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doing an act of 'friendship, by publishing the following account of goods and moveables.

"This is to give notice, that a magnificent palace, with great variety of gardens, statues, and waterworks, may be bought cheap in Drury-lane; where there are likewise several castles to be disposed of, very delightfully situated: as also groves, woods, forests, fountains, and country-seats, with very pleasant prospects on all sides of them; being the moveables of Christopher Rich, esquire, who is breaking up house-keeping, and has many curious pieces of furniture to dispose of, which may be seen between the hours of six and ten in the evening.

THE INVENTORY.

Spirits of right Nantz brandy, for lambent flames and apparitions.

Three bottles and an half of lightning.

One shower of snow in the whitest French paper. Two showers of browner sort.

A sea, consisting of a dozen large waves: the tenth bigger than ordinary, and a little damaged.

A dozen and half of clouds, trimmed with black, and well-conditioned.

A rainbow, a little faded.

A set of clouds after the French mode, streaked with lightning, and furbelowed.

A new moon, something decayed.

5 The remainder of this paper was written by Addison.

6 From Cibber's Apology we learn, that Drury-lane Theatre was about this time shut up by an order from the lord chamberlain.

A pint of the finest Spanish wash, being all that is left of two hogsheads sent over last winter.

A coach very finely gilt, and little used, with a pair of dragons, to be sold cheap.

A setting-sun, a penny-worth.

An imperial mantle, made for Cyrus the Great, and worn by Julius Cæsar, Bajazet, king Harry the Eighth, and signor Valentini.

A basket-hilted sword, very convenient to carry milk in.

Roxana's night-gown.

Othello's handkerchief.

The imperial robes of Xerxes, never worn but

once.

A wild boar killed by Mrs. Tofts and Dioclesian. A serpent to sting Cleopatra.

A mustard-bowl to make thunder with.

Another of a bigger sort, by Mr. Dennis's directions, little used.

Six elbow-chairs, very expert in country-dances, with six flower-pots for their partners.

The whiskers of a Turkish bassa.

The complexion of a murderer in a band-box; consisting of a large piece of burnt cork, and a coalblack peruke.

A suit of clothes for a ghost, viz. a bloody shirt, a doublet curiously pinked, and a coat with three great eyelet-holes upon the breast.

A bale of red Spanish wool.

Modern plots, commonly known by the name of trap-doors, ladders of ropes, vizard-masques, and tables with broad carpets over them.

Three oak-cudgels, with one of crab-tree; all bought for the use of Mr. Pinkethman.

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Materials for dancing; as masques, castanets, and a ladder of ten rounds.

Aurengzebe's scymitar, made by Will. Brown in Piccadilly.

A plume of feathers, never used but by Oedipus and the earl of Essex.

There are also swords, halberds, sheep-hooks, cardinals hats, turbans, drums, gallipots, a gibbet, a cradle, a rack, a cart-wheel, an altar, an helmet, a back-piece, a breast-plate, a bell, a tub, and a jointedbaby.

These are the hard shifts we intelligencers are forced to; therefore our readers ought to excuse us, if a westerly wind, blowing for a fortnight together, generally fills every paper with an order of battle; when we shew our martial skill in every line, and, according to the space we have to fill, we range our men in squadrons and battalions, or draw out company by company, and troop by troop; ever observing that no muster is to be made, but when the wind is in a cross-point, which often happens at the end of a campaign, when half the men are deserted or killed. The Courant is sometimes ten deep, his ranks close: the Post-boy is generally in files, for greater exactness; and the Post-man comes down upon you rather after the Turkish way, sword in hand, pell-mell, without form or discipline; but sure to bring men enough into the field; and, wherever they are raised, never to lose battle for want of numbers.

STEELE, CONGREVE, AND ADDISON.

I

N° 43. TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1709.

-Bene nummatum decorat suadela Venusque.

HOR.

The goddess of persuasion forms his train,
And Venus decks the well-bemoney'd swain.'
FRANCIS.

White's Chocolate-house, July 18.

WRITE from hence at present to complain, that wit and merit are so little encouraged by people of rank and quality, that the wits of the age are obliged to run within Temple-bar for patronage. There is a deplorable instance of this kind in the case of Mr. D'Urfey, who has dedicated his inimitable comedy, called The Modern Prophets', to a worthy knight, to whom, it seems, he had before communicated his plan, which was, to ridicule the ridiculers of our established doctrine. I have elsewhere celebrated the contrivance of this excellent drama; but was not, until I read the dedication, wholly let into the religious design of it. I am afraid it has suffered discontinuance at this gay end of the town, for no other reason but the piety of the purpose. There is however, in this epistle, the true life of panegyrical performance; and I do not doubt but, if the patron would part with it, I can help him to others with good pretensions to it, viz. of uncommon understanding,' who will give him as much as he gave for it. I know

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1 See No 1, and 11. Guard. No 29, 67, and 82.

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