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"it, of which she bled to death, as her tomb now at "Westminster will shew. For which reason, myself 66 nor none of my family, have loved work ever since; "otherwise you should have one as you desired, made "by the hands of,

"SIR,

"Your affectionate Valentine."

To the Right Worshipful Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq. Censor of Great Britain, and Governor of the Hospital erected, or to be erected, in Moorfields.

The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Goatham, in the County of Middlesex.

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"HUMBLY SHEWETH,

"THAT whereas it is the undoubted right of your said petitioners to repair on every Lord's day "to a chapel of ease in the said parish, there to be "instructed in their duties in the known or vulgar "tongue; yet so it is, (may it please your worship) "that the preacher of the said chapel has of late given "himself wholly up to matters of controversy, in no "wise tending to the edification of your said petitioners; and in handling (as he calls it) the same, has "used divers hard and crabbed word; such as, among many others, are Orthodox and Heterodox, which are in no sort understood by your said petitioners; " and it is with grief of heart, that your petitioners beg "leave to represent to you, that in mentioning the "aforesaid word or names, (the latter of which, as we "have reason to believe, is his deadly enemy) he will "fall into ravings and foamings, ill-becoming the "meekness of his office, and tending to give offence " and scandal to all good people.

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"Your petitioners further say that they are ready "to prove the aforesaid allegations; and therefore "humbly hope that from a true sense of their condi

tion, you will please to receive the said preacher "into the hospital, till he shall recover a right use of "his senses.

"And your petitioners, &c."

No. CXLII. TUESDAY, MARCH 7.

Sheer-lane, March 6.

ALL persons who employ themselves in public, are still interrupted in the course of their affairs: and it seems, the admired Cavalier Nicolini himself is commanded by the ladies, who at present employ their time with great assiduity in the care of the nation, to put off his day till he shall receive their commands, and notice that they are at leisure for diversions. In the mean time it is not to be expressed, how many cold chickens the fair ones have eaten since this day seven-night for the good of their country. This great occasion has given birth to many discoveries of high moment for the conduct of life. There is a toast of my acquaintance told me, she had now found out, that it was day before nine in the morning; and I am very confident, if the affair holds many days longer, the ancient hours of eating will be revived among us, many having by it been made acquainted with the luxury of hunger and thirst.

There appears, methinks, something very venerable in all assemblies: and I must confess, I envied all who had youth and health enough to make their appearance there, that they had the happiness of being a whole day in the best company in the world. During the adjournments of that awful court, a neighbour of mine was telling me, that it gave him a notion of the ancient grandeur of the English hospitality, to

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see Westminster-hall a dining-room. cheerfulness at such repasts, which is very delightful to tempers which are so happy as to be clear of spleen and vapour; for to the jovial to see others pleased, is the greatest of all pleasures.

But since age and infirmities forbid my appearance at such public places, the next happiness is to make the best use of privacy, and acquit myself of the demands of my correspondents. The following letter is what has given me no small inquietude, it being an accusation of partiality, and disregard to merit, in the person of a virtuoso, who is the most eloquent of all men upon small occasions, and is the more to be admired for his prodigious fertility of invention, which never appears but upon subjects which others would have thought barren. But in consideration of his uncommon talents, I am contented to let him be the hero of my next two days, by inserting his friend's recommendation of him at large.

Nando's, February 28, 1709.

"DEAR COUSIN,

"I AM just come out of the country, and upon "perusing your late lucubrations, I find Charles Lillic "to be the darling of your affections; that you have

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given him a place, and taken no small pains to es"tablish him in the world; and at the same time "have passed by his name-sake at this end of the "town, as if he was a citizen defunct, and one of no "use in a commonwealth. I must own his circum"stances are so good, and so well known, that he does 66 not stand in need of having his fame published to the "world; and being of an ambitious spirit, and an as"piring soul, he would be rather proud of the honour, "then desirous of the profit, which might result from "your recommendation. He is a person of a parti"cular genius, the first that brought toys in fashion, "and bawbles to perfection. He is admirably well

"versed in screws, springs, and hinges, and deeply "read in knives, combs, or scissors, buttons or "buckles. He is a perfect master of words, which "uttered with a smooth voluble tongue, flow into a "most persuasive eloquence; insomuch that I have "known a gentleman of distinction find several in"genious faults with a toy of his, and shew his " utmost dislike to it, as being either useless, or ill"contrived; but when the orator, behind the counter, “had harangued upon it for an hour and a half, dis"played its hidden beauties, and revealed its secret "perfections, he has wondered how he had been able "to spend so great a part of his life without so important an utensil. I will not pretend to furnish out "an inventory of all the valuable commodities that "are to be found at his shop.

"I shall content myself with giving an account of "what I think most curious. Imprimis, his pocket“books are very neat, and well contrived, not for keep

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ing bank-bills and goldsmith's notes, I confess; but "they are admirable for registering the lodgings of "Madonas, and for preserving letters from ladies of "quality: his whips and spurs are so nice, that they "will make one that buys them ride a fox hunting, "though before he hated noise and early rising, and “was afraid of breaking his neck. His seals are cu"riously fancied, and exquisitely well cut, and of great "use to encourage young gentlemen to write a good "hand. Ned Puzzlepost has been ill used by his wri"ting-master, and wrote a sort of a Chinese, or down-.

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right Scrawlian: however, upon his buying a seal "of my friend, he is so much improved by continual "writing, that it is believed in a short time one may "be able to read his letters, and find out his meaning "without guessing. His pistols and fusees are so very "good, that they are fit to be laid up among "finest china. Then his tweeser-cases are incompara"ble: you shall have one not much bigger than your

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"finger, with seventeen several instruments in it, all 46 necessary every hour of the day, during the whole "course of a man's life. But if this virtuoso excels in one thing more than another, it is in canes: he has 66 spent his most select hours in the knowledge of "them, and is arrived at that perfection, that he is "able to hold forth upon cane longer than upon any "one subject in the world. Indeed, his canes are so "finely clouded, and so well made up, either with gold, " or amber heads, that I am of the opinion, it is im"possible for a gentleman to walk, talk, sit, or stand, 66 as he should do, without one of them. He knows "the value of the cane, by knowing the value of the "buyer's estate. Sir Timothy Shallow has two thou"sand pounds per annum, and Tom Empty one. "They both at several times bought a cane of Charles: "Sir Timothy's cost ten guineas, and Tom Empty's "five. Upon comparing them, they were perfectly "alike. Sir Timothy, surprised there should be no "difference in the canes, and so much in the price, "comes to Charles: damn it, Charles, says he, you "have sold me a cane here for ten pieces, and the very same to Tom Empty for five. Lord, Sir Timothy, says Charles, I am concerned that you, whom I "took to understand canes better than any baronet in "town, should be so overseen: why, Sir Timothy, 66 your's is a true Jambee, and Squire Empty's only a "plain Dragon.

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"This virtuoso has a parcel of Jambees now growing in the East-Indies, where he keeps a man on purpose to look after them, which will be the finest "that ever landed in Great-Britain, and will be fit to "cut about two years hence. Any gentleman may "subscribe for as many as he pleases. Subscriptions "will be taken in at his shop at ten guineas each joint. "They that subscribe for six, shall have a Dragon "gratis. This is all I have to say at present concern"ing Charles's curiosities; and hope it may be suf

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