no, I am out, it was at the Cross-keys; but Jack Thomson was there, for he was very great with the gentleman who made the answer.

But I am sure it was spoken somewhere thereabouts, for we drank a bottle in that neighbourhood every evening : but * no matter for all that, the thing is the same; but ?

He was going on to settle the geography of the jest when I left the room, wondering at this odd turn of head which can play away its words, with uttering nothing to the purpose, still observingits own impertinencies, and yet proceeding in them. I do not question but he informed the rest of his audience, who had more patience than 1, of the birth and parentage, as well as the collateral alliances of his family who made the repartee, and of him who provoked him to it.

It is no small misfortune to any who have a just value for their time, when this quality of being so very circumstantial, and careful to be exact, happens to shew itself in a man whose quality obliges them to attend his proofs, that it is now day, and the like. But this is augmented when the same genius gets into authority, as it often does. Nay, I have known it more than once ascend the very pulpit. One of this sort taking it in his head to be a great admirer of Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Beveridge, never failed of proving out of these great authors, things which no man living would have denied him upon his own single authority. One day resolving to come to the point in hand, he said, ' according to that excellent divine, I will enter upon the matter, or in his words, in his fifteenth sermon of the folio edition, page 160.

I shall briefly explain the words, and then consider the matter contained in them.'

This honest gentleman needed pot, one would think, strain his modesty so far as to alter his design of entering upon the matter,' to that of brief, ly explaining.' But so it was, that he would not even be contented with that authority, but added

also the other divine to strengthen his method, and told

us, With the pious and learned Dr. Beveridge, page 4th of his 9th volume, “ I shall endeavour to make it as plain as I can from the words which I have now read, wherein for that purpose we shall consider_” This wiseacre was reckoned by the parish, who did not understand him, a most excellent preacher; but that he read too much, and was so humble that he did not trust enough to his own parts.

Next to these ingenious gentlemen, who argue for what nobody can deny them, are to be ranked a sort of people who do not indeed attempt to prove insignificant things, but are ever labouring to raise arguments with you about matters you will give up to them without the least controversy. One of these people told a gentleman who said he saw Mr. Sucha-one go this morning at nine of the clock towards the Gravel-pits ; Sir, I must beg your pardon for that, for though I am very loth to have any dispute

you, yet I must take the liberty to tell you it was nine when I saw him at St. James's.' When men of this genius are pretty far gone in learning, they will put you to prove that snow is white; and when

you are upon that topic, can say that there is really no such thing as colour in nature: in a word, they can turn what little knowledge they have into a ready capacity of raising doubts; into a capacity of being always frivolous, and always unanswerable. It was of two disputants of this impertinent and laborious kind that the cynic said, . One of these fellows is milking a ram, and the other holds the pail.'

6

ADVERTISEMENT. • The exercise of the Snuff-box, according to the most fashionable airs and motions, in opposition to the Exercise of the Fan, will be taught with the best plain or perfumed snuff, at Charles Lillie's, perfumer, at the corner of Beaufort-buildings in the Strand, and attendance given for the benefit of the young merchants about the Exchange for two hours every day at noon, except Saturdays, at a toy-shop near Garaway's coffee-house. There will be like. wise taught the Ceremony of the Snuff-box, or rules for offering snuff to a stranger, a friend, or a mis tress, according to the degrees of familiarity or distance ; with an explanation of the careless, the scornful, the polite, and the surly pinch, and the gestures proper to each of thein.

N. B. The undertaker does not question but in a short time to have formed a body of regular Snuff-boxes ready to meet and make head against all the regiments of fans which have been lately disciplined, and are now in motion.'

STEELE.

T.

NO 139. THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 1711.

TULL.

Vera gloria radices agit, atque etiam propagatur; ficta omnia

celeriter, tanquam flosculi, decidunt, nec simulatim potest

quidquam esse diuturnum. True glory takes root, and even spreads: all false pre

tences, like flowers, fall to the ground; nor can any

counterfeit last long. Of all the affections which attend human life, the love of glory is the most ardent, According as this is cultivated in princes, it produces the greatest good or the greatest evil. Where sovereigns have it by impressions received from education only, it creates an ambitious rather than a noble mind; where it is the natural bent of the prince's inclination, it prompts him to the pursuit of things truly glorious. The two greatest men now in Europe (according to the common acceptation of the word great) are Lonis king of France, and Peter emperor of Russia. As it is certain that all fame does not arise from the practice of virtue, it is, methinks, no unpleasing amusement to examine the glory of these potentates, and distinguish that which is empty, perishing, and frivolous, from what is solid, lasting, and important.

Louis of France, had his infancy attended by crafty and worldly men, who made extent of territory the most glorious instance of power, and mistook the spreading of fame for the acquisition of honour. The young monarch's heart was by such conversation easily deluded into a fondness for vainglory, and upon these upjust principles to form or fall in with suitable projects of invasion, rapine, murder, and all the guilts that attend war when it is unjust. At the same time this tyranny was laid, sciences and arts were encouraged in the most generous manner, as if men of higher faculties were to be bribed permit the massacre of the rest of the world. Every superstructure which the court of France built upon their first designs, which were in themselves vicious, was suitable to its false foundation. The ostentation of riches, the vanity of equipage, shame of poverty, and ignorance of modesty, were the common arts of life: the generous love of one woman was changed into gallantry for all the sex, and friendships among men turned into commerces of interest, or mere professions. “While these were the rules of life, perjuries in the prince, and a general corruption of manners in the subject, were the snares in which France has entangled all her neighbours. With such false colours have the eyes of Louis been enchanted, from the debauchery of his early youth, to the superstition of his present old age. Hence it is, that he has the patience to have statues erected to his prowess, his valour, his fortitude; and in the softness and luxury of a court to be applauded for magnanimity and enterprize in military atchievements.

Peter Alexowitz of Russia, when he came to the years of manhood, though he found himself emperor of a vast and numerous people, master of an endless territory, absolute commander of the lives and fortunes of his subjects, in the midst of this unbound

a

ed power and greatness, turned his thoughts upon himself and people with sorrow. Sordid ignorance, and a brute manner of life, this generous prince beheld and contemned, from the light of his own.genius. His judgment suggested this to him, and his courage prompted him to amend it. In order to this, he did not send to the nation from whence the rest of the world has borrowed its politeness, but himself left his diadem to learn the true way to glory and honour, and application to useful arts, wherein to employ the laborious, the simple, the honest part of his people. Mechanic employments and operations were very justly the first objects of his favour and observation. With this glorious intention he travelled into foreign nations in an obscure manner, above receiving little honours where he sojourned, but prying into what was of more consequence, their arts of

peace and of war. By this means has this great prince laid the foundation of a great and lasting fame, by personal labour, personal knowledge, personal valour. It would be injury to any of antiquity to name them with him. Who, but himself, ever left a throne to learn to sit in it with more grace? Who ever thought himself mean in absolute power, till he had learned to use it ?

If we consider this wonderful person, it is perplexity to know where to begin his encomium. Others may in a metaphorical or philosophic sense be said to command themselves, but this emperor is also literally under his own command. How

. generous and how good was his entering his own name as a private man in the army he, raised, that " none in it might expect to outrun the steps with which he himself advanced! By such measures this godlike prince learned to conquer, learned to use his conquests. How terrible has he appeared in battle, how gentle in victory! Shall then the base arts of the Frenchman be held polite, and the honest labours of the Russian barbarous ? No: barbari. ty is the ignorance of true honour, or placing any thing instead of it. The unjust prince is, ignoble