THB Greenhats are a Family with fmall Voices and fhort Arms, therefore they have Power with none but their Friends: They never call after thofe who run away from them, or pretend to take hold of you if you refist. But it has been remarkable, that all who have fhunned their Company, or not liftened to them, have fallen into the Hands of fuch as have knock'd out their own Brains, or broken their Bones. I have look'd over our Pedigree upon the Recept of this Epiftle, and find the Greenbats. are a-kin to the Staffs. They defcend from Maudlin, the Left-handed Wife of Nehemiah Bickerstaff, in the Reign of Harry II. And it is remarkable, that they are all Left-handed, and have always been very expert at Single Rapier. A Man must be very much ufed to their Play to know how to defend himself, for their Pofture is fo different from that of the Right-handed, that you run upon their Swords if you push forward; and they are in with you, if you offer to fall back without keeping your Guard.

THERE have been alfo Letters lately fent to me which relate to other People: Among the reft, fome whom I have heretofore declared to be fo, are deceafed. I must not therefore break through Rules fo far, as to fpeak ill of the Dead. This Maxim extends to all but the late Partridge, who ftill denies his Death. I am informed indeed by feveral, that he walks; but I. fhall with all convenient Speed lay him.

St. James's Coffee-house, August 24.

WE hear from Tournay, that on the Night between the 22d and 23d, they went on with their Works in the Enemy's Mines, and levelled the Earth which was ta ken out of them. The next Day, at 8 in the Morning, when the French obferved we were relieving our Trenches, they fprung a larger Mine than any they had fired during this Siege, which killed only four private Centi

nels.

The enfuing Night we had three Men and two Officers killed, as alfo feyen Men wounded. Between the 24th and 25th, we repair'd fome Works which the Enemy had ruin'd On the next Day, fome of the Ene, my's Magazines blew up; and it is thought they were deftroy'd on Purpofe by fome of their Men, who are impatient of the Hardships of the prefent Service. There happened

happened nothing remarkable for two or three Days following. A Deferter, who came out of the Citade on the 27th, fays, the Garrison is brought to the utmost Neceffity; That their Bread and Water are both very bad: And that they were reduced to eat Horfe-Flesh, The Manner of fighting in this Siege has difcovered a Gallantry in our Men unknown to former Ages; their meeting with adverfe Parties under Ground, where eve ry Step is taken with Apprehenfions of being blown up with Mines below them, or crushed by the Fall of the Earth above them, and all this acted in Darkness, has fomething in it more terrible than ever is met with ina ny other Part of a Soldier's Duty. However, this is performed with great Chearfulnefs. In other Parts of the War we have alfo good Profpects: Count Tham has taken Annecy, and the Count de Merci marched into Franche Comte, while his Electoral Highness is much fu perior in Number to Monfieur d' Harcourt; fo that both on the Side of Savoy and Germany, we have Reafon to expect very fuddenly fome great Event.

I

White's Chocolate-Houfe, August 26.

Tought to have an Account of what has paffed "O proceed regularly in the Hiftory of my Worthies from Day to Day in this Place; but a young Fellow of my Acquaintance has fo lately been refcued out of the Hands of the Knights of the Industry, that I rather chufe to relate the Manner of his Escape from 'em, and the uncommon Way which was used to reclaim him, 'than to go on in my intended Diary.

You are to know then, that Tom Wildair is a Student of the Inner Temple, and has fpent his Time, fince he left the University for that Place, in the common Diverfions of Men of Fashion; that is to fay, in Whoring, Drinking, and Gaming. The Two Former Vices he had from his Father; but was led into the laft by the

Con

C

ty

Conversation of a Partizan of the Myrmidons, who had Chambers near him. His Allowance from his Father was a very plentiful one for a Man of Senfe, but as fcanfor a modern Fine Gentleman. His frequent Loffes had reduced him to fo neceffitous a Condition, that his Lodgings were always haunted by impatient Creditors, and all his Thoughts employed in contriving low Methods to fupport himself, in a Way of Life from which the knew not how to retreat, and in which he wanted Means to proceed. There is never wanting fome goodnatured Perfon to fend a Man an Account of what he has no Mind to hear; therefore many Epiftles were conveyed to the Father of this Extravagant, to inform him of the Company, the Pleafures, the Diftreffes, and Entertainments, in which his Son paffed his Time. The 1 old Fellow received thefe Advices with all the Pain of a Parent, but frequently confulted his Pillow to know how to behave himself on fuch important Occafions, as the Welfare of his Son, and the Safety of his Fortune. After many Agitations of Mind, he reflected, That Ne ceffity was the ufual Snare which made Men fall into Meannefs, and that a liberal Fortune generally made a liberal and honeft Mind; he refolved therefore to fave him from his Ruin, by giving him Opportunities of tafting what it is to be Eafe, and enclofed to him the following Order upon Sir Triftram Cash:

