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⚫ may impart fome Light towards a Difcovery of the Origin of Punning among us, and the Foundation of its prevailing fo long in this famous body. 'Tis notorious from the Inftance under Confideration, that it must be owing chiefly to the ufe of brown Jugs, muddy Belch, and the Fumes of a certain memorable Place of Rendezvous with us at Meals, known by the Name of Staincoat Hole: For the Atmosphere of the Kitchen, like the Tail of a Comet, predominates least about the Fire, but refides behind and fills the fragrant Receptacle above-mentioned. Befides, 'tis farther obfervable, that the delicate Spirits among us, who declare against these naufeous Proceedings, fip Tea, and put up for Critic and Amour, profefs likewife an • equal Abhorrence for Punning, the ancient innocent Diverfion of this Society. After all, Sir, tho' it may appear fomething abfurd, that I feem to approach you ' with the Air of an Advocate for Punning, (you who have juftified your Cenfures of the Practice in a set Differtation upon that Subject;) yet, I'm confident, you'll think it abundantly atoned for by obferving, that this humbler Exercise may be as inftrumental in diverting us from any innovating Schemes and Hypothefes in Wit, as dwelling upon honeft Orthodox Logic would be in fecuring us from Herefy in Religion. Had Mr. W -n's Researches been confined within the Bounds of Ramus or Crackenthorp, that learned News-monger might have acquiefced in what the holy Oracles pronounced upon the Deluge, like other Chriftians; and had the furprifing Mr. L-3 been content with the Employment of refining upon Shakespear's Points and Quibbles, (for which he muft be allowed to have a fuperlative Genius) and now and then penning a Catch or a Ditty, instead of inditing Odes, and Sonnets, the Gentlemen of the Bon • Goût in the Pit would never have been put to all that • Grimace in damning the Frippery of State, the Poverty ⚫ and Languor of Thought, the unnatural Wit, and inartificial Structure of his Dramas.

I am, SIR,

Your very bumble Servant,

Peter de Quir.
Thursday.

No. 397.

Thursday, June, 5.

Fecerat

-Dolor ipfe Difertum

Ovid. Metam. I. 13. v. 225.

For Grief infpired me then with Eloquence. DRYDEN.

S the Stoick Philofophers difcard all Paffions in ge

Aneral, they will not allow a Wife Man fo much as

to pity the Afflictions of another. If thou feeft thy Friend in Trouble, fays Epictetus, thou mayeft put on a Look of Sorrow, and condole with him, but take care that thy Sorrow be not real. The more rigid of this Sect would not comply fo far as to fhew even fuch an outward Appearance of Grief, but when one told them of any Calamity that had befallen even the nearest of their Acquaintance, would immediately reply, What is that to me? If you aggravated the Circumftances of the Affliction, and fhewed how one Misfortune was followed by another, the Answer was ftill, All this may be true, but what is it to me?

FOR my own part, I am of Opinion, Compaffion does not only refine and civilize Human Nature, but has fomething in it more pleafing and agreeable than what can be met with in fuch an indolent Happiness, fuch an Indifference to Mankind as that in which the Stoicks placed their Wisdom. As Love is the most delightful Paffion, Pity is nothing else but Love foftened by a degree of Sorrow: In fhort, it is a kind of pleafing Anguifh, as well as generous Sympathy, that knits Mankind together, and blends them in the fame common Lot.

THOSE who have laid down Rules for Rhetorick or Poetry, advise the Writer to work himself up, if poffible, to the pitch of Sorrow which he endeavours to produce in others. There are none therefore who ftir up Pity fo much as those who indite their own Sufferings. Grief has a natural Eloquence belonging to it, and breaks out in more moving Sentiments than can be sup

plied by the finest Imagination. Nature on this Occafion dictates a thousand paffionate things which cannot be supplied by Art.

IT is for this Reason that the short Speeches or Sentences which we often meet with in Histories, make a deeper Impreffion on the Mind of the Reader than the most laboured Strokes in a well-written Tragedy. Truth and Matter of Fact sets the Perfon actually before us in the one, whom Faction places at a greater Distance from 'us in the other. I do not remember to have seen any ancient or Modern Story more affecting than a Letter of Ann of Bologne, Wife to King Henry the Eighth, and Mcther to Queen Elizabeth, which is ftill extant in the Cotton Library, as written by her own Hand.

SHAKESPEAR himself could not have made her talk in a Strain fo fuitable to her Condition and Character. One fees in it the Expoftulation of a flighted Lover, the Refentments of an injur'd Woman, and the Sorrows of an imprisoned Queen. I need not acquaint my Reader that this Princefs was then under Profecution for Difloyalty to the King's Bed, and that fhe was afterwards publickly beheaded upon the fame Account, tho' this Prosecution was believed by many to proceed, as the herself intimates, rather from the King's Love to Jane Seymour, than from any actual Crime in Ann of Bologne.

