ing acquifitions than valour, and that floth has ruined more nations than the fword. He abounds in feveral frugal maxims, amongst which the greatest favourite is, 'A penny faved is a penny got.' A general trader of good fenfe is pleafanter company than a general fcholar; and Sir Andrew having a natural unaffected eloquence, the perfpicuity of his difcourfe gives the fame pleasure that wit would in another man. He has made his fortune himself; and fays that England may be richer than other kingdoms, by as plain methods as he himself is richer than other men; though at the fame time I can say this of him, that there is not a point in the compafs, but blows home a fhip in which he is an owner. Next to Sir Andrew in the club-room fits Captain Sentry, a gentleman of great courage, good understanding, but invincible modefty. He is one of those that deferve very well, but are very awkward at putting their talents within the obfervation of fuch as fhould take notice of them. He was fome years a captain, and behaved himfelf with great gallantry in feveral engagements and at several sieges; but having a small estate of his own, and being next heir to Sir Roger, he has quitted a way of life in which no man can rife fuitably to his merit, who is not fomething of a courtier, as well as a foldier. I have It has been faid, that the real perfon alluded to under this name was C. Kempenfelt, father of the admiral Kempenfelt who deplorably loft his life, when the Royal George of 100 guns funk at Spithead, Aug. 29, 1782. But the scale of the prefent edition admits not of ftating objections here, or queftioning the probability of this opinion. heard him often lament, that in a profeffion where merit is placed in fo confpicuous a view, impudence fhould get the better of modefty. When he has talked to this purpose, I never heard him make a four expreffion, but frankly confefs that he left the world, because he was not fit for it. A ftrict honesty and an even regular behaviour are in themselves obftacles to him that must prefs through crowds, who endeavour at the fame end with himself, the favour of a commander. He will however in his way of talk excufe generals, for not difpofing according to men's defert, or enquiring into it; for, fays he, that great man who has a mind to help me, has as many to break through to come at me, as I have to come at him: therefore he will conclude, that the man who would make a figure, especially in a military way, must get over all false modefty, and affift his patron against the importunity of other pretenders, by a proper affurance in his own vindication. He fays it is a civil cowardice to be backward in afferting what you ought to expect, as it is a military fear to be flow in attacking when it is your duty. With this candour does the gentleman speak of himself and others. The fame franknefs runs through all his converfation. The military part of his life has furnished him with many adventures, in the relation of which he is very agreeable to the company; for he is never overbearing, though accustomed to command men in the utmost degree below him; nor ever too obfequious, from an habit of obeying men highly above him. But that our fociety may not appear a set of humourists, unacquainted with the gallantries and pleasures of the age, we have among us the gallant Will Honeycomb', a gentleman who, according to his years fhould be in the decline of his life, but having ever been very careful of his person, and always had a very easy fortune, time has made but very little impreffion, either by wrinkles on his forehead, or traces in his brain. His perfon is well turned, and of a good height. He is very ready at that fort of discourse with which men usually entertain women. He has all his life dreffed very well, and remembers habits as others do men. He can fmile when one speaks to him, and laughs easily. He knows the hiftory of every mode, and can inform you from which of the French king's wenches, our wives and daughters had this manner of curling their hair, that way of placing their hoods; whofe frailty was covered by fuch a fort of petticoat, and whose vanity to fhew her foot made that part of the drefs fo fhort in fuch a year. In a word, all his converfation and knowledge has been in the female world. As other men of his age will take notice to you what such a minifter faid upon fuch and fuch an occafion, he will tell you, when the Duke of Monmouth danced at court, fuch a woman was then fmitten, another was taken with him at the head of his troop in the Park. In all these kIt has been faid that a Colonel Cleland was fuppofed to have been the real perfon alluded to under this character. See the dedication of the eighth volume of the Spectator, and note. pre important relations, he has ever about the fame time received a kind glance, or a blow of a fan, from fome celebrated beauty, mother of the fent Lord Such-a-one. If you speak of a young commoner that faid a lively thing in the house, he starts up, He has good blood in his veins, Tom Mirable begot him, the rogue cheated me in that affair, that young fellow's mother used me more like a dog than any woman I ever made advances to. This way of talking of his very much enlivens the converfation among us of a more fedate turn; and I find there is not one of the company, but myself, who rarely speak at all, but speaks of him as of that fort of man, who is usually called a well bred fine gentleman. To conclude his character, where women are not concerned, he is an honest worthy man. I cannot tell whether I am to account him, whom I am next to speak of, as one of our company; for he vifits us but feldom, but when he does, it adds to every man elfe a new enjoyment of himself. He is a clergyman, a very philofophic man, of general learning, great fanctity of life, and the moft exact good breeding. He has the misfortune to be of a very weak constitution, and confequently cannot accept of fuch cares and business as preferments in his function would oblige him to; he is therefore among divines, what a chamber-counsellor is among lawyers. The probity of his mind, and the inte grity of his life, create him followers, as being cloquent or loud advances others. He feldom introduces the subject he speaks upon; but we are fo far gone in years, that he obferves when he is among us, an earnestness to have him fall on fome divine topic, which he always treats with much authority, as one who has no intereft in this world, as one who is haftening to the object of all his wifhes, and conceives hope from his de ays and infirmities. Thefe are my ordinary companions. Rm N° 3. Saturday, March 3, 1710-11. Et quoi quifque ferè ftudio devinctus adhæret, LUCR. 1. iv. 959 -What ftudies please, what most delight, CREECH. In one of my late rambles, or rather speculations, I looked into the great hall, where the bank is kept, and was not a little pleased to see the directors, fecretaries, and clerks, with all the other members of that wealthy corporation, ranged in their several stations, according to the parts they act, in that juft, and regular economy. This revived in my memory the many difcourfes which I had both read and heard, |