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ticulars which passed in that glorious action, the knight, in the triumph of his heart, made several reflections on the greatness of the British nation; as, that one Englishman could beat three Frenchmen, that we could never be in danger of popery so long as we took care of our fleet; that the Thames was the noblest river in Europe; that London bridge was a greater piece of work than any of the seven wonders of the world; with many other honest prejudices which naturally cleave to the heart of a true Englisman.

After some short pause, the old knight, turning about his head twice or thrice, to take a survey of this great metropolis, bid me observe how thick the city was set with churches, and that there was scarce a single steeple on this side Temple

• A most heathenish sight! says Sir Roger: there is no religion at this end of the town.The fifty new churches will very much mend the prospect, but church-work is slow, church-work

I do not remember I have any where mentioned in Sir Roger's character, his custom of sain luting every body that passes by him with a good

morrow or a good night. This the old man does Al out of the overflowings of his humanity, though

at the same time it renders him so popular among all his country neighbours, that it is thought to have gone a good way in making him once or twice knight of the shire. He can not forbear

this exercise of benevolence even in town, when LX he meets with any one in his morning or even17 ing walk. It broke from him to several boats

that passed by us on the water; but, to the knight's great surprise, as he gave the good night

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to two or three young fellows a little before our landing, one of them, instead of returning the civility, asked us, what queer old put we had in the boat, and whether he was not ashamed to go a wenching at his years? with a great deal of the like Thames ribaldry. Sir Roger seemed a little shocked at first, but at length assuming a face of magistracy, told us, “That if he were å Middlesex justice, he would make such vagrants know that her majesty's subjects were no more to be abused by water than by land.'

We were now arrived at Spring-Garden, which is exquisitely pleasant at this time of the year. When I considered the fragrancy of the walks and bowers, with the choirs of birds that sung upon the trees, and the loose tribe of people that walked under their shades, I could not but look upon the place as a kind of Mahometan paradise, Sir Roger told me it put him in mind of a little coppice by his house in the country, which his chaplain used to call an aviary of nightingales. • You must understand,' says the knight, there is nothing in the world that pleases a man in love so much as your nightingale. Ah, Mr. Spectator! the many moonlight nights that I have walked by myself, and thought on the widow by the music of the nightingale!' He here fetched a deep sigh, and was falling into a fit of musing, when a mask, who came behind him, gave him a gentle tap, upon the shoulder, and asked him if he would drink a bottle of mead with her? But the knight being startled at so unexpected a familiarity, and displeased to be interrupted in his thoughts of the widow, told her, she was a wanton baggage, and bid her go about her busi

ness.

We concluded our walk with a glass of Burton ale and a slice of hung beef. When we had done eating ourselves, the knight called a waiter to him, and bid him carry the remainder to the waterman that had but one leg. I perceived the fellow stared upon him at the oddness of the message, and was going to be saucy; upon which I ratified the knight's commands with a peremp

Ås we were going out of the garden, my old friend thinking himself obliged, as a member of the quorum, to animadvert upon the morals of the place, told the mistress of the house, who sat at the bar, that he should be a better customer to her garden, if there were more nightingales and fewer strumpets. ADDISON.

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VOL. VIII.

No. 384. WEDNESDAY, MAY 21.

Hague, May 24, N. S.-'The same republican hands, who

have so often since the chevalier de St. George's recovery, killed him in our public prints, have now reduced the young dauphin of France to that desperate condition of weakness, and death itself, that it is hard to conjecture what method they will take to bring him to life again. Meantime we are assured by a very good hand from Paris, that on the 20th instant, this young prince was as well as ever he was known to be since the day of his birth. As for the other, they are now sending his ghost, we suppose (for they never had the modesty to contradict their assertions of his death,) to Commerci in Lorrain, attended only by four gentlemen, and a few domestics of little consideration. The baron de Bothmar having delivered in his credentials to qualify him as an ambassador to this state, (an office to which his greatest enemies will acknowledge him to be equal,) is gone to Utrecht, whence he will proceed to Hanover, but not stay long at that court, for fear the peace should be made during his lamented absence.

Post-Boy, May 20.

I should be thought not able to read, should I overlook some excellent pieces lately come out. My lord bishop of St. Asaph has just now published some sermons, the preface to which seems to me to determine a great point. He has, like a good man and a good christian, in opposition to all the flattery and base submission of false friends to princes, asserted, that Christianity left us where it found us as to our civil rights. The present entertainment shall consist only of a sentence out of the Post-Boy, and the said preface of the lord of St. Asaph. I should think it a little odd, if the author of the Post-Boy should with impunity call men republicans for a gladness on the report of the death of the Pretender; and treat baron Bothmar, the minister of Hanover, in such a manner as you see in my motto. I must own, I think every man in England concerned to support the succession of that family. *

• The publishing a few sermons, whilst I live, the latest of which was preached about eight years sinee, and the first above seventeen, will make it very natural for people to inquire into the occasion of doing so; and to such I do very willingly assign these following reasons.

• First, from the observations I have been able to make, for these many years last past, upon our public affairs, and from the natural tendency of several principles and practices, that have of late been studiously revived, and from what has followed thereupon, I could not help both fearing and presaging that these nations would some time or other, if ever we should have an enterprising prince upon the throne, of more ambition than virtue, justice, and true honour, fall into the way of all other nations, and lose their liberty.

Nor could I help foreseeing to whose charge a great deal of this deadful mischief, whenever it should happen, would be laid, whether justly or unjustly, was not my business to determine; but I resolved, for my own particular part, to deliver myself, as well as I could, from the reproaches and the curses of posterity, by public

* Four sermons, published by Dr. Fleetwood, 1712. The preface to them was ordered by the House of Commons to be burnt. In consequence of this number of the Spectator, above 14,000 of the preface was quickly sold off.Juhnson.

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