felves a Title from their firft Adventure, as Don Quixot ufually did from his laft. This arifeth from that great Importance which every Man supposeth himself to be of.

One Dennis, commonly called the Critick, who had written a three Penny Pamphlet against the Power of France, being in the Country, and hearing of a French Privateer hovering about the Coaft, although he was twenty Miles from the Sea, fled to Town, and told his Friends, they need not wonder at his Hafte; for the King of France, having got Intelligence where he was, had fent a Privateer on Purpose to catch him.

Dr. Gee, Prebendary of Westminster, who had written a small Paper against Popery, being obliged to travel for his Health, affected to disguise his Perfon, and change his Name, as he paffed through Portugal, Spain, and Italy; telling all the English People he met, that he was afraid of being murdered, or put into the Inquifition. He was acting the fame Farce at Paris, until Mr. Prior (who was then Secretary to the Ambaffy) quite difconcerted the Doctor, by maliciously discovering the Secret, and offering to engage, Body for Body, that not a Creature would hurt him, or had ever heard of him or his. Pamphlet.

A Chamber-maid to a Lady of my Acquaintance, thirty Miles from London, had the very fame Turn of Thought, when talking with one of her Fellow-Servants, she said,

"I hear it is all over London already, that I am going to leave my Lady." And fo had a Footman, who being newly married, defired his Comrade to tell him freely what the Town faid of it. When somebody was telling a certain great Minister, that the People were discontented : "Poh, faid he, half a dozen Fools "are prating in a Coffee-house, and presently "think their own Noife about their Ears is "made by the World."

Whence comes the Cuftom of bidding a Woman look upon her Apron-ftrings to find an Excufe? Was it not from the Apron of Fig-leaves worn by Eve, when the covered. herself; and was the firft of her Sex who made a bad Excufe for eating the forbidden Fruit ?

I never wonder to fee Men wicked, but I often wonder to fee them not afhamed.

Do not we see how eafily we pardon our own Actions and Paffions, and the very Infirmities of our Bodies; why fhould it be wonderful to find us pardon our own Dulness?

Dignity and Station, or great Riches, are in fome Sort neceffary to old Men, in order to keep the younger at a Diftance, who are otherwife too apt to infult them upon the Score of their Age.

There is no Vice or Folly that requireth fo much Nicety and Skill to manage, as Vanity; nor any which, by ill Management, maketh fo contemptible a Figure.

Obfervation is an old Man's Memory.

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Politicks are nothing but Corruptions, and are confequently of no Ufe to a good King, or a good Ministry; for which Reafon all Courts are fo full of Politicks.

Eloquence fmooth and cutting, is like a Razor whetted with Oil.

Imaginary Evils foon become real ones, by indulging our Reflections on them; as he, who, in a melancholy Fancy, feeth fomething like a Face on the Wall or the Wainfcot, can, by two or three Touches with a leaden Pencil, make it look vifible and agreeing with what he fancied.

Men of great Parts are often unfortunate in the Management of publick Bufinefs; because they are apt to go out of the common Road, by the Quickness of their Imagination. This I once faid to my Lord Bolingbroke, and defired he would obferve, that the Clerks in his Office used a fort of Ivory Knife, with a blunt Edge, to divide a Sheet of Paper, which never failed to cut it even, only requiring a strong Hand; whereas, if they should make use of a sharp Penknife, the Sharpness would make it go often out of the Creafe, and disfigure the Paper.

He who doth not provide for his own Houfe, St. Paul fayeth, is worse than an Infidel. And I think, he who provideth only for his own House, is just equal with an Infidel.

Jealousy like Fire may fhrivel up Horns, but it makes them stink.

A

A Footman's Hat fhould fly off to every Body; and therefore Mercury, who was Jupi ter's Footman, had Wings fastened to his Cap.

When a Man pretendeth Love, but courteth for Money, he is like a Juggler, who conjureth away your Shilling, and conveyeth fomething very indecent under the Hat.

All Panegyricks are mingled with an Infufion of Poppy.

One Top of Parnaffus was facred to Bacchus, the other to Apollo.

Matrimony hath many Children; Repentance, Difcord, Poverty, Jealoufy, Sickness, Spleen, Loathing, &c.

Vision is the Art of feeing Things invifible. The two Maxims of any great Man at Court are, always to keep his Countenance, and never to keep his Word..

I asked a poor Man how he did? He faid, he was like a Washball, always in Decay.

Hippocrates, Aph. 32. Sect. 6. obferveth, that ftuttering People are always fubject to a Looseness. I wish Physicians had Power to remove the Profufion of Words in many People to the inferior Parts.

a

A Man dreamt he was a Cuckold; Friend told him it was a bad Sign, because when a Dream is true, Virgil fayeth, it paffeth through the horned Gate.

Love is a Flame, and therefore we say, Beauty is attractive; because Phyficians obferve, that Fire is a great Drawer.

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Civis,

Civis, the most honourable Name among the Romans; a Citizen, a Word of Contempt among us.

A Lady who had Gallantries, and several Children, told her Husband, he was like the auftere Man, who reaped where he did not fow.

We read that an Afs's Head was fold for eighty Pieces of Silver; they have been lately fold ten thousand times dearer, and yet they were never more plentiful.

I must complain the Cards are ill fhuffled, until I have a good Hand.

Very few Men do properly live at present, but are providing to live another Time.

When I am reading a Book, whether wife or filly, it seemeth to me to be alive and talking to me.

Whoever live at a different End of the Town from me, I look upon as Persons out of the World, and only myself and the Scene about me to be in it.

When I was young, I thought all the World as well as myself was wholly taken up in difcourfing upon the laft new Play.

My Lord Cromarty, after fourscore, went to his Country Houfe in Scotland, with a Refolution to stay fix Years there and live thriftily, in order to fave up Money, that he might fpend in London.

It is faid of the Horfes in the Vision, that their Power was in their Mouths and in their