pair of stays, bolstered below the left shoulder, two pair of hips of the newest fashion, six round-about aprons with pockets, and four striped muslin nightrails very little frayed; a silver pot for coffee or chocolate, the lid much bruised; a broad-brimmed flat silver plate for sugar with Rhenish wine; a silver ladle for plumb-porridge; a silver cheese-toaster with three tongues, an ebony handle, and silvering at the end; a silver posnet to butter eggs; one caudle and two cordial-water cups, two cocoa-cups, and an ostrich's egg, with rims and feet of silver, a marrow-spoon with a scoop at the other end, a silver orange-strainer, eight sweet-meat spoons made with forks at the end, an agate-handle knife and fork in a sheath, a silver tongue-scraper, a silver tobaccobox, with a tulip graved on the top; and a Bible bound in shagreen, with gilt leaves and clasps, never opened but once. Also a small cabinet, with six drawers inlaid with red tortoise-shell, and brass gilt ornaments at the four corners, in which were two leather forehead cloths, three pair of oiled dog-skin gloves, seven cakes of superfine Spanish wool, halfa-dozen of Portugal dishes, and a quire of paper from thence: two pair of bran-new plumpers, tour black-lead combs, three pair of fashionable eyebrows, two sets of ivory teeth, little the worse for wearing, and one pair of box for common use; Adam and Eve in bugle-work, without fig-leaves, upon canvas, curiously wrought with her ladyship's own hand; several filligrane curiosities; a crotchet of one hundred and twenty-two diamonds, set strong and deep in silver, with a rump-jewel after the same fashion; bracelets of braided hair, pomander and seed pearl; a large old purple velvet purse embroidered, and shutting with a spring, containing two pictures in miniature, the features visible; a broad thick gold ring with a hand-in-hand engraved upon it, and

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with this poesy, "While life does last, I'll hold thee fast," another set round with small rubies and sparks, six wanting; another of Turkey-stone, cracked through the middle; an Elizabeth and four Jacobus's, one guinea, the first of the coin, an angel with a hole bored through, a broken half of a Spanish piece of gold, a crown-piece with the breeches, an old nine-pence bent both ways by Lilly the almanack-maker for luck at langteraloo, and twelve of the shells called blackmoor's teeth; one small amber box with apoplectic balsam, and one silver-gilt of a larger size for cashu and carraway comfits, to be taken at long sermons, the lid ena melled, representing a Cupid fishing for hearts, with a piece of gold on his hook; over his head this rhyme, Only with gold, you me shall hold.” In the lower drawer was a large new gold repeating watch made by a Frenchman; a gold chain, and all the proper appurtenances hung upon steel swivels, to wit, lockets with the hair of dead and living lo vers, seals with arms, emblems, and devices cut in cornelian, agate, and onyx, with Cupids, hearts, darts, altars, flames, rocks, pickaxes, roses, thorns, and sunflowers; as also a variety of ingenious French mottos ; together with gold etuys for quills, scissars, needles, thimbles, and a spunge dipped in Hungary water, left but the night before by a young lady going upon a frolic incog. There was also a bundle of letters, dated between the years one thousand six hundred and seventy, and one thousand six hundred and eighty-two, most of them signed Philander, the rest Strephon, Amyntas, Corydon, and Adonis; together with a collection of receipts to make pastes for the hands, pomatums, lip salves, white-pots, beautifying creams, water of talc, and frog spawn water; decoctions for clearing the complexion, and an approved medicine to procure abortion.

Whoever can discover the aforesaid goods, so that they may be had again, shall have fifty guineas for the whole, or proportionably for any part.

N. B. Her ladyship is pleased to promise ten pounds for the pacquet of letters over and above, or five for Philander's only, being her first love. "My lady bestows those of Strephon to the finder, being so written, that they may serve to any woman who reads them."

P. S. As I am a patron of persons who have no other friend to apply to, I cannot suppress the following complaint:

"SIR,

"I am a blackmoor boy, and have, by my lady's order, been christened by the chaplain. The good man has gone further with me, and told me a great deal of good news; as, that I am as good as my lady' herself as I am a Christian, and many other things: but for all this, the parrot, who came over with me from our country, is as much esteemed by her as I am. Besides this, the shock-dog has a collar that cost almost as much as mine. I desire also to know, whether now I am a Christian, I am obliged to dress like a Turk, and wear a turbant.

"I am, Sir,

"Your most humble servant,

"POMPEY."

N° 246. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1710.

Vitiis nemo sine nascitur; optimus ille
Qui minimis urgetur.

-We have all our vices, and the best
Is he, who with the fewest is opprest.

HOR. 1 Sat. lii. 68.

FRANCIS.

From my own Apartment, November 3. WHEN one considers the turn which conversation takes in almost every set of acquaintance, club, or assembly, in this town or kingdom, one cannot but observe, that in spite of what I am every day saying, and all the moral writers since the beginning of the world have said, the subject of discourse is generally upon one another's faults. This in a great measure proceeds from self-conceit, which were to be endured in one or other individual person; but the folly has spread itself almost over all the species; and one cannot only say, Tom, Jack, or Will, but in general," that a man is a coxcomb." From this source it is, that any excellence is faintly received, any imperfection unmercifully exposed. But if things were put in a true light, and we would take time to consider, that man, in his very nature, is an imperfect being, our sense of this matter would be immediately altered, and the word imperfection would not carry an unkinder idea than the word humanity. It is a pleasant story that we, forsooth, who are the only imperfect creatures in the universe, are the only beings that will not allow of imperfection. Somebody has taken notice, that we stand

in the middle of existencies, and are, by this one circumstance, the most unhappy of all others. The brutes are guided by instinct, and know no sorrow; the angels have knowledge, and they are happy; but men are governed by opinion, which is 1 know not what mixture of instinct and knowledge, and are neither indolent nor happy. It is very observa❤ ble, that critics are a people between the learned and the ignorant, and, by that situation, enjoy the tranquility of neither. As critics stand among men, so do men in general between brutes and angels. Thus every man, as he is a critic and a coxcomb, until improved by reason and speculation, is ever forgetting himself, and laying open the faults

of others.

At the same time that I am talking of the cruelty of urging people's faults with severity, I cannot but bewail some which men are guilty of for want of admonition. These are such as they can easily mend, and nobody tells them of, for which reason I shall make use of the penny-post (as I have with success to several young ladies about turning their eyes, and holding up their heads) to certain gentle. men, whom I remark habitually guilty of what they may reform in a moment. There is a fat fellow, whom I have long remarked wearing his breast open in the midst of winter, out of an affectation of youth. I have therefore sent him just now the following let⚫ ter in my physical capacity:

"SIR,

"From the twentieth instant to the first of May next, both days inclusive, I beg of you to button your waiscoat from your collar to your waistband. I am your most humble servant,

ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Philomath."