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fays he, was conducted into the Parlour, where he diverted himself for fome time with her favourite Monkey, which was chained in one of the Windows; till at length obferving a Pen and Ink lie by him, he writ the following Letter to his Mistress, in the Perfon of the Monkey; and upon her not coming down fo foon as he expected, left it in the Window, and went about his Business.

THE Lady foon after coming into the Parlour, and feeing her Monkey look upon a Paper with great Earneftnefs, took it up, and to this day is in fome doubt, fays WILL, whether it was written by Jack or the Monkey.

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Madam,

OT having the Gift of Speech, I have a long time waited in vain for an Opportunity of making my felf known to you; and having at prefent the Conveniences of Pen, Ink, and Paper by me, I gladly take the occafion of giving you my Hiftory in Writing, which I could not do by word of Mouth. You must know, Madam, that about a thousand Years ago I was an In⚫dian Brachman, and verfed in all thofe myfterious Se" crets which your European Philofopher, called Pythagoras, is faid to have learned from our Fraternity. I had fo ingratiated my felf by my great Skill in the occult ⚫ Sciences with a Dæmon whom I used to converse with, that he promised to grant me whatever I fhould ask of him. I defired that my Soul might never pafs into the Body of a brute Creature, but this he told me was not in his Power to grant me. I then begg'd that into whatever Creature I fhould chance to tranfmigrate, I might still retain my Memory, and be conscious that I was the fame Perfon who lived in different Animals. This he told me was within his Power, and accordingly promised on the word of a Dæmon that he would grant me what I defired. From that time forth I lived fo very unblameably, that I was made Prefident of a College of Brachmans, an Office which I difcharged with great Integrity till the day of my Death.

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I was then fhuffled into another human Body, and acted my Part fo very well in it, that I became firft Minifter to a Prince who reigned upon the Banks of the Ganges. I here lived in great Honour for feveral Years,

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but by degrees loft all the Innocence of the Brachman, being obliged to rifle and opprefs the People to enrich my Sovereign; till at length I became fo odious, that my Master, to recover his Credit with his Subjects, fhot me thro' the Heart with an Arrow, as I was one day addreffing my felf to him at the Head of his Army.

UPON my next remove I found my felf in the Woods, under the fhape of a Jack-call, and foon lifted my felf in the Service of a Lion. Iufed to yelp near his Den about midnight, which was his time of rouzing ⚫ and feeking after his Prey. He always followed me in the Rear, and when I had run down a fat Buck, a wild Goat, or an Hare, after he had feafted very plentifully upon it himself, would now and then throw me a Bone that was but half picked for my Encouragement; but upon my Being unfuccefsful in two or three Chaces, he gave me fuch a confounded Gripe in his Anger, that I died of it.

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IN my next Tranfmigration I was again fet upon two Legs, and became an Indian Tax-gatherer; but having been guilty of great Extravagances, and being marry'd to an expenfive Jade of a Wife, I ran fo curfedly in debt, that I durft not fhew my Head. 1 could no fooner ftep out of my Houfe, but I was arrested by fome body or other that lay in wait for me. As I ventur'd abroad one Night in the dusk of the Evening, I was ta•ken up and hurry'd into a Dungeon, where I died a few months after.

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MY Soul then enter'd into a Flying-Flesh, and in that State led a moft melancholy Life for the fpace of fix years. Several Fishes of Prey pursued me when I was in the Water, and if I betook felf to my my Wings, it was ten to one but I had a Flock of Birds aiming at me. As I was one day flying amidft a Fleet of English Ships, I obferved a huge Sea-Gull whetting his Bill and hovering juft over my Head: Upon my dipping into the Water to avoid him, I fell into the Mouth of a monftrous Shark that fwallow'd me down in an inftant.

I was fome Years afterwards, to my great furprize, an eminent Banker in Lombard-ftreet; and remembring how I had formerly fuffered for want of Money, became fo very fordid and avaritious, that the whole Town_cried

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fhame of me. I was a miferable little old Fellow to look upon, for I had in a manner ftarved my felf, and was nothing but Skin and Bone when I died.

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I was afterwards very much troubled and amazed to felf dwindled into an Emmet. I was heartily my concerned to make so insignificant a Figure, and did not ⚫ know but fome time or other I might be reduced to a Mite if I did not mend my manners. I therefore applied felf with great diligence to the Offices that were allotted me,and was generally look'd upon as the notablest Ant in the whole Molehill. I was at laft picked up, as I was groaning under a Burden, by an unlucky CockSparrow that lived in the Neighbourhood, and had before made great depredations upon our Commonwealth.

