All. Very fine, indeed, stop proceeding, and so lose a term!

Bull. Not so, neither, we have something by way of advance; he will put us in possession of his manor and Castle of Ecclesdown.

Frog. What dost thou talk of us? thou meanest thyself.

Bull. When Frog took possession of any thing, it was always said to be for us, and why may not John Bull be us, as well as Nic. Frog was us? I hope John Bull is no more confined to singularity than Nic. Frog? Or, take it so, the constant doctrine that thou hast preached up for many years, was, that thou and I are one; and why must we be supposed two in this case, that were always one before? It's impossible that thou and I can fall out, Nic.; we must trust one another; I have trusted thee with a great many things, prithee trust me with this one trifle.

Frog. That principle is true in the main, but there is some specialty in this case that makes it highly inconvenient for us both.

Bull. Those are your jealousies, that the common enemies sow between us; how often hast thou warned me of those rogues, Nic., that would make us mistrustful of one another?

Frog. This Ecclesdown Castle is only a bone of contention.

Bull. It depends upon you to make it so, for my part I am as peaceable as a lamb.

Frog. But do you consider the unwholesomeness of the air and soil, the expenses of reparations and servants? I would scorn to accept of such a quagmire.

Bull. You are a great man, Nic., but, in my circumstances, I must be e'en content to take it as it is. Frog. And you are really so silly as to believe the old cheating rogue will give it you?

Bull. I believe nothing but matter of fact, I stand and fall by that; I am resolved to put him to it.

Frog. And so relinquish the hopefulest cause in the world, a claim that will certainly in the end make thy

fortune for ever!

Bull. Wilt thou purchase it, Nic.? Thou shalt have a lumping pennyworth; nay, rather than we should differ, I'll give thee something to take it off my hands.

Frog. If thou would'st but moderate that hasty, impatient temper of thine, thou should'st quickly see a better thing than all that. What should'st thou think to find old Lewis turned out of his paternal estates, and the mansion-house of Claypool? a Would not that do thy heart good to see thy old friend Nic. Frog lord of Claypool? that thou and thy wife and children should walk in my gardens, buy toys, drink lemonade, and now and then we should have a country-dance.

Bull. I love to be plain; I'd as lieve see myself in Ecclesdown Castle, as thee in Claypool. I tell you again, Lewis gives this as a pledge of his sincerity; if you won't stop proceeding to hear him, I will.

CHAPTER XXI.

The rest of Nic.'s Fetches to keep John out of Ecclesdown Castle.b

WHEN Nic. could not dissuade John by argument, he tried to move his pity; he pretended to be sick and like to die, that he should leave his wife and children in a starving condition if John did abandon him; that he was hardly able to crawl about the room, far less capable to look after such a troublesome business as this lawsuit, and therefore begged that his good friend would not leave him. When he saw that John was still inexorable, he pulled out a case-knife, with which he used to suick and snee, and threatened to cut his a Claypool-Paris.-Lutetia.

b Attempts to hinder the cessation, and taking possession of Dunkirk.

own throat. Thrice he aimed the knife to his windpipe, with a most determined threatening air. "What sig nifies life," quoth he, "in this languishing condition! It will be some pleasure that my friends will revenge my death upon this barbarous man, that has been the cause of it. All this while John looked sedate and calm, neither offering in the least to snatch the knife nor stop his blow, trusting to the tenderness Nic. had for his own person; when he perceived that John was immovable in his purpose, he applied himself to Lewis,

"Art thou," quoth he, "turned bubble in thy old age, from being a sharper in thy youth? What occasion hast thou to give up Ecclesdown Castle to John Bull? his friendship is not worth a rush; give it me, and I'll make it worth thy while. If thou dislikest that proposition, keep it thyself; I'd rather thou should st have it than he. If thou hearkenest not to my advice, take what follows; esquire South and I will go on with our lawsuit in spite of John Bull's teeth."

Baboon. Monsieur Bull has used me like a gentleman, and I am resolved to make good my promise, and trust him for the consequences.

