my

pardon of the town, that I inserted the inventory in my paper and solemnly protest, I knew nothing of this artful design of vending these rarities: but I meant only the good of the world in that and all other things which I divulge. And now I am upon this subject, I must do self justice in relation to an article in a former paper, wherein I made mention of a person who keeps a puppetshow in the town of Bath; I was tender of naming names, and only just hinted, that he makes larger promises, when he invites people to his dramatic representations, than he is able to perform but I am credibly informed, that he makes a profane lewd jester, which he calls Punch, speak to the dishonour of Isaac Bickerstaff with great familiarity; and before all my learned friends in that place, takes upon him to dispute my title to the appellation of Esquire. I think I need not say much to convince all the world, that this Mr. Powell (for that is his name) is a pragmatical and vain person to pretend to argue with me on any subject. Mecum certasse feretur; that is to say, it will be an honour to him to have it said he contended with me; but I would have him to know, that I can look beyond his wires, and

1 Under the name of Powell, the puppet-show man, Steele attacked Dr. Blackall, Bishop of Exeter (see No. 37), who was engaged in a controversy with Benjamin Hoadly. In March 1709, Blackall preached before the Queen a sermon laying down the doctrine of passive obedience in its most extreme form, but in 1704 he had preached obedience limited by the laws of the State. Hoadly wrote against the sermon of 1709, and brought against the Bishop the sermon of 1704. The Bishop, angry at this mode of refutation, answered haughtily, and dwelt on the superiority of his rank as compared with that of Hoadly, then simply rector of a London parish. Bickerstaff here reproaches Blackall for the pride and rudeness of his answer, and then, under the guise of Powell, proprietor of the puppet-show, satirises the extreme doctrine of divine right taught by the Bishop, a doctrine which would make the subjects mere automata, to be moved only at the will of the prince. 2 Ovid, "Met.” xiii. 20.

know very well the whole trick of his art, and that it is only by these wires that the eye of the spectator is cheated, and hindered from seeing that there is a thread on one of Punch's chops, which draws it up, and lets it fall at the discretion of the said Powell, who stands behind and plays him, and makes him speak saucily of his betters. He! to pretend to make prologues against me! But a man never behaves himself with decency in his own case; therefore I shall command myself, and never trouble me further with this little fellow, who is himself but a tall puppet, and has not brains enough to make even wood speak as it ought to do: and I, that have heard the groaning board,' can despise all that his puppets shall be able to speak as long as they live. But, Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius. He has pretended to write to me also from the Bath, and says, he thought to have deferred giving me an answer till he came to his books; but that my writings might do well with the

The following printed advertisement appeared in 1682: “At the sign of the wool-sack, in Newgate-market, is to be seen, a strange and wonderful thing, which is an elm-board, being touched with a hot iron, doth express itself, as if it were a man dying with groans, and trembling, to the great admiration of all the hearers. It hath been presented before the King and his nobles, and hath given great satisfaction. Vivat Rex."-(MSS. Sloan. 958.)

66

:

2 "Ne e quovis ligno Mercurius fiat" is one of the proverbs in the Adagia" of Erasmus. But its history, as originally from the Greek, is thus given in a note of Andr. Schottus, quoted by Gaisford in his "Paromiographia Græci," p. 39, Ox. 1836 :—“ İlliud adagium ουκ ἐκ παντὸς ξύλου Ερμης ἂν γένοιτο, quod a Pythagora primum profectum auctor est Apuleius Apol.'" [t. ii. p. 499] (Ed. Marshall, "Notes and Queries," March 26, 1887). See Apuleius," Apologia," 476: "Non enim ex omni ligno, ut Pythagoras dicebat, debet Mercurius exsculpi."

3 In the Bishop's answer to Hoadly's letter, 1709, there is this passage: "I have no books here; and being under these circumstances, I hope I may be excused, if, in citing Scripture, I should not always name chapter and verse, nor hit exactly upon the very words of the

waters which are pert expressions that become a schoolboy, better than one that is to teach others and when I have said a civil thing to him, he cries, "Oh! I thank you for that I am your humble servant for that." Ah! Mr. Powell, these smart civilities will never run down men of learning I know well enough your design is to have all men automata, like your puppets; but the world is grown. too wise, and can look through these thin devices. I know you design to make a reply to this; but be sure you stick close to my words; for if you bring me into discourses concerning the government of your puppets, I must tell you, I neither am, nor have been, nor will be, at leisure to answer you. It is really a burning shame this man should be tolerated in abusing the world with such representations of things but his parts decay, and he is not much more alive than Partridge.

