Look to it for the future; confider we brothers of the Blade are men of a long reach: think betimes How many perils do environ The man that meddles with cold iron. It has always been held dangerous to piny with edge-tools. I grant you, we men of valour are but aukward jeffers; we know not how to repay joke for joke; but then we always make up in point what we want in wit. He that thali rahly attempt to regulate our hilts, or reduce our blades, had need to have a heart of oak, as well as Sides of Iron.' Thus much for the prefent. In the mean time, Bilbo is the word; remember that and tremble. THO. SWAGGER. This jocofe manner of bullying an old man, fo long as it affords fome entertainment to my friends, is what I fhall not go about to difcourage. However, my witty antagonist must give me leave, fince he attacks me in proverbs, to exchange a thrust or two with him at the fame weapons; and fo let me tell Mr. Swagger- There is no catching old birds with chaff;' and that Brag is a good dog, but Hold-fast is a better.' Fore-warned, fore-armed.' Having dispatched this combatant, and given him as good as he brings, I proceed to exhibit the cafe of a person who is the very reverse of the former, the which he lays before me in the following epittle. WORTHY SIR, Am the most unfortunate of men, if you do not speedily interpofe with your authority in behalf of a gentleman, who, by his own example, has for thefe fix months endeavoured, at the peril of his life, to bring little fwords into fafhion, in hopes to prevail upon the gentry by that means (winning them over inch by inch) to appear without any fwords at all. It was my misfortune to call in at Tom's laft night, a little fuddled, where I happened only to point towards an odd fellow with a monftrous fword, that made a ring round him, as he turned upon his heel to peak to one or other in the room. Upon this Peccadillo the bloody-minded villain has fent me a challenge this morning. I tremble at the very thought of it, and am fick with the apprehension of fecing that weapon naked, which terrified ing in the fcabbard. The unconscionable ruffian defires, in the most civil terms; he may have the honour of measuring fwords with me. Alas, Sir, mine is not (hilt and all) above a foot and a half. I take the liberty of inclofing it to you in my wig-box, and fhall be eternally obliged to you, if, upon fight of it, your compaffion may be fo far moved, as to occafion you to write a good word for me to my adverfary, or to fay any thing that may fhame him into reafon, and fave at once the life and reputation of, Sir, your mot devoted flave, TIMOTHY BODKIN. GOOD MR. BODKIN, THE perufal of this paper will give you to understand, that your letter, together with the little implement you fent me in the band box, came fafe to my hands. From the dimenfions of it, I perceive your courage lies in a narrow compafs. Suppofe you thould fend this bravo the fellow to it, and defire him to meet you in a clofet, letting him know, at the fame time, that you fight all your duels under lock and key, for the fake of privacy. But, if this propofal feems a little too rafh, I fhall fend my fervant with your fword to the perfon offended,' and give him inftructions to tell him you are a little purblind, and dare not, for that realon, truit to a longer weapon; and that an inch in his body will do bufinefs as well as an eli: or, your if you would have me proceed yet more cautiously, my fervant fhall let ́ ́him know, as from me, that he should meddle with his match; and that alone, if he be a man of honour, will make him reflect; if otherwife, (as I am very inclinable to doubt it) you need give your. felf no farther unneceflary fears; but rely upon the truth of my remarks upon the Terribles. I have bethought myfelf of one expedient more for you, which feems to be the most likely to fucceed. Send your own fervant to wait upon the gentiergan. Let him carry. with him your fword, and a letter, in which you tell him, that, admiring the magnificence and grandeur of his wea pou at Tom's, you thought it great pity fo gallant a cavalier fhould not be compleatly armed; for which reafon, you humbly request that you may have the honour of prefenting him with a dagger, I am, Sir, your faithful fervant, NESTOR IRONSIDE 002 I re I received a letter laft week from one of my female wards, who subscribes herfelf Teraminta. She feems to be a lady of great delicacy, by the concern the fhews for the lofs of a fmall covering, which the generality of the fex have laid afide. She