fifter produced a letter fent to her in the time of my abfence, in celebration of the marriage ftate, which is the condition wherein only this fort of paffion reigns in full authority. The epiftle is as follows: DEAR MADAM, Your brother being abfent, I dare take the liberty of writing to you my thoughts of that ftate, which our whole fex either is or defires to be in: you will easily guess I mean matrimony, which I hear fo much decried, that it is with no final labour I maintained my ground against two opponents; but, as your brother obferved of Socrates, I drew them into my conclufion, from their own conceffions; thus: In marriage are two happy things allow'd, If you think they were too eafily confuted, you may conclude them not of the firft fenfe, by their talking` against marriage. Yours, MARIANA." I obferved Sappho began to redden at this epiftle; and turning to a lady, who was playing with a dog fhe was fo fond of, as to carry him abroad with her; Nay, fays fhe, I cannot blame the men if they have mean ideas of our fouls and affections, and wonder fo many are brought to take us for companions for life, when they fee our endearments fo triflingly placed: for to my knowledge, Mr. Truman would give half his eftate for half the affection you have fhewn to that Shock: nor do I believe you would be afhamed to confefs, that I faw you cry, when he had the colic last week with lapping four milk. M 2 What What more could you do for your lover himself? What more, replied the lady. There is not a man in England for whom I could lament half fo much. Then fhe ftifled the animal with kiffes, and called him beau, life, dear, monfieur, pretty fellow, and what not, in the hurry of her impertinence. Sappho rofe up; as fhe always does at any thing the obferves done, which discovers in her own fex a levity of mind, which renders them inconfiderable in the opinion of ours. NO. 41. THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1709. Celebrare domeftica facta. To celebrate actions done at home. White's Chocolate-houfe, July 12. THERE is no one thing more to be lamented in our nation, than their general affectation of every thing that is foreign; nay, we carry it fo far, that we are more anxious for our own countrymen when they have croffed the feas, than when we fee them in the fame dangerous condition before our eyes at home: elfe how is it poffible, that on the twenty-ninth of the last month, there should have been a battle fought in our very streets of London, and no body at this end of the town have heard of it. Í proteft, I, who make it my business to inquire after adventures, fhould never have known this, had not the following account been sent me enclosed in a letter. This, it seems, is the way of giving out orders in the artillerycompany; and they prepare for a day of action with fo little concern, as only to call it, An exercise of arms.' An exercise at arms of the artillery-company, to be performed on Wednesday, June the twenty-ninth, 1709, under the command of fir Jofeph Woolfe, knight and alderman, alderman, general; Charles Hopfon, efquire, present fheriff, lieutenant-general; captain Richard Synge, major; major John Shorey, captain of grenadiers; captain William Grayhurft, captain John Butler, captain Robert Carellis, captains. rear. "THE body marched from the Artillery-ground, through Moregate, Coleman-ftreet, Lothbury, Broad-street, Finchlane, Cornhill, Cheapfide, St. Martin's, St. Anne'slane, halt the pikes under the wall in Noble-street, draw up the firelocks facing the goldsmiths-hall, make ready and face to the left, and fire, and fo ditto three times. Beat to arms, and march round the hall, as up Lad-lane, Gutter-lane, Honey-lane, and fo wheel to the right, and make your falute to my lord, and fo down St. Anne's-lane, up Alderfgate-ftreet, Barbican, and draw up in Red-cross-ftreet, the right at St. Paul's-alley in the March off lieutenant-general with half the body up Beech-lane: he fends a fub-divifion up King's-headcourt; and takes poft in it, and marches two divifions round into Red-lion-market, to defend that pass, and fuccour the divifion in King's-head-court; but keeps in White-cross-ftreet, facing Beech-lane, the reft of the body ready drawn up. Then the general marches up Beech lane, is attacked, but forces the divifion in the court into the market, and enters with three divifions while he preffes the lieutenant-general's main body; and at the fame time the three divifions force those of the revolters out of the market, and fo all the lieutenant-general's body retreats into Chifwell-ftreet, and lodges two divifions in Grub-street; and as the general marches on, they fall on his flank, but foon made to give way: but having a retreating-place in Red-lion-court, but could not hold it, being put to flight through Paul's-alley, and purfued by the general's grenadiers, while he marches up and attacks their main body, but are oppofed again by a party of men as lay in Black-raven-court; but they are forced also to retire foon in the utmost confusion, and at the fame time, M 3 time, those brave divifions in Paul's-alley ply their rear with grenadoes, that with precipitation they take to the rout along Bunhill-row: fo the general marches into the Artillery-ground, and being drawn up, finds the revolting party to have found entrance, and makes a fhow as if for a battle, and both armies foon engage in form, and fire by platoons.' Much might be faid for the improvement of this fyftem; which, for its ftyle and invention, may inftruct generals and their hiftorians, both in fighting a battle, and defcribing it when it is over. Thefe elegant expreffions, Ditto-And fo-But foon-But having But could not-But are But they-Finds the party to have found, &c.do certainly give great life and fpirit to the relation. Indeed I am extremely concerned for the lieutenantgeneral, who by his overthrow and defeat, is made a deplorable inftance of the fortune of war, and viciffitudes of human affairs. He, alas! has loft, in Beech-lane and Chifwell-ftreet, all the glory he lately gained in and about Holborn and St. Giles's. The art of fubdividing firft, and dividing afterwards, is new and furprifing; and according to this method, the troops are difpofed in King'shead-court and Red-lion-market: nor is the conduct of thefe leaders lefs confpicuous in their choice of the ground or field of battle. Happy was it, that the greatest part of the achievements of this day was to be performed near Grub-street, that there might not be wanting a sufficient number of faithful hiftorians, who, being eyewitneffes of thefe wonders, fhould impartially tranfinit them to pofterity! But then it can never be enough regretted, that we are left in the dark as to the name and title of that extraordinary hero who commanded the divifions in Paul's-alley; efpecially because thofe divifions are juftly styled brave, and accordingly were to puth the enemy along Bunhill-row, and thereby occafion a general battle. But Pallas appeared in the form of a fhower of rain, and prevented the flaughter and defola tion, tion, which were threatened by thefe extraordinary preparations. Hi motus animorum atque hæc certamina tanta VIRG. Georg. iv. ver. 86. DRYDEN. Yet all thofe dreadful deeds, this doubtful fray, of men. Will's Coffee-boufe, July 13. SOME part of the company keep up the old way of converfation in this place, which usually turned upon the examination of nature, and an inquiry into the manners There is one in the room fo very judicious, that he manages impertinents with the utmoft dexterity. It was diverting this evening to hear a difcourfe between him and one of thefe gentlemen. He told me before that perfon joined us, that he was a queftioner, who, according to his defcription, is one who afks queftions not with a defign to receive information, but an affectation to fhew his uneafinefs for want of it. He went on in afferting, that there are crowds of that modest ambition, as to aim no farther than to demonftrate that they are in doubt. By this time Will Whynot was fat down by us. So, gentlemen, fays he, in how many days, think you, fhall we be mafters of Tournay? Is the account of the action of the Vivarois to be depended upon? Could you have imagined England had fo much money in it as you fee it has produced? Pray, fis, what do you think? Will the duke of Savoy make an irruption into France? But, fays he, time will clear all thefe myfteries. His anfwer to himself gave me the altitude of his head, and to all his questions I thus answered very fatisfactorily. Sir, have you heard that this Slaughterford never owned the fact for which he died? Have the newfpapers mentioned that matter? But, pray, can you tell me what method will be taken to provide for thefe Palatines? But this, as you fay, time will clear. Ay, ay, fays he, and whifpers me, they M 4 |