under the Character of Reynard, the Manner of furprizing all Sharpers as well as him. But of thefe great Points, after more mature Delibera tion. St. James's Coffee-house, August 17. SIR, WE have nothing at present new, but that we understand by fome Owlers, old People die in France. Letters from Paris of the 10th Inftant, N. S. Say, That Monfieur d'Andre Marquis d'Oraifon dy'd at 85; Monfieur Brumars, at 102 Years, dy'd for Love of his Wife, who was 92 at her Death, after 70 Years Cohabitation. Nicolas de Boutheiller, Parish-Preacher of Saffeville, being a Batchelor, held out till 116. Dame Claude de Maffy, Relic of Monfieur Peter de Monceaux, Grand Audiencer of France, dy'd on the 7th Instant, aged 107. Letters of the 17th fay, Monfieur Chreftien de Lemoignon dy'd on the 7th Instant, a Perfon of great Piety and Virtue, but having dy'd young, his Age is concealed for Reafons of State. On the 15th his most Christian Majesty, attended by the Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke and Dutchess of Berry, affifted at the Proceffion which he yearly performs, in Memory of a Vow made by Lewis the XIIIth, 1638: For which Act of Piety, his Majesty received Abfolution of his Confeffor, for the Breach of all inconve nient Vows made by himself. I am, SIR, Your most humble Servant, Humphrey Kidney. From From my own Apartment, August 17. I am to acknowledge feveral Letters which I have lately received; among others, one fubfcribed Philanthropos, another Emilia, both which fhall be honour'd. I have a Third from an Officer of the Army, wherein he defires I would do Justice to the many gallant Actions which have been done by Men of private Characters, or Officers of lower Stations, during this long War; that their Families may have the Pleasure of seeing we lived in an Age wherein Men of all Orders had their proper Share in Fame and Glory. There is nothing I fhould undertake with greater Pleasure than Matters of this Kind: If therefore they who are acquainted with fuch Facts, would please to communi.cate them, by Letter directed to me at Mr. Morphew's, no Pains should be spared to put them in a proper and distinguishing Light. This is to admonish Stentor, That it was not Admiration of his Voice, but my Publication of it, which has lately increased the Number of his Hear ers, The 46 The TATLER. [N° 57 Quicquid agunt Homines noftri Farrago Libelli. From Thursday August 18. to Saturday Aug.20.1709. Will's Coffee-houfe, August 19. Was this Evening reprefenting a Complaint fays, her Neighbours there have fo little Sense of what a Refined Lady of the Town is, that fhe who was a celebrated Wit in London, iş in that dull Part of the World in fo little Esteem, that they call her in their bafe Style a TonguePad. Old Truepenny bid me advise her to keep her Wit till the comes to Town again, and admonish her, that both Wit and Breeding are local; for a Fine Court-Lady is as aukward among Country Housewives, as one of them would appear in a Drawing-Room. 'Tis therefore the most useful Knowledge one can attain at, to understand among what Sort of Men we make the best Figure; for if there be a Place where the beauteous and accomplished Emilia is unacceptable, it is certainly a vain Endeavour to attempt pleasing in all Converfations. Here is Will. Ubi, who is fo thirsty after the Reputation of a Companion, that his Company is for any Body that will accept of it; and for Want of knowing whom to chufe for himself, is never chosen by others. There is a certain Chastity of Behaviour which makes a Man defirable, and 2 which, which, if he tranfgreffes, his Wit will have the fame Fate with Delia's Beauty, which no one regards, because all know it is within their Power. The best Course Emilia can take, is, to have less Humility; for if the could have as good an Opinion of her felf for having every Quality, as fome of her Neighbours have of themselves with one, fhe would infpire even them with a Senfe of her Merit, and make that Carriage (which is now the Subject of their Derifion) the fole Object of their Imitation. Till fhe has arrived at this Value of her felf, the must be contented with the Fate of that uncommon Creature, a Woman too humble. White's Chocolate-house, August 19. Since my last, I have received a Letter from Tom Trump, to defire that I would do the Fraternity of Gamefters the Juftice to own, that there are notorious Sharpers who are not of their Class. Among others, he prefented me with the Picture of Harry Coppersmith in Little, who (he fays) is at this Day worth half a Plumb, by Means much more indirect than by falfe Dice. I must confefs, there appeared fome Reason in what he afferted; and he met me fince, and accofted me in the following Manner: "It is wonderful to me, Mr. Bickerftaff, that you can pretend to be a Man of 'Penetration, and fall upon us Knights of the Industry as the wickedeft of Mortals, when 'there are fo many who live in the constant 'Practice of bafer Methods unobferved. You cannot (tho' you know the Story of my self and the North Briton) but allow I am an ho' nefter * nefter Man than Will. Copperfmith, for all his great Credit among the Lombards. I get my Money by Men's Follies, and he gets his by their Diftreffes. The declining Merchant com*municates his Griefs to him, and he augments them by Extortion. If therefore Regard is to be had to the Merit of the Persons ⚫ we injure, Who is the more blameable, he that oppreffes an unhappy Man, or he that cheats a foolish One? All Mankind are indifferently liable to adverse Strokes of Fortune; and he who adds to them, when he might relieve them, is certainly a worfe Subject, than he ⚫ who unburdens a Man whofe Profperity is unweildy to him. Befides all which, he that borrows of Coppersmith, does it out of Neceffity; he that plays with me, does it out of Choice. I allowed Trump there are Men as bad as himself, which is the Height of his Pretenfions; and muft confefs, that Coppersmith is the most wicked and impudent of all Sharpers: A Creature that cheats with Credit, and is a Robber in the Habit of a Friend. The Contemplation of this worthy Perfon made me reflect on the wonderful Succeffes I have obferved Men of the meanest Capacities meet with in the World, and recollected an Observation 1 once heard a fage Man make, which was, That he had obferved, that in fome Profeffions, the lower the Underftanding, the greater the Capacity. I remember, he inftanced that of a Banker, and faid, That the fewer Appetites, Paffions, and Idea's a Man had, he was the better for his Bufinefs. There is little Sir Triftram, without Connexion I |