AT the fame time that I am endeavouring to expose this Weakness in others, I fhall readily confess that I once laboured under the fame Infirmity my felf. The Method I took to conquer it was a firm Refolution to learn fomething from whatever I was obliged to fee or hear. There is a way of Thinking, if a Man can attain to it, by which he may ftrike fomewhat out of any thing. I can at prefent obferve thofe Starts of good Senfe and Struggles of unimproved Reafon in the Converfation of a Clown, with as much Satisfaction as the moft fhining Periods of the most finished Orator; and can make a shift to command my Attention at a Puppet-Show or an Opera, as well as at Hamlet or Othello. I always make one of the Company I am in; for though I fay little my felf, my Attention to others, and those Nods of Approbation which I never bestow unmerited, fufficiently fhew that I am among them. Whereas WILL. HONEYCOMB, tho' a Fellow of good Senfe, is every Day doing and faying an hundred Things, which he afterwards confeffes, with a well-bred Frankness, were somewhat mal a propos, and undefigned.

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I chanced the other Day to go into a Coffee-house where WILL. was standing in the midst of several Auditors whom he had gathered round him, and was giving them an Account of the Perfon and Character of Moll Hinton. My: Appearance before him juft put him in mind of me, without making him reflect that I was actually prefent. So that keeping his Eyes full upon me, to the great Surprize of his Audience, he' broke off his firft Harangue, and proceeded thus, Why now there's my "Friend (mentioning me by my Name) he is a Fellow that thinks a great deal, 'but never opens his Mouth; I warrant you he is now thrufting his fhort Face ' into fome Coffee-houfe about 'Change. I was his Bail in the time of the Popifh Plot, when he was taken up for a Jefuit.' If he had looked on me a little longer, he had certainly described me fo particularly, without ever confidering what led him into it, that the whole Company muft neceffarily have found me out; for which Reason, remembring the oid Proverb, Out of Sight out of Mind, I left the Room; and upon meeting him an Hour afterwards, was asked by him, with a great deal of B 2 good

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good Humour, in what Part of the World I lived, that he had not seen me these three Days.

MONSIEUR Bruyere has given us the Character of an abfent Man, with a great deal of Humour, which he has pushed to an agreeable Extravagance; with the Heads of it fhall I conclude my prefent Paper.

MENALCAS (fays that excellent Author) comes down in a Morning, opens his Door to go out, but fauts it again, because he perceives that 6 he has his Night-cap on; and examining himself further finds that he is but half fhaved, that he has stuck his "Sword on his right Side, that his Stockings are about his Heels, and

that his Shirt is over his Breeches. "When he is dreffed he goes to Court, 'comes into the Drawing-room, and walking bolt upright under a Branch of Candlesticks his Wig is caught up by one of them, and hangs dangling in the Air. All the Courtiers fall a laughing, but Menalcas laughs louder than any of them, and looks about for "the Perfon that is the Jeft of the Company. Coming down to the Court Gate he finds a Coach, which taking

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for his own he whips into it; and the "Coachman drives off, not doubting 'but he carries his Mafter. As foon as 'he ftops, Menalcas throws himself out of the Coach, croffes the Court, af'cends the Stair-cafe, and runs thro' all the Chambers with the greatest Familiarity, repofes himself on a Couch, and fancies himself at home. The Mafter of the Houfe at laft comes in, "Menalcas rifes to receive him and defires him to fit down; he talks, mufes, and then talks again. The 'Gentleman of the House is tired and ' amazed; Menalcas is no lefs fo, but is every Moment in Hopes that his impertinent Gueft will at laft end his tedious Vint. Night comes on, when "Menalcas is hardly undeceived.

WHEN he is playing at Backgammon, he calls for a full Glafs of • Wine and Water; 'tis his turn to throw, he has the Box in one Hand, and his Glafs in the other, and being extremely dry, and unwilling to lofe C Time, he fwallows down both the Dice, and at the fame time throws his Wine into the Tables. He writes a Letter, and flings the Sand into the Ink-bottle; he writes a fecond, and B 3

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'mistakes the Superfcription: A No'bleman receives one of them, and upon opening it reads as follows. I would have you, honeft Jack, immediately upon the Receipt of this, take in Hay enough to ferve me the Winter. His Farmer receives the other, and is amazed to fee in it, My Lord, I received your Grace's Commands with an entire Submiffion to If he is at an Entertain< ment, you may fee the Pieces of Bread continually multiplying round his Plate: 'Tis true the reft of the Company want it, as well as their Knives and Forks, which Menalcas does not let them keep long. Sometimes in a 'Morning he puts his whole Family in 1 an hurry, and at laft goes out without 'being able to ftay for his Coach or 'Dinner, and for that Day you may fee ' him in every Part of the Town, except the very Place where he had appointed to be upon a Business of Importance. You would often take him for every thing that he is not; [for a Fellow quite Stupid, for he hears nothing; for a Fool, for he talks to himself, and has an hundred Grimaces and Mo'tions with his Head, which are alto'gether involuntary; for a proud Man, 'for