they may have frequent occafion to confider what they are doing, and by that means cut the thread of their Story fhort, and hurry to a conclufion. I fhall only add, that this watch, with a paper of directions how to use it, is fold at Charles Lillie's. I am afraid a Tatler will be thought a very improper Paper to cenfure this humour of being talkative; but I would have my readers know, that there is a great difference between Tattle and Loquacity, as I fhall fhew at large in a following Lucubration; it being my defign to throw away a candle upon that fubject, in order to explain the whole art of Tattling in all its branches and fubdivifions. N° 265. Tuesday, December 19, 1710. Arbiter hic igitur faftus de lite jocosa. OVID. Met. lib. 3. ver. 331, -Him therefore they create The fov'reign umpire of their droll debate. Continuation of the Journal of the Court of Honour, &c. S foon as the Court was fat, the Ladies of the bench prefented, according to order, a table of all the laws now in force, relating to Vifits and Visitingdays, methodically digefted under their refpective heads, which the Cenfor ordered to be laid upon the table, and afterwards proceeded upon the business of the day. Henry Heedlefs, Efquire, was indicted by Colonel Touchy of her Majesty's Trained Bands, upon an action of affault and battery; for that he the faid Mr. Heedlefs, having efpied a feather upon the fhoulder of the faid Colonel, ftruck it off gently with the end of a walkingftaff, value three-pence. It appeared, That the profecutor did not think himself injured, until a few days VOL. IV. after after the aforefaid blow was given him; but that having ruminated with himself for feveral days, and conferred upon it with other Officers of the militia, he concluded, that he had in effect been cudgelled by Mr. Heedlefs, and that he ought to refent it accordingly. The Counfel for the profecutor alledged, That the fhoulder was the tendereft part of a man of Honour; that it had a natural antipathy to a ftick; and that every touch of it, with any thing made in the fashion of a cane, was to bę interpreted as a wound in that part, and a violation of the perfon's Honour who received it. Mr. Heedless replied, That what he had done was out of kindness to the profecutor, as not thinking it proper for him to appear at the head of the Trained Bands with a feather upon his thoulder; and further added, that the stick he had made ufe of on this occafion was fo very fmall, that the profecutor could not have felt it, had he broke it on his fhoulders. The Cenfor hereupon directed the Jury to examine into the nature of the ftaff, for that a great deal would depend upon that particular. Upon which he explained to them the different degrees of offence, that might be given by the touch of crab-tree from that of cane, and by the touch of cane from that of a plain hazle ftick. The Jury, after a fhort perufal of the ftaff, declared their opinion by the mouth of their foreman, that the fubitance of the ftaff was British oak. The Cenfor then obferving that there was fome duft on the skirts of the criminal's coat, ordered the profecutor to beat it off with the aforefaid oaken plant; and thus, said the Cenfor, I fhall decide this caufe by the law of Retaliation: If Mr. Heedlefs did the Colonel a good office, the Colonel will by this means return it in kind; but if Mr. Heedlefs fhould at any time boaft that he had cudgelled the Colonel, or laid his ftaff over his fhoulders, the Colonel might boaft, in his turn, that he has brushed Mr. Heedlefs's jacket, or, to use the phrafe of an ingenious Author, that he has rubbed him down with an oaken towel. Benjamin Bufy of London, merchant, was indicted by Fafper Tattle, Efquire, for having pulled out his watch and looked upon it thrice, while the faid Efquire Tattle was giving him an account of the funeral of the faid Efquire Efquire Tattle's firft wife. The prifoner alledged in his defence, That he was going to buy ftocks at the time when he met the profecutor; and that during the ftory. of the profecutor, the faid flocks rofe above two per Cent to the great detriment of the prifoner. The prisoner further brought feveral witnesses to prove, that the faid Fafper Tattle, Efquire, was a most notorious Storyteller: That before he met the prifoner, he had hindered one of the prifoner's acquaintance from the purfuit of his lawful business, with the account of his fecond marriage; and that he had detained another by the but ton of his coat, that