me a private Meeting the next Day, without Page or Footman, Coach or Equipage. My Heart danced in RapC tures; but I had not lived in this golden Dream above three Days, before I found good Reafon to wish that I had continued true to my Laundrefs. I have fince heard, by a very great Accident, that this fine Lady does not live far from CoventGarden, and that I am not the first Cully whom fhe has paffed her felf upon for a Countess.

THUS, Sir, you fee how I have 'mistaken a Cloud for a Juno; and if C you can make any use of this Adventure, for the Benefit of those who may poffibly be as vain young Coxcombs as my felf, I do moft heartily give you Leave. I am, SIR,

Your moft bumble Admirer,

B. L.

I defign to vifit the next Masquerade my felf, in the fame Habit I wore at Grand Cairo; and till then fhall fufpend my Judgment of this Midnight Enter

tainment.

C

Saturday,

Tigris agit rabidâ cum tigride pacem

Perpetuam, fævis inter fe convenit urfis. Juv.

M

AN is faid to be a Sociable Animal, and, as an Inftance of it, we may obferve, that we take all Occafions and Pretences of forming our felves into thofe little Nocturnal Affemblies, which are commonly known by the Name of Clubs. When a Sett of Men find themfelves agree in any Particular, tho' never fo trivial, they eftablish themselves into a kind of Fraternity, and meet once or twice a Week, upon the Account of fuch a Fantastick Refemblance. I know a confiderable Market-Town, in which there was a Club of fat Men, that did not come together (as you may well fuppofe) to entertain one another with Sprightlinefs and Wit, but to keep one another in Countenance; The Room where the Club met was fomething of the largD 2 elt,

eft, and had two Entrances, the one by a Door of a moderate Size, and the o ther by a Pair of Folding-doors. If a Candidate for this Corpulent Club could make his Entrance through the firft, he was looked upon as unqualified, but if he ftuck in the Paffage, and could not force his Way through it, the Folding doors were immediately thrown open for his Reception, and he was faluted as a Brother. I have heard that this Club, tho' it confifted but of fifteen Perfons, weighed above three Tun.

IN Oppofition to this Society, there fprung up another compofed of Scar crows and Skeletons, who being very meagre and envious, did all they could to thwart the Defigns of their Bulky Brethren, whom they reprefented as Men of Dangerous Principles, till at length they worked them out of the Favour of the People, and confequent, ly out of the Magiftracy. Thele Fa ctions tore the Corporation in Pieces for feveral Years, till at length they came to this Accommodation; that the two Bailiffs of the Town fhould be annu-. ally chofen out of the two Clubs; by: which Means the principal Magiftrates,

are

are at this Day coupled like Rabbets, one fat and one lean.

EVERY one has heard of the Club, or rather the Confederacy, of the Kings. This grand Alliance was formed a little after the Return of King Charles the Second, and admitted into it Men of all Qualities and Profeffions, provided they agreed in this Sir-name of King, which, as they imagined, fufficiently declared the Owners of it to be altogether untainted with Republican and Anti-Monarchical Principles.

S& George's

A Christian Name has likewise been often ufed as a Badge of Diftinction, and made the Occafion of a Club. That of the which used to meet at the Sign of the George, on St. George's Day, and fwear Before George, is ftill fresh in every one's Memory.

THERE are at prefent in feveral Parts of this City what they call StreetClubs, in which the chief Inhabitants of the Street converfe together every Night. I remember, upon my enqui ring after Lodgings in Ormond-street, the Landlord, to recommend that Quarter of the Town, told me, there was at that time a very good Club in it; he alfo told me upon further Difcourfe with

D 3

with him, that two or three noifie Country Efquires, who were settled there the Year before, had confiderably funk the Price of Houfe-Rent; and that the Club (to prevent the like Inconveniencies for the future) had Thoughts of taking every Houfe that became vacant into their own Hands, till they had found a Tenant for it, of a fociable Nature and good Converfation.

THE Hum-Drum Club, of which I was formerly an unworthy Member, was made up of very honeft Gentlemen, of peaceable Difpofitions, that ufed to fit together, fmoak their Pipes, and fay nothing till Midnight. The Mum Club (as I am informed) is an Inftitution of the fame Nature, and as great an Enemy to Noife. 562 1966

AFTER these two innocent Societies, I cannot forbear mentioning a very mischievous one, that was erected in the Reign of King Charles the Second: I mean,the Club of Duelifts,in which none was to be admitted that had not fought his Man. The Prefident of it was faid to have kill'd half a dozen in fingle Combat; and as for the other Members, they took their Seats accor