cied ourselves in King Charles the Second's country. I have an honest dairy-maid who reign, the people having made very little vari- crosses their hands with a piece of silver every ations in their dress since that time. The smart-summer, and never fails being promised the est of the country 'squires appear still in the handsomest young fellow in the parish for her Monmouth-cock, and when they go a wooing pains. Your friend the butler has been fool (whether they have any post in the militia or enough to be seduced by them; and though he not) they generally put on a red coat. We is sure to lose a knife, a fork, or a spoon every were, indeed, very much surprised, at the time his fortune is told him, generally shuts place we lay at last night, to meet with a gen- himself up in the pantry with an old gipsy for tleman that had accoutred himself in a night-above half an hour once in a twelve-month. cap-wig, a coat with long pockets and slit Sweethearts are the things they live upon. sleeves, and a pair of shoes with high scollop which they bestow very plentifully upon all tops; but we soon found by his conversation that he was a person who laughed at the ignorance and rusticity of the country people, and was resolved to live and die in the mode.

those that apply themselves to them. You see now and then some handsome young jades among them: the sluts have very often white teeth and black eyes.'

As 1

Sir, if you think this account of my travels Sir Roger observing that I listened with may be of any advantage to the public, I will great attention to his account of a people who next year trouble you with such occurrences as were so entirely new to me, told me, that, if I shall meet with in other parts of England. I would, they should tell us our fortunes. For I am informed there are greater curiosities was very well pleased with the knight's propoin the northern circuit than in the western; sal, we rid up and communicated our hands to and that a fashion makes its progress much them. A Cassandra of the crew, after having slower into Cumberland than into Cornwall. I examined my lines very diligently, told me, have heard in particular, that the Steenkirk* that I loved a pretty maid in a corner, that 1 arrived but two months ago at Newcastle, and was a good woman's man, with some other that there are several commodes in those parts particulars which I do not think proper to rewhich are worth taking a journey thither to see.'

No. 130.] Monday, July 30, 1711.

Semperque recentes

C.

Convectare juvat prædas, et vivere rapto.
Virg. Æn. vii. 748.

late. My friend Sir Roger alighted from his
horse, and exposing his palm to two or three
that stood by him, they crumpled it into all
shapes, and diligently scanned every wrinkle
that could be made in it; when one of them,
who was older and more sun-burnt than the
rest, told him, that he had a widow in his line
of life. Upon which the knight cried, Go,
go, you are an idle baggage;' and at the same
time smiled upon me. The gipsy finding he
was not displeased in his heart, told him after
a farther inquiry into his hand, that his true-
love was constant, and that she should dream
of him to-night. My old friend cried Pish!
and bid her go on.
The gipsy told him that he

A plundering race, still eager to invade, On spoil they live, and make of theft a trade. As I was yesterday riding out in the fields with my friend Sir Roger, we saw at a little distance from us a troop of gipsies. Upon the first discovery of them, my friend was in some doubt whether he should not exert the justice was a bachelor, but would not be so long; and of the peace upon such a band of lawless va- that he was dearer to somebody than he grants; but not having his clerk with him, who thought. The knight still repeated, 'She was 'Ah, is a necessary counsellor on these occasions, an idle baggage,' and bid her go on. and fearing that his poultry might fare the master,' says the gipsy, 'that roguish leer of worse for it, he let the thought drop; but at the yours makes a pretty woman's heart ache; you same time gave me a particular account of the have not that simper about the mouth for nothmischiefs they do in the country, in stealing ing.'-The uncouth gibberish with which all people's goods and spoiling their servants. this was uttered, like the darkness of an oracle, "If a stray piece of linen hangs upon a hedge,' made us the more attentive to it. To be short, says Sir Roger, they are sure to have it; if the knight left the money with her that he had the hog loses his way in the fields, it is ten to crossed her hand with, and got up again on one but he becomes their prey: our geese cannot live in peace for them; if a man prosecutes that he knew several sensible people who beAs we were riding away, Sir Roger told me, them with severity, his hen-roost is sure to pay lieved these gipsies now and then foretold very for it. They generally straggle into these parts about this time of the year; and set the heads strange things; and for half an hour together of our servant-maids so agog for husbands, appeared more jocund than ordinary. In the that we do not expect to have any business height of his good-humour, meeting a common done as it should be, whilst they are in the beggar upon the road, who was no conjurer, as he went to relieve him he found his pocket * The Steenkirk was a military cravat of black silk. was picked; that being a kind of palmistry at This, as well as many other ornaments of dress, received which this race of vermin are very dextrous. the name from the overjoyed Parisians after the battle of I might here entertain my reader with histo. Steenkirk, fought Aug. 2d, 1692; and the English, with rical remarks on this idle profligate people, their accustomed complacency towards every thing who infest all the countries of Europe, and French, adopted it, although its very name was intended to perpetuate the remembrance of their own sovereign's live in the midst of governments in a kind of commonwealth by themselves. But instead of