is in pain, and full of thofe fears, which are natural in a flate of virginity, left any the fmalleft part of her linen fhould be in the poffeffion of In compliance therefore with her requeft, and to gratify her modefty fo far as lies in my power, I have given orders to my printer to make room for her advertifement in this day's paper. a man. N° CXLVI. FRIDAY, AUGUST 28. PRIMUS HOMINUM LEONEM MANU TRACTARE AUSUS,, ET OSTENDERE MANSVEFACTUM, HANNO E CLARISSIMIS POENORUM TRADITUR. PLIN. MANNO, A NOBLE CARTHACINIAN, IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST MAN WHO VENTURED TO HANDLE A LION, AND BRING HIM UP TAME. readers, I at to discover, by the help of glaffes, THE generality of my revits the their almost imperceptible qual ties and perfections; it will not, I hope, be thought unreasonable, if the Lion (whofe majestic form lies open to the naked eye) fhould take up a first-rate folio. A worthy merchant, and a friend of mine, fends me the following letter, to he inferted in my commentaries upon Lions. SIR, SINCE one of your correfpondents has ftory of the Lion, in my paper of the twentieth inftant, and with my friend's defign of compiling a hiftory of that noble fpecies of animals, that a great many ingenious perfons have promised me their affiftance to bring in materials for the work, from all the storehouses of ancient and modern learning, as well as from oral tradition. For a farther encouragement of the undertaking, a confiderable number of virtuofi have of fered, when my collection fhall fwell of late entertained the public with a into a reafonahie bulk, to contribute very remarkable and ancient piece of very handsomely, by way of fubfcrip- hiftory, in honour of the grandees of the tion, towards the printing of them in forest, and fince it is probable you may folio, on a large royal paper, curiously in time collect a great many curious readorned with variety of forefts, defarts, cords and amazing circumstances, which rocks, and caves, and lions of all forts may contribute to make thefe animals and fizes, upon copper-plates, by the best respected over the face of the whole hands. A rich old batchelor of Lion's earth; I am not a little ambitious to have Inn, (who is zealous for the honour of the glory of contributing fomewhat to the place in which he was educated) fo generous an undertaking. If you fends me word, I may depend upon a throw your work into the form of chrohundred pounds from him, towards the nicle, I am in hopes I may furnish out embellishing of the work; affuring me, a page in it towards the latter end of at the fame time, that he will fet his the volume, by a narration of a modern clerk to fearch the records, and enquiredate, which I had in the year 1700, into the antiquities of that houfe, that from the gentleman to whom it hap there may be no ftone left unturned to pened. makethe book compleat. Confidering the volumes that have been written upon infects and reptiles, and the vaft expence and pains foine philofophers have been About fixty years ago, when the plague raged at Naples, Sir George Da vis, conful there for the Englist nation, retired to Florence. It happened one day day he went out of curiofity to fee the great duke's lions. At the farther end, one of the dens, lay a lion, which the keepers in three years time could not tame, with all the art and gentle ufage imaginable. Sir George no fooner appeared at the grates of the den, but the lion ran to him with all the marks of joy and transport he was capable of expreffing: he reared himself up, and licked his hand, which this gentleman put in through the grates. The keeper, affrighted, took him by the arm and pulled him away, begging him not to hazard his life by going fo near the fiercest creature of that kind that ever entered thofe dens. However, nothing would fatisfy Sir George, notwithstanding all that could be faid to diffuade him, but he must go into the den to him. The very inttant he entered, the lion threw his paws upon his fhoulders and licked his face, and ran to and fro in the den, fawning, and full of joy, like a dog at the fight of his mater. After feveral embraces and falutations exchanged on both fides, they parted very good friends. The rumour of this interview between the lion and the ftranger rung immediately through the whole city, and Sir George was very near pal ing for a faint among the people. The great duke, when he heard of it, fent for Sir George, who waited upon his highness to the den; and to fatisfy his curiolity, gave him the