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character of Reynard, the manner of surprising all Sharpers as well as him. But of these great points, after more mature deliberation.

SIR,

ST. JAMES'S COFFEE-HOUSE, AUGUST 17.

TO ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esquire.

• We have nothing at present new, but that we understand by some Owlers', old people die in France. Letters from Paris of the 10th instant N. S. say, that monsier d'Andre, marquis d'Oraison, died at eighty-five: monsieur Brumars, at one hundred and two years, died for love of his wife, who was ninety-two at her death, after seventy years cohabitation. Nicholas de Boutheiller, parish-preacher of Sasseville, being a bachelor, held out to one hundred and sixteen. Dame Claude de Massy, relict of monsieur Peter de Monceaux, grand audiencer of France, died on the seventh inst. aged one hundred and seven. Letters of the seventeenth say, monsieur Chrestien de Lamoignon died on the seventh instant, a person of great piety and virtue; but having died young, his age is concealed for reasons of state. On the fifteenth, his most Christian Majesty, attended by the Dauphin, the duke of Burgundy, the duke and Duchess of Berry, assisted at the procession which he yearly performs in memory of a vow made by Lewis the Thirteenth in 1638. For which act of piety, his majesty received absolution of his confessor, for the breach of all inconvenient vows made by himself. I am, SIR, your most humble servant,

• HUMPHREY KIDNEY'.'

s Owler signifies one who carries contraband goods; the word is perhaps derived from the necessity of carrying on an illicit trade by night.Johnson.

t H. Kidney was a waiter at St. James's Coffee-house. See Tatler, No. 1. and note.

FROM MY OWN APARTMENT, AUGUST 17.

I AM to acknowledge several letters which I have lately received; among others, one subscribed Philanthropos, another Emilia, both which shall be honoured. I have a third from an officer in the army, wherein he desires I would do justice to the many gallant actions which have been done by men of private characters, or officers of lower stations, during this long war; that their families may have the pleasure of seeing we lived in an age wherein men of all orders had their proper share in fame and glory. There is nothing I should undertake with greater pleasure than matters of this kind; if therefore they, who are acquainted with such facts, would please to communicate them", by letters directed to me at Mr.

In searching for facts of the kind here spoken of, application was made to a general officer well versed in military history, and in high estimation for various knowledge, and learning in all things that concern his profession. He related what follows with an honest emotion that did him honour, as he had no particular connection, nor any personal acquaintance with the Hero of his story. Though relative to a superior officer, and of a posterior date, it is still in the nature of the facts here requested. If it had happened in that time, and been pointed out to this author as a thing overlooked, he would certainly have taken pains, to set it in a proper and distinguished light.' It is given here, unvarnished, and in the very words made use of by the respectable relator, whọ had afterwards the best opportunities possible to be well informed in the truth of it.

'Major General Hopson, son to the brave admiral of that name who broke the Spanish chain at Vigo, was an officer always held in great esteem for virtue, honour, and abilities. At the advanced age of 70, with inpaired health, but an unbroken spirit, in the year 1758, he accepted of the chief command of the land forces then sent from England for the reduction of Martiniço and Guadaloupe. At the latter of these islands, labouring under severe and dispiriting infirmities, he repulsed all the attacks of the enemy, displayed the utmost fortitude, and settled the plan for the entire conquest of that island, and of Grandeterre, which was afterwards successfully executed by major-general Barrington. Early in 1759, he fell a sacrifice to the climate, to the great regret of the army, and the universal concern of all who knew him.-Yet the loss of this eminent and excellent person has hitherto remained almost unnoticed, whilst many others of far inferior merit have been loaded with praise.

Morphew's, no pains should be spared to put them in a proper and distinguishing light.

* **This is to admonish Stentor*, that it was not admiration of his voice, but my publication of it, which has lately increased the number of his hearers,

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I was this evening representing a complaint sent me out of the country from Emilia'. She says, her neighbours there have so little sense of what a refined lady of the town is, that she, who was a celebrated wit in London, is in that dull part of the world in so little esteem, that they call her in their base style a Tongue-pad. Old Truepenny bid me advise her to keep her wit until she comes to town again, and admonish her that both wit and breeding are local; for a fine court-lady is as awkward among country housewives, as one of them would appear in a drawing-room. It is, therefore, the most useful knowledge one can attain at, to understand among what sort of men we make the best figure; for if there be a place where the beauteous and accomplished Emilia is unacceptable, it is certainly a vain endeavour to attempt pleasing in all conversations. Here is Will Ubi, who is so thirsty after the reputation of a com

* STEELE'S.

* See Tatler, No. 54. and notes; and No. 61. and notes. y See Tatler, No. 56, penult. paragraph.

panion, that his company is for any body that will accept of it; and, for want of knowing whom to choose for himself, is never chosen by others. There is a certain chastity of behaviour which makes a man desirable; and which if he transgresses, his wit will have the same fate with Delia's beauty, which no one regards, because all know it is within their power. The best course Emilia can take is, to have less humility; for if she could have as good an opinion of herself for having every quality, as some of her neighbours have of themselves with one, she would inspire even them with a sense of her merit, and make that carriage, which is now the subject of their derision, the sole object of their imitation. Until she has arrived at this value of herself, she must be contented with the fate of that uncommon creature, a woman too humble.

WHITE'S CHOCOLATE-HOUSE, August 19.

SINCE my last, I have received a letter from Tom Trump, to desire that I would do the fraternity of gamesters the justice to own, that there are notorious Sharpers who are not of their class. Among others he presented me with the picture of Harry Coppersmith', in little, who, he says, is at this day worth half a plumb3, by means much more indirect than by false dice. I must confess, there appeared some reason in what he asserted; and he met me since, and accosted me in the following manner: It is wonderful to me, Mr. Bickerstaff, that you can pretend to be a man of penetration, and fall upon us Knights of the Industry as the wickedest of mortals, when there are so many who live in the constant practice of baser methods unobserved. You cannot,

z See Tatler, No. 61.

a A plumb is a term in the City for 100,000l.

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though you know the story of myself and the North Briton, but allow I am an honester man than Will Coppersmith, for all his great credit among the Lombards. I get my money by men's follies, and he gets his by their distresses. The declining merchant communicates his griefs to him, and he augments them by extortion. If, therefore, regard is to be had to the merit of the persons we injure, who is the more blameable, he that oppresses an unhappy man, or he that cheats a foolish one? All mankind are indif ferently liable to adverse strokes of fortune; and he who adds to them, when he might relieve them, is certainly a worse subject than he who unburdens a man whose prosperity is unwieldy to him. Besides all which, he that borrows of Coppersmith does it out of necessity; he that plays with me does it out of choice.'

I allowed Trump there are men as bad as himself, which is the height of his pretensions: and must confess, that Coppersmith is the most wicked and impudent of all Sharpers: a creature that cheats with credit, and is a robber in the habit of a friend. The contemplation of this worthy person made me reflect on the wonderful successes I have observed men of the meanest capacities meet with in the world, and recollect an observation I once heard a sage man make; which was, That he had observed, that in some professions, the lower the understanding, the greater the capacity". I remember, he instanced that of a banker, and said, that the fewer appetites, passions, and ideas a man had, he was the better for his business.'

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b Swift wittily insinuates the same thought, where he bids lord Bolingbroke take notice, that the clerks in his lordship's office made use of ivory knives to cut paper with, in preference to penknives.' Swift's Works, vol. xii. p. 239.

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