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While I was in these thoughts, I unluckily called to mind a story of an ingenious Gentleman of the laft age, who lying violently afflicted with the gout, a perfon came and offered his fervice to cure him by a method, which he affured him was infallible; the fervant who received the meffage carried it up to his master, who inquiring 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 bufinefs; was his method as infallible as he pretends, he would long before now have been in his coach and fix. 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 publifh 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 leannefs: What effects it inay have upon those who have tried 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 so good an inftance of the fuccefs 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 fhare in it than Virgil's lapis in the curing of Eneas; he tried his fkill, was very affiduous about the wound, and indeed was the only visible means that relieved the hero; but the poet affures us it was the particular affiftance of a Deity that fpeeded the operation. An Englife reader may fee the whole ftory in Mr. Dryden's tranf,

lation.

Prop'd

Prop'd on his lance the penfive hero ftood, And beard, and faw unmov'd, the mourning croud. 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 foliciting the dart, And exercifes all his heavenly art. All foftning fimples, known of fov'reign use, He preffes out, and pours their noble juice; Thefe first infus'd, to lenify the pain, He tugs with pincers, but he tugs in vain. Then to the pattern of his art he pray'd; The patron of his art refufs'd his aid.

But now the Goddefs-mother, mov'd with grief,
And pierc'd with pity, baftens her relief.
A branch of healing Dittany be brought;
Which in the Cretan fields with care he fought;
Rough is the ftem, 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 cafe the grief.
This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd; and

brews

Th' extracted liquor with Ambrofian dews,
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, prepar'd to bathe the wound.

The Leech, unknowing of fuperior art,

part; }

Which aids the cure, with this foments the part;
And in a moment ceas'd the raging fmart.
Stanch'd is the blood, and in the bottom ftands
The fteel, but fcarcely touch'd with tender hands,
Moves up, and follows of its own accord;
And health and vigour are at once restor❜d.
Tapis firft perceiv'd the clofing wound;
And firft the footsteps of a God be found :
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Arms,

Arms, arms! he cries: The fword and fhield pre

pare,

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.

N° 573.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 28.

Caftigata remordent.

Juv. Sat. ii. ver. 35.

Chaftifed, the accufation they retort..

MY paper on the club of Widows has brought

me in feveral letters; and, among the reft,, a long one from Mrs. Prefident, as follows.

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Smart SIR,

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U are pleafed to be very merry, as you ima gine, with us widows: And you seem to ground your fatire on our receiving confolation fo foon after the death of our dears, and the number we are pleafed to admit for our compani 6 ons; but you never reflect what husbands we have buried, and how fhort a forrow the lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own part, Mrs. Prefident, as you call me, my first husband I was married to at fourteen, by my uncle and guardian, (as I afterwards difcovered) by way of fale, for the third part of my fortune. This fellow looked upon me as a mere child, he might breed up after, his own fancy; if he kiffed my chambermaid 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, it was the custom of all men

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that live in the world. I was not to fee a penny • of money, tor, poor thing, how could I manage it? He took a handsome coufin of his into the house (as he faid) to be my houfe-keeper, and to • govern my fervants; for how thould I know how to rule a family? And while fhe had what money fhe pleafed, which was but reasonable for the • trouble fhe was at for my good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to diflike familiarity and • kindnefs between near relations. I was too great a coward to contend, but not so ignorant a child to be thus impofed upon. I refented his contempt as I ought to do, and as moft poor paffive • blinded wives de, till it pleafed heaven to take away my tyrant, who left me free poffeffion of 6 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 laft fickness; 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 6. penny what I was worth. Mr. Waitført 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 esteem and love is all taken up, and by fuch an object, as 'tis impoffible to get the bet· ter of. I mean himself. He made no doubt of marrying me within four or five months, and began to proceed with fuch an affured eafy air, • that piqued my pride not to banish him; quite contrary, out of pure malice, I heard his first declaration with fo much innocent surprise, and blushed so prettily, I perceived it touched his very heart, and he thought me the beft-natured filly poor thing on earth. When a man has fuch a notion of a woman, he loves her better than he think he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him, for defigning on my fortune;

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⚫ and finding it was in my power to make his hearti ache, I refolved tocomplete my conquefts, and entertained feveral other pretenders. The first impreffion of my undefigning innocence was fo ftrong in his head, he attributed all my followers to the inevitable force of my charms; and from feveral blushes and fide-glances, concluded himfelf the favourite; and when I ufed him like a dog for my diverfion, he thought it was all prudence and fear, and pitied the violence I did: my own inclinations to comply with my friends,. when I married Sir Nicholas Fribble of fixty years of age. You know, Sir, the cafe of Mrs. Medlar, I hope you would not have had me cry out my eyes for fuch a husband. I fhed tears enough : for my widowhood a week after my marriage, and when he was put in his grave, reckoning he had been two years dead, and myself a widow of that ftanding, I married three weeks afterwards John Sturdy, Efq; his next air. I had indeed: fome thoughts of taking Mr. Waitfort, but I found he could ftay, and befides he thought it. indecent to ask me to marry again, till my year was out; fo privately refolving him for my fourth, I took Mr. Sturdy for the prefent. Would you believe, Sir, Mr. Sturdy was juft five and twenty, • about fix feet high, and the ftouteft fox hunter • in the country, and I believe I wished ten thou. fand times for my old Fribble again; he was fol. lowing his dogs all the day, and all the night keeping them up at table with him and his com panions; however I think myself obliged to them for leading him a chace in which he broke his neck. Mr. Waitfort began his addreffes anew, and I verily believe I had married him now, but there was a young officer in the guards that had ' debauched two or three of my acquaintance, and I could not forbear being a little vain of his courtfhip. Mr. Waitfort heard of it, and read me

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