Frog. Then I tell thee, thou art an old doting fool.— With that, Nic. bounced up with a spring equal to that of one of your nimblest tumblers or rope-dancers, and fell foul upon John Bull, to snatch the cudgel [the allied army] he had in his hand, that he might thwack Lewis with it; John held it fast, so that there was no wrenching it from him. At last 'squire South buckled to, to assist his friend Nic.; John hauled on one side, and they two on the other; sometimes they were like to pull John over; then it went all of a sudden again on John's side; so they went see-sawing up and down, from one end of the room to the other. Down tumbled the tables, bottles, glasses, and tobacco-pipes; the wine and the tobacco were all spilt about the room, and the little fellows were almost trod under foot, till more of the tradesmen, joining with Nic. and the 'squire, John was hardly able to pull against them all, yet would he never quit hold of his trusty cudgel; which, by the contrary force of two so great powers, broke short in his hands. Nic. seized the longer end, and with it began to bastinado old Lewis, who had slunk into a corner, waiting the event of this squabble. Nic. came up to him with an insolent menacing air, so that the old fellow was forced to scuttle out of the room, and retire behind a dung-cart. He called to Nic. : "Thou insolent jackanapes! Time was when thou durst not have used me so; thou now takest me unprovided; but, old and infirm as I am, I shall find a weapon by and by to chastise thy impudence.”

When John Bull had recovered his breath, he began to parley with Nic.: "Friend Nic., I am glad to find thee so strong after thy great complaints: really thy motions, Nic., are pretty vigorous for a consumptive man. As for thy worldly affairs, Nic., if it can do thee any service, I freely make over to thee this profitable lawsuit, and I desire all these gentlemen to bear witness to this my act and deed. Yours be all the gain, as mine has been the charges; I have brought it to bear finely however, all I have laid out upon it goes for nothing; thou shalt have it with all its appurtenances; I ask nothing but leave to go home."

Frog. The counsel are feed, and all things prepared for a trial; thou shalt be forced to stand the issue; it shall be pleaded in thy name as well as mine; go home if thou canst; the gates are shut, the turnpikes locked, and the roads barricadoed.

Bull. Even these very ways, Nic., that thou toldest me were as open to me as thyself? If I can't pass with my own equipage, what can I expect for my goods and wagons? I am denied passage through those very a The separation of the army.

b Difficulty of the march of part of the army to Dunkirk.

grounds that I have purchased with my own money; however, I am glad I have made the experiment, it may serve me in some stead.

[John Bull was so overjoyed that he was going to take possessson of Ecclesdown that nothing could vex him. "Nic.," quoth he, "I am just a-going to leave thee; cast a kind look upon me at parting."

Nic. looked sour and grum, and would not open his mouth.]

Bull. I wish thee all the success that thy heart can desire, and that these honest gentlemen of the long robe may have their bellyful of law.

[Nic. could stand it no longer; but flung out of the room with disdain, and beckoned the lawyers to follow him.]

Bull. B'uy, b'uy, Nic.; not one poor smile at parting? won't you shake your day-day, Nic.? buy, Nic. With that, John marched out of the common road, 'cross the country, to take possession of Ecclesdown.

CHAPTER XXII.

Of the great Joy that John expressed when he got Possession of Ecelesdown, [Dunkirk.]

WHEN John had got into his castle, he seemed like Ulysses upon his plank, after he had been well soused in salt water; who (as Homer says) was as glad as a judge going to sit down to dinner, after hearing a long cause upon the bench. I dare say John Bull's joy was equal to that of either of the two; he skipped from room to room; ran up stairs and down stairs, from the kitchen to the garrets, and from the garrets to the kitchen; he peeped into every cranny; sometimes he admired the beauty of the architecture, and the vast solidity of the mason's work; at other times he commended the symmetry and proportion of the rooms. He walked about the gardens; he bathed himself in the caual, swimming, diving, and beating the liquid element, like a milk-white swan. The hall resounded with the sprightly violin, and the martial hautboy. The family tripped it about and capered, like hailstones bounding from a marble floor. Wine, ale, and October flew about as plentifully as kennel-water: then a frolic took John in the head to call up some of Nic. Frog's pensioners that had been so mutinous in his family.