defeat.

VOL. I.

his horse.

22

entering into observations of this nature, I shall gets into the frontiers of his estate, before he fill the remaining part of my paper with a sto- beats about in search of a hare or partridge, ry which is still fresh in Holland, and was on purpose to spare his own fields, where he printed in one of our monthly accounts about is always sure of finding diversion, when the twenty years ago. 'As the trekschuyt, or hack- worst comes to the worst. By this means the ney-boat, which carries passengers from Ley-breed about his house has time to increase and den to Amsterdam, was putting off, a boy run- multiply, besides that the sport is the more ning along the side of the canal desired to be agreeable where the game is the harder to taken in which the master of the boat refus- come at, and where it does not lie so thick as ed, because the lad had not quite money to produce any perplexity or confusion in the enough to pay the usual fare. An eminent pursuit. For these reasons the country genmerchant being pleased with the looks of the tieman, like the fox, seldom preys near his boy, and secretly touched with compassion own home. towards him, paid the money for him, and orIn the same manner I have made a month's dered him to be taken on board. Upon talking excursion out of the town, which is the great with him afterwards, he found that he could field of game for sportsmen of my species, to speak readily in three or four languages, and try my fortune in the country, where I have learned upon further examination that he had started several subjects, and hunted them been stolen away when he was a child by a down, with some pleasure to myself, and I gipsy, and had rambled ever since with a gang hope to others. I am here forced to use a great of those strollers up and down several parts of deal of diligence before I can spring any thing Europe. It happened that the merchant, to my mind, whereas in town, whilst I am fol whose heart seems to have inclined towards the lowing one character, it is ten to one but I am boy by a secret kind of instinct, had himself crossed in my way by another, and put up lost a child some years before. The parents, such a variety of odd creatures in both sexes, after a long search for him, gave him for that they foil the scent of one another, and drowned in one of the canals with which that puzzle the chase. My greatest difficulty in the country abounds; and the mother was so af- country is to find sport, and in town to choose flicted at the loss of a fine boy, who was her only son, that she died for grief of it. Upon laying together all particulars, and examining the several moles and marks by which the mother used to describe the child when he was first missing, the boy proved to be the son of the merchant, whose heart had so unaccountably melted at the sight of him. The lad was very well pleased to find a father who was so rich, and likely to leave him a good estate: the father on the other hand was not a little delighted to see a son returned to him, whom he had given for lost, with such a strength of constitution, sharpness of understanding, and skill in languages.' Here the printed story leaves off; but if I may give credit to reports, our linguist having received such extraordinary rudiments towards a good education, was afterwards trained up in every thing that becomes a gentleman; wearing off by little and little all the vicious habits and practices that he had been used to in the course of his peregrinations. Nay, it is said, that he has since been employed in foreign courts upon national business, with great reputation to himself and honour to those who sent him, and that he has visited several countries as a public minister, in which he formerly wandered as a gipsy.

No. 131.] Tuesday, July 31, 1711.
Ipsæ rursum concedite sylvæ.

Once more, ye woods, adieu.

C.

it. In the mean time, as I have given a whole month's rest to the cities of London and Westminster, I promise myself abundance of new game upon my return thither.

