did so, and in a very little while thought myself the happiest creature in this world. My time was taken up in carrying letters to wenches, or messages to young ladies of my master's acquaintance. We rambled from tavern to tavern, to the playhouse, the mulberry garden (a) and all places of resort; where my master engaged every night in some new amour, in which and drinking he spent all his time when he had money. During these extravagancies I had the pleasure of lying on the stairs of a tavern half a night, playing at dice with other servants, and the like idlenesses. When my master was moneyless, I was generally employed in transcribing amorous pieces of poetry, old songs and new lampoons. This life held till my master married, and he had then the prudence to turn me off, because I was in the secret of his intrigues.

'I was utterly at a loss what course to take next; when at last I applied myself to a fellowsufferer, one of his mistresses, a woman of the town. She happening at that time to be pretty full of money, clothed me from head to foot; and knowing me to be a sharp fellow, employed me accordingly. Sometimes I was to go abroad with her, and when she had pitched upon a young fellow she thought for her turn, I was to be dropped as one she could not trust. She would often cheapen goods at the New Exchange; (b) and when she had a mind to be attacked, she would send me away on an errand. When a humble servant and she were beginning a parley, I came immediately, and told her Sir John was come home; then she would order another coach to prevent being dogged. The lover makes signs

to me as I get behind the coach; I shake my head it was impossible: I leave my lady at the next turning, and follow the cully to know how to fall in his way on another occasion. Besides good offices of this nature, I writ all my mistress's love-letters; some from a lady that saw such a gentleman in such a place in such a coloured coat, some showing the terror she was in of a jealous old husband, others explaining that the severity of her parents was such (though her for tune was settled) that she was willing to run away with such a one, though she knew he was but a younger brother. In a word, my half education and love of idle books, made me out-write all that made love to her by way of epistle; and as she was extremely cunning, she did well enough in company by a skilful affectation of the greatest modesty. In the midst of all this I was surprised with a letter from her and a ten pound note,

HONEST TOM,

"You will never see me more. I am married to a very cunning country gentleman, who might possibly guess something if I kept you still; therefore farewell."

'When this place was lost also in marriage, I was resolved to go among quite another people for the future; and got in butler to one of those families where there is a coach kept, three or four servants, a clean house, and a good general ontside upon a small estate. Here I lived very comfortably for some time, till I unfortunately found my master, the very gravest man alive, in the garret with the chambermaid. I knew the world too well to think of staying there; and the

next day pretended to have received a letter out of the country that my father was dying, and got my discharge with a bounty for my discretion.

The next I lived with was a peevish single man, whom I staid with for a year and a half. Most part of the time I passed very easily; for when I began to know him, I minded no more than he meant what he said; so that one day in good humour he said, "I was the best man he ever had, by my want of respect to him."

These, sir, are the chief occurrences of my life; and I will not dwell upon very many other places I have been in, where I have been the strangest fellow in the world, where nobody in the world had such servants as they, where sure they were the unluckiest people in the world in servants, and so forth. All I mean by this representation is, to show you that we poor servants are not (what you called us too generally) all rogues; but that we are what we are, according to the example of our superiors. In the family I am now in, I am guilty of no one sin but lying; which I do with a grave face in my gown and staff every day I live, and almost all day long, in denying my lord to impertinent suitors, and my lady to unwelcome visitants. But, sir, I am to let you know, that I am, when I can get abroad, a leader of the servants; I am he that keeps time with beating my cudgel against the boards in the gallery at an opera; I am he that is touched so properly at a tragedy, when the people of quality are staring at one another during the most important incidents; when you hear in a crowd a cry in the right place, a hum where the point is touched in a speech; or a huzza set up where it is the voice

of the people, you may conclude it is begun, or joined by, sir, your more than humble servant, T. THOMAS TRUSTY.'

No. 97. THURSDAY, JUNE 21. By Steele.

Projecere animas—

VIRG. Æn. 1. 6. v. 436.

They prodigally threw their souls away.

AMONG the loose papers which I have frequently spoken of heretofore, I find a conversation between Pharamond and Eucrate upon the subject of duels, and the copy of an edict issued in consequence of that discourse.

Eucrate argued, that nothing but the most severe and vindictive punishment, such as placing the bodies of the offenders in chains, and putting them to death by the most exquisite torments, would be sufficient to extirpate a crime which had so long prevailed, and was so firmly fixed in the opinion of the world as great and laudable; but the king answered, that indeed instances of ignominy were necessary in the cure of this evil; but considering that it prevailed only among such as had a nicety in their sense of honour, and that if often happened that a duel was fought to save appearances to the world, when both parties were in their hearts in amity and reconciliation to each other; it was evident, that turning the mode another way would effectually put a stop to what had being only as a mode; that to such persons, poverty and shame were torments sufficient; that he would not go further in publishing in others, crimes which he was satisfied he himself was

most guilty of, in that he might have prevented them by speaking his displeasure sooner. Besides which the king said, he was in general averse to tortures, which was putting human nature itself, rather than the criminal, to disgrace; and that he would be sure not to use this means where the crime was but an ill effect arising from a laudable cause, the fear of shame. The king, at the same time, spoke with much grace upon the subject of mercy; and repented of many acts of that kind which had a magnificent aspect in the doing, but dreadful consequences in the example. Mercy to particulars, he observed, was cruelty in the general; that though a prince could not revive a dead man by taking the life of him who killed him, neither could he make reparation to the next that should die by the evil example, or answer to himself for the partiality, in not pardoning the next as well as the former offender. 'As for me (says Pharamond) I have conquered France, and yet have given laws to my people; the laws are my methods of life; they are not a diminution, but a direction to my power. I am still absolute to distinguish the innocent and the virtuous, to give honours to the brave and generous: I am absolute in my good will; none can oppose my bounty, or prescribe rules for my favour. While I can, as I please, reward the good, I am under no pain that I can not pardon the wicked; for which reason (continued Pharamond) I will effectually put a stop to this evil, by exposing no more the tenderness of my nature to the importunity of having the same respect to those who are miserable by their fault, and those who are so by their misfortunes. Flatterers (cone