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"C country ladies were charmed: if I but drew out 66 my fnuff-box the whole houfe was in a roar of rapture; when I exercised my cudgel, I thought "they would have fallen into convulfions.

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"There was here a lady who had received an "education of nine months in London; and this 66 gave her pretenfions to tafte, which rendered her "the indifputable miftrefs of the ceremonies wherever fhe came. She was informed of my merits; every body praised me; yet fhe refused at firft going to fee me perform: fhe could not conceive, "the faid, any thing but ftuff from a ftroller; "talked fomething in praife of Garrick, and amazed "the ladies with her fkill in enunciations, tones, "and cadences; fhe was at last however prevailed

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upon to go; and it was privately intimated to me "what a judge was to be prefent at my next exhi- >`· "bition: however, no way intimidated, I came on "in Sir Harry, one hand ftuck in my breeches, and "the other in my bofom, as ufual at Drury-lane; "but instead of looking at me, I perceived the "whole audience had their eyes turned upon the "lady who had been nine months in London; from "her they expected the decifion which was to fe"cure the general's truncheon in my hand, or fink

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me down into a theatrical letter-carrier. I opened

my fnuff box, took fnuff; the lady was folemn, "and fo were the reft; I broke my cudgel on alder

man Smuggler's back; ftill gloomy, melancholy "all, the lady groaned and fhrugged her fhoulders; "I attempted by laughing myfelf, to excite at leaft "a fmile; but the devil a cheek could I perceive "wrinkled into fympathy: I found it would not "do: all my good-humour now became forced; my laughter was converted into hyfteric grinning; and while I pretended fpirits, my eye fhowed the

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agony

agony of my heart in fhort the lady came with an intention to be displeased, and displeased the was; my fame expired; I am here, and (the "tankard is no more)!"

ESSA Y VII.

WHEN Catharina Alexowna was made empress

of Ruffia, the women were in an actual state of bondage, but the undertook to introduce mixed affemblies, as in other parts of Europe: fhe altered the women's drefs by fubftituting the fashions of England; instead of furs, fhe brought in the use of taffeta and damask; and cornets and commodes instead of caps of fable. The women now found themselves no longer fhut up in feparate apartments, but faw company, vifited each other, and were present at every entertainment.

But as the laws to this effect were directed to a favage people, it is amufing enough, the manner in which the ordinances ran. Affemblies were quite unknown among them; the czarina was fatisfied with introducing them, for the found it impoffible to render them polite. An ordinance was therefore published according to their notions of breeding, which, as it is a curiofity, and has never before been printed that we know of, we shall give our readers.

I. The perfon at whofe houfe the affembly is "to be kept, fhall fignify the fame by hanging out "a bill, or by giving fome other public notice, by way of advertisement, to perfons of both fexes.

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"II. The

"II. The affembly fhall not be open fooner than "four or five o'clock in the afternoon, nor continue "longer than ten at night.

"III. The mafter of the houfe fhall not be "obliged to meet his guefts, or conduct them out,

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or keep them company; but though he is exempt "from all this, he is to find them chairs, candles, "liquors, and all other neceffaries that company "may afk for: he is likewife to provide them with "cards, dice, and every neceffary for gaming.

IV. There fhall be no fixed hour for coming ❝or going away; it is enough for a perfon to appear "in the affembly.

"V. Every one fhall be free to fit, walk, or game ચંદ as he pleafes; nor fhall any one go about to hin"der him, or take exceptions at what he does, up"on pain of emptying the great eagle (a pint-bow! "full of brandy): it fhall likewife be fufficient, at entering or retiring, to falute the company.

"VI. Perfons of diftinction, noblemen, fuperior "officers, merchants and tradesmen of note, head"workmen, efpecially carpenters, and perfons employed in chancery, are to have liberty to enter "the affemblies; as likewife their wives and children.

"VII. A particular place fhall be affigned the "footmen, except thofe of the houfe, that there may be room enough in the apartments defigned "for the affembly.

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VIII. No ladies are to get drunk upon any 66 pretence whatsoever; nor fhall gentlemen be drunk "before nine.

IX. Ladies who play at forfeitures, queftions "and commands, &c. fhall not be riotous: no gen"tleman fhall attempt to force a kifs, and no perfon "fhall offer to ftrike a woman in the affembly, un"der pain of future exclufion."

Such

Such are the ftatutes upon this occafion, which in their very appearance carry an air of ridicule and fatire. But politenefs must enter every country by degrees; and thefe rules refemble the breeding of a clown, aukward but fincere.

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Suppofed to be written by the Ordinary of Newgate.

MAN is a moft frail being, incapable of directing his fteps, unacquainted with what is to happen in this life; and perhaps no man is a more manifeft inftance of the truth of this maxim, than Mr. The. Cibber, just now gone out of the world. Such a variety of turns of fortune, yet fuch a perfevering uniformity of conduct, appears in all that happened in his short span, that the whole may be looked upon as one regular confufion: every action of his life was matter of wonder and furprize, and his death was an aftonishment.

This gentleman was born of creditable parents, who gave him a very good education, and a great deal of good learning, fo that he could read and write before he was fixteen. However he early dif covered an inclination to follow lewd courfes; he refufed to take the advice of his parents, and pursued the bent of his inclination; he played at cards on fundays, called himself a gentleman; fell out with his mother and laundrefs; and even in these early days his father was frequently heard to obferve, that young The-would be hanged.

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As he advanced in years, he grew more fond of pleafure; would eat an ortolan for dinner, though he begged the guinea that bought it; and was once known to give three pounds for a plate of green peafe, which he had collected over-night as charity for a friend in diftrefs: he ran into debt with every body that would truft him, and none could build a fconce better than he fo that at laft, his creditors fwore with one accord that The.-would be hanged.

But as getting into debt, by a man who had no vifible means but impudence for fubfiftence, is a thing that every reader is not acquainted with, I muft explain that point a little, and that to his fatisfaction.

There are three ways of getting into debt; firft, by pushing a face; as thus: You, Mr. Luteftring, fend me home fix yards of that paduafoy, dam-` "mee; but, harkee, don't think I ever intend to

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pay you for it, dammee." At this the mercer laughs heartily; cuts off the paduafoy, and fends it home; nor is he, till too late, furprised to find the gentleman had said nothing but truth, and kept his word.

The fecond method of running into debt is called fineering; which is getting goods made up in fuch a fashion as to be unfit for every other purchafer; and, if the tradesman refufes to give them credit, then threaten to leave them upon his hands.

But the third and beft method is called, "Being "the good cuftomer." The gentleman firft buys fome trifle, and pays for it in ready-money; he comes a few days after with nothing about him but bank bills, and buys, we will fuppofe, a fix-penny tweezer.cafe; the bills are too great to be changed, fo he promises to return punctually the day after and pay for what he has bought. In this promise he is punctual, and this is repeated for eight or ten times,

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