Bull. Are you glad to see your master in Ecclesdown Castle?

All. Yes, indeed, sir.

Bull. Extremely glad?

All. Extremely glad, sir.

Bull. Swear to me that you are so.

Then they began to damn and sink their souls to the lowest pit of hell if any person in the world rejoiced more than they did.

Bull. Now hang me if I don't believe you are a parcel of perjured rascals; however, take this bumper of October to your master's health.

Then John got upon the battlements, and, looking

over, he called to Nic. Frog:

"How d'ye do, Nic.? D'ye see where I am, Nic.? I hope the cause goes on swimmingly, Nic. When dost thou intend to go to Claypool, Nic.? Wilt thou buy there some high heads of the newest cut for my daughters? How comest thou to go with thy arm tied up? Has old Lewis given thee a rap over the fingerends? Thy weapon was a good one when I wielded it, but the butt-end remains in my hands. I am so busy in packing up my goods that I have no time to talk with thee any longer. It would do thy heart good to see what waggon-loads I am preparing for market. If thou wantest any good office of mine, for all that has happened, I will use thee well, Nic. Buy, Nic."

POSTSCRIPT.

IT has been disputed among the literati of Grub Street whether sir Humphry proceeded any further into the history of John Bull. By diligent inquiry we have found the titles of some chapters which appear to be a continuation of it; and are as follow:CHAP. I. How John was made angry with the articles of agreement. How he kicked the parchment through the house, up stairs, and down stairs, and put himself in a great heat thereby.

CHAP. II. How in his passion he was going to cut off sir Roger's head with a cleaver. Of the strange manner of sir Roger's escaping the blow, by laying his head upon the dresser.

CHAP. III. How some of John's servants attempted to scale his house with rope-ladders; and how many unfortunately dangled in the same.

CHAP. IV. Of the methods by which John endeavoured to preserve peace among his neighbours; how he kept a pair of steelyards to weigh them; and by diet, purging, vomiting, and bleeding, tried to bring them to equal bulk and strength.

CHAP. V. Of false accounts of the weights given in by some of the journeymen; and of the Newmarket tricks that were practised at the steelyards. CHAP. VI. How John's new journeymen brought him other guise accounts of the steelyards.

CHAP. VII. How sir Swain Northy [king of Sweden] was, by bleeding, purging, and a steel diet, brought into a consumption; and how John was forced afterwards to give him the gold cordial.

CHAP. VIII. How Peter Bear [czar of Muscovy] was overfed, and afterwards refused to submit to the course of physic.

CHAP. IX. How John pampered esquire South with titbits till he grew wanton: how he got drunk with Calabrian wine, and longed for Sicilian beef, and how John carried him thither in his barge.

CHAP. X. How the esquire, from a foul feeder, grew dainty; how he longed for mangoes, spices, and Indian bird-nests, &c., and could not sleep but in a chintz bed.

CHAP. XI. The esquire turned tradesman; how he set up a china-shop [the Ostend Company] over against Nic. Frog.

As

CHAP. XII. How he procured Spanish flies to blister his neighbours, and as a provocative to himself. likewise how he ravished Nic. Frog's favourite daughter.

CHAP. XIII. How Nic. Frog, hearing the girl squeak, went to call John Bull as a constable; calling of a constable no preventive of a rape.

CHAP. XIV. How John rose out of his bed in a cold morning to prevent a duel between esquire South and lord Strutt; how, to his great surprise, he found the combatants drinking Geneva in a brandyshop, with Nic.'s favourite daughter between them. How they both fell upon John, so that he was forced CHAP. XV. How John came with his constable's staff to fight his way out. to rescue Nic.'s daughter, and break the esquire's chinaware.

CHAP. XVI. Commentary upon the Spanish proverb, Time and I against any two; or advice to dogmatical politicians, exemplified in some new affairs between John Bull and Lewis Baboon.

