countenance by proper parts for Dogget. Johnson, by acting Corbacchio the other night, must have given all who faw him a thorough deteftation of aged avarice. The petulancy of a peevish old fellow, who loves and hates he knows not why, is very excellently performed by the ingenious Mr. William Penkethman in The Fop's Fortune; where, in the character of Don Cholerick Snap Shorto de Tefty, he answers no queftions but to thofe whom he likes, and wants no account of any thing from thofe he ap. proves. Mr. Penkethman is alfo m ster of as many faces in the dumb-fcene as can be expected from a man in the circumstances of being ready to perish out of fear and hunger: he wonders throughout the whole fcene very matterly, without neglecting his victuals. If it be, as I have heard it fometimes mentioned, a great qualification for the world to follow bufinefs and pleasure too, what is it in the ingenious Mr. Penkethman to reprefent a fenfe of pleafure and pain at the fame time; as you may fee him do this evening?

ma

As it is certain that a ftage ought to be wholly fuppreffed, or judiciously encouraged, while there is one in the nation, men turned for regular pleasure cannot employ their thoughts more ufefully, for the diversion of mankind,

than by convincing them that it is in themselves to rajfe this entertainment to the greatest height. It would be a great improvement, as well as embellishment to the theatre, if dancing were more regarded, and taught to all the actors, One who has the advantage of fuch an agreeable girlish person as Mrs. Bicknell, joined with her capacity of imitation, could in proper gefture and motion reprefent all the decent characters of female life. An amiable modefty in one afpect of a dancer, and affumed confidence in another, a fudden joy in another, a falling off with an impatience of being beheld, a return towards the audience with an unfteady refolution to approach them, and a wellacted folicitude to pleafe, would revive in the company all the fine touches of mind raised in obferving all the objects of affection or paffion they had before beheld. Such elegant entertainments as thefe would polish the town into judg ment in their gratifications; and delicacy in pleafure is the first step people of condition take in reformation from vice. Mrs. Bicknell has the only capacity for this fort of dancing of any on the ftage; and I dare fay all who fee her performance to-morrow night, when fure the romp will do her best for her own benefit, will be of my mind.

Juv. SAT. x. v. 28.

with nor any afty that kind of diver invented any particular kind of diverfion for the entertainment of themselves or their friends. My letter fhall fingle out those who take delight in forting a company that has fomething of burlefque and ridicule in it's appearance. I fhall make myself understood by the following example. One of the wits of the laft age, who was a man of a good eftate, thought he never laid out his money better than in a jeft. As he was one year at the Bath, obferving that in the great confluence of fine people, there were feveral among them with long chins, a part of the vifage by

which

which he himself was very much dif tinguished, he invited to dinner half a fcore of thefe remarkable perfons who had their mouths in the middle of their faces. They had no fooner placed themfelves about the table, but they began to ftare upon one another, not being able to imagine what had brought them together. Our English proverb fays

'Tis merry in the hall,
When beards wag all.

It proved fo in the affembly I am now fpeaking of, who feeing fo many peaks of faces agitated with eating, drinking, and difcourfe, and obferving all the chins that were prefent meeting together very often over the centre of the table, every one grew fenfible of the jest, and came into it with fo much goodLumour, that they lived in strict friendfhip and alliance from that day forward.

The fame gentleman fome time after packed together a fet of Oglers, as he called them, confifting of fuch as had an unlucky caft in their eyes. His diverfion on this occafion was to see the crofs bows, miftaken figns, and wrong connivances that paffed amidit fo many broken and refracted rays of fight.

The third feat which this merry gentleman exhibited was to the Stammerers, whom he got together in a fufficient body to fill his table. He had ordered one of his fervants, who was placed behind a fcreen, to write down their table-talk, which was very eafy to be done without the help of shorthand. It appears by the notes which were taken, that though their converfation never fell, there were not above twenty words fpoken during the first courfes that upon ferving up the fecond, one of the company was a quarter of an hour in telling them, that the ducklings and asparagus were very good, and that another took up the fame time in declaring himself of the fame opiThis jeft did not, however, go off to well as the former; for one of the guests being a brave man, and fuller of refentment than he knew how to exprefs, went out of the room, and fent the facetious inviter a challenge in writing, which, though it was afterwards dropped by the interpolition of friends, put a stop to these lud crous

nion.

entertainments.