It is indeed high time for me to leave the country, since I find the whole neighbourhood begin to grow very inquisitive after my name and character; my love of solitude, taciturnity, and particular way of life, having raised a great curiosity in all these parts.

The notions which have been framed of me are various; some look upon me as very proud, some as very modest, and some as very melancholy. Will Wimble, as my friend the butler tells me, observing me very much alone, and extremely silent when I am in company, is afraid I have killed a man. The country people seem to suspect me for a conjurer; and some of them hearing of the visit which I made to Moll White, will needs have it that Sir Roger has brought down a cunning man with him, to cure the old woman, and free the country from our charms. So that the character which I go under in part of the neighbourhood, is what they here call a White Witch.

A justice of peace, who lives about five miles off, and is not of Sir Roger's party, has it seems said twice or thrice at his table, that he wishes Sir Roger does not harbour a Jesuit in his house, and that he thinks the gentlemen of the country would do very well to make me give some account of myself. On the other side, some of Sir Roger's Virg. Ec. x. 63. friends are afraid the old knight is imposed upon by a designing fellow; and as they have heard that he converses very promiscuously when he is in town, do not know but he has brought down with him some discarded Whig, that is sullen, and says nothing because

Ir is usual for a man who loves country sports to preserve the game in his own grounds, and divert himself upon those that belong to his neighbour. My friend Sir Roger generally he is out of place. goes two or three miles from his house, and

Such is the variety of opinions which are

here entertained of me, so that I pass among next day, his horses were ready at the appoint some for a disaffected person, and among ed hour in the evening; and, attended by one others for a popish priest; among some for a of his grooms, I arrived at the county-town at wizard, and others for a murderer; and all twilight, in order to be ready for the stage. this for no other reason that I can imagine, coach the day following. As soon as we arbut because I do not hoot, and halloo, and rived at the inn, the servant, who waited upmake a noise. It is true, my friend Sir Roger on me, inquired of the chamberlain in my tells them,— That it is my way' and that I am hearing what company he had for the coach? only a philosopher; but this will not satisfy The fellow answered, Mrs. Betty Arable, them. They think there is more in me than the great fortune, and the widow her mother; he discovers, and that I do not hold my tongue a recruiting officer, (who took a place because for nothing. they were to go) young 'Squire Quickset, her For these and other reasons I shall set out cousin (that her mother wished her to be marfor London to-morrow, having found by ex-ried to); Ephraim the quaker, her guardian; perience that the country is not a place for a and a gentleman that had studied himself dumb person of my temper, who does not love jolli- from Sir Roger De Coverley's.' I observed by ty, and what they call good neighbourhood. A what he said of myself, that according to his man that is out of humour when an unexpected his office he dealt much in intelligence; and guest breaks in upon him, and does not care doubted not but there was some foundation for sacrificing an afternoon to every chance- for his reports of the rest of the company, as comer, that will be the master of his own time, well as for the whimsical account he gave of and the pursuer of his own inclinations, makes me. The next morning at day-break we were but a very unsociable figure in this kind of all called; and I who know my own natural life. I shall therefore retire into the town, if shyness, and endeavour to be as little liable to I may make use of that phrase, and get into be disputed with as possible, dressed immedithe crowd again as fast as I can, in order to ately, that I might make no one wait. The first be alone. I can there raise what specula preparation for our setting out was, that the tions I please upon others without being ob-captain's half-pike was placed near the coachserved myself, and at the same time enjoy all man, and a drum behind the coach. In the the advantages of company, with all the pri- mean time the drummer, the captain's equipvileges of solitude. In the meanwhile, to age, was very loud,' that none of the capfinish the month, and conclude these my ru-tain's things should be placed so as to be spoilral speculations, I shall here insert a letter ed; upon which his cloak-bag was fixed in the from my friend Will Honeycomb, who has not lived a month for these forty years out of the smoke of London, and rallies me after his way upon my country life.

'DEAR SPEC,

seat of the coach: and the captain himself, according to a frequent,, though invidious behaviour of military men, ordered his man to look sharp, that none but one of the ladies should have the place he had taken fronting the coach-box.

