paying our due refpects, and you of receiving an ingenious entertainment, with which we at present divert ourselves and strangers. A puppet-fhow at this time fupplies the want of an Act. And fince the nymphs of this city are difappointed of a luscious mufic-fpeech, and the country ladies of hearing their fons or brothers speak verfes; yet the vocal machines, like them, by the help of a prompter, fay things as much to the benefit of the audience, and almoft as properly as their own The licence of a Terre-Filius is refined, to the well-bred fatire of Punchenello. Now, coufin Bickerstaff, though Punch has neither a French night-cap, nor long pockets, yet you muft own him to be a pretty fellow, a very pretty fellow: nay, fince he feldom leaves the company, without calling fon of a whore, demanding fatisfaction, and duelling, he must be owned a smart fellow too. Yet by fome indecencies towards the ladies, he seems to be of a third character, diftinct from any you have yet touched upon. A young gentleman who fat next me, for I had the curiofity of feeing this entertainment, in a tufted gown, red Rockings, and long wig (which I pronounce to be tantamount to red heels, and a dangling cane), was enraged when Punchenello difturbed a foft love-fcene with his ribaldry. You would oblige us mightily by laying down fome rules for adjufting the extravagant behaviour of this Almanzor of the play, and by writing a treatise on this fort of dramatic poetry, fo much favoured, and fo little underflood, by the learned world.

From its being conveyed in a cart after the Thespian manner, all the parts being recited by one perfon, as the cuftom was before fchylus, and from the behaviour of Punch, as if he had won the goal, you may poffibly deduce its antiquity, and fettle the chronology, as well as fome of our modern critics. In its natural tranfitions from mournful to merry; as from the hanging of a lover to dancing upon the rope; from the stalking of a ghost to a lady's prefenting you with a jig, you may difcover fuch a decorum, as is not to be found elsewhere than in our tragicomedies. But I forget myself; it is not for me to dictate: I thought fit, dear coufin, to give you thefe hints,

to

to fhew you, that the Beadleftaffs do not walk before men of letters to no purpose; and that though we do but hold up the train of arts and fciences, yet, like other pages, we are now and then let into our ladies fecrets. I am,

From mother Gourdon's, at Hedington

-ñcar Oson, June 18.

Your most affectionate

kinfman,

BENJAMIN BEADLESTAFF.

From my own Apartment, July 22.

I AM got hither fafe, but never fpent time with fo little fatisfaction as this evening; for you must know, I was five hours with three merry, and two honeft, fellows. The former fang catches; and the latter even died with laughing at the noife they made. Well, fays Tom Bellfrey, you scholars, Mr. Bickerstaff, are the worft company in the world. Ay, fays his oppofite, you are dull to-night; pr'ythee be merry. With that I huzzaed, and took a jump crols the table, then came clever upon my legs, and fell a laughing. Let Mr, Bickerstaff alone, fays one of the honest fellows, when he is in a good humour, he is as good company as any man in England. He had no fooner fpoke, but I fnatched his hat off his head, and clapped it upon my own, and burft out a laughing again upon which we all fell a laughing for half an hour. One of the honest fellows got behind me in the interim, and hit me a found flap on the back; upon which he got the laugh out of my hands; and it was fuch a twang on my fhoulders, that I confefs he was much merrier than I. I was half angry; but refolved to keep up the good humour of the company; and after hollowing as loud as I could poffibly, I drank off a bumper of claret, that made me ftare again. Nay, fays one of the honest fellows, Mr. Ifaac is in the right, there is no converfation in this; what fignifies jumping, or hitting one another on the back? let us drink about. We did fo from seven of the clock until eleven; and now I am come hither, and, after the

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manner

manner of the wife Pythagoras, begin to reflect upon the paffages of the day. I remember nothing but that I am bruised to death; and as it is my way to write down all the good things I have heard in the last converfation, to furnish my paper, I can from this only tell you my fufferings and my bangs.

