creation, and joining in the same consort of praise and adoration.

Milton has finely described this mixed communion of men and spirits in Paradise; and had doubtless his eye upon a verse in old Hesiod, which is almost word for word the same with his third line in the following passage.

Nor think, though men were none,

That heaven would want spectators, God want praise:
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake and when we sleep;
All these with ceaseless praise his works behold
Both day and night. How often from the steep
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,

Sole, or responsive each to other note,
Singing their great Creator! Oft in hands,
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,
With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds,、
In full harmonic number join'd, their songs
Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to heaven.

(No. XII. C.)

IV.

- Tigris agit rabidâ cum tigride pacem Perpetuam, sævis inter se convenit ursis.

JUVEN. Sat. 15, v. 163.

Tiger with tiger, bear with bear you'll find
In leagues offensive and defensive join'd.

TATE.

MAN AN is said to be a sociable animal, and, as an instance of it, we may observe, that we take all occasions and pretences of forming ourselves into those little nocturnal assemblies, which are commonly known by the name of clubs. When a set of men find themselves agree in any particular, though never so trivial, they establish themselves into a kind of fraternity, and meet once or twice a week, upon the account of such a fantastic resemblance. I know a considerable markettown, in which there was a club of fat men, that did not come together, as you may well suppose, to entertain one another with sprightliness and wit, but to keep one another in countenance: the room where the club met

was something of the largest, and had two entrances, the one by a door of a moderate size and the other by a pair of folding doors. If a candidate for this corpulent club could make his entrance through the first, he was looked upon as unqualified; but if he stuck in the passage, and could not force his way through it, the folding doors were immediately thrown open for his reception, and he was saluted as a brother. I have heard that this club, though it consisted but of fifteen persons, weighed above three tun.

In opposition to this society, there sprung up another composed of scarecrows and skeletons, who being very meagre and envious, did all they could to thwart the designs of their bulky brethren, whom they represented as men of dangerous principles; till, at length, they worked them out of the favour of the people, and consequently out of the magistracy. These factions tore the corporation in pieces for several years, till, at length, they came to this accommodation; that the two bailiffs of the town should be annually chosen out of the two clubs; by which means the principal magistrates are at this day coupled like rabbets, one fat, and one lean.

Every one has heard of the club, or ra

ther the confederacy, of the Kings. This grand alliance was formed a little after the return of king Charles II, and admitted into it men of all qualities and professions, provided they agreed in the sirname of King, which, as they imagined, sufficiently declared the owners. of it to be altogether untainted with republican and anti-monarchical principles.

A Christian name has likewise been often used as a badge of distinction, and made the occasion of a club. That of the George's " which used to meet at the sign of the George on St. George's day, and swear before George, is still fresh in every one's memory.

There are at present, in several parts of this city, what they call Street-clubs, in which the chief inhabitants of the street converse together every night. I remember, upon my inquiring after lodgings in Ormond-Street, the landlord, to recommend that quarter of the town, told me, there was at that time a very good club in it; he also told me, upon farther discourse with him, that two or three noisy country-squires, who were settled there the year before, had considerably sunk the price of house-rent; and that the club, to prevent the like inconveniences for the fuhad thought of taking every house that

Lure,

became vacant into their own hands, till they had found a tenant for it, of a sociable nature and good conversation.

The Hum-drum club, of which I was formerly an unworthy member, was made up of very honest gentlemen, of peaceable dispositions, that used to sit together, smoke their pipes, and say nothing till midnight. The Mum-club, as I am informed, is an institution of the same nature and as great an enemy to noise.

After these two innocent societies, I cannot forbear mentioning a very mischievous one, that was erected in the reign of king Charles II. I mean the club of Duellists, in which none was to be admitted, that had not fought his man. The president of it was said to have killed half a dozen in single combat; and as for the other members, they took their seats according to the number of their slain. There was likewise a side-table for such as had only drawn blood, and shewn a laudable ambition of taking the first opportunity to qualify themselves for the first table. This club consisting only of men of honour, did not continue. long, most of the members of it being put to the sword, or hanged, a little after its institution.