le of the Abbey are two other small ones to the memory of his
brothers Josiah and John. Josiah, a captain of foot, was killed in
Flanders in 1708, in his 23rd year; John was a lieutenant in the
admiral's ship, under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, and perished with him in
1707, in his 24th year. [Chalmers.]--Heneage Twysden was killed at the
battle of Blarequies.]

[Footnote 177: The allusion is to the staff carried by the First Lord of
the Treasury.]

[Footnote 178: The House of Commons.]

[Footnote 179: "Any ladies who have any particular stories of their
acquaintance, which they are willing privately to make public, may send
them by the penny-post to Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq., enclosed to Mr. John
Morphew, near Stationers' Hall" (folio).]

No. 12. [STEELE.

From _Thursday, May 5_, to _Saturday, May 7_, 1709.

* * * * *

May 5.

When a man has engaged to keep a stage-coach, he is obliged, whether he
has passengers or not, to set out: thus it fares with us weekly
historians; but indeed, for my particular, I hope I shall soon have
little more to do in this work, than to publish what is sent me from
such as have leisure and capacity for giving delight, and being pleased
in an elegant manner. The present grandeur of the British nation might
make us expect, that we should rise in our public diversions, and manner
of enjoying life, in proportion to our advancement in glory and power.
Instead of that, take and survey this town, and you'll find, rakes and
debauchees are your men of pleasure; thoughtless atheists, and
illiterate drunkards, call themselves free thinkers; and gamesters,
banterers, biters,[180] swearers, and twenty new-born insects more, are,
in their several species, the modern men of wit. Hence it is, that a man
who has been out of town but one half-year, has lost the language, and
must have some friend to stand by him, and keep him in countenance for
talking common sense. To-day I saw a short interlude at White's of this
nature, which I took notes of, and put together as well as I could in a
public place. The persons of the drama are, Pip, the last gentleman that
has been made so at cards; Trimmer, a person half undone at them, and is
now between a cheat and a gentleman; Acorn, an honest Englishman, of
good plain sense and meaning; and Mr. Friendly, a reasonable man of the
town.

White's Chocolate-house, May 5.

[_Enter_ PIP, TRIM, _and_ ACORN.

AC. What's the matte