CHAP. XVII. A discourse of the delightful game of quadrille. How Lewis Baboon attempted to play a game solo in clubs, and was beasted; how John called Lewis for his king, and was afraid that his own partner should have too many tricks; and how the success and skill of quadrille depends upon calling a right king.

THE PRESENT STATE OF WIT.

IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND IN THE COUNTRY. THIS little tract, though published anonymously, has been ascribed to Gay from the initials J. G. having been placed at the conclusion.

From its singular impartiality, and as throwing light on the periodical papers during Oxford's administration, it has been inserted in former editions of Swift's works.

He himself mentions it in the Journal to Stella, 14th May, 1711

The

"Dr. Friend was with me, and pulled out a twopenny pamphlet just published, called The State of Wit,' giving a character of all the papers that have come out of late author seems to be a Whig; yet he speaks very highly of a paper called The Examiner,' and says he supposes the author of it is Dr. Swift. But above all things he praises the Tatlers and Spectators; and I believe Steele and Addison were privy to the printing of it. Thus one is treated by those impudent dogs!"

Westminster, May 3, 1711.

SIR, You acquaint me, in your last, that you are still so busy building at that your friends must not hope to see you in town this year; at the same time you desire me, that you may not be quite at a loss in conversation among the beau monde next winter, to send you an account of the present state of wit in town; which, without further preface, I shall therefore endeavour to perform, and give you the histories and characters of all our periodical papers, whether monthly, weekly, or diurnal, with the same freedom I used to send you our other town news.

I shall only premise that, as you know I never cared one farthing either for Whig or Tory, so I shall consider our writers purely as they are such, without any respect to which party they may belong.

Dr. Kinga has for some time laid down his "Monthly Philosophical Transactions," which, the title-page informed us, at first, were only "to be continued as they sold ;" and though that gentleman has a world of wit, yet, as it lies in one particular way of raillery, the town soon grew weary of his writings; though I cannot but think that their author deserves a much better fate than to languish out the small remainder of his life in the Fleet prison.

About the same time that the doctor left off writing, one Mr. Ozell put out his "Monthly Amusement, which is still continued; and as it is generally some French novel or play indifferently translated, is more or less taken notice of as the original piece is more or less agreeable.

As to our weekly papers, the poor "Review" is quite exhausted, and grown so very contemptible that, though he has provoked all his brothers of the quill round, none of them will enter into controversy with him. This fellow, who had excellent natural parts, but wanted a small foundation of learning, is a lively instance of those wits, who, as an ingenious author says, "will endure but one skimming."

The "Observator" was almost in the same condition; but, since our party struggles have run so high, he is much mended for the better; which is imputed to the charitable assistance of some outlying friends. These two authors might, however, have flourished some time longer had not the controversy been taken up by much abler hands.

The "Examiner" is a paper which all men, who speak without prejudice, allow to be well written. Though his subject will admit of no greater variety, he is continually placing it in so many different lights, and endeavouring to inculcate the same thing by so

a Dr. William King published, in 1709, three parts of a periodical work, entitled, Useful Transactions in Philosophy and other sorts of Learning;" a burlesque satire of considerable merit.

b John Ozell, a voluminous translator.

Conducted by the celebrated Daniel de Foe.

The Observator" was conducted by John Tutchin, from 1702 to 1707, and afterwards by George Redpath, a Scotchman.

many beautiful changes of expression, that men who are concerned in no party may read him with pleasure. His way of assuming the question in debate is extremely artful; and his letter to Crassus is, I think, a masterpiece. As these papers are supposed to have been written by several hands, the critics will tell you that they can discern a difference in their styles and beau ties, and pretend to observe that the first Examiners abound chiefly in wit, the last in humour.

