their Medicines. One of these Gentlemen indeed pretends to an effectual Cure for Leannefs: What Effects it may have had upon those who have try'd it I cannot tell; but I am credibly informed, that the Call for it has been fo great, that it has effectually cured the Doctor himself of that Diftemper. Could each of them produce fo good an Inftance of the Succefs of his Medicines, they might foon perfuade the World into an Opinion of them.

I Observe that most of the Bills agree in one Expreffion, viz. that (with God's Bleing) they perform fuch and fuch Cures: This Expreffion is certainly very proper and emphatical, for that is all they have for it. And if ever a Cure is performed on a Patient where they are concerned, they can claim no greater Share in it than Virgil's Japis in the curing of Æneas; he tried his Skill, was very affiduous about the Wound, and indeed was the only visible Means that relieved the Heroe; but the Poet affures us it was the particular Affiftance of a Deity that speeded the Operation. An English Reader may fee the whole Story in Mr. Dryden's Tranflation.

Prop'd on his Lance the penfive Heroe flood,
And heard, and faw unmov'd, the Mourning Crowd.
The fam'd Phyfician tucks his Robes around,
With ready Hands, and haftens to the Wound.
With gentle Touches he performs his Part,
This Way and that, foliciting the Dart,
And exercises all his Heav'nly Art.
All foftning Simples, known of Sov'reign Ufe,
He preffes out, and pours their noble Juice;
Thefe first infus'd, to lenify the Pain,
He tugs with Pincers, but he tugs in vain.
Then to the Patron of his Art he pray'd;
The Patron of his Art refus'd his Aid.

But now the Goddess Mother, mov'd with Grief,
And pierc'd with Pity, haftens her Relief.
A Branch of healing Dittany he brought,
Which in the Cretan Fields with Care fhe fought;

}

Rough

Rough is the Stem, which woolly Leaves furround;
The Leaves with Flow'rs, the Flow'rs with Purple crown'd:
Well known to wounded Goats; a fure Relief

To draw the pointed Steel, and eafe the Grief.
This Venus brings, in Clouds involv'd; and brews
Th' extracted Liquor with Ambrofian Dews,
And od rous Panacee: Unfeen fhe ftands,
Temp ring the Mixture with her heav'nly Hands:
And pours it in a Bowl already crown'd

WithJuice of medicinal Herbs, prepared to bathe the Wound.
The Leech, unknowing of fuperior Art,

Which aids the Cure, with this foments the Part;
And in a Moment ceas'd the raging Smart.
Stanch'd is the Blood, and in the Bottom ftands:

The Steel, but fcarcely touch'd with tender Hands,
Moves up, and follows of its own Accord;
And Health and Vigour are at once reftor'd.
Tapis firft perceiv'd the clofing Wound;

And firft the Foootsteps of a God he found:

Arms, Arms! he cries: the Sword and Shield prepare,

And fend the willing Chief, renew'd to War.

This is no mortal Work, no Cure of mine,

Nor Art's Effect, but done by Hands Divine.

金玉玉山:孟孟孟:孟孟玉孟:孟孟孟孟孟

No. 573. Wednesday, July 28.

Caftigata remordent.

Juv.

Μ'

Y Paper on the Club of Widows has brought me in feveral Letters; and, among the reft, a long one from Mrs. Prefident, as follows.

Smart SIR,

You

And you feem to

OU are pleased to be very merry, as you ima gine, with us Widows: ground your Satyr on our receiving Confolation fo

• foon

⚫foon after the Death of our Dears, and the Number we are pleafed to admit for our Companions; but you ne6 ver reflect what Husbands we have buried, and how 'fhort a Sorrow the Lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own part, Mrs. President as you call me, my firft Husband I was married to at Fourteen, by my Uncle and Guardian (as I afterwards difcovered) by way of Sale, for the Third Part of my Fortune. This Fellow looked upon me as a meerChild, he might breed me up after his own Fancy; if he kiffed my Chamber• Maid before my Face, I was fuppofed fo ignorant, how ' could I think there was any Hurt in it? When he came

home roaring drunk at Five in the Morning, 'twas the 'Cuftom of all Men that live in the World. I was not

to fee a Penny of Money, for, poor Thing, how could · I manage it? He took a handfome Coufin of his into the Houfe, (as he faid) to be my Houfe-keeper, and to govern my Servants; for how fhould I know how to rule a Family? and while fhe had what Money fhe pleafed, which was but reafonable for the Trouble she was at for my Good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to 'diflike Familiarity and Kindness between near Relations. I was too great a Coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a Child to be thus impofed upon. I refented his Contempt as I ought to do, and as moft poor paffive blinded Wives do, 'till it pleased Heaven to take away my Tyrant, who left me free Poffeffion of my own Land, and a large Jointure. My Youth and Money brought me many Lovers, and several endeavoured to establish an Interest in my Heart while my Husband was in his laft Sickness; the Honourable Edward Waitfort was one of the first who addreffed to me, advised to it by a Coufin of his that was my intimate Friend, and knew to a Penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitfort ⚫ is a very agreeable Man, and every Body would like him well as he does himself, if they did not plainly fee that his Efteem and Love is all taken up, and by fuch an Object as 'tis impoffible to get the better of, I mean him⚫ felf. He made no doubt of marrying me within Four or Five Months, and begun to proceed with fuch an VOL. VIII. ⚫ affured

