N° 86. the Order Mr. Thrifty was fo kind as to name 'em to me. But they are now got to my Chamber-Door, and I faw my old Friend Sir Harry enter. I met him with all the Respect due to so reverend a Vegetable; for you are to know, that is my Senfe of a Perfon who remains idle in the fame Place for half a Century. I got him with great Succefs into his Chair by the Fire, without throwing down any of my Cups. The Knight-Batchelor told me, he had a great Refpect for my whole Family, and would, with my Leave, place himself next to Sir Harry, at whofe Right Hand he had fat at every QuarterSeffions this Thirty Years, unless he was fick. The Steward in the Rear whispered the young Templer, That's true to my Knowledge. I had the Misfortune, as they stood Cheek by Jole, to defire the 'Squire to fit down before the Justice of the Quorum, to the no fmall Satisfaction of the former, and Refentment of the latter: But I saw my Error too late, and got 'em as foon as I could into their Seats. Well, faid I, Gentlemen, after I have told you how glad I am of this great Honour, I am to defire you to drink a Difh of Tea. They anfwered one and all, That they never drank Tea in a Morning. Not in a Morning, faid I! ftaring round me. Upon which the pert Jackanapes Nick Doubt tipp'd me the Wink, and put out his Tongue at his Grandfather. Here followed a profound Silence, when the Steward in his Boots and Whip propos'd, That we should adjourn to some Publick-Houfe, where every Body might call for what they pleas'd, and enter upon the Business.

We

265 We all stood up in an Inftant, and Sir Harry fil'd off from the Left very difcreetly, countermarching behind the Chairs towards the Door: After him, Sir Giles in the fame Manner. The fimple 'Squire made a fudden Start to follow ; but the Juftice of the Quorum whipp'd between upon the Stand of the Stairs. A Maid going up with Coals made us halt, and put us into fuch Confufion, that we stood all in a Heap, without any visible Poffibility of recovering our Order: For the young Jackanapes feem'd to make a Jeft of this Matter, and had fo contrived, by preffing amongst us under Pretence of making Way, that his Grandfather was got into the Middle, and he knew no body was of Quality to stir a Step, till Sir Harry mov'd first. We were fix'd in this Perplexity for fome Time, till we heard a very loud Noife in the Street; and Sir Harry asking what it was, I, to make 'em more, faid it was Fire. Upon this, all ran down as fast as they could, without Order or Ceremony, till we got into the Street, where we drew up in very good Order, and fil'd off down Sheer-Lane, the impertinent Templer driving us before him, as in a String, and pointing to his Acquaintance who pafs'd by.

I must confefs, I love to ufe People according to their own Senfe of good Ereeding, and therefore whipp'd in between the Justice and the fimple 'Squire. He could not properly take this ill; but I over-heard him whisper the Steward, That he thought it hard that a common Conjurer should take Place of him, tho' an elder 'Squire. In this Order we marched down

Sheer

N° 86. Sheer-Lane, at the upper End of which I lodge. When we came to Temple-Bar, Sir Harry and Sir Giles got over 5 but a Run of the Coaches kept the reft of us on this Side the Street: However we all at last landed, and drew up in very good Order before Ben. Tooke's Shop, who favoured our Rallying with great Humanity. From hence we proceeded again, till we came to Dick's Coffee-house, where I defigned to carry 'em. Here we were at our old Difficulty, and took up the Street upon the fame Ceremony. We proceeded through the Entry, and were fo neceffarily kept in Order by the Situation, that we were now got into the Coffeehouse it self, where, as foon as we arrived, we repeated our Civilities to each other ; after which, we marched up to the high Table, which has an Afcent to it inclos'd in the Middle of the Room. The whole House was alarm'd at this Entry, made up of Perfons of fo much State and Rufticity. Sir Harry call'd for a Mug of Ale, and Dyer's Letter. The Boy brought the Ale in an Instant; but said, they did not take in the Letter. No, (fays Sir Harry!) Then take back your Mug; we are like indeed to have good Liquor at this Houfe. Here the Templer tipp'd me a fecond Wink, and if I had not looked very grave upon him, I found he was difpofed to be very familiar with me. familiar with me. In fhort, I obferved after a long Paufe, that the Gentlemen did not care to enter upon Business till after their Morning-Draught, for which Reason I call'd for a Bottle of Mum; and finding that had no Effect upon 'em, I ordered a Second,

and

and a Third: After which, Sir Harry reached over to me, and told me in a low Voice, that the Place was too publick for Business; but he would call upon me again to Morrow Morning at my own Lodgings, and bring fome more Friends with him.

Will's Coffee-houfe, October 26.

Though this Place is frequented by a more mixed Company than it us'd to be formerly, yet you meet very often fome whom one cannot leave without being the better for their Conversation. A Gentleman this Evening, in a dictating Manner, talk'd I thought very pleafingly in Praise of Modefty, in the midst of Ten or Twelve Libertines, upon whom it seemed to have had a good Effect: He reprefented it as the certain Indication of a great and Noble Spirit. Modefty, faid he, is the Virtue which makes Men prefer the Publick to their Private Interest, the Guide of every honest Undertaking, and the great Guardian of Innocence: It makes Men amiable to their Friends, and refpected by their very Enemies. In all Places, and on all Occafions, it attracts Benevolence, and demands Approbation.

One might give Inftances out of Antiquity of the irrefiftible Force of this Quality in great Minds: Cicereius and Cneius Scipio the Son of the great Africanus, were Competitors for the Office of Prætor. The Crowd followed Cicereius, and left Scipio unattended. Cicereius faw this with much Concern, and defiring an Audience of the People, he defcended from the Place

where

N° 86. where the Candidates were to fit, in the Eye of the Multitude, pleaded for his Adverfary, and with an ingenuous Modefty (which it is impoffible to feign) represented to 'em, how much it was to their Dishonour, that a virtuous Son of Africanus fhould not be preferr❜d to him, or any other Man whatsoever. This immediately gain'd the Election for Scipio ; but all the Compliments and Congratulations upon it were made to Cicereius. It is eafier in this Cafe to say who had the Office, than the Honour. There is no Occurrence in Life, where this Quality is not more ornamental than any other. After the Battle of Pharfalia, Pompey marching towards Larifus, the whole People of that Place came out in Proceffion to do him Honour. He thanked the Magiftrates for their Respect to him; but defired them to perform these Ceremonies to the Conqueror. This gallant Submiffion to his Fortune, and Difdain of making any Appearance but like Pompey, was owing to his Modefty, which would not permit him to be fo difingenuous, as to give himself the Air of Profperity, when he was in the contrary Condition.

This I fay of Modefty, as it is the Virtue which preserves a Decorum in the general Course of our Life; but confidering it also as it regards our meer Bodies, it is the certain Character of a great Mind. It is memorable of the mighty Cafar, that when he was murder'd in the Capitol, at the very Moment in which he expired, he gathered his Robe about him, that he might fall in a decent Posture. In this

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