6

'I suppose this letter will find thee picking of daisies, or smelling to a lock of hay, or We were in some little time fixed in our passing away thy time in some innocent coun- seats, and sat with that dislike which people try diversion of the like nature. I have how-not too good-natured usually conceive of each ever orders from the club to summon thee up other at first sight. The coach jumbled us into town, being all of us cursedly afraid thou sensibly into some sort of familiarity: and we wilt not be able to relish our company, after had not moved above two miles, when the widthy conversations with Moll White, and Will ow asked the captain what success he had in Wimble. Pr'ythee do not send us any more his recruiting? The officer, with a frankness stories of a cock and a bull, nor frighten the he believed very graceful, told her, that in town with spirits and witches. Thy specula-deed he had but very little luck, and had suffertions begin to smell confoundedly of woods ed much by desertion, therefore should be glad and meadows. If thou dost not come up to end his warfare in the service of her or her fair quickly, we shall conclude that thou art in daughter. In a word,' continued he, 'I am a love with one of Sir Roger's dairy-máids. soldier, and to be plain is my character: you Service to the knight. Sir Andrew is grown see me, madam, young, sound, and impudent; the cock of the club since he left us, and if he take me yourself, widow, or give me to her ; I does not return quickly will make every moth-will be wholly at your disposal. I am a soldier er's son of us commonwealth's-men.

C.

'Dear Spec.

Thine eternally,
'WILL HONEYCOMB.'

No. 132.] Wednesday, August 1, 1711.
Qui, aut tempus quid postulet non videt, aut plura lo-
quitur, aut se ostentat, aut eorum quibuscum est rationem
non habet, is ineptus esse dicitur.-Tull.

That man may be called impertinent, who considers

not the circumstances of time, or engrosses the conversation, or makes himself the subject of his discourse, or pays no regard to the company he is in.

HAVING notified to my good friend Sir Roger that I should set out for London the

of fortune, ha!'-This was followed by a vain laugh of his own, and a deep silence of all the rest of the company. I had nothing left for it but to fall fast asleep, which I did with all speed.- Come,' said he, 'resolve upon it, we will make a wedding at the next town: we will wake this pleasant companion who is fallen asleep, to be the brideman; and,' giving the quaker a clap on the knee, he concluded,

This sly saint, who, I will warrant, understands what is what as well as you or 1, widow, shall give the bride as father.' The quaker, who happened to be a man of smartness, answered. 'Friend, I take it in good part that,

thou hast given me the authority of a father him: such a man, when he falleth in the way over this comely and virtuous child; and I with persons of simplicity and innocence, must assure thee, that if I have the giving her, however knowing he may be in the ways of I shall not bestow her on thee. Thy mirth, men, will not vaunt himself thereof, but will friend, savoureth of folly: thou art a person the rather hide his superiority to them, that he of a light mind, thy drum is a type of thee, it may not be painful unto them. My good soundeth because it is empty. Verily, is not friend,' continued he, turning to the officer, from thy fulness, but thy emptiness, that thou' thee and I are to part by and by, and peradhast spoken this day, Friend, friend, we have venture we may never meet again: but be adhired this coach in partnership with thee, to vised by a plain man; modes and apparel are carry us to the great city; we cannot go but trifles to the real man, therefore do not any other way. This worthy mother must think such a man as thyself terrible for thy hear thee, if thou wilt needs utter thy follies; garb, nor such a one as me contemptible for we cannot help it, friend, I say: if thou wilt, mine. When two such as thee and I meet, we must hear thee; but if thou wert a man of with affections as we ought to have towards understanding, thou wouldst not take advan-each other, thou shouldst rejoice to see my tage of thy courageous countenance to abash peaceable demeanor, and I should be glad to us children of peace.-Thou art, thou sayest, a see thy strength and ability to protect me in soldier; give quarter to us, who cannot resist it.' thee. Why didst thou fleer at our friend, who feigned himself asleep? He said nothing; but

T.

