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White's Chocolate-house, June 30.

THIS day appeared here a figure of a perfon, whose fervices to the fair fex have reduced him to a kind of exiftence for which there is no name. If there be a condition between life and death, without being abfolutely dead or living, his ftate is that. His afpect and complexion in his robuft days gave him the illuftrious title of Africanus: but it is not only from the warm climates in which he has ferved, nor from the difafters which he has fuffered, that he deserves the fame "appellation with that renowned Roman; but the magnanimity with which he appears in his last moments, is what gives him the undoubted character of hero. Cato ftabbed himself, and Hannibal drank poifon; but our Africanus lives in the continual puncture of aching bones and poifoned juices. The old heroes fled from torments by death, and this modern lives in death and torments, with an heart wholly bent upon a fupply for remaining in them. An ordinary fpirit would fink under his oppreffions, but he makes an advantage of his very forrow, and raises an income from his difeafes. Long has this worthy been converfant in bartering, and knows that when flocks are loweft it is the time to buy. Therefore, with much prudence and tranquillity, he thinks that now he has not a bone found, but a thousand nodous parts for which the anatomifts have not words, and more difeafes than the college ever heard of, it is the only time to purchase an annuity for life. Sir Thomas told me, it was an entertainment more-furprising and pleasant than can be imagined, to see an inhabitant of neither world without hand to lift, or leg to move, fcarce tongue to utter his meaning, fo keen upon biting the whole world, and making bubbles at his exit. Sir Thomas added, that he would have bought twelve shillings a year of him, but that he feared there was fome trick in it, and believed him already dead. What, fays the knight, is Mr. Partridge, whom I met juft now going on both his legs firmer than I can, allowed to te quite dead; and fhall Africanus, without one limb that can do its office, be pronounced alive?

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What heightened the tragi-comedy of this market for annuities was, that the obfervation of it provoked Monoculus (who is the most eloquent of all men) to many excellent reflections, which he fpoke with the vehemence and language both of a gamester and an orator. • When I caft (faid that delightful speaker) my eye upon thee, thou unaccountable Africanus, I cannot but call myself as unaccountable as thou art; for certainly we were born to fhew what contradictions nature is pleased to form in the fame species. Here am I, able to eat, to drink, to fleep, and to do all acts of nature, except begetting my like; and yet by an unintelligible force of fpleen and fancy, I every moment imagine I am dying. It is utter madness in thee to provide for fupper; for I will bet you ten to one, you do not live until half an hour after four; and yet I am fo distracted as to be in fear every moment, though I will lay ten to three, I drink three pints of burnt claret at your funeral three nights' henice. After all, I envy thee, thou that haft no fenfe of death, art happier than one that always fears it.' The knight had gone on, but that a third man ended the fcene by ap plauding the knight's eloquence and philofophy, in a laughter too violent for his own conftitution, as much as The mocked that of Africanus and Monoculus.

St. James's Coffee-house, June 1.

THIS day arrived three mails from Holland, with advices relating to the posture of affairs in the Low Countries, which fay, that the confederate army extends from Luchin, on the caufeway between Tournay and Lifle, to Epain near Mortagne on the Scheld., The marshal Villars remains in his camp at Lens; but it is faid, he detached ten thousand men under the command of the chevalier de Luxemburg, with orders to form a camp at Crepin on the Haine, between Conde and St. Guillain, where he is to be joined by the elector of Bavaria with a body of troops, and after their conjunction, to attempt to march into Brabant. But they write from Bruffels, that the duke of Marlborough having it equally in his power to

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make detachments to the fame parts, they are under no apprehenfions from thefe reports for the fafety of their country. They further add from Bruffels, that they have good authority for believing that the French troops under the conduct of the marshal de Bezons are retiring out of Spain.

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NO. 37. TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1709.

By Mrs. Jenny Distaff, Half-Sifter to Mr. Bickerstaff.

White's Chocolate-houfe, July 2.

It may be thought very unaccountable, that I, who can never be fuppofed to go to White's, fhould pretend to talk to you of matters proper for, or in the style of, that place. But though I never vifit the public haunts, I converfe with thofe that do; and for all they pretend fo much to the contrary, they are as talkative as our fex, and as much at a lofs to entertain the prefent company, without facrificing the laft, as we ourselves. This reflection has led me into the confideration of the use of fpeech; and made me look over in my memory all my acquaintance of both fexes, to know to which I may more justly impute the fin of fuperfluous difcourfe in regard to converfation, without entering into it, as it refpects religion.

