Qui didicit patriæ quid debeat & quid amicis, ilor. He who knows what he owes to his Country and his Friends, what Degree of Affection is due to his Father, his Brather and a Stranger; be, 1 fay, understands how to give every Man his juft Character. N° 193. I Tuesday, July 4, 1710. Will's Coffee boufe, July 3. HAVE of late received many Epifles, wherein the Writers treat me as a mercenary Perfon for fome little Hints concerning Matters which they think I fhould not have touched upon but for fordid Confiderations. It is apparent, That my Motive could not be of that Kind; for when a Man declares himself openly on one Side, that Party will take no more Notice of him, because he is fure; and the Set of Men whom he declares againft, for the fame Reafon are violent against him. Thus it is Folly in a Hain Dealer to expect, that either his Friends will reward him, or his Enemies forgive him. For which Reafon, I thought it was the fhorteit Way to Impartiality, to put myself beyond further Hopes or Fears, by declaring myself, at a Time when the Difpute is not about Perfons and Parties, but Things and Caufes. To relieve myself from the Vexation which naturally attends fuch Reflections, I came hither this Evening to give my Thoughts quite a new Turn, and converfe with Men of Pleasure and Wit, rather than thofe of Bufinefs and Intrigue. I had hardly entered the Room when I was accofted by Mr. Thomas Dorget, who defired my Favour in Relation to the Play which was to be acted for his Benefit on Thursday. He pleafed me in faying it was The Old Batchelor, in 15 which Comedy there is a neceffary Circumftance obferv'd by the Author, which most other Poets either overlook or do not understand, that is to fay, the Diftinction of Characters. It is very ordinary with Writers to indulge a certain Modesty of believing all Men as witty as themfelves, and making all the Perfons of the Play fpeak the Sentiments of the Author, without any manner of Refpect to the Age, Fortune or Quality, of him that is on the Stage. Ladies talk like Rakes, and Footmen make Similies: But this Writer knows Men; which makes his Plays reafonable Entertainments, while the Scenes of most others are like the Tunes between the Acts. They are perhaps agreeable Sounds, but they have no Ideas affixed to them. Dogget thanked me for my Vifit to him in the Winter, and, after his Comick Manner, fpoke his Request with fo arch a Leer, that I promifed the Drole I would fpeak to all my Acquaintance to be at this Play. WHATEVER the World may think of the Actors, whether it be that their Parts have an Effect on their Lives, or whatever it is, you fee a wonderful Benevolence among them towards the Interests and Neceffities of each other. Dogget therefore would not let me go, without delivering me a Letter from poor old Downs the Prompter, wherein that Retainer to the Theatre defires my Advice and Affistance in a Matter of concern to him. I have fent him my private Opinion for his Conduct; but the Stage and the State Affairs being fo much canvaffed by Parties and Factions, I fhall for fome Time hereafter take Leave of Subjects which relate to either of them, and employ my Cares in the Confideration of Matters, which regard that Part of Mankind, who live without interefting themselves with the Troubles or Pleafures of either. However, for a meer Notion of the prefent Pofture of the Stage, I fhall give you the Letter at large as follows. Honoured Sir, F you July 1, 1710. INDING by divers of your late Papers, that are a Friend to the Profeffion of which I was many Years an unworthy Member, I the rather make bold to crave your Advice touching a Propofal that has been lately made me of coming again into Bufinefs, and the Sub-Admi niftration niftration of Stage Affairs. I have, from my Youth been bred up behind the Curtain, and been a Prompter from the Time of the Refloration. I have feen many Changes, as well of Scenes as of Actors, and have known Men within my Remembrance arrive to the higheft Dignities of the Theatre, who made their Entrance in the Quality of Mutes, Joint-Stools, Flower-pots, and Tapestry Hangings. It cannot be unknown to the Nobility and Gentry, That a Gentleman of the Inns of Court, and a deep Intriguer, had fome Time fince worked himself into the fole Management and Direction of the Theatre. Nor is Nor is it lefs notorious, That his reftlefs Ambition, and fubtle Machinations, did manifeftly tend to the Extirpation of the good old British Actors, and the Introduction of foreign Pretenders; fuch as Harlequins, French Dancers, and Roman Singers; which, though they impoverish'd the Proprietors, and impofed on the Audience, were for fome Time tolerated, by Reafon of his dextrous Infinuations, which prevailed upon a few deluded Women, especially the Vizard Mafks, to believe that the Stage was in