I

From my own Apartment, July 14.

He

must beg pardon of my readers that for this time I have, I fear, huddled up my discourse, having been very busy in helping an old friend of mine out of town. has a very good estate, is a man of wit; but he had been three years absent from town, and cannot bear a jest; for translation" (Lord Bishop of Exeter's Answer, &c., pp. 2 and 3).—" As to the Tatlers relating to Powell's puppets, and the doctrines of passive obedience and absolute non-resistance, and to Bishop Blackall, I know it gave my father some uneasiness, that there is a reference to a fact, which, as he resolved himself never to take notice of, thinking it ungenerous, so he was sorry to see any friend of the cause had; which is, that the Bishop had said inadvertently, he was at Bath, and had not a Bible in his family. It is worth remarking, that all the arguments used by Powell about his power over Punch, lighting his pipe with one of his legs,' &c., are a good burlesque of those used by the advocates of non-resistance."-(Dr. John Hoadly.)

1 The Bishop, after quoting a respectful expression of Hoadly's, says, "Your servant, sir, for that."

which reason I have, with some pains, convinced him, that he can no more live here than if he were a downright bankrupt. He was so fond of dear London, that he began to fret only inwardly; but being unable to laugh and be laughed at, I took a place in the northern coach for him. and his family; and hope he is got to-night safe from all sneerers in his own parlour.

This

St. James's Coffee-house, July 20.

his morning we received by express, the agreeable news of the surrender of the town of Tournay on the 28th instant, N.S. The place was assaulted at the attacks of General Schuylemburg, and that of General Lottum, at the same time. The action at both those parts of the town was very obstinate, and the Allies lost a considerable number at the beginning of the dispute; but the fight was continued with so great bravery, that the enemy observing that we were masters of all the posts which were necessary for a general attack, beat the chamade,' and hostages were received from the town, and others sent from the besiegers, in order to come to a formal capitulation for the surrender of the place. We have also this day received advice, that Sir John Leake, who lies off of Dunkirk, had intercepted several ships laden with corn from the Baltic; and that the Dutch privateers had fallen in with others, and carried them into Holland. The French letters advise, that the young son to the Duke of Anjou lived but eight days.

1 A beat of the drum or sound of a trumpet, which summons the enemy to a parley. In Spectator, No. 165, Addison ridiculed the use of this and other French war terms by English writers.

[STEELE.

No. 45.

From Thursday, July 21, to Saturday, July 23, 1709.

The

Credo pudicitiam Saturno rege moratam

In terris.-Juv., Sat. vi. 1.

White's Chocolate-house, July 22.

I

he other day I took a walk a mile or two out of town, and strolling wherever chance led me, I was insensibly carried into a by-road, along which was a very agreeable quickset, of an extraordinary height, which surrounded a very delicious seat and garden. From one angle of the hedge, I heard a voice cry, "Sir, sir—” This raised my curiosity, and I heard the same voice say, but in a gentle tone, "Come forward, come forward.' did so, and one through the hedge called me by my name, and bade me go on to the left, and I should be admitted. to visit an old acquaintance in distress. The laws of knight-errantry made me obey the summons without hesitation; and I was let in at the back gate of a lovely house by a maid-servant, who carried me from room to room, until I came into a gallery; at the end of which, I saw a fine lady dressed in the most sumptuous habit, as if she were going to a ball, but with the most abject and disconsolate sorrow in her face that I ever beheld. As I came near, she burst into tears, and cried, "Sir, do not you know the unhappy Teraminta?" I soon recollected her whole person: "But," said I, "madam, the simplicity of dress, in which I have ever seen you at your good father's house, and the cheerfulness of countenance with which you always appeared, are so unlike the fashion and temper you are now in, that I did not easily recover the