merly Brigadier Sutton's Steward, and his Wife at Flanderkin.

I FOUND, notwithstanding it was Sunday-Evening, the House was full of Company, and several drinking in a Public Room, where I might have made one: But as I was fatigued, I chose to retire to my Chamber, and having bespoke a Supper, defired my Landlord's Company, who entertain'd me very agreably with his Converfation, and an excellent Glass of French Claret. Among other Things, I made Enquiry if the British Society was numerous; what was their Manner of Living, and what Kind of Reception they gave to Strangers? His Answers to thefe, and fome other Questions I put to him, concerning them, were in Subftance; "That the British Society of Merchants-Adven"turers, eftablifhed in this City, had formerly "been very famous, as well as numerous, and enjoyed great Privileges, which had been granted "them fo long ago as the Reign of Queen Eliza "beth, when, they having an exclufive Privilege "of exporting the English Woollen Manufactures, "their fettling in Hamburg was of great Service "to that Republic, and their Favour very much "courted: But that, fince this Branch of Trade "was laid open to all Foreigners, by Act of Par"liament, in King William's Reign, they were "dwindled away almost to nothing: That they 66 were not, at this Time, above fixteen or seven"teen, of which not above one half were House"keepers: That they, however, yet enjoyed the "fame Privileges (an Account of which he refer"ved to a more convenient Opportunity) and liv'd "in great Reputation; but converfed chiefly among one another, and were very fhy and jea"lous of Strangers of the English Nation, unless "they came recommended to them: That if my "Bufinefs was Trade, and I had any Concerns

66

66

..

"with them, I would be admited into their Inti
ἐσ macy, and treated very handfomly: But that
* otherwise, I might as well break my Head as
my Fast among them: That they had, how-
ever, a Chaplain, one Dr. Ts, a very so-
ciable and worthy Gentleman, whofe Acquain
tance would be worth my feeking. He, like,
"wife, told me, that there is a British Envoy.
in this City, C—I wb, Efq; a very po-
C.
lite Gentleman, who, if I was an English-man,
as he took me to be, would expect I fhould
wait on him; offering, at the fame Time, his
"Service, to conduct me thither, the next Morn-
ing.

66

J

As I found, by this Narrative, that I was not like to have much Converfation with my Countrymen, and had my Reasons, which I need not tell you, for not making myfelf known to Mr. Wh I told my Landlord, I was a High-German, but had lived many Years in England, and was now going, after a very long Abfence, to fee my native Country again, having, fince I left it, vifited most of the Countries in Europe, and spent fome Time in every one of them: That I was no Trader, nor did I feek the Company of the English Nation in particular: That I travel'd for the Improvement of my Understanding, and not of my Eftate That I fhould be obliged to him if he could recommend me to the Acquaintance of any fober ftaid Gentleman, of univerfal Knowledge and Learning; and that it was equally indifferent to ine what Nation he was of.

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&6

My Landlord, with a feeming Joy, answered, he had a Cuftomer would fuit me to a Hair; but the Point would be how to get into his Converfation. What (replied I) is he fo difficult of Access; or is his Quality fo fuperior, that it would be a Prefumption in me to aim at it? " Not fo (an

"fwered

fwered my Landlord) but he is fo fparing of his Words, that, tho' he has conftantly frequented my Houfe, once a Week, for near two Years, "I have hardly ever heard him pronounce three "Sentences." What Reafon then (faid I) have you to think this taciturn Gentleman would be for my Purpose ? "Because (replied he) I am in

formed he has spent above thirty Years of his Life in continual Travels, not only thro' all "Parts of Europe, but even in the most distant "Regions of the known World. I am (conti"nued he) his Agent or Factor in this City; for he lives at fome Miles Distance, in Danish Holftein. His Letters come all directed to my

Houfe, and he has frequently large Parcels of "Papers, Books, and other Things fent him from "England, Holland, France, Italy, and other Parts, " which he is fo careful of, that I am caution'd *not to truft them in any One's Hands but my "own, and am obliged, on fuch Occafions, to take "Horfe or Coach, and to go out to him myfelt,

for which he pays me generously. When I am "admited to his Prefence, which is not always,