Danger. But his Schemes were foon expofed, and the Great ones that Supported him withdrawing their Favour, he made his Exit, and remained for a Seafon in Obfcurity. During this Retreat the Machiavilian was not idle, but fecretly fomented Divifions, and wrought over to his Side fome of the inferior Actors, referving a Trap Door to himself, to which only be had a Key. This Entrance fecured, this cunning PerJon, to compleat his Company, bethought himself of calling in the most eminent Strollers from all Parts of the Kingdom. I have feen them all ranged together behind the Scenes; but they are many of them Perfons that never trod the Stage before, and fo very aukward and ungainly, that it is impoffible to believe the Audience will bear them. He was looking over his Catalogue of Plays, and indeed picked up a good tolerable Set of grave Faces for Courfeliers, to appear in the famous Scene of Venice preferv'd, when the Danger is over; but they being but meer Outfides, and the Actors having a great Mind to play The Tempelt, there is not a Man of them, when ke ist perform any Thing above Dumb Show, is capable of celing with a good Grace fo much as the Part of Trincalo. However the Mafter perfifts in his Defign, and is fitting fitting up the old Storm; but I am afraid he will not be able to procure able Sailors or experienced Officers for Love or Money. BESIDES all this, when he comes to caft the Parts, there is fo great a Confufion among ft them for Want of proper Actors, that for my Part I am wholly difcouraged. The Play with which they defign to open is, The Duke and no Duke; and they are fo put to it, that the Mafter himfelf is to act the Conjurer, and they have no one for the General but honeft George Powell, NOW, Sir, they being fo much at a Lofs for the Dramatis Perfonæ, viz. the Perfons to enact, and the whole Frame of the Houfe being defigned to be altered, I defire your Opinion, Whether you think it advifeable for me to undertake to prompt 'em? For though I can clash Swords when they reprefent a Battle, and have yet Lungs enough left to buzza their Victories, I question, if I should prompt 'em right, whether they would act accordingly. I am Your Honour's most humble Servant, J. Downes. P. S. Sir, fince I writ this, I am credibly informed, That they defign a new House in Lincoln's Inn-Fields, near the Popish Chapel, to be ready by Michaelmas next, which indeed is but repairing an old one that has already failed. You know the boneft Man who kept the Office is gone already. N° 194. Militat omnis amans. Every Lover is a Soldier. Thursday, July 6, 1710. Ovid. I From my own Apartment, July 5. WAS this Morning reading the Tenth Canto in the Fourth Book of Spencer, in which Sir Scudamore relates the Progrefs of his Courtship to Amoret under a very beautiful Allegory, which is one of the moft natural and unmixed of any in that most excellent Author. I fhall tranfprofe it, to ufe Mr. Bay's Term, for the Benefit of many English Lovers, who have by frequent Letters defired me to lay down fome Rules for the Conduct of their virtuous Amours; and fhall only premife, That by the Shield of Love, is meant a generous, conftant Paffion for the Perfon beloved. WHEN the Fame, fays he, of this celebrated Beauty first flew abroad, I went in Purfuit of her to the Temple of Love. This Temple, continues he, bore the Name of the Goddefs Venus, and was feated in a moft fruitful Ifland, walled by Nature against all Invaders. There was a fingle Bridge that led into the Island, and before it a Caftle garrifoned by twenty Knights. Near the Caftle was an open Plain, and in the Midft of it a Pillar, on which was hung the Shield of Love; and underneath it, in Letters of Gold, was this Infcription. Happy the Man who well can use his Blifs; MY Heart panted upon reading the Infcription: I ftruck upon the Shield with my Spear. Immediately iffued forth a Knight well mounted, and compleatly arm'd, who, without fpeaking, ran fiercely at me. I received him as well as I could, and by good Fortune threw him out of the Saddle. I encounter'd the whole twenty fucceffively, and leaving them all extended on the Plain, carried off the Shield in Token of Victory. Having thus vanquished my Rivals, I paffed on without Impediment, till I came to the utmoft Gate of the Bridge, which I found locked and barred. I knocked and called, but could get no Answer. At laft I faw one on the other Side of the Gate, who flood peeping through a fmall Crevice. This was the Porter; he had a double Face refembling a Janus, and was continually looking about him, as if he miftrufted fome fudden Danger. His Name, as I afterwards, learned, was Doubt. Overagainst him fat Delay, who entertained Paffengers with fome idle Story, while they loft fuch Opportunities as were never to be recovered. As foon as the Porter faw my |