Life in the one, and of Money in the other, creates a good Correfpondence between them.

THERE is fcarce City in Great-Britain but has one of this Tribe, who takes it into his Protection, and on the Market-Day harangues the good People of the Place with Aphorifms and Receipts. You may de pend upon it, he comes not there for his own private Intereft, but out of a particular Affection to the Town. I remember one of thefe Publick-fpirited Artifts at Hammersmith, who told his Audience That he had been born and bred there, and that having a special Regard for the Place of his Nativity, he was determined to make a Present of Five Shillings to as many as would accept of it.' The whole Crowd ftood agape, and ready to take the Doctor at his Word; when putting his Hand into a long Bag, as every one was expecting his Crown-Piece, he drew out an Handful of little Packets, each of which he informed the Spectators was conftantly fold at Five Shillings and Six Pence, but that he would bate the odd Five Shillings to every Inhabitant of that Place: The whole Affembly immediately clofed with this generous Offer, and took off all his Phyfick, after the Doctor had made them vouch for one another, that there were no Foreigners among them, but that they were all Hammersmith Men.

THERE is another Branch of Pretenders to this Art, who, without either Horfe or Pickle-Herring, lie fnug in a Garret, and fend down Notice to the World of their extraordinary Parts and Abilities by printed Bills and Advertisements. These feem to have derived their Custom from an Eastern Nation which Herodotus fpeaks of, among whom it was a Law, that whenever any Cure was performed, both the Method of the Cure, and an Account of the Distemper, fhould be fixed in fome Publick Place; but as Cuftoms will corrupt, these our Moderns provide themselves of Perfons to atteft the Cure, before they publish or make an Experiment of the Prescription. I have heard of a Porter, who ferves as a Knight of the Poft under one of these Operators, and tho' he was never fick in his Life, has been cured of all the Diseases in the Difpenfary. These

are

are the Men whofe Sagacity has invented Elixirs of all forts, Pills and Lozenges, and take it as an Affront if you come to them before you are given over by every Body elfe. Their Medicines are infallible, and never fail of Succefs, that is of enriching the Doctor, and fetting the Patient effectually at Reft.

I lately dropt into a Coffee-house at Westminster, where I found the Room hung round with Ornaments of this Nature. There were Elixirs, Tinctures, the Anodyne Fotus, English Pills, Electuaries, and, in fhort, more Remedies than I believe there are Diseases. At the Sight of fo many Inventions, I could not but imagine my self in a kind of Arsenal or Magazine, where ftore of Arms was repofited against any fudden Invafion. Should you be attack'd by the Enemy fide-ways, here was an infallible Piece of defenfive Armour to cure the Pleurify: Should a Diftemper beat up your Head Quarters, here you might purchase an impenetrable Helmet, or, in the Language of the Artist, a Cephalic Tincture: If your main Body be affaulted, here are various Kinds of Armour in cafe of various Onfets. I began to congratulate the prefent Age upon the Happiness Men might reasonably hope for in Life, when Death was thus in a manner defeated; and when Pain it felf would be of fo fhort a Duration, that it would but juft ferve to enhance the Value of Pleasure While I was in thefe Thoughts, I unluckily called to mind a Story of an ingenious Gentleman of the last Age, who lying violently afflicted with the Gout, a Perfon came and offered his Service to cure him by a Method, which he affured him was infallible; the Servant who received the Meffage carried it up to his Mafter, who enquiring whether the Perfon came on Foot or in a Chariot; and being informed that he was on Foot Go, fays he, fend the Knave about his Business: Was his Method as infallible as he pretends, he would long before now have been in his Coach and Six. In like manner I concluded, that had all these Advertisers arrived to that Skill they pretend to, they would have had no Need for fo many Years fucceffively to publish to the World the Place of their Abode, and the Virtues of

:

their Medicines. One of these Gentlemen indeed pretends to an effectual Cure for Leanness: What Effects it may have had upon those who have try'd it I cannot tell; but I am credibly informed, that the Call for it has been fo great, that it has effectually cured the Doctor himself of that Diftemper. Could each of them produce fo good an Inftance of the Succefs of his Medicines, they might foon perfuade the World into an Opinion of them.

I obferve that most of the Bills agree in one Expreffion, viz. that (with God's Bleffing) they perform fuch and fuch Cures: This Expreffion is certainly very proper and emphatical, for that is all they have for it. And if ever a Cure is performed on a Patient where they are concerned, they can claim no greater Share in it than Virgil's lapis in the curing of Eneas; he tried his Skill, was very affiduous about the Wound, and indeed was the only visible Means that relieved the Heroe; but the Poet affures us it was the particular Affiftance of a Deity that speeded the Operation. An English Reader may fee the whole Story in Mr. Dryden's Tranflation.

