have occafionally ferved to recover, or introduce the Talents of a skilful Minifter.

BUT your abilities have not appear'd only in one Nation. When it was your Province to Act as Her Majesty's Minister at the Court of Savoy, at that time encamped, you accompanied that Gallant Prince thro' all the Viciffitudes of his Fortune, and fhared, by His Side, the Dangers of that Glorious Day in which He recovered His Capital. far as it regards Perfonal Qualities, you attained, in that one Hour, the highest Military Reputation. The Behaviour of our Minifter in the Action, and the good Offices done the Vanquished

As

quifhed in the Name of the Queen of England, gave both the Conqueror and the Captive the most lively Examples of the Courage and Generofity of the Nation He represented.

Your Friends and Companions in your Absence frequently talk these things of you, and you cannot hide from us, (by the most difcreet Silence in any Thing which regards your self) that the frank Entertainment we have at your Table, your eafie Condefcenfion in little Incidents of Mirth and Diverfion, and general Complacency of Manners, are far from being the greatest Obligations we have to you. I do affure you there is not one of A 4

your

your Friends has a greater Sense of your Merit in general, and of the Favours you every Day do us, than,

SIR,

Your most Obedient, and

moft Humble Servant,

Richard Steele.

EING of the Number of thofe that have lately retired from the Centre of Bufir.efs

B

and Pleasure, my Uneafinefs in the Courtry where I am, ari es rather from the Society than the Solitude of it. To be obliged to receive and return Vifits from and to a Circle of Neighbours, who through Diverfity of Age or Inclinations can neither be entertaining or ferviceable to us, is a vile Lofs of Time, and a Slavery from which a Man fhould deliver him felf, if poffible: For why must I lose the remaining Part of my Life, be⚫ cause they have thrown away the former Part of theirs? It is to me an infupportable Affliction, to be tormented ⚫ with the Narrations of a Set of People who are warm in their Expreffions of the quick Relifh of that Pleafure, which their Dogs and Horfes have a more delicate Tafte of. I do alfo in my Heart deteft and abhor that ⚫ damnable Doctrine and Pofition of the Neceffity of a Bumper,

A s

Bumper, though to one's own Toaft; for though 'tis pretended that these deep Politicians are used only to inIpire Gaiety, they certainly drown that Chearfulness which would furvive a moderate Circulation. If at thefe Meetings it were left to every Stranger, either to fill his Glafs according to his own Inclination, or to "make his Retreat when he finds he has been fufficiently • obedient to that of others, these Entertainments would ⚫ be governed with more good Senfe, and confequently with more good Breeding, than at present they are. Indeed where any of the Guefts are known to mea• fure their Fame or Pleasure by their Glafs, proper Ex⚫ hortations might be used to these to push their Fortunes in this Sort of Reputation; but where 'tis unseasonably infifted on to a modeft Stranger, this Drench ⚫ may be faid to be swallowed with the fame Neceffity, as if it had been tendered in the Horn for that Purpofe,. ⚫ with this aggravating Circumftance, that it diftreffes the • Entertainer's Guest in the fame Degree as it relieves his Horfes.

• To attend without Impatience an Account of five⚫ barr'd Gates, double Ditches, and Precipices,and to furvey the Orator with defiring Eyes, is to me extremely ⚫ difficult, but abfolutely neceffary, to be upon tolerable Terms with him: But then the occafional Burstings out into Laughter, is of all other Accomplishments the moft requifite. I confefs at prefent I have not that. Command of these Convulfions, as is neceffary to be good Company; therefore I beg you would publish this Letter, and let me be known all at once for a queer Fellow, and avoided. It is monftrous to me that we, ⚫ who are given to Reading and calm Converfation, should 6 ever be vifited by these Roarers: But they think they themselves, as Neighbours, may come into our Rooms ⚫ with the fame Right, that they and their Dogs hunt in our Grounds.

YOUR Inftitution of Clubs I have always admir'd, in which you conftantly endeavoured the Union of the ⚫ metaphorical Defunct, that is, fuch as are neither service⚫ able to the bufy and enterprizing Part of Mankind, nor entertaining to the retir'd and fpeculative. There ⚫fhould certainly therefore in each County be established

6