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Quicquid agunt Homines noftri Farrago Libelli. "all sorts of hexformances whatsoever clone by Men, we mix whe in Tuesday, April 12. 1709. our little Wook HO' the other Papers which are publish'd for the Ufe of the good People of England have certainly very whole fom Effects, and are laudable in their particular Kinds, they do not feem to come up to the main Design of Such Narrations, which, I humbly prefume, fhould be principally intended for the Ufe of Politick Perfons, who are fo publick-Spirited as to neglect their own Affairs to look into Tranfactions of State. Now thefe Gentlemen, for the most Part, being Persons of ftrong Zeal and weak Intellects, It is both a Charitable and Neceffary Work to offer fomething, whereby fuch worthy and well-affected Members of the Commonwealth may be inftructed, after their Reading, what to think : Which shall be the End and Purpose of this my Paper, wherein I shall from Time to Time Report and Confider all Matters of what Kind

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Kind foever that fhall occur to Me, and publish fuch my Advices and Reflections every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, in the Week, for the Convenience of the Poft. I refolve alfo to have Something which may be of Entertainment to the Fair Sex, in Honour of whom I have invented the Title of this Paper. I therefore earnestly defire all Perfons, without Distinction, to take it in for the prefent Gratis, and hereafter at the Price of one Penny, forbidding all Hawkers to take more for it at their Peril. And I defire all Perfons to confider, that I am at a very great Charge for proper Materials for this Work, as well as that before I refolv'd upon it I had fettled a Correspondence in all Parts of the Known and Knowing World. And forafmuch as this Globe is not trodden upon by mere Drudges of Bufinefs only, but that Men of Spirit and Genius are justly to be efteem'd as confiderable Agents in it, we shall not upon a Dearth of News prefent you with mufty Foreign Edicts, or dull Proclamations, but Shall divide our Relation of the Paffages which occur in Action or Difcourfe throughout this Town, as well as elsewhere, under fuch Dates of Places as may prepare you for the Matter you are to expect, in the following Manner:

All Accounts of Gallantry, Pleasure, and Entertainment, shall be under the Article of White's Chocolate-houfe; Poetry, under that of Will's Coffee-houfe; Learning under the Title of Græcian; Foreign and Domestick News, you will have from St. James's Coffee-house; and what elfe I have to offer on any other Subje&t, shall be dated from my own Apartment.

I once more defire my Reader to confider, That as I cannot keep an Ingenious Man to go daily to Will's, under Twopence each Day merely for his Charges; to White's, under Sixpence; nor to the Græcian, without allowing him fome Plain Spanish, to be as able as others at the Learned Table; and that a good Obferver cannot speak with even Kidney at St. James's without clean Linnen: I say, these Confiderations will, I hope, make all Perfons willing to comply with my Humble Request (when my Gratis Stock is exhausted) of a Penny a Piece; efpecially fince they are fure of fome Proper Amusement, and that it is impoffible for me to want Means to entertain 'em, having, befides the Force of my own Parts, the Power of Divination, and that I can, by cafting Figure, tell you all that will happen before it comes to pass.

But this laft Faculty I shall use very sparingly, and Speak but of few Things 'till they are pass'd, for fear of divulging Matters which may offend our Superiors.

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White's Chocolate-house, April 7.

HE deplorable Condition of a very pretty Gentleman, who walks here at the Hours when Men of Quality first appear, is what is very much lamented. His Hiftory is, That on the 9th of September, 1705. being in his One and twentieth Year, he was washing his Teeth at a Tavern Window in Pall-Mall, when a fine Equipage B 2 pafs'd

pafs'd by, and in it a young Lady who look'd up at him; away goes the Coach, and the young Gentleman pull'd off his Night-Cap, and instead of rubbing his Gums, as he ought to do, out of the Window, 'till about Four a Clock fits him down, and spoke not a Word 'till Twelve at Night; after which, he began to enquire, If any Body knew the Lady.

The Company ask'd, What Lady? But he faid no more, 'till they broke up at Six in the Morning. All the enfuing Winter he went from Church to Church every Sunday, and from Play-house to Play-houfe every Night in the Week, but could never find the Original of the Picture which dwelt in his Bofom. In a Word, his Attention to any Thing, but his Paffion, was utterly gone. He has loft all the Money he ever play'd for, and been confuted in every Argument he has enter'd upon fince the Moment he first faw her. He is of a Noble Family, has naturally a very good Air, is of a frank, honest Temper: But this Paffion has fo extreamly maul'd him, that his Features are fet and uninform'd, and his whole Visage is deaden'd by a long Abfence of Thought. He never appears in any Alacrity, but when rais'd by Wine; at which Time he is fure to come hither, and throw away a great deal of Wit on Fellows, who have no Sense further than just to observe, That our poor Lover has moft Understanding when he is drunk, and is least in his Senfes when he is fober.

Will's Coffee-houfe, April 8.

On Thursday laft was acted, for the Benefit of Mr. Betterton, the Celebrated Comedy, call'd Love for Love. Those excellent Players, Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Bracegirdle, and Mr. Dogget, tho' not at prefent concerned in the House, acted on that Occafion. There has not been known fo great a Concourfe of Perfons of Distinction as at that Time; the Stage it felf was covered with Gentlemen and Ladies, and when the Curtain was drawn, it discovered even there a very splendid Audience. This unusual Encouragement, which was given to a Play for the Advantage of fo great an Actor, gives an undeniable Inftance, That the true Relish for Manly Entertainments and Rational Pleafures is not wholly loft. All the Parts were acted to Perfection; the Actors were careful of their Carriage, and no one was guilty of the Affectation to infert Witticisms of his own, but a due Respect was had to the Audience, for encouraging this accomplish'd Player. It is not now doubted but Plays will revive, and take their usual Place in the Opinion of Perfons of Wit and Merit, notwithstanding their late Apoftacy in Favour of Drefs and Sound. This Place is very much altered fince Mr. Dryden frequented it; where you used to fee Songs, Epigrams, and Satyrs, in the Hands of every Man you met, you have now only a Pack of Cards; and inftead of the Cavils about the Turn of the Expreffion, the Elegance