Queen Ann Boleyn's laft Letter to King Henry.

SIR,

OUR Grace's Difpleafure, and my

⚫ unto me, as what to write, or what to excufe, I am altogether ignorant. Whereas you fend unto me (wil⚫ling me to confess a Truth, and fo obtain your Favour) by fuch an one, whom you know to be mine ancient profeffed Enemy, I no fooner received this Meffage by him, than I rightly conceived your meaning; and if, as you fay, confeffing a Truth indeed may procure my Safety, I fhall with all Willingness and Duty perform your Command.

BUT let not your Grace ever imagine, that your ⚫ poor Wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a Fault, ⚫ where

where not fo much as a Thought thereof preceded. And to fpeak a Truth, never Prince had Wife more Loy⚫al in all Duty, and in all true Affection, than you have ever found in Ann Boleyn: with which Name and Place I could willingly have contented myself, if God ⚫ and your Grace's Pleasure had been fo pleased. Nei⚫ther did I at any time fo far forget myself in my Exaltation or received Queenship, but that I always ⚫ looked for fuch an Alteration as I now find; for the Ground of my Preferment being on no furer Foundation than your Grace's Fancy, the leaft Alteration I ⚫ knew was fit and fufficient to draw that Fancy to fome ⚫ other Object. You have chofen me, from a low • Eftate, to be your Queen and Companion, far beyond ་ my Defert or Defire. If then you found me worthy ⚫ of fuch Honour, good your Grace let not any light Fancy, or bad Counsel of mine Enemies, withdraw your Princely Favour from me; neither let that Stain, that unworthy Stain, of a Difloyal Heart towards your good Grace, ever caft fo foul a Blot on your moft Dutiful Wife, and the Infant-Princess your Daughter. • Try me, good King, but let me have a lawful Trial, ⚫ and let not my fworn Enemies fit as my Accufers and Judges; Yea let me receive an open Trial, for · my Truth fhall fear no open Shame; then fhall you fee either mine Innocence cleared, your Sufpicion and • Conscience satisfied, the Ignominy, and Slander of the

World stopped, or my Guilt openly declared. So that ⚫ whatsoever God or you may determine of me, your • Grace may be free from an open Cenfure, and mine Offence being fo lawfully proved, your Grace is at liberty, both before God and Man, not only to execute worthy Punishment on me as an unlawful Wife, but to follow your Affection, already settled on that Party, for whose fake I am now as I am, whofe Name I ⚫ could fome good while fince have pointed unto, your Grace not being ignorant of my Sufpicion therein.

BUT if you have already determined of me, and that not only my death, but an infamous Slander muft bring you the enjoying of your defired Happi• nefs; then I defire of God, that he will pardon your great Sin therein, and likewise mine Enemies, the In• ftruments

• ftruments thereof, and that he will not call you to a ftrict Account for your unprincely and cruel Ufage of me, at his general Judgment-Seat, where both you and my felf muft shortly appear, and in whofe Judgment I doubt not (whatfoever the World may think of me) • mine Innocence fhall be openly known, and sufficiently 'cleared.

MY laft and only Request shall be, that myfelf may only bear the Burden of your Grace's Difpleasure, and that it may not touch the innocent Souls of thofe poor Gentlemen, who (as I understand) are likewise in strait Imprisonment for my fake. If ever I have found Fa-. vour in your Sight, if ever the Name of Ann Boleyn hath been pleasing in your Ears, then let me obtain this Request, and I will fo leave to trouble your Grace any • further, with mine earnest Prayers to the Trinity to ' have your Grace in his good Keeping, and to direct you in all your Actions. From my doleful Prison in the Tower, this fixth of May;

Your Moft Loyal

and ever faithful Wife, Ann Boleyn.

No. 398.

Friday, June 6.

Infanire pares certâ ratione modoque:

Hor. Sat. 3. 1. 2. v. 271..

-You'd be a Fool

With Art and Wisdom, and be mad by Rule. CREECH,

C

YNTHIO and Flavia are Perfons of Diftinction in this Town, who have been Lovers these ten Months laft paft, and writ to each other for Gallantry Sake, under those feigned Names: Mr. Such a one and Mrs: Such a one not being capable of raifing the Soul out of the ordinary Tracts and Paffages of Life, up to that Elevation which makes the Life of the Enamoured fo much fuperior to that of the reft of the World. But