Prop'd on his Lance the penfive Heroe food,
And heard, and farw unmov'd, the Morning Crowd.
The fam'd Phyfician tucks his Robes around,
With ready Hands, and haftens to the Wound.
With gentle Touches he performs his Part,
This Way and that, folliciting the Dart,
And exercises all his Heav'nly Art.
All foftning Simples, known of Sov'reign Ufe,
He preffes out, and pours their noble Juice;
Thefe firft infus'd, to lenify the Pain,
He tugs with Pincers, but he tugs in vain.
Then to the Patron of his Art he pray'd;
The Patron of his Art refus'd his Aid.

But now the Goddess Mother, mov'd with Grief,
And pierc'd with Pity, haftens her Relief.
A Branch of Healing Dittany he brought;
Which in the Cretan Fields with Care She fought;

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}

Rough

Rough is the Stem, which woolly Leaves furround;
The Leaves with Flow'rs, the Flow'rs with Purple crown'd;
Well known to wounded Goats; a fure Relief

To draw the pointed Steel, and ease the Grief.
This Venus brings, in Clouds involv'd; and brews
Th' extracted Liquor with Ambrofian Ders,
And odrous Panacee: Unfeen fhe ftands,

Temp'ring the Mixture with her Heav'nly Hands:
And pours it in a Bowl already crown'd

With Juice of medicinal Herbs, prepared to bathe the
Wound.

The Leech, unknowing of fuperior Art,

Which aids the Cure, with this foments the Part;
And in a Moment ceas'd the raging Smart.
Stanch'd is the Blood, and in the bottom flands:
The Steel, but fcarcely touch'd with tender Hands,
Moves up, and follows of its own Accord;
And Health and Vigour are at once reftor'd.
Tapis firft perceiv'd the clofing Wound;
And firft the Footsteps of a God he found:

Arms, Arms! he cries: the Sword and Shield prepare,
And fend the willing Chief, renew'd to War.
This is no mortal Work, no Cure of mine,
Nor Art's Effect, but done by Hands Divine.

comer

Wednesday, July 28.

N° 573.

Caftigata remordent.

Juv.

}

M

Y Paper on the Club of Widows has brought me in feveral Letters; and, among the reft, a long one from Mrs. Prefident, as follows:

Smart S1R,

Y OU are pleased to be very merry, as you ima

gine, with us Widows: And you feem to ground your Satyr on our receiving Confolation fo

• foon

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73 foon after the Death of our Dears, and the Number we are pleased to admit to our Companions; but you never reflect what Husbands we have buried, and how fhort a Sorrow the Lofs of them was capa⚫ble of occafioning. For my own Part, Mrs. Prefident as you call me, my Firft Husband I was marry'd to at Fourteen, by my Uncle and Guardian (as I afterwards discovered) by way of Sale, for the Third Part of my Fortune. This Fellow looked upon me as a meer Child, he might breed up after his own Fancy; if he kiffed my Chamber-Maid before my Face, I was fuppofed fo ignorant, how could I think there was any Hurt in it? When he came home Roaring • Drunk at five in the Morning, 'twas the Custom of ⚫ all Men that live in the World. I was not to fee a Penny of Money, for, poor Thing, how could I manage it? He took a handfome Coufin of his into the Houfe, (as he faid) to be my Houfe-keeper, and to govern my Servants; for how fhould I know how to rule a Family? and while fhe had what Money fhe pleafed, which was but reasonable for the Trouble The was at for my Good, I was not to be fo cenfo-, rious as to dislike Familiarity and Kindness between near Relations. I was too great a Coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a Child to be thus impofed 6 upon. I refented his Contempt as I ought to do, and as moft poor paffive blinded Wives do, 'till it pleased "Heaven to take away my Tyrant, who left me free Poffeffion of my own Land, and a large Jointure. My Youth and Money brought me many Lovers, and • feveral endeavoured to establish an Intereft in my • Heart while my Husband was in his last Sickness; the Honourable Edward Waitfort was one of the first who addreffed to me, advised to it by a Coufin of his that was my intimate Friend, and knew to a Penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitfort is a very agreeable Man, • and every Body would like him as well as he does himself, if they did not plainly fee that his Efteem and Love is all taken up, and by fuch an Object, as 'tis impoffible to get the better of. I mean himself. He made no doubt of marrying me within Four or Five VOL. VIII. D ⚫ Months,

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