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who are converted into fuch by their own induftry ‹ and affectation. If you will please to be at the house to-night, you will fee me do my endeavour to fhew fome unnatural appearances which are in vogue among the polite and well-bred. I am to reprefent, in the 'character of a fine lady dancing, all the distortions ' which are frequently taken for graces in mien and gefture. This, Sir, is a specimen of the method we • shall take to expose the monsters which come within the netice of a regular theatre; and we defire nothing more grofs may be admitted by your spectators for the future. We have cafhiered three companies of theatrical guards, and defign our kings fhall for the future make love, and fit in council, without an army; and wait only your directions whether you will have them reinforce King Porus, or join the 6 trocps of Macedon. Mr. Penkethman refolves to confult his Pantheon of heathen gods in oppofition to 'the oracle of Delphos, and doubts not but he fhall ' turn the fortunes of Porus, when he perfonates him. I am defired by the company to inform you, that they 'fubmit it to your cenfures; and fhall have you in greater veneration than Hercules was in of old, if you can drive monfters from the theatre; and think your • merit will be as much greater than his, as to convince ⚫ is more than to conquer.

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'I am, Sir,

• Your most obedient fervant,

'T. D.'

• Sir,

WHEN I acquaint you with the great and unexpected viciffitudes of my fortune, I doubt not but I'fhall obtain your pity and favour. I have for many years laft paft been thunderer to the playhoufe; and have not only made as much noife out of 'the clouds as any predeceffor of mine in the theatre that ever bore that character, but alfo have def'cended and spoke on the stage as the bold

under

in the Rehearsal. When they got me down thus low, they thought fit to degrade me further, and make me a ghoft. I was contented with this for thefe two laft winters; but they carry their tyranny • ftill further, and not fatisfied that I am banished from above ground, they have given me to underftand that I am wholly to depart their dominions, and taken from me even my fubterraneous employNow, Sir, what I defire of you is, that if your undertaker thinks fit to use fire-arms, as other authors have done, in the time of Alexander, I may be a cannon against Porus, or elfe provide for me in the burning of Persepolis, or what other method you 'fhall think fit.

❝ment.

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'SALMONEUS of Covent-Garden.'

The petition of all the devils of the play-houfe in behalf of themfelves and families, fetting forth their expulfion from thence, with certificates of their good life and converfation, and praying relief.

The merit of this petition referred to Mr. Chr. Rich. who made them devils.

The petition of the grave-digger in Hamlet, to command the pioneers in the expedition of Alexander. Granted.

The petition of William Bullock, to be Hepheftion to Penkethman the Great.

Granted.

• ADVERTISEMENT.

A widow gentlewoman, well born both by father and mother's fide, being the daughter of Thomas Prater, once an eminent practitioner in the law, and of Letitia Tattle, a family well known in all pa?ts of this kingdom, having been reduced by misfortunes to wait on feveral great perfons, and for fome time to be teacher at a boarding-fchool of young ladies, giveth notice to the public, that the hath lately taken a houfe near Bloomsbury-Square, commodi

• oufly

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oufly fituated next the fields in a good air; where the 'teaches all forts of birds of the loquacious kinds, as parrots, ftarlings, magpies, and others, to imitate hu'man voices in greater perfection than ever yet was practifed. They are not only inftructed to pronounce words diftinctly, and in a proper tone and accent, but to speak the language with great purity and volubility of tongue, together with all the fashionable phrates and compliments now in ufe either at tea' tables or vifiting-days. Those that have good voices may be taught to fing the newest opera-airs, and, if required, to speak either Italian or French, pay. ing fomething extraordinary above the common rates. They whofe friends are not able to pay the full ' prices may be taken as half-boarders. She teaches 'fuch as are defigned for the diverfion of the public, and to act in enchanted woods on the theatres, by the great. As fhe has often obferved with much concern how indecent an education is ufually given these innocent creatures, which in fome meafure is ' owing to their being placed in rooms next the street, 'where, to the great offence of chafte and tender ears, they learn_ribaldry, obscene songs, and immodest expreffions from paffengers, and idle people, as alfo to cry fish, and card-matches, with other ufelefs parts of learning to birds who have rich friends; fhe has fitted up proper and neat apartments for them in the back part of her faid houfe; where the fuffers none to approach them but herfelf, and a fervant-maid who is deaf and dumb, and whom the provided on purpofe to prepare their food and cleanfe their cages; having found by long experience how hard a thing it is for those to keep filence who have the use of fpeech, and the dangers her scholars are exposed to by the strong impreffions that are made by harsh founds and vulgar dialects. In short, if they are birds of any parts or capacity, fhe will undertake to render them fo accomplished in the compafs of a twelvemonth, that they fhall be fit converfation for fuch laVOL. ⚫ dies

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dies as love to choose their friends and companions out of this fpecies.'

No. XXXVII. THURSDAY, APRIL 12.

-Non illa colo calathifve Minervæ

Foemineas affueta manusianties to

Unbred to fpinning, in the loom unskill'd,

R.

VIRG.

DRYDEN,

S

SOME months ago, my friend Sir Roger, being in the country, inclofed a letter to me, directed to a certain lady whom I fhall here call by the name of Leonora, and, as it contained matters of confequence, defired me to deliver it to her with my own hand. Accordingly I waited upon her ladyfhip pretty early in the morning, and was defired by her woman to walk into her lady' library, 'till fuch time as the was in a readiness to receive me.. The very found of a Lady's Library gave me a great curiofity to fee it; and as it was fome time before the lady came to me, I had an opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged together in a very beautiful order.

At the end of the Fo

lios, which were finely bound and gilt, were great jars of China placed one above another in a very noble piece of architecture. The Quartos were feparated from the Octavos by a pile of fmaller veffels, which rofe in a delightful pyramid. The Octavos were bounded by tea-dithes of all fhapes, colours, and fizes, which were fo difpofed on a wooden frame, that they looked like one continued pillar indented with the finest strokes of sculpture, and ftained with the greateft variety of dyes. That part of the library which was defigned for the reception of plays and pamphlets, and other loofe papers, was inclofed in a kind of fquare, confifting of one of the prettieft grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions, monkies, mandarines, trees, fhells, and a thoufand other odd figures in China-ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan-table, with a quire of gilt

paper

paper upon it, and on the paper a filver fnuff-box made in the shape of a little book. I found there were feveral other counterfeit books upon the upper fhelves, which were carved in wood, and ferved only to fill up the number like faggots in the mufter of a regiment. I was wonderfully pleased with such a mixt kind of furniture, as feemed very fuitable both to the lady and the scholar, and did not know at firft whether I fhould fancy myself in a grotto, or in a library.

Upon my looking into the books, I found there were fome few which the lady had bought for her own ufe, but that most of them had been got together, either because she had heard them praised, or because she had feen the authors of them. Among several that I examined, I very well remember thefe that follow:

Ogilby's Virgil.
Dryden's Juvenal.
Caffandra.

Cleopatra.
Aftræa.

Sir Ifaac Newton's Works.

The Grand Cyrus; with a pin ftuck in one of the middle leaves.

Pembroke's Arcadia.

Locke of Human Understanding; with a paper of patches in it.

A Spelling-Book.

A Dictionary for the Explanation of hard Words.
Sherlock upon Death.

The Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony.

Sir William Temple's Effays.

Father Malebranche's Search after Truth, tranflated

into English.

A Book of Novels.

The Academy of Compliments.

Culpepper's Midwifery.

The Ladies Calling.

Tales in Verfe, by Mr. Durfey: bound in red leather, on the back, and doubled down in feveral places. All the Claffic Authors in wood.

gilt

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