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I then better'd my Condition a little, and lived a whole Summer in the shape of a Bee; but being tired with the painful and penurious Life I had undergone in my two laft Tranfmigrations, I fell into the other extreme, and turned Drone. As I one day headed a Party to plunder an Hive, we were received fo warmly by the Swarm which defended it, that we were most of us left dead upon the spot.

I might tell you of many other Tranfmigrations which I went thro': how I was a Town-Rake, and afterwards did penance in a bay Gelding for ten Years; as alfo how I was a Taylor, a Shrimp, and a Tom-tit. In the laft of thefe my Shapes I was fhot in the Christmas Holidays by a young Jack-a-napes, who would needs try his new Gun upon me.

BUTI fhall pafs over thefe and other feveral Stages of Life, to remind you of the young Beau who made love to you about fix years fince. You may remember; Madam, how he masked, and danced, and fung, and play'd a thousand Tricks to gain you; and how he was at laft carry'd off by a Cold that he got under your Window one Night in a Serenade. I was that unfortunate young Fellow, whom you were then fo cruel to. Not long after my fhifting that unlucky Body, I found my felf upon a Hill in Ethiopia, where I lived in my present Grotefque Shape, till I was caught by a Servant of the English Factory, and fent over into Great-Britain: I need not inform you how I came into your hands. You see, · Madam,

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Madam, this is not the first time that you have had me in a Chain: I am, however, very happy in this my Captivity, as you often beftow on me thofe Kiffes and Careffes which I would have given the World for, when I was a Man. I hope this Discovery of my Person will not tend to my difadvantage, but that you will ftill continue your accustomed Favours to

Your most devoted humble Servant,

Pugg.

P. S. 'I would advise your little Shock-dog to keep out of my way; for as I look upon him to be the most formidable of my Rivals, I may chance one time of other to give him fuch a Snap as he won't like.

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N° 344. Friday, April 4.

In folo vivendi caufa palate eft. Juv.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

I

Think it has not yet fallen into your way to difcourfe on little Ambition, or the many whimsical Ways Men fall into, to diftinguish themselves among their Acquaintance: Such Obfervations, well purfued ⚫ would make a pretty Hiftory of low Life. I my felfam got into a great Reputation, which arofe (as moft extraor dinary Occurrences in a Man's Life feem to do) from a · mere Accident. I was fome days ago unfortunately engaged among a Set of Gentlemen, who efteem a Man according to the Quantity of Food he throws down at a Meal. Now I, who am ever for diftinguishing ny felf according to the Notions of Superiority which the reft of the Company entertain, ate fo immoderately for their Applaufe, as had like to have coft me my Life. What added to my Misfortune was,that having naturally a good Stomach, and having lived foberly for fome time, my Body was as well prepared for this Contention as if it had been by appointment. I had quickly vanquie

VOL V.

רי: שלט

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every Glutton in Company but one, who was fuch a Prodigy in his way, and withal fo very merry during the whole Entertainment, that he infenfibly betrayed me to ⚫ continue his Competitor, which in a little time concluded in a compleat Victory over my Rival; after which, by way of infult, Ieate a confiderable Proportion beyond what the Spectators thought me obliged in honour to do. The Effect however of this Engagement, has made me <refolve never to eat more for Renown; and I have, purfuant to this Refolution, compounded three Wagers I had depending on the Strength of my Stomach; which happened very luckily, because it was ftipulated in our Articles either to play or pay. How a Man of common * Senfe could be thus engaged, is hard to determine; but the Occafion of this, is to defire you to inform feveral Gluttons of my Acquaintance, who look on me with Envy, that they had beft moderate their Ambition in time, left Infamy or Death attend their Success. I forgot to 'tell you, Sir, with what unspeakable Pleasure I received the Acclamations and Applause of the whole Board,when I had almoft eat my Antagonist into Convulfions: It was then that I returned his Mirth upon him with fuch fuccefs as he was hardly able to fwallow, though prompted by a defire of Fame, and a paffionate Fondnefs for Diftinction. I had not endeavoured to excel fo far, had not the Company been fo loud in their Approbation of my Victory. I don't queftion but the fame Thirst after Glory has often caufed a Man to drink Quarts without taking breath, and prompted Men to many other difficult Enterprizes; which if otherwife purfued, might turn very much to a Man's advantage. This Ambition of mine was indeed extravagantly purfued; however I can't help obíerving, that you hardly ever fee a Man commended for a good Stomach, but he immediately falls to eating more (tho' he had before dined) well to confirm the Perfon that commended him in ⚫ his good Opinion of him, as to convince any other at the Table, who may have been unattentive enough not to have done juftice to his Character. I am, Sir, Your most humble Servant, Epicure Mammon.

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