Now, Sh, I dare fay you will agree

with me, that as there is no moral in thefe jets, they ought to be difcouraged, and looked upon rather as pieces of unluckinefs than wit. However, as it is natural for one man to refine upon the thought of another, and impoffible for any fingle perfon, how great foever his parts may be, to invent an art, and bring it to it's utmost perfection; I fhall here give you an account of an honest gentleman of my acquaintance, who, upon healing the character of the wit above mentioned, has himfelf affumed it, and endeavoured to convert it to the benefit of mankind. He invited half a dozen of his friends one day to dinner, who were each of them famous for inferting feveral redundant phrafes in their difcourfe, as, D'ye hear me, D'ye fee,

That is, And fo, Sir. Each of the guests making frequent ufe of his par ticular elegance, appeared fo ridiculous to his neighbour, that he could not but reflect upon himfelf as appearing equally ridiculous to the rest of the company: by this means, before they had fat long together, every one talking with the greatest circumfpection, and carefully avoiding his favourite expletive, the converfation was cleared of it's redundancies, and had a greater quantity of fenfe, though lefs of found in it.

The fame well-meaning gentleman took occafion at another time to bring together such of his friends as were addicted to a foolish habitual cuftom of fwearing. In order to fhew them the abfurdity of the practice, he had recourfe to the invention above-mentioned, having placed an amanuenfis in a private part of the room. After the fecond bottle, when men open their minds without referve, my honeft friend began to take notice of the many fonorous but unneceflary words that had passed in his houfe fince their fitting down at table, and how much good converfation they had lott by giving way to fuch fuperfluous phrates. What a tax,' fays he, would they have raifed for the

poor, had we put the laws in exccution upon one another? Every one of them took this gentie reproof in good part. Upon which he told them, that knowing their converfation would have no fecrets in it, he had ordered it to be taken down in writing, and for the bumour fake would read it to them, if they pleated. There were ten fheets of it, which might have been reduced to

two,

two, had there not been those abominable interpolations I have before men' tioned. Upon the reading of it in cold blood, it looked rather like a conference of fiends than of men. In fhort, every one trembled at himself upon hearing calmly what he had pronounced amidit the heat and inadvertency of difcourfe. I fhall only mention other occafion wherein he made ufe or the fame invention to cure a different kind of men, who are the pefts of all polite converfa. tion, and murder time as much as either of the two former, though they do it more innocently; I mean that dull generation of story-tellers. My friend got together about half a dozen of his acquaintance, who were infected with this frange malady. The first day one of them, fitting down, entered upon the hege of Namur, which lasted until four

of the clock, their time of parting. The fecond day a North-Briton took poffeffion of the difcourfe, which it was impoffible to get out of his hands fo long as the company staid together. The third day was engroffed after the fame manner by a story of the fame length. They at laft began to reflect upon this barbarous way of treating one another, and by this means awakened out of that lethargy with which each of them had been feized for several years.

As you have fomewhere declared, that extraordinary and uncommon characters of mankind are the game which you delight in, and as I look upon you to be the greatest sportsinan, or, if you pleafe, the Nimrod among this fpecies of writers, I thought this difcovery would not be unacceptable to you.

I am, Sir, &c.

OVID. MET. I. V. 759.

MR. SPECTATOR,

MAY 6, 1712. Am fexton of the parish of Covent Garden, and complained to you fome time ago, that as I was tolling into prayers at eleven in the morning, crowds of people of quality hastened to assemble at a puppet-show on the other fide of the garden. I had at the fame time a very great difefteem for Mr. Powell, and his little thoughtless commonwealth, as if they had enticed the gentry into thofe wanderings: but let that be as it will, I am now convinced of the honest intentions of the faid Mr. Powell and company; and fend this to acquaint you, that he has given all the profits which arife to-morrow night by his play to the ufe of the poor charity-children of this parish. I have been informed, Sir, that in Holland all perfons who fet up any how, or act any ftage-play, be they actors, either of wood and wire, or feh and blood, are obliged to pay out of their gain fuch a proportion to the honeft and induftrious poor in the neighbourhood: by this means they make diverfion and pleasure pay a tax to la