Soon after their first appearance, came out a paper from the other side, called the "Whig Examiner," written with so much fire, and in so excellent a style, as put the Tories in no small pain for their favourite hero. Every one cried Bickerstaff must be the author; and people were the more confirmed in this opinion upon its being so soon laid down, which seemed to show that it was only written to bind the Examiners to their good behaviour, and was never designed to be a weekly paper. The Examiners, therefore, have no one to combat with at present, but their friend the "Medley;" the author of which paper, though he seems to be a man of good sense, and expresses it luckily enough now and then, is, I think, for the most part, perfectly a stranger to fine writing. I presume I need not tell you that the Examiner carries much the more sail, as it is supposed to be written by the direction, and under the eye, of some great persons who sit at the helm of affairs, and is consequently looked on as a sort of public notice which way they are steering us. The reputed author is Dr. Swift, with the assistance sometimes of Dr. Atterbury and Mr. Prior.

The "Medley" is said to be written by Mr. Oldmixon, and supervised by Mr. Maynwaring, who perhaps might entirely write those few papers which are so much better than the rest.

Before I proceed further in the account of our weekly papers, it will be necessary to inform you that, at the beginning of the winter, to the infinite surprise of all men, Mr. Steele flung up his "Tatler;" and, instead of Isaac Bickerstaff, esq., subscribed himself Richard Steele to the last of those papers, after a handsome compliment to the town, for their kind acceptance of his endeavours to divert them. The chief reason he thought fit to give for his leaving off writing was, that having been so long looked on in all public places and companies as the author of those papers, he found that his most intimate friends and acquaintance were in pain to act or speak before him. The town was very far from being satisfied with this reason; and most people judged the true cause to be, either that he was quite spent, and wanted matter to continue his undertaking any longer, or that he laid it down as a sort of submission to, or composition with the government for some past offences; or, lastly, he had a mind to vary his shape, and appear again in some new light.

However that were, his disappearing seemed to be bewailed as some general calamity. Every one wanted so agreeable an amusement; and the coffeehouses began to be sensible that the esquire's lucubrations alone had brought them more customers than all their other newspapers put together.

It must indeed be confessed that never man threw up his pen under stronger temptations to have employed it longer; his reputation was at a greater height than, I believe, ever any living author's was before him. It is reasonable to suppose that his gains were proportionably considerable; every one read him with pleasure and good-will; and the Tories, in respect to his other good qualities, had almost forgiven his unaccountable imprudence in declaring against them. Lastly, it was highly improbable, if he threw off a character, the ideas

a Written by Mr. Addison and Mr. Mainwaring. Only five numbers appeared.

b The "Medley" was chiefly conducted by Oldmixon.

of which were so strongly impressed in every one's mind, however finely he might write in any new form, that he should meet with the same reception.

To give you my own thoughts of this gentleman's writings, I shall in the first place observe, that there is this noble difference between him and all the rest of our polite and gallant authors: the latter have endeavoured to please the age by falling in with them, and encouraging them in their fashionable vices, and false notions of things. It would have been a jest some time since for a man to have asserted that anything witty could be said in praise of a married state; or that devotion and virtue were any way necessary to the character of a fine gentleman. Bickerstaff ventured to tell the town that they were a parcel of fops, fools, and vain coquettes; but in such a manner as even pleased them, and made them more than half inclined to believe that he spoke truth.

Instead of complying with the false sentiments, or vicious tastes of the age, either in morality, criticism, or good-breeding, he has boldly assured them, that they were altogether in the wrong, and commanded them, with an authority which perfectly well became him, to surrender themselves to his arguments for virtue and good sense.

It is incredible to conceive the effect his writings have had on the town; how many thousand follies they have either quite banished, or given a very great check to how much countenance they have added to virtue and religion; how many people they have rendered happy by showing them it was their own fault if they were not so; and, lastly, how entirely they have convinced our fops and young fellows of the value and advantages of learning.

He has, indeed, rescued it out of the hands of pedants and fools, and discovered the true method of making it amiable and lovely to all mankind. In the dress he gives it, it is a most welcome guest at teatables and assemblies, and it is relished and caressed by the merchants on the 'Change; accordingly, there is not a lady at court, nor a banker in Lombard-street, who is not verily persuaded that Captain Steele is the greatest scholar and best casuist of any man in England.

Lastly, his writings have set all our wits and men of letters upon a new way of thinking, of which they had little or no notion before; and though we cannot yet say that any of them have come up to the beauties of the original, I think we may venture to affirm, that every one of them writes and thinks much more justly than they did some time since.

