ent
politicians on that occasion.

That I might begin as near the fountain-head as possible, I first
of all called in at St. James's, where I found the whole outward
room in a buzz of politics; the speculations were but very
indifferent towards the door, but grew finer as you advanced to the
upper end of the room, and were so much improved by a knot of
theorists, who sat in the inner room, within the steams of the
coffee-pot, that I there heard the whole Spanish monarchy disposed
of, and all the line of Bourbons provided for in less than a
quarter of an hour.

I afterwards called in at Giles's, where I saw a board of French
gentlemen sitting upon the life and death of their grand monarque.
Those among them who had espoused the Whig interest very positively
affirmed that he had departed this life about a week since, and
therefore, proceeded without any further delay to the release of
their friends in the galleys, and to their own re-establishment;
but, finding they could not agree among themselves, I proceeded on
my intended progress.

Upon my arrival at Jenny Man's I saw an alert young fellow that
cocked his hat upon a friend of his, who entered just at the same
time with myself, and accosted him after the following manner:
"Well, Jack, the old prig is dead at last. Sharp's the word. Now or
never, boy. Up to the walls of Paris, directly;" with several other
deep reflections of the same nature.

I met with very little variation in the politics between Charing
Cross and Covent Garden. And, upon my going into Will's, I found
their discourse was gone off, from the death of the French King, to
that of Monsieur Boileau, Racine, Corneille, and several other
poets, whom they regretted on this occasion as persons who would
have obliged the world with very noble elegies on the death of so
great a prince, and so eminent a patron of learning.

At a coffee-house near the Temple, I found a couple of young
gentlemen engaged very smartly in a dispute on the succession to
the Spanish monarchy. One of them seemed to have been retained as
advocate for the Duke of Anjou, the other for his Imperial Majesty.
They were both for regarding the title to that kingdom by the
statute laws of England; but finding them going out of my depth, I
pressed forwar