as

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⚫ affured eafy Air, that piqued my Pride not to banish him; quite contrary, out of pure Malice, I heard his firft Declaration with fo much innocent Surprize, and ⚫ blushed so prettily, I perceived it touched his very Heart, and he thought me the beft-natured filly poor Thing on • Earth. When a Man has fuch a Notion of a Woman, • he loves her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoy'd to be thus revenged on him, for defigning on my • Fortune; and finding it was in my Power to make his Heart ake, I refolved to compleat my Conqueft, and ⚫ entertain'd several other Pretenders. The firft Impres fion of my undefigning Innocence was fo ftrong in his Head, he attributed all my Followers to the inevitable • Force of my Charms, and from feveral Blushes and fide • Glances, concluded himself the Favourite; and when I

ufed him like a Dog for my Diverfion, he thought it • was all Prudence and Fear, and pitied the Violence I did 6 my own Inclinations to comply with my Friends, when

I marry'd Sir Nicholas Fribble of Sixty Years of Age. • You know, Sir, the Cafe of Mrs. Medlar, I hope you ⚫ would not have had me cry out my Eyes for fuch a Huf

band. I fhed Tears enough for my Widowhood a Week • after my Marriage, and when he was put in his Grave, reckoning he had been two Years dead, and my felf a • Widow of that Standing, I married three Weeks afterwards John Sturdy, Efq; his next Heir. I had indeed ⚫ fome Thoughts of taking Mr. Waitfort, but I found he could stay, and befides he thought it indecent to • ask me to marry again till my Year was out, fo privately refolving him for my Fourth, I took Mr. Sturdy for the prefent. Would you believe it, Sir, Mr. Sturdy was juft Five and Twenty, about Six Foot high, and the ftouteft Fox-hunter in the Country, and I believe I wished ten thousand times for my old Fribble again; he ⚫ was following his Dogs all the Day, and all the Night keeping them up at Table with him and his Companions: however I think my felf obliged to them for lead⚫ing him a Chafe in which he broke his Neck. Mr. Waitfort began his Addreffes anew, and I verily believe I had ⚫ married him now, but there was a young Officer in the

Guards,

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Guards, that had debauched two or three of my Acquaintance,and I could not forbear being a little vain of his Courtship. Mr. Waitfort heard of it, and read me ⚫ fuch an infolent Lecture upon the Conduct of Women, • I married the Officer that very Day, out of pure Spight to him. Half an Hour after I was married, I received 6 a penitential Letter from the Honourable Mr. Edward Waitfort, in which he begged Pardon for his Paffion, as proceeding from the Violence of his Love: I triumphed when I read it, and could not help, out of the Pride of my Heart, fhewing it to my new Spouse; and we were very merry together upon it. Alas! my Mirth ⚫ lafted a fhort Time; my young Husband was very much ' in debt when I marry'd him, and his first Action afterwards was to fet up a gilt Chariot and Six, in fine Trappings before and behind. I had married so hastily, I had not the Prudence to reserve my Eftate in my own Hands; my ready Money was loft in two Nights at the Groom Porter's; and my Diamond Necklace, which was stole I did not know how, I met in the Street upon Jenny Wheadle's Neck. My Plate vanished Piece by 'Piece, and I had been reduced to downright Pewter, if my Officer had not been deliciously killed in a Duel, by a Fellow that had cheated him of Five hundred Pounds, ' and afterwards, at his own Request, fatisfy'd him and me too, by running him through the Body. Mr. Waitfort was ftill in Love, and told me fo again; and to prevent all Fears of ill Ufage, he defir'd me to referve every Thing in my own Hands: But now my Acquaintance begun to wish me Joy of his Conftancy, my Charms were declining, and I could not refift the Delight I took in fhewing the young Flirts about Town, it was yet in my Power to give Pain to a Man of Senfe: This, and ⚫ fome private Hopes he would hang himself, and what a Glory would it be for me, and how I fhould be envy'd, ⚫ made me accept of being third Wife to my Lord Friday. "I propofed from my Rank and his Estate, to live in all the Joys of Pride, but how was I mistaken? he was nei⚫ther extravagant, nor ill-natured, nor debauched; I fuf⚫fered however more with him than with all my others.

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