SIR,

Pray pay to Mr. Tho. Wildair, or Order, the Sum of One Thousand Pounds, and place it to the Account of

Yours, Humphrey Wildair. Tom was fo aftonished at the Receipt of this Order, that though he knew it to be his Father's Hand, and that he had always large Sums at Sir Triftram's; yet a Thou fand Pounds was a Truft of which his Conduct had always made him appear fo little capable, that he kept his Note by him, till he writ to his Father the following

Letter

Honoured Father,

1"

HAVE received an Order under your Hand for a Thoufand Pounds, in Words at Length, and I think I could wear it is your own Hand. I have looked it over and over

Twenty

Twenty Thousand times. There is in plain Letters, T,H,O,US,A,N,D; and after it, the Letters, P,O,U,N,D,S. I have it ftill by me, and fhall, I believe, continue reading it till I hear from you.

THE old Gentleman took no Manner of Notice of the Receipt of his Letter; but fent him another Order for Three Thousand Pounds more. His Amazement on this fecond Letter was unfpeakable. He immediately double-lock'd his Door, and fat down carefully to reading and comparing both his Orders. After he had read them till he was half mad, he walked Six or Seven Turns in his Chamber, then opens his Door, then locks it again, and to examine throughly this Matter, he locks his Door again, puts his Table and Chairs against it; then goes into his Clofet, and locking himself in, read his Notes over again about Nineteen Times, which did but increase his Aftonishment. Soon after, he began to recollect many Stories he had formerly heard of Perfons who had been poffeffed with Imaginations and Appearances which had no Foundation in Nature, but had been taken with fudden Madness in the Midst of a feeming clear and untainted Reason. This made him very gravely conclude he was out of his Wits, and with a Defign to compofe himfelf, he immediately betakes him to his Night-cap, with a Refolution to fleep himself into his former Poverty and Senfes. To Bed therefore he goes at Noon-Day, but foon rofe again, and refolved to vifit Sir Triftram upon this Occafion. He did fo, and dined with the Knight, expecting he would mention fome Advice from his Father about paying him Money; but no fuch Thing being faid, Look you, Sir Triftram, (faid he) you are to know, that an Affair has happened, whichLook you, (fays Triftram) I know, Mr. Wildair, you are going to defire me to advance; but the late Call of the Bank, where I have not yet made my laft Payment, has obliged me. Tom interrupted him, by fhewing him the Bill of a Thousand Pounds. When he had looked at it for a convenient Time, and as often furvey'd Tom's Looks and Countenance; Look you, Mr. Wildair, a Thousand Pounds- Before he could proceed, he fhews him the Order for Three Thoufand more -Sir Trif +

tram

Itram examined theOrder at the Light, and finding at the writing the Name, there was a certain Stroke in one Letter, which the Father and he had agreed fhould be to fuch Directions as he defired might be more immediately honoured, he forthwith pays the Money. The Poffeffion of Four Thousand Pounds gave my young Gentleman a new Train of Thoughts: He began to reflect upon his Birth, the great Expectations he was born to, and the unfuitable Ways he had long purfued. Inftead of that unthinking Creature he was before, he is now provident, generous, and difcreet. The Father and Son have an exaft and regular Correfpondence, with mutual and unreserved Confidence in each other. The Son looks upon his Father as the best Tenant he could have in the Country, and the Father finds the Son the most safe Banker he could have in the City.

Will's Coffee-house, August 26.

THERE is not any Thing in Nature fo extravagant, but that you will find one Man or other that fhall prac tife or maintain it otherwife, Harry Spondee could not have made fo long an Harangue as he did here this Evening, concerning the Force and Efficacy of well-appli ed Nonfenfe. Among Ladies, he pofitively averr'd, it was the moft prevailing Part of Eloquence; and had fo little Complaifance as to fay, a Woman is never taken by her Reafon, but always by her Paffion. He proceeded to affert, the Way to move that, was only to astonish her. I know (continued he) a very late Instance of this; for being by Accident in the Room next to Strephon, I could not help over-hearing him as he made Love to a certain great Lady's Woman. The true Method in your Application to one of this fecond Rank of Underftanding, is not to elevate and furprize, but rather to elevate and amaze. Strephon is a perfect Master in this Kind of Perfwafion: His Way is, to run over with a foft Air a Multitude of Words, without Meaning or Connexion, but fuch as do each of 'em apart give a pleafing Idea, though they have nothing to do with each other as he affembles 'em. After the common Phrases of Salutation, and making his Entry into the Room, I perceived he had taken the Nymph's Hand, and killing it, faid, Witness to my Happiness ye Groves!