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within the palm of his hand, and visible when he turned it towards his company. Had Plato and Cicero been as well versed in the Occult Sciences as I am, they would have found a great deal of my flic learning in this tradition: but it is impoffible for an Adept to be underftood by one who is not an Adept.

As for myself, I have with much fudy and applica-tion arrived at this great fecret of making myself invifible, and by that means conveying myself where I please ; or to fpeak in Rofycrucian Lore, I have entered into the clifts of the earth, difcovered the brazen horse, and robbed the dead giant of his ring. The tradition fays further of Gyges, that by the means of this ring he gained admiffion into the most retired parts of the court, and made fuch ufe of thofe opportunities, that he at length became king of Lydia. For my own part, I, who have always rather endeavoured to improve my mind than my fortune, have turned this ring to no other advantage than to get a thorough infight into the ways of men, and to make fuch obfervations upon the errors of others, as may be ufeful to the Public, whatever effect they may have upon myfelf.

About a week ago, not being able to fleep, I got up, and put on my magical ring; and with a thought tranfported myfelf into a chamber where I faw a light. I found it inhabited by a celebrated Beauty, though fhe is of that fpecies of women which we call a Slattern. Her head-drefs and one of her fhoes lay upon a chair,. her petticoat in one corner of the room, and her girdle that had a copy of verfes made upon it but the day before, with her thread fockings, in the middle of the floor. I was fo foolishly officious, that I could not forbear gathering up her clothes together, to lay them upon the chair that ftood by her bed-fide; when, to my great furprize, after a little muttering, fhe cried out, "What "do you do? Let my petticoat alone." I was startled: at first, but foon found that he was in a Dream; being one of thofe who, to ufe Shakespear's expreffion, are "fo loofe of thought," that they utter in their fleep every thing that paffes in their imagination. I left the apart ment of this female Rake, and went into her neighbour's, where there lay a Male Coquette. He had a.

3.

bottle

bottle of falts hanging over his head, and upon the table. by his bed fide Suckling's Poems, with a little heap of black patches on it. His fnuff box was within reach on a chair But while I was admiring the difpofition which he made of the feveral parts of his dress, his flumber feemed interrupted by a pang that was accompanied by a fudden oath, as he turned himself over hallily in his bed. I did not care for feeing him in his Nocturnal pains, and left the room.

I was no fooner got into another bed-chamber, but I heard very harsh words uttered in a smooth uniform tone.. I was amazed to hear fo great a volubility in reproach,. and thought it too coherent to be fpoken by one afleep; but upon looking nearer, I faw the head-dress of the perfon who fpoke, which fhewed her to be a female, with a man lying by her fide broad awake, and as quiet as a lamb. I could not but admire his exemplary patience, and discovered by his whole behaviour, that he was then lying under the difcipline of a Curtain- le&ure.

I was entertained in many other places with this kind of Nocturnal eloquence, but obferved that most of thofe whom I found awake, were kept fo either by envy or by love. Some of these were fighing, and others curfing, in foliloquy; fome hugged their pillows, and others. gnafhed their teeth.

The covetous I likewife found to be a very wakeful people. 1 happened to come into a room where one of them lay fick. His Phyfician and his wife were in close whisper near his bed-fide. I overheard the Doctor fay to the poor Gentlewoman, he cannot poffibly live until five in the morning. She received it like the miftrefs of a family, prepared for all events. At the fame inflant came in a fervant maid, who faid, "Madam, the "Undertaker is below according to your order." The words were scarce out of her mouth, when the fick man. cried out with a feeble voice, Pray, Doctor, how went bank-ftock to-day at 'Change? This melancholy object. made me too ferious for. diverting myfelf further this way: But as I was going home, I faw a light in a garret, and entering into it, heard a voice crying, “ And,

hand, ftand, band, fanned, tanned." I concluded him by this, and the furniture of his room, to be a Lu

natic; but upon liftening a little longer, perceived it was a Poet, writing an Heroic upon the enfuing peace.

It was now towards morning, an hour when Spirits, Witches and Conjurers are obliged to retire to their own apartments, and feeling the influence of it, I was haftening home, when I faw a man had got half way into a neighbour's houfe. I immediately called to him, and turning my ring, appeared in my proper perfon. There is fomething magifterial in the afpect of the Bickerstaffs, which made him run away in confufion.

