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NEXT to Sir ANDREW in the Club-Room fits Captain SENTREY, a Gentleman of great Courage, good Understanding, but invincible Modefty. He is one of those that deserve very well, but are very awkward at putting their Talents within the Obfervation of fuch as fhould take notice of them. He was fome Years a Captain, and behaved himfelf with great Gallantry in feveral Engagements and at feveral Sieges; but having a small Estate of his own, and being next Heir to Sir ROGER, he has quitted a Way of Life in which no Man can rise suitably to his Merit, who is not something of a Courtier as well as a Soldier. I have heard him often lament, that in a Profeffion where Merit is placed in fo confpicuous a View, Impudence should get the better of Modefty. When he has talked to this Purpose I never heard him make a four Expreffion, but frankly confefs that he left the World, because he was not fit for it. A ftrict Honefty and an even regular Behaviour, are in themfelves Obftacles to him that must press through Crowds, who endeavour at the fame End with himself, the Favour of a Commander. He will however in his way of Talk excufe Generals, for not difpofing according to Men's Defert, or enquiring into it: For, fays he, that great Man who has a mind to help me, has as many to break through

to come at me, as I have to come at him: Therefore he will conclude, that the Man who would make a Figure, especially in a Military Way, must get over all false Modesty, and affift his Patron against the Importunity of other Pretenders, by a proper Affurance in his own Vindication. He fays it is a civil Cowardise to be backward in afferting what you ought to expect, as it is a military Fear to be flow in attacking when it is your Duty. With this Candor does the Gentleman fpeak of himself and others. The same Frankness runs through all his Conversation. The military Part of his Life has furnished him with many Adventures, in the Relation of which he is very agreeable to the Company; for he is never overbearing, though accustomed to command Men in the utmost Degree below him; nor ever too obfequious from an Habit of obeying Men highly above him.

BUT that our Society may not appear a Set of Humourists unacquainted with the Gallantries and Pleasures of the Age, we have among us the gallant WILL HONEYCOMB, a Gentleman who according to his Years fhould be in the Decline of his Life, but having ever been very careful of his Perfon, and always had a very easy Fortune, Time has made but a very little Impreffion, either by

Wrinkles on his Forehead, or Traces in his Brain. His Perfon is well turned, of a good Height. He is very ready at that fort of Difcourfe with which Men ufually entertain Women. He has all his Life dressed very well, and remembers Habits as others do Men. He can fmile when one speaks to him, and laughs eafily. He knows the History of every Mode, and can inform you from which of the French king's Wenches our Wives and Daughters had this Manner of curling their Hair, that Way of placing their Hoods; whofe Frailty was covered by fuch a fort of Petticoat, and whose Vanity to fhew her Foot made that Part of the Dress fo fhort in fuch a Year. In a word, all his Conversation and Knowledge have been in the female World: as other Men of his Age will take notice to you what such a Minister said upon fuch and fuch an Occafion, he will tell you when the Duke of Monmouth danced at Court, such a Woman was then fmitten, another was taken with him at the Head of his Troop in the Park. In all these important Relations, he has ever about the fame time received a kind Glance or a Blow of a Fan from fome celebrated Beauty, Mother of the prefent Lord fuch-a-one. If you speak of a young Commoner that faid a lively thing in the House, he starts up, 'He has good Blood in his Veins,

Tom Mirabell, the Rogue, cheated me in that Af'fair that young Fellow's Mother used me more

like a Dog than any Woman I ever made Ad'vances to.' This way of Talking of his very much enlivens the Converfation among us of a more fedate Turn; and I find there is not one of the Company, but myself, who rarely speak at all, but speaks of him as of that fort of Man who is usually called a well-bred fine Gentleman. To conclude his Character, where Women are not concerned, he is an honest worthy Man.

I cannot tell whether I am to account him whom I am next to speak of, as one of our Company; for he vifits us but feldom, but when he does it adds to every Man elfe a new enjoyment of himself. He is a Clergyman, a very Philosophick Man, of general Learning, great Sanctity of Life, and the moft exact good Breeding. He has the Misfortune to be of a very weak Constitution, and confequently cannot accept of fuch Cares and Business as Preferments in his Function would oblige him to: He is therefore among Divines what a Chamber-Counsellor is among Lawyers. The Probity of his Mind, and the Integrity of his Life, create him Followers, as being eloquent or loud advances others. He seldom introduces the Subject he speaks upon; but we are fo far gone in Years, that

he observes when he is among us, an Earnestness to have him fall on fome divine Topick, which he always treats with much Authority, as one who has no Interests in this World, as one who is haftening to the Object of all his Wishes, and conceives Hope from his Decays and Infirmities. These are my ordinary Companions.

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