at an appointed Time. When they met, and were waiting for the General, my Author

frames to himself the different Concern of an unhappy Father, a despairing Lover, and a tender Mother, in the feveral Perfons who were fo related to the Captive. But for Fear of injuring the delicate Circumftances with an old Tranflation, I fhall proceed to tell you, That Scipio appears to them, and leads in his Prisoner into their Prefence. The Romans (as noble as they were) seemed to allow themselves a little too much Triumph over the Conquer'd; therefore, as Scipio approached, they all threw themfelves on their Knees, except. the Lover of the Lady: But Scipio obferving in him a manly Sullennefs, was the more inclined to favour him, and spoke to him in these Words: It is not the Manner of the Romans to use all the Power they justly may: We fight not to ravage Countries, or break through the lies of Humanity; I am acquainted with your Worth, and your Interest in this Lady: Fortune has made me your Mafter; but I defire to be your Friend. This is your Wife; take her, and may the Gods bless you with her. But far be it from Scipio to purchase a loofe and momentary Pleafure at the Rate of making an honest Man unhappy. Indibilis's Heart was too full to make him any Answer, but he threw himself at the Feet of the General and wept aloud. The Captive Lady fell into the fame Pofture, and they both remained fo till the Father burst into the following Words? Oh Divine Scipio! The Gods have given you more than humane Virtue. Ob Glorious Leader! Oh Wondrous Youth! Does not that obliged

obliged Virgin give you, while she prays to the Gods for your Profperity, and thinks you fent down from them, Raptures, above all the Transports which you could have reaped from the Poffeffion of her injured Perfon? The temperate Scipio answered him without much Emotion, and faying, Father, be a Friend to Rome, retired. An immenfe Sum was offered as her Ranfom; but he fent it to her Husband, and smiling, faid, This is a Trifle after what I have given him already; but let Indibilis know, that Chastity at my Age is a much more difficult Virtue to practife, than Generofity. I obferved, Cynthio was very much taken with my Narrative; but told me, this was a Virtue that would bear but a very inconfiderable Figure in our Days. However, I took the Liberty to fay, that we ought not to lose our Idea's of Things, though we had debauched our true Relish in our Practice. For after we have done laughing, folid Virtue will keep its Place in Men's Opinions: And though Custom made it not fo fcandalous as it ought to be, to enfnare innocent Women, and triumph in the Falfhood; fuch Actions as we have here related, must be accounted true Gallantry, and rife the higher in our Efteem, the farther they are removed from our Imitation.

Will's Coffee-boufe, August 22.

A Man would be apt to think in this laughing Town, that it were impoffible a Thing fo exploded as speaking hard Words should be practifed by any one that had ever feen good Company; but as if there were a Standard in our Minds as well as Bodies, you fee very many

E 4

just

1

just where they were Twenty Years ago, and more they cannot, will not arrive at. Were it not thus, the noble Martius would not be the only Man in England whom no Body can understand, though he talks more than any Man else. Will. Dactyle the Epigrammatift, Jack Comma the Grammarian, Nick Croffe-grain who writes Anagrams, and my felf, made a pretty Company at a Corner of this Room, and enter'd very peaceably upon a Subject fit enough for us; which was, the Examination of the Force of the Particle For, when Martius joined us. He being well known to us all, asked what we were upon? For he had a Mind to confummate the Happiness of the Day, which had been spent among the Stars of the first Magnitude, among the Men of Letters; and therefore, to put a Period to it, as he had commenced it, he fhould be glad to be allowed to participate of the Pleasure of our Society. I told him the Subject. Faith, Gentlemen, faid Martius, your Subject is humble; and if you would give me Leave to elevate the Converfation, I should humbly offer, that you would enlarge your Enquiries to the Word For-as-much: For though I take it, faid he, to be but one Word; yet, the Particle Much implying Quantity, the Particle As Similitude, it will be greater, and more like our felves, to treat of For-as-much: Jack Comma is always ferious, and anfwer'd; "Mar'tius, I must take the Liberty to say, That you ⚫ have fallen into all this Error and profufe • Manner of Speech by a certain Hurry in your Imagination, for Want of being more exac

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in the Knowledge of the Parts of Speech; ⚫ and it is fo with all Men who have not well studied the Particle For. You have spoken "For without making any Inference, which is the great Ufe of that Particle. There is no Manner of Force in your Obfervation of Quantity and Similitude in the Syllables As and Much, 'But it is ever the Fault of Men of great Wit to be incorrect which Evil they run into by an indifcreet Ufe of the Word For. Confider all the Books of Controversy which have 'been written, and I'll engage you will obferve, that all the Debate lies in this Point, 'Whether they brought in For in a just Manner, or forced it in for their own Ufe, rather 'than as understanding the Ufe of the Word it felf? There is nothing like familiar Instances : You have heard the Story of the Irishman, who reading, Money for Live Hair, took a Lodging, and expected to be paid for living at that Houfe. If this Man had known For was in 'that Place, of a quite different Signification 'from the Particle To, he could not have fallen ' into the Mistake of taken Live for what the La'tins call Vivere, or rather Habitare." Martius feem'd at a Lofs; and admiring his profound Learning, wished he had been bred a Scholar, for he did not take the Scope of his Difcourfe. This wife Debate, of which we had much more, made me reflect upon the Difference of their Capacities, and wonder that there could be as it were a Diversity in Men's Genius for Nonfense; that one fhould blufter, while another crept in Abfurdities. Martius moves like a blind

Man,

Man, lifting his Legs higher than the ordinary Way of Stepping; and Comma, like one who is only fhort-fighted, picking his Way when he fhould be marching on. Want of Learning makes Martius a brisk entertaining Fool, and gives himself a full Scope; but that which Comma has, and calls Learning, makes him diffident, and curb bis natural Mifunderstanding, to the great Lofs of the Men of Raillery. This Converfation confirmed me in the Opinion, that Learning usually does but improve in us what Nature endowed us with. He that wants good Senfe, is unhappy in having it, for he has thereby only more Ways of expofing himself; and he that has Senfe, knows that Learning is not Knowledge, but rather the Art of using it. St. James's Coffee-house, August 22.

We have undoubted Intelligence of the Defeat of the King of Sweden; and that Prince, (who for fome Years had hovered like an approaching Tempeft, and was looked up at by all the Nations of Europe, which seemed to expect their Fate according to the Courfe he fhould take) is now, in all Probability, an unhappy Exile, without the common Neceffaries of Life. His Czarish Majefty treats his Prisoners with great Gallantry and Diftinction. Count Rhensfeildt has had particular Marks of his Majefty's Efteem, for his Merit and Services to his Mafter; but Count Piper, whom his Majesty believes Author of the most violent Councils into which his Prince entered, is difarmed and entertained accordingly. That decifive Battle was ended at Nine in the Morning,

and