has very much difquieted the Court of Rome. Our laff Advices from Germany inform us, That the Minifter of Hanover has urg'd the Council at Ratisbonne to exert themselves in Behalf of the Common Cause, and taken the Liberty to fay, That the Dignity, the Virtue, the Prudence of his Electoral Highness, his Mafter, were called to the Head of their Affairs in vain, if they thought fit to leave him naked of the proper Means to make thofe Excellencies ufeful for the Honour and Safety of the Empire. They write from Berlin of the 13th, O. S. That the true Defign of General Fleming's Vifit to that Court was, to infinuate, that it will be for the mutual Intereft of the King of Pruffia and King Auguftus to enter into a new Alliance; but that the Ministers of Pruffia are not inclined to his Sentiments. We hear from Vienna, That his Imperial Majefty has expreffed great Satisfaction in their High Mightineffes having communicated to him the whole that has paffed in the Affair of a Peace. Though there have been Practices ufed by the Agents of France, in all the Courts of Europe, to break the good Understanding of the Allies, they have had no other Effect, but to make all the Members concerned in the Alliance, more doubtful of their Safety from the great Offers of the Enemy. The Empire is rouzed by this Alarm, and the Frontiers of all the French Dominions are in Danger of being infulted the enfuing Campagne: Advices from all Parts confirm, That it is impoffible for France to find a Way to obtain fo much Credit, as to gain any one Potentate of the Allies, or conceive any Hope for Safety from other Profpects.

From

From my own Apartment, April 13. I find it of very great Ufe, now I am fetting up for a Writer of News, that I am an Adept in Aftrological Speculations; by which Means, I avoid fpeaking of Things which may offend' Great Perfons. But at the fame Time, I must not prostitute the Liberal Sciences fo far, as not to utter the Truth in Cafes which do not im mediately concern the Good of my Native Country. I must therefore contradict what has been fo affuredly reported by the News-Writers of England, That France is in the most deplorable Condition, and that their People die in great Multitudes. I will therefore let the World know, that my Correfpondent, by the Way of Bruffels, informs me, upon his Honour, That the Gentleman who writes the Gazette of Paris, and ought to know as well as any Man, has told him, That ever fince the King has been past his 63d Year, or Grand Climacterick, there has not died one Man of the French Nation who was younger than his Majesty, except a very few, who were taken fuddenly near the Village of Heckftet in Germany; and fome more, who were ftraitned for Lodging at a Place called Ramilies, and died on the Road to Ghent and Bruges. There are alfo other Things given out by the Allies, which are Shifts below a Conquering Nation to make use of. Among others, 'tis faid, There is a general Murmuring among the People of France, tho' at the fame Time all my Letters agree, That there is fo good an Understanding among them, that there is not one Morfel carried out of any Market in the Kingdom, but what is delivered upon Credit.

The

From Thurfd. April 14. to Saturd. April 16. 1709.

Will's Coffee-boufe, April 14.

Ty Wife, was acted in Drury-Lane, for His Evening, the Comedy, call'd The Coun the Benefit of Mrs. Bignall. The Part which gives Name to the Play was performed by her felf. Through the whole Action, the made a a very pretty Figure, and exactly entered into the Nature of the Part. Her Husband, in the Drama, is reprefented to be one of thofe Debauchees who run through the Vices of the Town, and believe when they think fit they can marry and fettle at their Eafe. His own Knowledge of the Iniquity of the Age, makes him chufe a Wife wholly ignorant of it, and place his Security in her Want of Skill: how to abuse him. The Poet, on many Occafions, where the Propriety of the Character will admit of it, infinuates, That there is no Defence a-gainst Vice, but the Contempt of it: And has, in the natural Ideas of an untainted Innocent, fhown the gradual Steps to Ruin and Destruction, which Perfons of Condition run into, without the Help of a good Education how to form their Conduct. The Torment of a Jealous Coxcomb, which arifes from his own Falfe Maxims, and the Aggravation of his Pain, by the very Words in which he fees her Innocence, makes a very pleasant and inftructive Satyr.

The

The Character of Horner, and the Defign of it, is a good Representation of the Age in which that Comedy was written; at which Time Love and Wenching were the Business of Life, and the Gallant Manner of pursuing Women was the best Recommendation at Court. To which only it is to be imputed, that a Gentle man of Mr. Wicherly's Character and Sense, condefcends to reprefent the Infults done to the Honour of the Bed, without juft Reproof; but to have drawn a Man of Probity with Regard to fuch Confiderations, had been a MonIter, and a Poet had at that Time difcovered his Want of knowing the Manners of the Court he lived in, by, a Virtuous Character in his fine Gentleman, as he would show his Ignorance, by drawing a Vicious one to please the prefent Audience. Mrs. Bignall did her Part very happily, and had a certain Grace in her Rufticity, which gave us Hopes of feeing her a very Skilful Player, and in fome Parts, fupply our Lofs of Mrs. Verbruggen. I cannot be of the fame Opinion with my Friends and Fellow-Labourers, the Reformers of Manners, in their Severity towards Plays, but must allow, that a good Play acted before a well-bred Audience, muft raife very proper Incitements to good Behaviour, and be the most quick and moft prevailing Method of giving Young People a Turn of Senfe and Breeding. But as I have fet up for a Weekly Hiftorian, I refolve to be a Faithful One; and therefore take this publick Occafion, to admonifh a Young Nobleman, who came fluftered into the Box laft Night, and let him know, how much all his Friends were out of Countenance for him. The Women fate in Terror of hearing fomething that should shock their Modefty, and all

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the Gentlemen in as much Pain, out of Compaffion to the Ladies, and perhaps Resentment for the Indignity which was offered in coming into their Prefence in fo disrespectful a Manner. Wine made him fay nothing that was Rude, therefore he is forgiven, upon Condition he will never hazard his offending more in this Kind. As I juft now hinted, I own my felf of the Society for Reformation of Manners. We have lower Inftruments than thofe of the Family of Bickerstaff, for punishing great Crimes, and expofing the Abandoned. Therefore, as defign to have Notices from all Publick Affemblies, I fhall take upon me only Indecorums, Improprieties, and Negligences, in fuch as fhould give us better Examples. After this Declaration, if a Fine Lady thinks fit to giggle at Church, or a Great Beau come in drunk to a Play, either fhall be fure to hear of it in my enfuing Paper: For meerly as a well-bred Man, I cannot bear thefe Enormities.

After the Play, we naturally stroll to this Coffee-houfe, in Hopes of meeting fome new Poem, or other Entertainment, among the Men of Wit and Pleafure, where there is a Dearth at prefent. But it is wonderful there fhould be fo few Writers, when the Art is become meerly Mechanick, and Men may make themselves Great that Way, by as certain and infallible Rules, as you may be a Joiner or a Mafom. There happens a good Inftance of this, in what the Hawker juft now has offered to Sale; to wit, Inftructions to Vanderbank; A Sequel to the Advice to the Poets; A Poem, occafioned by the Glorious Success of Her Majesty's Arms, under the Command of the Duke of Marlborough, the last Year in Flanders. Here you are to understand, that the Author finding the

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