I named Pythagoras juft now, and 1 proteft to you, as he believed men after death entered into other specics, I am now and then tempted to think other animals.enter into men, and could name feveral on two legs, that never difcover any fentiments above what is cominon with the fpecies of a lower kind; as we fee in these bodily wits with whom I was to-night, whofe parts confift in ftrength and activity; but their boisterous mirth gives me great impatience for the return of fuch happiness as I enjoyed in a converfation laft week. Among others in that company we had Florio, who never interrupted any man living when he was fpeaking; or ever ceased to fpeak, but others lamented that he had done. His diftourse ever arifes from the fulness of the matter before him, and not from oftentation or triumph of his underftanding; for though he feldom delivers what he need fear being repeated, he speaks without having that end in view; and his forbearance of calumny or bitterness is owing rather to his good-nature than his difcretion; for which reafon he is esteemed a gentleman perfectly qualified for converfation, in whom a general good-will to mankind takes off the neceffity of caution and circumfpection.

We had at the fame time that evening the best fort of companion that can be, a good-natured old man. This perfon, in the company of young men, meets with veneration for his benevolence; and is not only valued for the good qualities of which he is mafter, but reaps an acceptance from the pardon he gives to other men's faults: and the ingenuous fort of men with whom he converses have fo just a regard for him, that he rather is an example, than a check, to their behaviour. For this reafon, as Senecio never pretends to be a man of pleasure before youth, fo young men never fet up for wifdom before Senecio; so that you never meet, where he is, those mon

fters

fters of converfation, who are grave or gay above their years. He never converfes but with followers of nature, and good fenfe, where all that is uttered is only the effect, of a communicable temper, and not of emulation to excel their companions; all defire of fuperiority being a contradiction to that fpirit which makes a juft convertation, the very effence of which is mutual good-will. Hence it is, that I take it for a rule, that the natura', and not the acquired man, is the companion. Learning, wit, gallantry, and good breeding, are all but fubordinate qualities in fociety, and are of no value, but as they are fubfervient to benevolence, and tend to a certain manner of being or appearing equal to the reft of the company; for converfation is compofed of an affembly of men, as they are men, and not as they are diftinguished by fortune therefore, he who brings his quality with him into converfation, fhould always pay the reckoning; for he came to receive homage, and not to meet his friends.

-But the din about my ears from the clamour of the people I was with this evening, has carried me beyond my intended purpose, which was to explain upon the order of merry fellows; but I think I may pronounce of them, as, I heard good Senecio, with a fpice of the wit of the laft age, fay, viz. That a merry fellow is the faddeft fellow

in the world.

NO. 46. TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1709.

Non bene conveniunt, nec in una fede morantur,

Majeftas & Amor.

OVID. Met. 1. ii. v. 88.

-Love but ill agrees with kingly pride.

White's Chocolate-house, July 25.

WE fee every day volumes written against that tyrant of human life called Love, and yet there is no help found against his cruelties, or barrier against the inroads he is pleafed to make in the mind of man. After

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this

this preface, you will expect I am going to give particular inftances of what I have afferted. That expectation cannot be raised too high for the novelty of the history, and manner of life, of the emperor Aurengezebe, who has refided for fome years in the cities of London and Weftminster, with the air and mien indeed of his imperial quality, but the equipage and appointment only of a private gentleman. This potentate, for a long feries of time, appeared from the hour of twelve until that of two at a coffee-house near the Exchange, and had a feat (though without a canopy) facred to himfelf, where he gave diurnal audiences concerning commerce, politics, tare and tret, ufury and abatement, with all things neceffary for helping the diftreffed, who are willing to give one limb for the better maintenance of the reft; or fuch joyous youths, whofe philofophy is confined to the prefent hour, and were defirous to call in the revenue of the next half year to double the enjoyment of this. Long did this growing monarch employ himself after this manner; and as alliances are neceffary to all great kingdoms, he took particularly the interefts of Lewis the Fourteenth into his care and protection. When all mankind were attacking that unhappy monarch, and those who had neither valour nor wit to oppose against him would be still fhewing their impotent malice, by laying wagers in oppofition to his interefts; Aurengezebe ever took the part of his contemporary, and laid immenfe treasures on his fide, indefence of his important magazine of Toulon. Aurengezebe alfo had all this while a conftant intelligence with India; and his letters were anfwered in jewels, which he foon made brilliant, and caufed to be affixed to his imperial caftor, which he always wears cocked in front, to fhow his defiance; with an heap of imperial fnuff in the middle of his ample vifage, to fhow his fagacity. The zealots for this little fpot called Great Britain fell univerfally into this emperor's policies, and paid homage to his fuperior genius, in forfeiting their coffers to his treasury.

But wealth and wifdom are poffeffions too folenin not to give wearinefs to active minds, without the relief (in vacant hours) of wit and love, which are the proper amufements