Quis desiderio sit pudor, aut modus
Tam chari capitis? Hor. Lib. 1. Od. xxiv. 1.

how dost thou know what he containeth? If No. 133.] Thursday, August 2, 1711.
thou speakest improper things in the hearing
of this virtuous young virgin, consider it as
an outrage against a distressed person that
cannot get from thee: to speak indiscreetly
what we are obliged to hear, by being hasp-
ed up with thee in this public vehicle, is in
some degree assaulting on the high road.'

Here Ephraim paused, and the captain with a happy and uncommon impudence (which can be convicted and support itself at the same time), cries, Faith, friend, I thank thee; should have been a little impertinent if thou hadst not reprimanded me. Come, thou art, I see, a smoky old fellow, and I will be very orderly the ensuing part of my journey was going to give myself airs, but, ladies, beg pardon.'

Such was his worth, our loss is such.
We cannot love too well, or grieve too much.
Oldisworth.

THERE is a sort of delight, which is alter nately mixed with terror and sorrow, in the contemplation of death. The soul has its cu riosity more than ordinarily awakened, when it turns its thoughts upon the conduct of such who have behaved themselves with an equal, a resigned, a cheerful, a generous or heroic temper in that extremity. We are affected with these respective manners of behaviour, as we secretly believe the part of the dying person imitable by ourselves, or such as we The captain was so little out of humour, and imagine ourselves more particularly capable our company was so far from being soured by of. Men of exalted minds march before us this little ruffle, that Ephraim and he took a like princes, and are, to the ordinary race of particular delight in being agreeable to each mankind, rather subjects for their admiration other for the future; and assumed their dif- than example. However, there are no ideas ferent provinces in the conduct of the com- strike more forcibly upon our imaginations, pany. Our reckonings, apartments, and ac- than those which are raised from reflections commodation, fell under Ephraim; and the upon the exits of great and excellent men. Incaptain looked to all disputes upon the road, nocent men who have suffered as criminals, as the good behaviour of our coachman, and though they were benefactors to human societhe right we had of taking place, as going to ty, seem to be persons of the highest distincLondon, of all vehicles coming from thence. tion, among the vastly greater number of huThe occurrences we met with were ordinary, man race, the dead. When the iniquity of and very little happened which could entertain the times brought Socrates to his execution, by the relation of them: but when I consider- how great and wonderful is it to behold him, ed the company we were in, I took it for no unsupported by any thing but the testimony small good-fortune, that the whole journey of his own conscience, and conjectures of was not spent in impertinences, which to one hereafter, receive the poison with an air of part of us might be an entertainment, to the mirth and good humour, and as if going on other a suffering. What therefore Ephraim an agreeable journey, bespeak some deity to said when we were almost arrived at London, make it fortunate.

had to me an air not only of good understand- When Phocion's good actions had met with ing, but good breeding. Upon the young la- the like reward from his country, and he was dy's expressing her satisfaction in the journey, led to death with many others of his friends, and declaring how delightful it had been to they bewailing their fate, he walking compoher, Ephraim declared himself as follows: sedly towards the place of execution, how 'There is no ordinary part of human life, gracefully does he support his illustrious chawhich expresseth so much a good mind, and racter to the very fast instant! One of the raba right inward man, as his behaviour upon ble spitting at him as he passed, with his usual meeting with strangers, especially such as authority he called to know if no one was reamay seem the most unsuitable companions to dy to teach this fellow how to behave himself.

When a poor-spirited creature that died at the pose of his being, next to obeying Him to same time for his crimes, bemoaned himself whom he is gone, to please and instruct, and unmanfully, he rebuked him with this ques- that for no other end but to please and instruct. tion, Is it no consolation to such a man as Kindness was the motive of his actions, and thou art to die with Phocion?' At the instant with all the capacity requisite for making a when he was to die, they asked what com- figure in a contentious world, moderation, mands he had for his son? be answered, To good-nature, affability, temperance, and chas, forget this injury of the Athenians.' Niocles, tity, were the arts of his excellent life.-There his friend, under the same sentence, desired as he lies in helpless agony, no wise man who he might drink the potion before him: Phocion knew him so well as I, but would resign all the said, Because he never had denied him any world can bestow to be so near the end of such thing, he would not even this, the most difficult a life. Why does my heart so little obey my request he had ever made.' reason as to lament thee, thou excellent man? These instances were very noble and great, Heaven receive him or restore him!-Thy and the reflections of those sublime spirits had made death to them what it is really intended to be by the Author of nature, a relief from a various being, ever subject to sorrows and difficulties.

beloved mother, thy obliged friends, thy helpless servants, stand around thee without distinction. How much wouldst thou, hadst thou thy senses, say to each of us!

