ing in him, when at dinner the other day he made an apology for want of more attendants. He faid, One of my footmen is gone to the wedding of his fifter, and the other I don't expect to wait, becaufe his father died but two days ago.

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No. 138. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8.

Utitur in re non dubia teftibus non neceffariis..

TULL.

He uses unneceffary proofs in an indisputable point.

ON

NE meets now and then with perfons who are extremely learned and knotty in expounding. clear cafes. Tully tells us of an author that spent fome pages to prove that generals could not perform the great enterprises which have made them fo illuftrious, if they had not had men. He afferted alfo, it seems, that a minifter at home, no more than a commander abroad, could do any thing without other men were his inftruments and affiftants. On this occafion he produces the example of Themiftocles, Pericles, Cyrus, and Alexander himself, whom he denies to have been capable of effecting what they did, except they had been followed by others. It is pleasant enough to fee fuch perfons contend without opponents, and triumph without victory.

The author above-mentioned by the orator is placed for ever in a very ridiculous light, and we meet every day in converfation fuch as deferve the fame kind of renown, for troubling those with whom they converfe with the like certainties. The perfons that I have always thought to deferve the highest admiration in this kind, are your ordinary ftory-tellers, who are moft religiously careful of keeping to the truth in every particular circumstance of a narration, whether it concern the main end

or

or not. A gentleman whom I had the honour to be in company with the other day, upon fome occafion that he was pleased to take, said, He remembered a very pretty repartee made by a very witty, man in King Charles's time upon the like occafion.. I remember (faid he, upon entering into the tale) much about the time of Oat's plot, that a coufingerman of mine and I were at the Bear in Holburn: No, I am out, it was at the Cross-Keys; but Jack Thomson was there, for he was very great with the gentleman who made the anfwer. But I am fure it was spoken fomewhere thereabouts, for we drank a bottle in that neighbourhood every evening: But no matter for all that, the thing is the fame; but...

He was going on to fettle the geography of the jeft when I left the room, wondering at this odd turn of head which can play away its words, with uttering nothing to the purpose, still observing its own impertinencies, and yet proceeding in them. I do not queftion but he informed the reft of his audience, who had more patience than I, of the birth and parentage, as well as the collateral alliances of his family, who made the repartee, and of him who provoked him to it.

It is no fmall misfortune to any who have a juft value for their time, when this quality of being fo very circumftantial, and careful to be exact, happens to fhow itself in a man whofe quality obliges them to attend his proofs, that it is now day, and the like. But this is augmented when the fame ge. nius gets into authority, as it often does. Nay, I have known it more than once afcend the very pulpit. One of this fort taking it in his head to be a great admirer of Dr Tillotson and Dr Beveridge, never failed of proving out of thefe great authors things which no man living would have denied him upon his own fingle authority. One day refolving to come to the point in hand, he faid, According to that excellent divine, I will enter upon the matter,

or

or in his words, in the fifteenth fermon of the Folio edition, page 160.

I fhall briefly explain the words, and then confider the matter contained in them.

This honeft gentleman needed not, one would think, ftrain his modefty fo far as to alter his defign of entering upon the matter, to that of briefly explaining. But fo it was, that he would not even be contented with that authority, but added alfo the other divine to ftrengthen his method, and told us, With the pious and learned Dr Beveridge, page 4th of his 9th volume, I fhall endeavour to make it as plain as I can from the words which I have now read, wherein for that purpose we shall confite This wifeacre was reckoned by the parish, who did not understand him, a moft excellent preacher; but that he read too much, and was fo humble that he did not truft enough to his own parts.

Next to thefe ingenious gentlemen, who argue for what no body can deny them, are to be ranked a fort of people who do not indeed attempt to prove infignificant things, but are ever labouring to raise arguments with you about matters you will give up to them without the leaft controverfy. One of thefe people told a gentleman who faid he faw Mr Such-a-one go this morning at nine o'clock towards the Gravel-pits; Sir, I muft beg your pardon for that, for tho' I am very loth to have any dispute with you, yet I must take the liberty to tell you it was nine when I faw him at St James's. When men of this genius are pretty far gone in learning, they will put you to prove that fnow is white, and when you are upon that topic can say, that there is really no fuch thing as colour in nature: In a word, they can turn what little knowledge they have into a ready capacity of raifing doubts; into a capacity of being always frivolous and always unanswerable. It was of two difputants VOL. II.

X

of

of this impertinent and laborious kind that the Cynic faid, One of thefe fellows is milking a ram, and the other holds the pail.

ADVERTISEMENT.

"THE exercise of the fnuff-box, according to the "most fashionable airs and motions, in oppofition to "the exercise of the fan, will be taught with the "best plain or perfumed fnuff, at Charles Lillie's, "perfumer at the corner of Beaufort-buildings in "the Strand, and attendance given, for the benefit "of the young merchants about the Exchange, for "two hours every day at noon, except Saturdays, "at a toy-fhop near Garrawy's coffeehoufe. There "will be likewife taught The ceremony of the fnuff"box, or rules for offering fnuff to a ftranger, a "friend, or a mistress, according to the degrees of "familiarity or diftance; with an explanation of the "carelefs, the fcornful, the polite, and the furly "pinch, and the geftures proper to each of them.

"N. B. The undertaker does not queftion but "in a thort time to have formed a body of regular "Inuff-boxes, ready to meet and make head against "all the regiment of fans which have been lately difciplined, and are now in motion.”

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THURSDAY,

Vera gloria radices agit, atque etiam propagatur: Ficta omnia celeriter, tanquam fiofculi, decidunt, nec fimulatum poteft quidquam effe diuturnum.

TULL.

True glory takes root, and even spreads: All false pretences, like flowers, fall to the ground; nor can any counterfeit last long.

OF

F all the affections which attend human life, the love of glory is the most ardent. According as this is cultivated in princes, it produces the greatest good or the greatest evil. Where fovereigns have it by impreffions received from education only, it creates an ambitious rather than a noble mind; where it is the natural bent of the prince's inclination, it prompts him to the pursuit of things truly glorious. The two greateft men now in Europe (according to the common acceptation of the word Great) are Lewis King of France, and Peter Emperor of Ruffia. As it is certain that all fame does not arife from the practice of virtue, it is, methinks, no unpleafing amusement to examine the glory of these potentates, and diftinguish that which is empty, perifhing, and frivolous, from what is folid, lafting, and important. Lewis of France had his infancy attended by crafty and worldly men, who made extent of terriority the moft glorious inftance of power, and miftook the spreading of fame for the acquifition of honour. The young monarch's heart was by fuch converfation eafily deluded into a fondnefs for vain-glory, and upon these unjuft principles to form or fall in with fuitable projects of invasion, rapine, murder, and all the guilts that attend war when it is unjuft. At the fame

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