the States-general, where monfieur van Heffen opened the business upon which they were affembled, and in a very warm dif. course laid before them the conduct of France in the late negociations, reprefenting the abject manner in which the had laid open her own diftreffes, that reduced her to a compliance with the demands of all the allies, and her meanness in receding from those points to which monsieur Torcy had confented. The refpective minifters of each potentate of the alliance feverally expreffed their refentVOL. I.

H

ments

ments of the faithless behaviour of the French, and gave each other mutual affurances of the conftancy and refolution of their principals, to proceed with the utmost vigour against the common enemy. His grace the duke of Marlborough fet out from the Hague on the ninth of the afternoon, and lay that night at Rotterdam, from whence at four the next morning he proceeded towards Antwerp, with a design to reach Ghent the next day. All the troops in the Low Countries are in motion towards the general rendezvous between the Scheld and the Lis: the whole army will be formed on the twelfth instant; and it is faid, that on the fourteenth they will advance towards the enemy's country. In the mean time, the marshal de Villars has affembled the French forces between Lens, la Baffee, and Douay.

Yesterday morning fir John Norris, with the fquadron under his command, failed from the Downs for Holland.

From my own Apartment, June 3.

I HAVE the honour of the following letter from a gentleman whom I receive into my family, and order the heralds at arms to enrol him accordingly.

• Mr. BICKERSTAFF,

THOUGH you have excluded me the honour of your family, yet I have ventured to correfpond with the fame great perfons as yourfelf, and have wrote this poft to the king of France; though I am in a manner unknown in his country, and have not been seen there these many months."

TO LEWIS LE GRAND.

THOUGH in your country I'm unknown,
Yet, fir, I muft advite

you;

Of late fo poor and mean you're grown,
That all the world defpife you.

Here

Here vermin eat your majesty,

There meagre fubjects stand unfed:
What furer figns of poverty,

Than many lice and little bread ?

Then, fir, the present minute choose,
Our armies are advanced :
Those terins you at the Hague refuse,
At Paris won't be granted.

Confider this, and Dunkirk raze,
And Anna's title own;

Send one pretender out to graze,

And call the other home.

Your humble fervant,

BREAD THE STAFF OF LIFE."

NO. 25. TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1709.

White's Chocolate-house, June 6.

A LETTER from a young lady, written in the most paffionate terms, wherein the laments the misfortune of a gentleman, her lover, who was lately wounded in a duel, has turned my thoughts to that fubject, and inclined me to examine into the caufes which precipitate men into so fatal a folly. And as it has been propofed to treat of subjects of gallantry in the articles from hence, and no one point in nature is more proper to be confidered by the company who frequent this place than that of duels, it is worth our confideration to examine into this chimerical groundless humour, and to lay every other thought afide, until we have stripped it of all its falfe pretences to credit and reputation amongst men.

But I must confefs, when I confider what I am going about, and run over in my imagination all the endlefs.

H 2

crowd