DRYDEN.

bour and induftry. I have been told alfo, that all the time of Lent, in Roman Catholic countries, the perfons of condition adminiftered to the neceffities of the poor, and attended the beds of lazars and diseased persons. Our Pro teftant ladies and gentlemen are fo much to feek for proper ways of paffing time, that they are obliged to Punchinello for knowing what to do with themfelves. Since the cafe is fo, I defire only you would entreat our people of quality, who are not to be interrupted in their plea fure, to think of the practice of any moral duty, that they would at least fine for their fins, and give fomething to thefe poor children; a little out of their luxury and fuperfluity would atone, in fome meafure, for the wanton ufe of the rest of their fortunes. It would not, methinks, be amifs, if the ladies, who haunt the cloifters and paffages of the playhoufe, were upon every offence obliged to pay to this excellent inftitution of fchools of charity: this method would make offenders themfelves do fervice to the public. But in the mean

SC

time

time I defire you would publish this voluntary reparation which Mr. Powell does our parish, for the noise he has made in it by the conftant rattling of coaches, drums, trumpets, triumphs, and battles. The deftruction of Troy adorned with highland dances, are to

make up the entertainment of all who are fo well difpofed as not to forbear a light entertainment, for no other reason but that it is to do a good action. I am, Sir, your most humble fervant, RALPH BELLFRY.

I am crédibly informed, that all the infinuations, which a certain writer made against Mr. Powell at the Bath, are falfe and groundless.

MR. SPECTATOR,

MY employment, which is that of a broker, leading me often into taverns about the Exchange, has given

me occafion to obferve a certain enormity, which I fhall here fubmit to your animadverfion. In three or four of thefe taverns, I have, at different times, taken notice of a precise set of people with grave countenances, fhort wigs, black cloaths, or dark camblet trimmed with black, and mourning gloves and hatbands, who meet on certain days at each tavern fucceffively, and keep a fort of moving club. Having often met with their faces, and obferved a certain flinking way in their dropping in one after another, I had the curiofity to enquire into their characters, being the rather moved to it by their agreeing in the fingularity of their drefs; and I find upon due examination they are a knot of parifh-clerks, who have taken a fancy to one another, and perhaps fettle the bills of mortality over their half-pints. I have fo great a value and veneration for any who have but even an affenting Amen in the fervice of religion, that I am afraid left thefe perfons should incur fome fcandal by this practice; and would therefore, without raillery, advife them to fend the Florence and pullets home to their own houses, and not

I

Was laft Wednesday night at a tavern in the city, among a fet of men who call themselves the Lawyers Club. You must know, Sir, this club confifts only of attornies; and at this meeting every one proposes the cause he has then in hand to the board, upon which each member gives his judgment according to the experience he has met with. If it happens that any one puts a cafe of which they have had no precedent, it is noted down by the clerk Will Goofequill, (who regifters all their proceedings) that one of them may go the next day with it to a counfel. This indeed is commendable, and ought to be the principal end of their meeting; but had

you been there to have heard them relate their methods of managing a caufe, their manner of drawing out their bills, and, in fhort, their arguments upon the feveral ways of abufing their clients, with the applaufe that is given to him who has done it most artfully, you would before now have given your re, marks on them. They are so confcious that their difcourfes ought to be kept a fecret, that they are very cautious of admitting any person who is not of their profeffion. When any who are not of the law are let in, the perfon who introduces him, fays, he is a very honest gentleman, and he is taken in, as their cant is, to pay cofts. I am admitted upon the recommendation of one of their principals, as a very honest, good.

natured fellow,' that will never be in a plot, and only defires to drink his bottle and fmoak his pipe. You have formerly remarked upon feveral forts of clubs; and as the tendency of this is only to increase fraud and deceit, I hope you will please to take notice of it. I am (with refpect) your humble fervant, T

H. R.

N° CCCLXXIII,