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too far in writing so many letters of my lady Q-p-t-s's name; but, however,' says I, he has made a little amends for it in his next sentence, where he leaves a blank space without so much as a consonant to direct us. I mean,' says I, after those words,' the fleetthat used to be the terror of the ocean, should be windbound for the sake of a 'after which ensues a

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chasm, that in my opinion looks modest enough.' Sir,' says my antagonist, you may easily know his meaning by his gaping; I suppose he designs his chasm, as you call it, for a hole to creep out at, but I believe it will hardly serve his turn. Who can endure to see the great officers of state, the B-y's and T-t's treated after so scurrilous a manner?' I cann't for my life,' says I, imagine who they are the Spectator means.' 'No' says he! Your humble servant, sir!' Upon which he flung himself back in his chair. after a contemptuous manner, and smiled upon the old lethargic gentleman on his left hand, who I found was his great admirer. The whig however had begun to conceive a good-will towards me, and, seeing my pipe out, very generously offered me the use of his box; but I declined it with great civility, being obliged to meet a friend about that time in another quarter of the city.

At my leaving the coffee-house, I could not forbear reflecting with myself upon that gross tribe of fools who may be termed the over-wise, and upon the difficulty of writing any thing in this censorious age, which a weak head may not construe into private satire and personal reflection.

A man who has a good nose at an innuendo smells treason and sedition in the most innocent words that can be put together, and never sees a vice or folly stig

matized,

matized, but finds out one or other of his acquaintance pointed at by the writer. I remember an empty pragmatical fellow in the country, who, upon reading over 'The Whole Duty of Man,' had written the names of feveral perfons in the village at the side of every sin which is mentioned by that excellent author; so that he had converted one of the best books in the world into a libel against the 'squire, churchwardens, overseers of the poor, and all other the most considerable persons in the parish. This book, with these extraordinary marginal notes, fell accidentally into the hands of one who had never seen it before; upon which there arose a current report that somebody had written a book against the 'squire and the whole parish. The minister of the place having at that time a controversy with some of his congregation upon the account of his tithes, was under some suspicion of being the author, until the good man set his people right, by showing them that the satirical passages might be applied to several others. of two or three neighbouring villages, and that the book was writ against all the sinners in England.

ADDISON,

PETITION.

No. 577.

"The humble Petition of John a Nokes and John a

• Showeth,

Styles

"THAT your petitioners have causes depending in Westminster-hall above five hundred years, and that we despair of ever seeing them brought to an issue; that your petitioners have not been involved in these law-suits out of any litigious temper of their own, but by the instigation of contentious persons: that the young

young lawyers in our inns of court are continually setting us together by the ears, and think they do us no hurt, because they plead for us without a fee: that many of the gentlemen of the robe have no other clients in the world besides us two: that when they have nothing else to do, they make us plaintiffs and defendants, though they were never retained by any of us that they traduce, condemn, or acquit us, without any manner of regard to our reputations and good names in the world. Your petitioners therefore, being thereunto encouraged by the favourable reception which you lately gave to our kinsman Blank, do humbly pray, that you will put an end to the controversies which have been so long depending between us your said petitioners, and that our enmity may not endure from generation to generation; it being our resolution to live hereafter as it becometh men of peaceable dispositions.

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And your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.'

FADLALLAH AND ZEMROUDE, AN EASTERN
TALE. No. 578.

THERE has been very great reason, on several accounts, for the learned world to endeavour at settling what it was that might be said to compose personal identity.

Mr. Locke, after having premised that the word perfon properly signifies a thinking intelligent being that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself ás itself, concludes, that it is consciousness alone, and not an identity of substance, which makes this per

fonal

sonal identity of sameness. Had I the same consciousness,' says that author, that I saw the ark and Noah's flood, as that I saw an overflowing of the Thames last winter; or as that I now write; I could no more doubt that I who write this now, that saw the Thames overflow last winter, and that viewed the flood at the gensral deluge, was the same self, place that self in what substance you please, than that I who write this am the same myself now while I write, whether I consist of all the same substance, material or immaterial, or no, that I was yesterday; for as to this point of being the same self, it matters not whether this present self be made up of the same or other substances.'

I was mightily pleased with a story in some measure applicable to this piece of philosophy, which I read the other day in the Persian Tales, and with an abridgment whereof I shall here present my readers.

Fadlallah, a prince of great virtue, succeeded his father Bin-Ortoc in the kingdom of Mousel. He reigned over his faithful subjects for some time, and lived in great happiness with his beauteous consort queen Zemroude, when there appeared at his court a young dervis of so lively and entertaining a turn of wit, as won upon the affections of every one he conversed with. His reputation grew so fast every day, that it at last raised a curiosity in the prince himself to see and talk with him. He did so; and far from finding that common fame had flattered him, he was soon convinced that every thing he had heard of him full short of the truth.

Fadlallah immediately lost all manner of relish for the conversation of other men, and, as he was every day more and more satisfied of the abilities of this stranger, offered him the first posts in his kingdom.

The

The young dervis, after having thanked him with a very singular modesty, desired to be excused, as having made a vow never to accept of any employment, and preferring a free and independent state of life to all other conditions.

The king was infinitely charmed with so great an example of moderation, and, though he could not get him to engage in a life of business, made him however his chief companion and first favourite.

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As they were one day hunting together, and happened to be separated from the rest of the company, the dervis entertained Fadlallah with an account of his travels and adventures. After having related to him several curiosities which he had seen in the Indies, "It was in this place,' says he, that I contracted an acquaintance with an old brachman, who was skilled in the most hidden powers of nature: he died within my arms, and with his parting breath communicated to me one of the most valuable of his secrets, on condition I should never reveal it to any man.' The king, immediately reflecting on his young favourite's having refused the late offers of greatness he had made him, told him, he presumed it was the power of making gold. No, sir,' says the dervis, it is somewhat more wonderful than that; it is the power of re-animating a dead body, by flinging my own soul into it.'

While he was yet speaking, a doe came bounding by them; and the king, who had his bow ready, shot her through the heart; telling the dervis, that a fair opportunity now offered for him to show his art. The young man immediately left his own body breathless on the ground, while at the same instant that of the doe was re-animated: she came to the king, fawned upon him, and, after having played several wanton

tricks,

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