he had, to a great perfection, that discernment of spirit which constitutes a genius for comedy. White's Chocolate-house, May 11. It is not to be imagined, how far the violence of our desires will carry us towards our own deceit in the pursuit of what we wish for. A gentleman here this evening was giving me an account of a dumb fortune-teller *, who outdoes Mr. Partridge, myself, or the Unborn Doctor†, for predictions; all his visitants come to him full of expectations, and pay his own rate for the interpretations they put upon his shrugs and nods. There is a fine rich city widow stole thither the other day (though it is not six weeks since her husband's departure from her company to rest), and with her trusty maid, demanded of him, whether she should marry again, by holding up two fingers, like horns on her forehead: the wizard held up both his hands forked. The relic desired to know, whether he meant, by his holding up both hands, to represent that she had one husband before, and that she should have another? or that he intimated, she should have two more? The cunning man looked a little sour, upon which Betty jogged her mistress, who gave the other guinea; and he made her understand, she should positively have two more, but shaked his head, and hinted that they should not live long with her. The widow sighed, and gave him the other half-guinea. After this prepossession, all that she had next to do was to make sallies to our end of the town, and find out whom it is her fate to * Duncan Campbell, said to be deaf and dumb, who practised at this time on the credulity of the vulgar, and pretended to predict fortunes by the second sight, &c. + The real name of the quack-doctor and man-midwife, who affected to be distinguished as "unborn," was Kirleus. have. There are two who frequent this place whom she takes to be men of vogue, and of whom her imagination has given her the choice. They are both the appearances of fine gentlemen, to such as do not know when they see persons of that turn; and, indeed, they are industrious enough to come at that character, to deserve the reputation of being such: but this town will not allow us to be the things we seem to aim at, and is too discerning to be fobbed off with pretences. One of these pretty fellows fails by his laborious exactness; the other, by his as much studied negligence. Frank Careless, as soon as his valet had helped on and adjusted his cloaths, goes to his glass, sets his wig awry, tumbles his cravat; and, in short, undresses himself to go into company. Will Nice is so little satisfied with his dress, that all the time he is at a visit he is still mending it, and is for that reason the more insufferable; for he who studies carelessness has, at least, his work the sooner done of the two. The widow is distracted whom to take for her first man; for Nice is every way so careful, that she fears his length of days; and Frank is so loose, that she has apprehensions for her own health with him. I am puzzled how to give a just idea of them; but, in a word, Careless is a coxcomb, and Nice a fop: both, you will say, very hopeful candidates for a gay young woman just set at liberty. But there is a whisper, her maid will give her to Tom Terror the gamester. mester. This fellow has undone so many women, that he will certainly succeed if he is introduced; for nothing so much prevails with the vain part of that sex, as the glory of deceiving them who have deceived others. Desunt multa. St. James's Coffee-house, May 11. Letters from Berlin, bearing date May the eleventh, N. S. inform us, that the birth-day of her Prussian Majesty has been celebrated there with all possible magnificence; and the King made her on that occasion a present of jewels to the value of thirty thousand crowns. The Marquis de Quesne, who has distinguished himself by his great zeal for the Protestant interest, was, at the time of the dispatch of these letters, at that Court, soliciting the King to take care, that an article in behalf of the refugees, admitting their return to France, should be inserted in the treaty of peace. They write from Hanover, of the fourteenth, that his Electoral Highness had received an express from Count Merci, representing how necessary it was to the common cause, that he would please to hasten to the Rhine; for that nothing but his presence could quicken the measures towards bringing the Imperial army into the field. There are very many speculations upon the intended interview of the King of Denmark and King Augustus. The latter has made such preparations for the reception of the other, that it is said, his Danish Majesty will be entertained in Saxony with much more elegance than he met with in Italy itself. Letters from the Hague, of the eighteenth instant, N. S. say, that his Grace the Duke of Marlborough landed the night before at the Brill, after having been kept out at sea, by adverse winds, two days longer than is usual in that passage. His Excellency the Lord Townshend, her Majesty's Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the States General, was driven into the Veer in Zea land on Thursday last, from whence he came to the Hague within few hours after the arrival of his Grace. The Duke, soon after his coming to the Hague, had a visit from the Pensioner of Holland. All things relative to the peace were in suspence until this interview; nor is it yet known what resolutions will be taken on that subject; for the troops of the allies have fresh orders dispatched to them, to move from their respective quarters, and march with all expedition to the frontiers, where the enemy are making their utmost efforts for the defence of their country. These advices further inform us, that the Marquis de Torcy had received an answer from the court of France, to his letters which he had sent thither by an express on the Friday before. *** Mr. Bickerstaff has received letters from Mr. Coltstaff, Mr. Whipstaff, and Mrs. Rebecca Wagstaff; all which relate chiefly to their being left out in the genealogy of the family lately published; but my Cousin who writ that draught, being a clerk in the Herald's Office, and being at present under the displeasure of the Chapter; it is feared, if that matter should be touched upon at this time, the young gentleman would lose his place for treason against the King of Arms. Castabella's complaint is come to hand. No 15. SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1709. Quicquid agunt bomines nostri est farrago libelli. JUV. Sat. I. 85, 86. P. Whate'er men do, or say, or think, or dream, From my own Apartment, May 12. I HAVE taken a resolution hereafter, on any want of intelligence, to carry my Familiar abroad with me, who has promised to give me very proper and just notices of persons and things, to make up the history of the passing day. He is wonderfully skilful in the knowledge of men and manners, which has made me more than ordinarily curious to know how he came to that perfection, and I communicated to him that doubt. "Mr. Pacolet," said I, "I am mightily surprized to see you so good a judge of our nature and circumstances, since you are a mere spirit, and have no knowledge of the bodily part of us." He answered, smiling, "You are mistaken; I have been one of you, and lived a month amongst you, which gives me an exact sense of your condition. You are to know, that all, who enter into human life, have a certain date or stamen given to their being, which they only who die of age may be said to have arrived at; but it is ordered sometimes by fate, that such as die infants are, after death, to attend mankind to the end of that stamen of being in themselves, which was broke off by sickness or any other disaster. These are proper guardians to men, as being sensible of the infirmity of their state. |