attended with a grievous stench; that many of the said men were, by the force of that herb, metamorphosed into swine, and lay wallowing in the kennels for twenty-four hours before they could re-assume their shapes or their senses. "It was proved against the second, that she cut off by night the limbs from dead bodies that were hanged, and was seen to dig holes in the ground, to mutter some conjuring words, and bury pieces of the flesh after the usual manner of witches. "The third was accused for a notorious piece of sorcery, long practised by hags, of moulding up pieces of dough into the shapes of men, women, and children; then heating them at a gentle fire, which had a sympathetic power to torment the bowels of those in the neighbourhood. "This was the sum of what was objected against the three ladies; who, indeed, had nothing to say in their own defence but downright deny the facts, which is like to avail very little when they come upon their trials. 6 "But the parson of our parish, a strange refractory man, will believe nothing of all this; so that the whole town cries out, Shame! that one of his coat should be such an atheist;' and design to complain of him to the Bishop: he goes about very oddly to solve the matter. He supposes that the first of these ladies keeping a brandy and tobacco shop, the fellows went out smoking, and got drunk towards evening, and made themselves beasts. He says, the second is a butcher's daughter, and sometimes brings a quarter of mutton from the slaughter-house overnight against a market-day, and once buried a bit. of beef in the ground, as a known receipt to cure warts on her hands. The parson affirms, that the third sells gingerbread; which, to please the children, she is forced to stamp with images before it is baked; and if it burns their guts, it is because they eat too much, or do not drink after it. "These are the answers he gives to solve those wonderful phenomena: upon which I shall not animadvert, but leave it among philosophers: and so, wishing you all success in your undertakings for the amendment of the world, I remain, dear cousin, "Your most affectionate kinsman, " and humble servant, "EPHRAIM BEDSTAFF. "P. S. Those who were condemned to death among the Athenians were obliged to take a dose of poison, which made them die upwards; seizing first upon their feet, making them cold and insensible, and so ascending gradually, until it reached the vital parts. I believe your death, which you foretold would happen on the seventeenth instant, will fall out the same way, and that your distemper hath already seized on you, and makes progress daily. The lower part of you, that is, the Advertisements, is dead; and these have risen for these ten days last past, so that they now take up almost a whole paragraph. Pray, Sir, do you endeavour to drive this distemper as much as possible to the extreme parts, and keep it there, as wise folks do the gout: for, if it once gets into your stomach, it will soon fly up into your head, and you are a dead man." St. James's Coffee-house, May 27. We hear from Leghorn, that Sir Edward Whitaker, with five men of war, four transports, and two fire-ships, were arrived at that port; and Admiral Byng was suddenly expected. Their squadrons being joined, they designed to sail directly for Final, to transport the reinforcements lodged in those parts to Barcelona. They write from Milan, that Count Thaun arrived there on the sixteenth instant, N. S. and proceeded on his journey to Turin on the twenty-first, in order to concert such measures with his Royal Highness, as shall appear necessary for the operations of the ensuing campaign. Advices from Dauphiné say, that the troops of the Duke of Savoy begin already to appear in those valleys, whereof he made himself master the last year; and that the Duke of Berwick applied himself with all imaginable diligence to secure the passes of the mountains, by ordering intrenchments to be made towards Briançon, Tourneau, and the valley of Queiras. That general has also been at Marseilles and Toulon, to hasten the transportation of the corn and provisions designed for his army. Letters from Vienna, bearing date May the twenty-third, N. S. import, that the Cardinal of Saxe Zeits and the Prince of Lichtenstein were preparing to set out for Presburg, to assist at the diet of the States of Hungary, which is to be assembled at that place on the twenty-fifth of this month. General Heister will shortly appear at the head of his army at Trentschin, which place is appointed for the general rendezvous of the Imperial forces in Hungary; from whence he will advance to lay siege to Newhausel. In the mean time reinforcements, with a great train of artillery, are marching the same way. The King of Denmark arrived on the tenth instant at Inspruck, and on the twenty-fifth at Dresden, under a triple discharge of the artillery of that place; but his Majesty refused the ceremonies of a public entry. Our letters from the Upper Rhine say, that the Imperial army began to form itself at Etlingen; where the respective deputies of the Elector Pala VOL. I. tine, the Prince of Baden Durlach, the Bishopric of Spires, &c. were assembled, and had taken the necessary measures for the provision of forage, the security of the country against the incursions of the enemy, and laying a bridge over the Rhine. Several vessels laden with corn are daily passing before Frankfort for the Lower Rhine. Letters from Poland inform us, that a detachment of Muscovite cavalry, under the command of General Instand, had joined the confederate army; and the infantry, commanded by General Goltz, was expected to come up within few days. These succours will amount to twenty thousand men. Our last advices from the Hague, dated June the fourth, N. S. say, that they expected a courier from the French Court, with a ratification of the preliminaries, that night or the day following. His Grace the Duke of Marlborough will set out for Brussels on Wednesday or Thursday next, if the dispatches which are expected from Paris do not alter his resolutions. Letters from Majorca confirm the honourable capitulation of the castle of Alicant, and also the death of the Governor, Major-general Richards, Colonel Sibourg, and Major Vignolles, who were all buried in the ruins of that place by the springing of the great mine, which did, it seems, more execution than was reported. Monsieur Torcy passed through Mons in his return, and had there a long conference with the Elector of Bavaria ; after which, that Prince spoke publicly of the treatment he had received from France with the utmost indignation. Any person that shall come publicly abroad in a fantastical habit, contrary to the present mode * * * and fashion, except Don Diego Dismallo *, or any other out of poverty, shall have his name and dress inserted in our next. N. B. Mr. How'd'yecall is desired to leave off those buttons. N° 22. TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1709. Quicquid agunt homines nostri est farrago libelli. Juv. Sat. i. 85, 86. Whate'er men do, or say, or think, or dream, White's Chocolate-house, May 28. P. I CAME hither this evening to see fashions; and who should I first encounter but my old friend Cynthio (encompassed by a crowd of young fellows) dictating on the passion of love with the gayest air imaginable! "Well," says he, "as to what I know of the matter, there is nothing but ogling with skill carries a woman; but indeed it is not every fool that is capable of this art; you will find twenty can speak eloquently, fifty that can fight manfully, and a thousand that can dress genteelly at a mistress, where there is one that can gaze skilfully. This requires an exquisite judgment, to take the language of her eyes to yours exactly, and not let yours talk * This is well known to have been a nick-name given, in the rage of party, to a very respectable nobleman, the Earl of Nottingham. |