I forefee my acquaintance will immediately, upon ftarting this fubject, afk me, how I fhall celebrate Mrs. Alfe Copfwood, the Yorkshire huntress, who is come to town lately, and moves as if the were on her nag, and going to take a five-bar gate; and is as loud as if the were following her dogs? I can eafily anfwer that; for fhe is as foft as Damon, in comparison of her brother-inlaw, Tom Bellfrey, who is the most accomplished man in this kingdom for all gentleman-like activities and accomplishments.

complishments. It is allowed, that he is a profeffed enemy to the Italian performers in mufic. But then for our own native manner, according to the customs and known ufages of our ifland, he is to be preferred, for the generality of the pleafure he beftows, much before thofe fellows, though they fing to full theatres. For what is a theatrical voice to that of a fox-hunter? I have been at a mufical entertainment in an open field, where it amazed me to hear to what pitches the chief mafters would reach. There was a meeting near our feat in Staffordshire, and the most eminent in all the counties of England were at it. How wonderful was the harmony between men anddogs! Robin Cartail of Bucks was to anfwer Jowler; Mr. Tinbreast of Cornwall was appointed to open with Sweetlips; and beau Slimber, a Londoner, undertook to keep up with Trips, a whelp jutt fet in: Tom Bellfrey and Ringwood were coupled together, to fill the cry on all occafions, and be in at the death of the fox, hare, or ftag; for which both the dog and the man were excellently fuited and loved one another, and were as much together as Banister and King. When Jowler firft alarmed the field, Cartail repeated every note; Sweetlips's treble fucceeded, and fhook the wood; Tinbreaft echoed a quarter of a mile beyond it. We were foon after at a lofs until we ridd up, and found Trips and Slimber at a default in half notes: but the day and the tune was recovered by Tom Bellfrey and Ringwood, to the great joy of us all, though they drowned every other voice: for Bellfrey carries a note four furlongs, three rods, and fix paces, further than any other in England.

I fear the mention of this will be thought a digreffion from my purpose about speech: but I anfwer, no. Since this is ufed where fpeech rather fhould be employed, it may come into confideration in the fame chapter for Mr. Bellfrey being at a vifit where I was, viz. his coufin's (lady Dainty's) in Soho-fquare, was afked, what entertainments they had in the country? Now Bellfrey is very ignorant, and much a clown; but confident withal. In a word, he struck up a fox-chafe; lady Dainty's dog, Mr. Sippet, as fhe calls him, started and jumped out of

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his lady's lap, and fell a barking. Bellfrey went on, and called all the neighbouring parishes into the fquare. Never was woman in fuch confufion as that delicate lady. But there was no ftopping her kinfman. A room full of ladies fell into the most violent laughter; my lady looked as if he was fhrieking; Mr. Sippet in the middle of the room, breaking his heart with barking, but all of us unheard. As foon as Bellfrey became filent, up_gets my lady and takes him by the arm to lead him off; Bellfrey was in his boots. As fhe was hurrying him away, Ás his fpurs take hold of her petticoat; his whip throws down a cabinet of china: he cries, What are your erocks rotten? are your petticoats ragged? a man cannot walk in your houfe for trincums.

Every county of Great Britain has one hundred or more of this fort of fellows, who roar instead of speak. Therefore if it be true, that we women are alfo given to a greater fluency of words than is neceffary, fure, the that disturbs but a room or a family is more to be tolerated, than one who draws together whole parishes and counties, and fometimes (with an eftate that might make him the bleffing and ornament of the world around him) has no other view and ambition, but to be an animal above dogs and horses, without the relifh of any one enjoyment, which is pecuculiar to the faculties of human nature. I know it will here be faid, that talking of mere country fquires at this rate, is, as it were, to write against Valentine and Orfon. To prove any thing against the race of men, you must take them as they are adorned with education, as they live in courts, or have received inftructions in colleges.

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But I am fo full of my late entertainment by Mr. Bellfrey, that I muft defer pursuing this fubject to another day; and wave the the difobfervations proper ferent offenders in this kind, fome by profound eloquence on finall occafions, others by degrading fpeech upon great circumftances. Expect therefore to hear of the whisperer withour butinefs, the laugher without wit, the complainer without receiving injuries, and a very large crowd, which I shall not foreftall, who are common (though not commonly obferved) impertinents, whose tongues are too vo

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