I find him immured with Books, in the Midft "of a copious Library, with great Numbers of

Mathematical, Aftronomical, and other Inftru"ments, many of them not known in this Coun"try, about him. He is a fingle Man, but has "a large Family of Servants, of both Sexes, most "of them Foreigners, who are seldom feen abroad, "and converse very little but among themselves. "His fingular, but expenfive, Manner of Living, "his extensive Charity and Generofity, his great "Knowledge and Succefs in Phyfic, he having "a Perfon for that End in the Houfe with him, "who goes by the Name of Doctor, and who not only gives his Advice, but difpenfes Medicines "to all that come, and have the Appearance of 66 Want,

"C

"Want, gratis: Thefe Circumftances, I fay, "with that of his not being poliefs'd of any

66

known real Estate, but the Houfe and Gar"den where he lives, and following no Bufinefs to fupport this great Expence, give Occafion to "the common People to think him a Conjurer, " and that he deals with the Devil: And others, "not quite fo ignorant, imagine he has found the "Grand Secret, or the Philofopher's Stone. He "comes conftantly every Saturday to my Houfe, "and, having performed his Devotion, at one of "the Lutheran Churches of this City, on Sunday, "returns in the Evening, or Monday Morning, "and he was but juft gone when you came to my "House. In good Weather he rides, and fome"times walks, and in bad comes in his Coach; "but hardly ever miffes coming. When he has

done his Bufinefs in Town, on Saturday Even"ing, he always takes his Seat in my public drink"ing Room, at a fmall Table, hardly big enough "for more than one, where he fmoaks his Pipe, "and drinks his Bottle, without fpeaking a Word "to any one; and if, by Chance, any of the o"ther Company drink bis Health, or direct

<<

their Difcourfe to him, they are fure to meet "with no other Return but a Nod, a Shake of "the Head, or a Shrug, for which Reafon he is "generally diftinguish'd by the Name of the Dumb "Man, and is never difturb'd unless now and then by a Stranger. He is obferved to be very at"tentive to all public Difcourfe, and fometimes "to take out his Pocket-Book, and write: But "if he finds the Company upon Bufinefs, or cau"tious of being over-heard, he takes a Book out "of his Pocket and reads. He never calls for any "Thing, but has his Winks and Signs, which my "Servants understand; and when he is difpofed "to retire, at the Signal given, the Boy takes his "Candle,

66

"Candle, and he follows, without taking the leaft
"Notice of any one:
He never asks for any
Reckoning, but when he goes away lays down
"a Ducket, and a Sixteen-penny Piece for the Ser-
"vants, which is generally double what he has
fpent. I give him an Account of what I lay
"out for him once a Month, and he always adds
"a Prefent to the Payment. With thefe Singula-
"rities (added my Landlord) you will probably
"take him to be a furly, morofe Philofopher, or
"a Man-hater; but he is the very Reverse of it;
"he is certainly a great Lover of all Mankind,
"feems always pleafed, and looks upon every one
"with a beneficent Smile. He enjoys a perfect
"State of Health, and the Vigor of Youth, in
"an advanced Age".

Here my Landlord ended his Narrative, and you will easily imagine how defirous I was to be acquainted with this extraordinary Perfon: I defired him to befpeak a Coach, to go out the next Day, to endeavour obtaining Admitance to him; but he advised me to stay till the next Saturday, and first take a View of his Perfon and Behaviour, after which we might think of the propereft Method of geting into his Company. I complied with his Advice, tho' I was fenfible I fhould think the Time long, and refolved, in the mean while, to divert myfelf, as well as I could, without feeking much Acquaintance. I vifited, the next Morning, the moft noted Coffee-house, kept by an Italian, called Galli, where there was a handfom Appearance of fashionable Company; but I found their Meeting there was only to play at Billiards, or Tables, read the News, or ipend an Hour in Converfation, without the leaft Sign of any Bufinefs being tranfacted: And, I am told, it is the fame in other Coffee-houses, of which perhaps I may make fome Mention in a future Letter:

But

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