tues of their medicines. One of thefe gentlemen indeed pretends to an effectual cure for leannefs; what effects it may have had 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 distemper. Could each of them produce fo good an inftance of the fuccefs of his medicines, they might foon perfuade the world into an opinion of them.

I OBSERVE that moft of the bills agree in one expref fion, 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 Iapis 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 speeded the operation. An English reader may fee the whole story in Mr Dryden's tranflation.

Prop'd on his lance the penfive hero stood,

And heard, 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 heav'nly art.

All foftning fimples, known of fov'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 mather, 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 fhe 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 freel, and eafe the grief.

This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd; and brews
Th' extracted liquor with Ambrosian dews,
And od'rous Panacee: unfeen fhe ftands,
Temp'ring the mixture with her heav'nly hands:
And pours it in a bowl already crown'd

[wound.! With juice of med'cinal herbs, prepar'd to bath the 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 ftands:
The fteel, but fecarcely touch'd with tender hands,
Moves up, and follows of its own accord;
And health and vigour are at once reftor'd.
lapis first perceiv'd the clofing wound;
And firft the footsteps of a god he found:

}

Arms, arms! he cries, the fword and shield prepares
And fend the willing chief, renew'd to war.
This is no mortal work, ne cure of mine,
Nor art's effect, but done by hands divine.

Wednesday, July 28

No 573.

-------Caftigata remordent.

Juv. fat. 2. v. 35.

Chaftifed, the accufation they retort.

Y paper on the club of widows has brought me in a feveral letters; and, among the reft, a long one

MY

from Mrs Prefident, as follows.

• Smart SIR,'

OU are pleafed to be very merry, as you imagine,

Yout
Y with us widews: and you feem to ground your

'fatire on our receiving confolation fo foon after the death of our dears, and the number we are pleased to admit for our companions; but you never reflect what husbands we have buried, and how short a ferrow the • lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own part, Mrs Prefident, as you call me, my first hufband was married to at fourteen, by my uncle and guardian,.

(as

་

(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 cuftom 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 house (as he faid) to be my 'housekeeper, and to govern my fervants; for how 'fhould I know how to rule a family? and while she ' had what money the pleafed, which was but reasonable for the trouble fhe was at for my good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to dislike familiarity and kindness between near relations. I was too great a coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a child as to be thus impofed upon. I refented his contempt as I ought to do, and as ' most poor paffive blinded wives do, till it pleafed 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 hufband was in his laft ficknefs; the honourable Edward Waitfort was one of the first who addreffed to me, advifed 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 esteem and love is all taken up, and by fuch an object as it is impoffible to get the better 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 firft declaration with fo much innocent furprise, and blushed fo prettily, I perceived it touched his very heart, and he thought me the best-natured filly poor thing on earth. • When a man has fuch a notion of a woman, he loves her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him, for defigning on my fortune; and finding it was in my power to make his heart ake,

I refolved to complete my conqueft, and entertained fe• veral 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 himself the favourite; and when I used 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 myfelf a widow of that ftanding, I married three weeks afterwards John Sturdy, Efq; his next heir. 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 it, Sir, Mr Sturdy was just five and twenty,

about fix feet high, and the stoutest fox-hunter in the country, and I believe I wished ten thoufand times for my old Fribble again; he was following his dogs all the day, and all the night keeping them up at table with him and his companions; however I think myfelf obliged to them for leading him a chafe 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 courtship. Mr Waitfort heard of it, and read me such an infolent lecture upon the conduct of women, I married the officer that very day, out of pure fpite to him. Half an hour after I was married, I received a penitential letter from the honourable "Mr Edward Waitfort, in which he begged pardon for his paffion, as proceeding from the violence of his love: I triumphed when I read it, and could not help, out of the pride of my heart, fhewing it to my new fpoufe; and we were very merry together upon it. Alas! my

• mirth lafted a short time: my young husband was very • much in debt when I married him, and his firft action af terwards was to fet up a gilt chariot and fix, in fine trappings before and behind. I had married so hastily, I had ⚫ not the prudence to reserve my estate in my own hand; 'my ready money was loft in two nights at the groomporter's; and my diamond necklace, which was stole I did not know how, I met in the street upon Jenny Wheadle's neck. My plate vanished piece by piece, and I had been reduced to downright pewter, if my officer had not been deliciously killed in a duel, by a fellow that had cheated him of five hundred pounds, and afterwards, at his own request, satisfied him and me too, by running him through the body. Mr Waitfort was still in love, and told me fo again; and to prevent all fears of ill ufage, he defired me to reserve every thing in my "own hands: but now my acquaintance began to wish me 'joy of his conftancy, my charms were declining, and 1 could not refift the delight I took in fhewing the young flirts about town, it was yet in my power to give pain to a man of fenfe: this, and fome private hopes he would hang himself, and what a glory would it be for me, and how I fhould be envied, made me accept of being third wife to my Lord Friday. I propofed from my rank and his eftate, to live in all the joys of pride,. but how was I mistaken? he was neither extravagant, nor ill-natured, nor debauched; I fuffered however more with him than with all my others. He was splenetic. I was forced to fit whole days hearkening to his imaginary ails; it was impoffible to tell what would pleafe him; what he liked when the fun fhined, made him fick when it rained; he had no diftemper, but lived in conftant fear of them all: my good genius dictated to me to bring him acquainted with Dr Gruel; from thất : day he was always contented, because he had names for: ⚫ all his complaints; the good.doctor furnished him with • reasons for all his pains, and prescriptions for every fancy that troubled him; in hot weather he lived upon juleps, and let blood to prevent fevers; when it grew cloudy he generally apprehended a confumption; to fhorten the hiftory of this wretched part of my life, he ruined a good conftitution by endeavouring to mend it, and took feve

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