As I took a turn or two in my own lodging, I was thinking that, old as I was, I need not go to bed alone, but that it was in my power to marry the finest Lady in this kingdom, if I would wed her with this ring. For what a figure would fhe that should have it make at a vifit, with fo perfect a knowledge as this would give her of all the fcandal in the town? But instead of endeavouring to difpofe of myself and it in matrimony, I refolved to lend it to my loving friend the Author of the Atlantis, to furnish a new "Secret Hiftory of Secret "Memoirs."

N° 244. Tuesday, October 31, 1710.

I

Quid voveat dulci nutricula majus alumno,
Quam fapere, & fari ut poffit quæ fentiat?

HOR. Ep. 4. lib. 1. ver. 8.

What can the fondeft mother wifh for more,
Ev'n for her darling fon, than folid sense,
Perceptions clear, and flowing cloquence?

R. WYNNE.

Will's Coffee-house, October 30.

T is no eafy matter, when people are advancing in any thing, to prevent their going too faft for want of Patience. This happens in nothing more frequently,

than

than in the profecution of ftudies. Hence it is, that we meet Crouds who attempt to be eloquent before they can speak. They affect the flowers of Rhetoric before they understand the parts of fpeech. In the ordinary converfation of this town, there are fo many who can, as they call it, talk well, that there is not one in twenty that talks to be underflood. This proceeds from an ambition to excel, or, as the term is, to fhine in company. The matter is not to make themfelves understood, but admired. They come together with a certain emulation, rather than benevolence. When you fall among fuch companions, the fafe way is to give yourself up, and let the Orators declaim for your esteem, and trouble yourself no further. It is faid, that a Poet must be born fo; but I think it may be much better faid of an Orator, especially when we talk of our own Town Poets and Orators; but the Town Poets are full of rules and laws, the Town Orators go through thick and thin, and are, forfooth, perfons of fuch eminent natural parts and knowledge of the World, that they defpife all men as unexperienced Scholaftics who wait for an occafion before they, fpeak, or who fpeak no more than is neceffary. They had half perfuaded me to go to the tavern the other night, but that a Gentleman whispered me, pry'thee, Ifaac, go with us; there is Tom Varnish will be there, and he is a fellow that talks as well as any man in England.

'I must confefs, when a man expreffes himself well upon any occafion, and his falling into an account of any fubject arifes from a defire to oblige the company, or from fulness of the circumftance itfelf, fo that his fpeaking of it at large is occafioned only by the opennefs of a companion; I fay, in fuch a cafe as this, it is not only pardonable, but agreeable, when a man takes the difcourfe to himself; but when you fee a fellow watch for opportunities for being copious, it is exceffively troublesome. A man that ftammers, if he has underftanding, is to be attended with patience and goodnature; but he that fpeaks more than he needs, has no right to fuch an indulgence. The man who has a defect in his fpeech takes pains to come to you, while a man of weak capacity with fluency of fpeech triumphs in outrunning

running you. The ftammerer ftrives to be fit for your company; the loquacious man endeavours to fhew you, you are not fit for his.

With thoughts of this kind do I always enter into that man's company who is recommended as a perfor that talks well; but if I were to choofe the people with whom I would fpend my hours of converfation, they fhould be certainly fuch as laboured no farther than to make themfelves readily and clearly apprehended, and would have patience and curiofity to understand me. To have good fenfe, and ability to exprefs it, are the moft effential and neceflary qualities in companions. When thoughts rife in us fit to utter, among familiar friends there needs but very little care in cloathing them.

Urbanus is, I take it, a man one might live with whole years, and enjoy all the freedom and improvement imaginable, and yet be infenfible of a contradiction to you in all the miflakes you can be guilty of His great good-will to his friends, has produced in him fuch a general deference in his difcourfe, that if he differs from you in his fenfe of any thing, he introduces his own thoughts by fome agreeable circumlocution; or he has often obferved fuch and fuch a circumftance that made him of another opinion. Again, where another would be apt to fay, this I am confident of, I may pretend to judge of this matter as well as any body; Urbanus fays, I am verily perfuaded, I believe one may conclude. In a word, there is no man more clear in his thoughts and expreffions than he is, or fpeaks with greater diffidence. You fhall hardly find one man of any confideration, but you fhall obferve one of lefs confequence, form himself after him. This happens to Urbanus; but the man who fteals from him almost every fentiment he utters in a whole week, difguifes the theft by carrying it with a quite different air. Umbratilis knows Urbanus's doubtful way of fpeaking proceeds from good-nature and goodbreeding, and not from uncertainty in his opinions. Umbratilis therefore has no more to do but repeat the thoughts of Urbanus in a pofitive manner, and appear to the undifcerning a wifer man than the perfon from whom he borrows; But those who know him can fee the

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