'But now that good heart bursts, and he is Epaminondas, the Theban general, having at rest-With that breath expired a soul who received in fight a mortal stab with a sword, never indulged a passion unfit for the place he which was left in his body, lay in that posture is gone to. Where are now thy plans of justill he had intelligence that his troops had ob- tice, of truth, of honour? Of what use the tained the victory, and then permitted it to volumes thou has collated, the arguments thou be drawn out, at which instant he expressed hast invented, the examples thou hast followhimself in this manner: This is not the end ed? Poor were the expectations of the studiof my life, my fellow-soldiers; it is now your ous, the modest, and the good, if the reward Epaminondas is born, who dies in so much of their labours were only to be expected from glory.' man. No, my friend, thy intended pleadings, It were an endless labour to collect the ac- thy intended good offices to thy friends, thy counts, with which all ages have filled the intended services to thy country, are already world, of noble and heroic minds that have performed (as to thy concern in them) in his resigned this being, as if the termination of sight, before whom, the past, present, and fulife were but an ordinary occurrence of it. ture appear at one view. While others with This common-place way of thinking I fell thy talents were tormented with ambition, with into from an awkward endeavour to throw off vain-glory, with envy, with emulation, how a real and fresh affliction, by turning over well didst thou turn thy mind to its own imbooks in a melancholy mood; but it is not provement in things out of the power of foreasy to remove griefs which touch the heart, tune; in probity, in integrity, in the practice by applying remedies which only entertain and study of justice! How silent thy passage, the imagination. As therefore this paper is to how private thy journey, how glorious thy consist of any thing which concerns human end! Many have I known more famous, some life, I cannot help letting the present subject more knowing, not one so innocent.' regard what has been the last object of my eyes, though an entertainment of sorrow. No. 134.] Friday, August 3, 1711. Opiferque per orbem

R.

I went this evening to visit a friend, with a Dicor design to rally him, npon a story I had heard Ovid, Met. Lib. i. 521. of his intending to steal a marriage without And am the great physician call'd below.-Dryden. the privity of us his intimate friends and acquaintance. I came into his apartment with DURING my absence in the country, several that intimacy which I have done for very packets have been left for me, which were not many years, and walked directly into his bed-forwarded to me, because I was expected every The author of the following letchamber, where I found my friend in the ago-day in town. nies of death. What could I do? The inno-ter, dated from Tower-hill, having sometimes cent mirth in my thoughts struck upon me like been entertained with some learned gentlemen the most flagitious wickedness: I in vain called in plush doublets,* who have vended their upon him; he was senseless, and too far spent wares from a stage in that place, has pleasantto have the least knowledge of my sorrow, or ly enough addressed to me, as no less a sage in any pain in himself. Give me leave then to morality, than those are in physic. To comtranscribe my soliloquy, as I stood by his moply with this kind inclination to make my ther, dumb with the weight of grief for a sonnial of my great abilities at large in his own cures famous, I shall give you his testimo

who was her honour and her comfort, and never till that hour since his birth had been an occasion of a moment's sorrow to her.

words.

SIR,

Tower-hill, July 5, 1711. 'How surprising is this change! From the 'Your saying the other day there is somepossession of vigorous life and strength, to be thing wonderful in the narrowness of those reduced in a few hours to this fatal extremity! minds which can be pleased, and be barren of Those lips which look so pale and livid, within

these few days gave delight to all who heard bounty to those who please them, makes me heir utterance: it was the business, the pur

* Quack Doctors.