very morning, until he had heard feveral witty fayings and contrivances of the profecutor's eldeft fon, who was a boy of about five years of age. Upon the whole matter, Mr. Bickerstaff difmiffed the ac cufation as frivolous, and fentenced the profecutor to pay damages to the prifoner, for what the prifoner had loft by giving him fo long and patient an hearing. He further reprimanded the profecutor very feverely, and told him, that if he proceeded in his ufual manner to in-terrupt the bufinefs of mankind, he would fet a fine upon him for every quarter of an hour's impertinence, and regulate the faid fine according as the time of the perfon fo injured fhould appear to be more or lefs precious. Sir Paul Swah, Knight, was indicted by Peter Double, Gentleman, for not returning the bow which he received of the faid Peter Double, on Wednesday the fixth inftant at the play-houfe in the Hay-market. The prifoner denied the receipt of any fuch bow, and alledged in his defence, That the profecutor would oftentimes look full in his face, but that when he bowed to the faid profecutor, he would take no notice of it, or bow to fome body elfe that fat quite on the other fide of him. He likewife alledged, that feveral Ladies had complained of the profecutor, who, after ogling them a quarter of an hour, upon their making a courtefy to him, would not return the civility of a bow. The Cenfor obferving fe-veral glances of the profecutor's eye, and perceiving, that when he talked to the Court, he looked upon the Jury, found reason to suspect there was a wrong caft in his fight, which upon examination proved true. The Cenfor therefore ordered the prifoner, that he might not produce Cc 2 L produce any more confufions in public affemblies, never to bow to any body whom he did not at the fame time call to by his name. Oliver Bluff and Benjamin Browbeat were indicted for going to fight a duel fince the erection of The Court "of Honour.” It appeared, That they were both taken up in the street as they paffed by the Court, in their way to the fields behind Montague-houfe. The criminals would answer nothing for themfelves, but that they were going to execute a challenge, which had been made above a week before the "Court of Honour" was erected. The Cenfor finding fome reafon to fufpect, by the sturdiness of their behaviour, that they were not fo very brave as they would have the Court believe them, ordered them to be fearched by the Grand Jury, who found a breaft-plate upon the one, and two quires of paper upon the other. The breaft-plate was immediately ordered to be hung upon a peg over Mr. Bickerstaff's tribunal, and the paper to be laid upon the table for the ufe of his clerk. He then ordered the criminals to button up their bofoms, and, if they pleafed, proceed to their duel. Upon which they both went very quietly out of the Court, and retired to their refpective lodgings. The court then adjourned until after the holidays." Copia vera, Charles Lillie.. Thursday, N° 266. Thurfday, December 21, 1710. Rideat & pulfet lafciva décentiùs atas. HOR. Ep. 2. lib. 2. ver. ult. Let youth, more decent in their follies, fcoff IT FRANCIS, From my own Apartment, December 20. T would be a good Appendix to "The Art of Living and Dying," if any one would write "The "Art of growing Old," and teach men to refign their pretenfions to the pleafures and gallantries of youth, in proportion to the alteration they find in themfelves by the approach of age and infirmities. The infirmities of this ftage of life would be much fewer, if we did not affect thofe which attend the more vigorous and activepart of our days; but, inftead of ftudying to be wiser, or being contented with our prefent follies, the ambition of many. of us is alfo to be the fame fort of fools we formerly have been. I have often argued, as I am a pro-feffed Lover of women, that our Sex grows old with a much worfe grace than the other does; and have ever been of opinion, that there are more well-pleafed old women, than old men. I thought it a good reafon for this, that the ambition of the Fair Sex being confined to advantageous marriages, or fhining in the eyes of men, their parts were over fooner, and confequently the errors in the performance of them. The converfation of this evening has not convinced me of the contrary; for one or two Fop-women thall not make a balance for the crouds of Coxcombs among ourfelves, diverfified ac cording to the different purfuits of pleafure and bufinefs, Returnings |