following account of what feemed fo ftrange to the duke and his followers: A captain of a hip fron Barbary gave me this lion when he was a young whelp. I brought him up tame; but when I thought him too large to be fuffered to run about the houfe, I • built a den for him in my court-yard; from that time he was never permitted to go loofe, except when I brought him within doors to fhew him to my friends. When he was five years old, • in his gamesome tricks, he did some mifchief by pawing and playing with people: having griped a man one day a little too hard, I ordered him to be fhot, for fear of incurring the guilt of what might happen; upon this, a friend, who was then at dinner with me, begged him: how he came here I know not." Here Sir George Davis ended; and thereupon the Duke of Tufcany affured him, that he had the lion from that very friend of his. I am, Sir, your molt obe dient fervant, and conftant reader, &c. N° CXLVII. SATURDAY, AUGUST 29. BONUM EST, FUGIENDA ASPICERE ALIENO IN MALO. PUBL. SYR. IT IS A GOOD THING TO LEARN CAUTION BY THE MISFORTUNES OF OTHERS. HAVING, in my paper of e of the TAVING, in my paper of the 21ft ridiculous custom of garnishing a newmarried couple, and fetting a giofs upon their perfons which is to laft no longer than the honey-moon; I think it may be much for the emolument of my difciples of both fexes, to make them fenfibie, in the next place, of the folly of launching out into extravagant expences, and a more magnificent way of living, immediately upon marriage. If the bride and bridegroom happen to be perfons of any rank, they come into all public places, and go upon all vifits with fo gay an equipage, and fo glit tering an appearance, as if they were making fo many public entries. But to judicious minds, and to men of experience in this life, the gilt chariot, the, coach and fix, the gaudy liveries, the fupernumerary train of fervants, the great houfe, the fumptuous table, the fervices of plate, the embroidered cloaths, the rich brocades, and the profusion of jewels, that upon this occafion break out at once, are fo many fymptoms of madness in the happy pair, and prognoftications of their future mifery. I remember a country neighbour of my Lady Lizard's, Squire Wifeacre by name, who enjoyed a very clear estate of five hundred pounds per annum, and, by living frugally upon it, was beforehand in the world. This gentleman unfortunately fell in love with Mrs. Fanny Flippant, the then reigning toast in thofe parts. In a word, he married her; and to give a lafting proof of his affection, confented to make both her and himself miferable, by fetting out in the high mode of wedlock. He, in lefs than than the space of five years, was reduced My memory fails me in recollecting where I have read, that in fome parts of Holland it is provided by law, that every man, before he marries, fhail be obliged to plant a certain number of trees, proportionable to his circumftances, as a pledge to the government for the main tenance of his children. Every honeft as well as every prudent man fhould do fomething equivalent to this, by retrenching all fuperfluous and idle expences, inftead of following the extravagant practice of perfons who facrifice every thing to their prefent vanity, and never are a day before-hand in thought. I know not what delight fplendid nuptials may afford to the generality of the great world; I could never be prefent at any of them without a heavy heart. It is with pain I refrain from tears, when I fee the bride thoughtlessly jigging it about the room, dishonoured with jewels, and dazzling the eyes of the whole affembly at the expence of her children's future fubfiftence. How fingular, in the age we live in, is the moderate be-" haviour of young Sophia, and how amiable does he appear in the eyes of wife men! Her lover, a little before marriage, acquainted her, that he intended to lay out a thoufand pounds for a prefent in jewels; but before he did it, defired to know what fort would be moit acceptable to her. Sir,' replied Sophia, I thank you for your kind and generous intentions, and only beg they may be executed in another manner: be pleafed only to give me the money, and I will try to lay it out to a better advantage. I am not,` continues she, at all fond of thofe expenfive trifles; neither do I think the wearing of dia'monds can be any addition, nor the abfence of them any diminution, to · my happinefs. I fhould be afhamed to appear in public for a few days in a drefs which does not become me at all