HE first of our Society is a Gentleman of Worcestershire, of ancient Defcent, a Baronet, his Name Sir

ROGER DE COVERLEY. His Great Grandfather was Inventor of that famous CountryDance which is called after him. All who know that Shire are very well acquainted with the Parts and Merits of Sir ROGER. He is a Gentleman that is very fingular in his Behaviour, but his Singularities proceed from his good Senfe, and are Contradictions to the Manners of the World, only as he thinks the World is in the wrong. How

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ever, this Humour creates him no Enemies, for he does nothing with Sournefs or Obftinacy; and his being unconfined to Modes and Forms, makes him but the readier and more capable to please and oblige all who know him. When he is in Town, he lives in Soho-Square. It is faid, he keeps himself a Bachelor by reafon he was croffed in Love by a perverfe beautiful Widow of the next County to him. Before this Disappointment, Sir ROGER was what you call a fine Gentleman, had often supped with my Lord Rochester and Sir George Etherege, fought a Duel upon his first coming to Town, and kicked Bully Dawson in a publick Coffee-house for calling him Youngfter. being ill used by the above-mentioned Widow, he was very serious for a Year and a half; and though, his Temper being naturally jovial, he at laft got over it, he grew careless of himself, and never dreffed afterwards. He continues to wear a Coat and Doublet of the fame Cut that were in Fashion at the Time of his Repulfe, which, in his merry Humours, he tells us, has been in and out twelve Times fince he firft wore it. He is now in his fifty-fixth Year, cheerful, gay, and hearty; keeps a good House both in Town and Country; a great Lover of Mankind; but there is fuch a mirthful Cast in his Behaviour, that he is rather

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beloved than esteemed. His Tenants grow rich, his Servants look fatisfied, all the young Women profess Love to him, and the young Men are glad of his Company: When he comes into a House he calls the Servants by their Names, and talks all the Way up Stairs to a Vifit. I must not omit, that Sir ROGER is a Juftice of the Quorum; that he fills the Chair at a Quarter-Seffion with great Abilities, and three Months ago gained univerfal Applause by explaining a Paffage in the Game

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THE Gentleman next in Efteem and Authority among us, is another Bachelor, who is a Member of the Inner-Temple; a Man of great Probity, Wit, and Understanding; but he has chofen his Place of Refidence rather to obey the Direction of an old humourfom Father, than in pursuit of his own Inclinations. He was placed there to ftudy the Laws of the Land, and is the most learned of any of the House in those of the Stage. Ariftotle and Longinus are much better understood by him than Littleton or Coke. The Father fends up every Poft Questions relating to Marriage - Articles, Leases, and Tenures, in the Neighbourhood; all which Questions he agrees with an Attorney to anfwer and take care of in the Lump. He is studying the Paffions themselves, when he fhould

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be inquiring into the Debates among Men which arife from them. He knows the Argument of each of the Orations of Demosthenes and Tully, but not one Case in the Reports of our own Courts. No one ever took him for a Fool, but none, except his intimate Friends, know he has a great deal of Wit. This Turn makes him at once both difinterested and agreeable: As few of his Thoughts are drawn from Business, they are most of them fit for Converfation. His Tafte of Books is a little too juft for the Age he lives in; he has read all, but approves of very few. His Familiarity with the Customs, Manners, Actions, and Writings of the Ancients, makes him a very delicate Observer of what occurs to him in the present World. He is an excellent Critick, and the Time of the Play is his Hour of Business; exactly at five he paffes through New-Inn, croffes through Russell-Court, and takes a turn at Wills till the Play begins; he has his Shoes rubbed and his Periwig powdered at the Barber's as you go into the Rofe. It is for the Good of the Audience when he is at a Play, for the Actors have an Ambition to please him.

THE Person of next Confideration, is Sir ANdrew Freeport, a Merchant of great Eminence in the City of London. A Perfon of indefatigable Industry, ftrong Reason, and great Experience.

His Notions of Trade are noble and generous, and (as every rich Man has usually some fly Way of Jefting, which would make no great Figure were he not a rich Man) he calls the Sea the British Common. He is acquainted with Commerce in all its Parts, and will tell you that it is a stupid and barbarous Way to extend Dominion by Arms; for true Power is to be got by Arts and Industry. He will often argue, that if this Part of our Trade were well cultivated, we should gain from one Nation; and if another, from another. I have heard him prove, that Diligence makes more lafting Acquifitions than Valour, and that Sloth has ruined more Nations than the Sword. He abounds in feveral frugal Maxims, amongst which the greatest Favourite is, 'A Penny faved is a Penny got.' A general Trader of good Senfe is pleasanter Company than a general Scholar; and Sir ANDREW having a natural unaffected Eloquence, the Perfpicuity of his Discourse gives the same Pleasure that Wit would in another Man. He has made his Fortunes himself; and says that England may be richer than other Kingdoms, by as plain Methods as he himself is richer than other Men; though at the same time I can fay this of him, that there is not a Point in the Compass but blows home a Ship in which he is an Owner.