In thee, bleft Maiden, was combin'd, She heard the Flatt'rer footh in vain, NUMB. XXXIV. Saturday, October 30, 1756. Hi narrata ferunt aliò: menfuraque ficti A thorough-fare of news: where fome devise · TO NICHOLAS BABBLE, Efq. Dear Coufin BABBLE, OU will be furprized to receive a Letter from one who is a perfect Stranger to you? but I am defcended from that Branch of your Fa mily mily which fettled in France, where we acquired too much haughtiness and felf-fufficiency to think of troubling ourselves about our Relations: nor fhould I now have follicited my dear Coufin's acquaintance, but out of a fincere defire to warn rim of the Rock on which I have fplit, and of the danger he feems to be in, by venturing to prate in fo public a manner. As example, however, is more forcible than precept, permit me to give you a fhort account of my Adventures. My Fa ther Louis Hauton de Babillard was born and educated in France, and brought up to be un Marchand de Cheveux, that is, what you in England vulgarly call a Barber: he understood the accommodement of a Gentleman's head better than any of his Countrymen, and no Lady was reckoned bien coiffée, unless the had been under the fingers of Monfieur Babillard, who, fired with the praifes he daily received from all parts for his dexterity, panted to extend his Fame ftill farther, and knowing the prodigious paffion the ENGLISH have for all Foreigners, came over with his Family, and fettled in the politeft quarter of this City, when I was not above fix years old. I came into the world with an immoderate propenfity to chatter, which thewed itfelf very early, for I could talk fluently before I was a full twelvemonth old, and before I arrived to the age of four years, had been fixteen times whipped by my Mother, for telling my Father what paffed between her and her Vifiters, of whom N 6 whom she had a confiderable number. When I was five years old, I narrowly efcaped with life, for having difcovered to my Mother an Amour which my Father had with a Femme de Chambre: they used to meet at a certain Petit Maison in the Fauxbourgs, where I flily followed him one day, and overhearing all their discourse, flew with the intelligence to my Mother, who immediately fell upon my Father, and he upon me, and beat me in fuch a manner that I could not ftir for a week, though I was capable of talking all the time as faft as ever. When we arrived in England, my Father determined to put me to School till I was fit to learn his business, and there I exerted my talking talents to fo violent a degree, that I soon became the by-word of the School-I was nicknamed Blab, and I deferved it, for not a Boy could rob an Orchard, or take a Bird's Neft, but the whole neighbourhood rung of it: nay, in fhort, I was an univerfal Tell-tale, and fo hated, that I was beat, kicked and thumped by every Boy in the School fifty times in a Day: yet I was ftill incorrigible; for when my Father took me home, I not only made mifchief between him and my Mother and all the Neighbours, but betrayed the fecrets of our own Family, telling all I could get to liften to me, that my Mother was no better than fhe fhould be; and that my Fatherbeing a Cuckold had left five Bastards behind him in France, and had three or four here: I told in what what manner we lived, upon Soup made only with a few dead herbs which we picked from Dunghills, and now and then for Meat had a few Sheep's Trotters: I told how my Father and I went into the Fields on a Sunday to look for Mushrooms, Dandelions, and Tragapogon for Sallads, and fished with a thread and crooked pin for Frogs in a Ditch, overgrown with Duck-weed, which we brought home, and devoured greedily. At other times, I would boast of the splendor we lived in France, and tell People that my Father was the grand Monarch's chief Favourite, and that we only came here under the Notion of Dref fers of Hair, but were really Spies and in the French King's Pay. But this Gafconade had fo fatal an effect, that on the breaking out of the War my father and I were arrested, and clapped into Prifon, and had not fome Ladies of Diftinction interested themselves in our affairs, and releafed us, we might have lain there to this hour: No fooner, however, was my Father fet at liberty than he died; not of any diftemper, but of good living for after the first three or four years he acquired fo great a relifh for roaft and boiled Beef, ftrong Beer, Ale, Punch, &c. &c. and became fuch an immoderate devourer of all kinds of Pudding, that he fell a Martyr to his voracious appetite; and left me in poffeffion of his Bufinefs, that is, the care of the fairest and wifeft Heads in the Kingdom, out of which I might have got a very very handsome livelihood, had I not been unfortunately of a talkative difpofition, which at firft recommended me vaftly to the Ladies, as you will fee by the following detail of one Day's bufinefs. When I was most in vogue, I attended the Toilet of Lady Betty Grizzle, a young Lady about fifty five, at twelve o'Clock one Morning laft Spring, and while I was clipping and crisping her venerable Locks, thus gave a vent to my garrulity "A propos, Madame, ant your La'fhip ard dat Mifs Bud, de grand Beauté, who is but jufte fixteen, be with Child by her Valet?" -Ono, Monfieur, cried fhe, no, tell me how it was, I beseech you: well I am exceffively glad of it: fuch young Flirts are always making themselves the jeft of the Town: People fay fhe is pretty, but for my part, I can't find out where her prittiness lies: her hair is as red as a Fox; I fwear I can fee it through all the Grey-powder; or if not, one may fmell her a mile; but you muft know, Monfieur, fhe can't conceal thefe defects from you."-" No, Matam, cried I, no more can my Lady Blink her Glafs-Eye, he, he, he." "O Gad, replied fhe, has Lady Blink a Glafs-Eye-well, I always thought fhe had a monstrous odd look: dear Monfieur, be quick: I must step out this Morning, to tell Mifs TittleTattle your News, it's fo diverting: indeed Monfieur, you are a pure entertaining Creature: but mind what you are about, you Thing you, and don't |