times. Befides, I fee by that mo deft plain garb of yours, that you are not yourself affected with the gaiety of apparel. When I am your wife, my only care will be to keep my perfon clean and neat for you, and not to 'make it fine for others. The gentleman, transported with this excellent turn of mind in his mistress, prefented her with the money in new gold. She purchafed an annuity with it; out of the income of which, at every revolution of her wedding-day, the makes her husband fome pretty prefent, as a token of her gratitude, and a fresh pledge of her " love; part of it fhe yearly diftributes" among her indigent and beft-deferving neighbours; and the fmall remainder the lays out in fomething useful for herself, or the children, No CXLVIII. TH N° CXLVIII. MONDAY, AUGUST 31. FAS EST ET AB HOSTE DOCERI. OVID. MET. L. 4. v. 428. 'TIS GOOD TO LEARN EV'N FROM AN ENEMY. vows for the health of a fick perfon, the patient was immediately cured. It happened that the daughter of the king of that country fell into a dangerous distemper, the caufe of which the phyficians could not difcover, yet they continued prescribing remedies by guess; but instead of helping the princefs, they only augmented her difeafe. In the mean time the king was inconfolable, for he paffionately loved his daughter; wherefore, one day, finding all human affiftance vain, he declared it as his opinion that the princefs ought to be fent to the Santon Barfifa. HERE is a kind of apophthegm, which I have frequently met with in my reading, to this purpofe, that there are few, if any books, out of which a man of learning may not extract fomething for his ufe. I have often experienced the truth of this maxim, when calling in at my bookfeller's, I have taken the book next to my hand off the counter, to employ the minutes I have been obliged to linger away there, in waiting for one friend or other. Yefterday when I came there, the Turkish Tales happened to lie in my way; upon opening of that amusing author, I happened to dip upon a fhort tale, which gave me a great many ferious reflections. The very fame fable may fall into the hands of a great many men of wit and pleasure, who, it is probable, will read it with their ufual levity; but fince it may as probably divert and inftru&t a great many perfons of plain and virtuous minds, I fhall make no fcruple of making it the entertainment of this day's paper. The moral to be drawn from it is entirely Chriftian, and is fo very obvious, that I fhall leave to every reader the pleasure of picking it out for him-up a prayer for her, and that they felf. I fhall only premife, to obviate any offence that may be taken, that a great many notions in the Mahometan religion are borrowed from the Holy Scriptures. THERE was formerly a Santon whofe name was Bariifa, who for the space of an hundred years very fer vently applied himself to prayers; and scarce ever went out of the grotto in which he made his refidence, for fear of expofing himself to the danger of offending God. He fafted in the day time, and watched in the night. All the inhabitants of the country had fuch a great veneration for him, and fo highly valued his prayers, that they commonly applied to him, when they had any fa vour to beg of Heaven. When he made All the Beys applauded his fentiment, and the king's officers conducted her to the Santon; who, notwithstanding his frozen age, could not fee fuch a beauty without being fenfibly moved. He gazed on her with pleasure; and the devil taking this opportunity, whispered in his ear thus: O Santon! don't let flip fuch a fortunate minute: tell the king's fervants that it is requifite for ⚫ the princess to pass this night in the grotte, to fee whether it will pleafe God to cure her; that you will put need only come to fetch her to-mor'row.' How weak is man! The Santon fol. lowed the devil's advice, and did what he fuggefted to him. But the officers, before they would yield to leave the princefs, fent one of their number to know the king's pleature. That monarch, who had an entire confidence in Barfila, never in the leaft fcrupled the trufting of his daughter with him. 't confent,' faid he, that the stay with that holy man, and that he keep her as long as he pleafes: I am wholly fatisfied on that head.' When the officers had received the king's anfwer, they all retired, and the princefs remained alone with the hermit. Night being come, the devil presented himself to the Santon, faving Canft thou let flip fo favourable an opportunity with fo charming a creature? • Feat |