The vast variety of subjects which he has treated of in so different a manner, and yet all so perfectly well, made the world believe that it was impossible they should all come from the same hand. This set every one upon guessing who was the squire's friend; and most people at first fancied it must be Dr. Swift; but it is now no longer a secret, that his only great and constant assistant was Mr. Addison.

This is that excellent friend to whom Mr. Steele owes so much, and who refuses to have his name set before those pieces which the greatest pens in England would be proud to own. Indeed, they would hardly add to this gentleman's reputation, whose works in Latin and English poetry, long since convinced the world that he was the greatest master in Europe of those two languages.

I am assured from good hands, that all the visions, and other tracts in that way of writing, with a very great number of the most exquisite pieces of wit and raillery throughout the "Lucubrations," are entirely of this gentleman's composing; which may, in some measure, account for that different genius which appears in the winter papers from those of the summer, at

VOL. II.

which time, as the "Examiner" often hinted, this friend of Mr. Steele was in Ireland.

Mr. Steele confesses, in his last volume of the "Tatler," that he is obliged to Dr. Swift for his "Town Shower," and his "Description of the Morning;" with some other hints received from him in private conversation.

I have also heard that several of those letters which came as from unknown hands were written by Mr. Henley; which is an answer to your query, who those friends are whom Mr. Steele speaks of in his last "Tatler."

But to proceed with my account of our other papers. The expiration of Bickerstaff's "Lucubrations" was attended with much the same consequences as the death of Melibaus's ox in Virgil; as the latter engendered swarms of bees, the former immediately produced whole swarms of little satirical scribblers.

One of these authors called himself the "Growler;" and assured us that, to make amends for Mr. Steele's silence, he was resolved to growl at us weekly, as long as we should think fit to give him any encouragement. Another gentleman, with more modesty, called his paper the " Whisperer." And a third, to please the ladies, christened his the “Tell-tale.” At the same time came out several "Tatlers;" each of which, with equal truth and wit, assured us that he was the genuine Isaac Bickerstaff.b

It may be observed that, when the squire laid down his pen, though he could not but foresee that several scribblers would soon snatch it up, which he might, one would think, easily have prevented, he scorned to take any further care about it, but left the field fairly open to any worthy successor. Immediately some of our wits were for forming themselves into a club, headed by one Mr. Harrison, and trying how they could shoot in this bow of Ulysses: but soon found that this sort of writing requires so fine and particular a manner of thinking, with so exact a knowledge of the world, as must make them utterly despair of

success.

They seemed, indeed, at first to think that, what was only the garnish of the former " Tatlers," was that which recommended them, and not those substantial entertainments which they everywhere abound in.

Accordingly they were continually talking of their maid, nightcap, spectacles, and Charles Lillie. However, there were now and then some faint endeavours at humour, and sparks of wit: which the town, for want of better entertainment, was content to hunt after through a heap of impertinences; but even those are at present become wholly invisible, and quite swallowed up in the blaze of the "Spectator."

You may remember I told you before, that one cause assigned for the laying down the "Tatler" was want of matter; and, indeed, this was the prevailing opinion in town, when we were surprised all at once by a paper called the "Spectator," which was promised to be continued every day, and was written in so excellent a style, with so nice a judgment, and such a noble profusion of wit and humour, that it was not difficult to determine it could come from no other hands but those which had penned the "Lucubrations."

66

This immediately alarmed these gentlemen; who (as it is said Mr. Steele phrases it) had the "censorship in commission." They found the new Spectator" come on like a torrent, and swept away all before him; they despaired ever to equal him in wit, humour, or learn

a Anthony, son of sir Robert Henley, of the Grange, distinguished himself by an early taste for polite learning, and an intimate acquaintance with the ancient poets.

b" Upon Steele's leaving off, there were two or three "Tatlers" came out; and one of them holds on still, and to-day it advertised against Harrison's; and so there must be disputes which are genuine, like the straps for razors."-Journal to Stella January, 13, 1710-11. 2 D