ng the meekness of his office, and tending to
give offence and scandal to all good people.

"Your petitioners further say, that they are ready to prove the
aforesaid allegations; and therefore humbly hope, that from a true
sense of their condition, you will please to receive the said
preacher into the hospital, until he shall recover a right use of
his senses.

"And your petitioners," &c.

[Footnote 131: The whole attention of the town in March 1710 was devoted
to the Sacheverell trial. See Nos. 140, 142, 157.]

[Footnote 132: See No. 145.]

[Footnote 133: See No. 138.]

[Footnote 134: See No. 35.]

[Footnote 135: The foot of London Bridge. There was a tavern, famous in
the seventeenth century, called "The Bear at the Bridge-foot," below
London Bridge.]

[Footnote 136: See No. 137.]

No. 142. [STEELE.

From _Saturday, March 4_, to _Tuesday, March 7, 1709-10_.

* * * * *

_Sheer Lane, March 6._

All persons who employ themselves in public, are still interrupted in
the course of their affairs: and it seems, the admired Cavalier Nicolini
himself is commanded by the ladies, who at present employ their time
with great assiduity in the care of the nation, to put off his day till
he shall receive their commands, and notice that they are at leisure for
diversions.[137] In the meantime it is not to be expressed, how many
cold chickens the fair ones have eaten since this day sennight for the
good of their country. This great occasion has given birth to many
discoveries of high moment for the conduct of life. There is a toast of
my acquaintance told me, she had now found out, that it was day before
nine in the morning;[138] and I am very confident, if the affair holds
many days longer, the ancient hours of eating will be revived among us,
many having by it been made acquainted with the luxury of hunger and
thirst.

There appears, methinks, something very venerable in all assemblies: and
I must confess, I envied all who had youth and health enough to make
their appearance there, that they had the happiness of being a whole day
in the best company in the world. During the adjournment of that awful
court, a neighbour of mine was telling me, that it gave him a notion of
the ancient grandeur of the English hospitality, to see Westminster Hall
a dining-room