ing like a Cock fo ingenioufly, that he won our Hearts from the other Operator in an Inftant. As foon as I faw him, I recollected I had seen him on the Stage, and immediately knew it to be Tom. Mirrour, the Comical Actor. He immediately addrefs'd himself to me, and told me, he was furpriz'd to fee a Virtuofo take Satisfaction in any Representations below that of humane Life; and ask'd me, Whether I thought this acting Bells and Dogs was to be confidered under the Notion of Wit, Humour, or Satyr? Were it not better, continued he, to have some particular Picture of Man laid before your Eyes, that might incite your Laughter? He had no fooner Ipoke the Word, but he immediately quitted his natural Shape, and talked to me in a very different Air and Tone from what he had ufed before; upon which all that fat near us laugh'd; but I faw no Distortion in his Countenance, or any Thing that appear❜d to me difagreeable. I ask'd Pacolet, What meant that fudden Whisper about us? For I could not take the Jeft. He answered, The Gentleman you were talking to, affum'd your Air and Countenance fo exactly, that all fell a laughing to fee how little you knew your felf, and how much you were enamoured with your own Image. But that Perfon, (continued my Monitor) if Men would make the right Use of him, might be as Inftrumental to their reforming Errors in Gefture, Language, and Speech, as a Dancing Mafter, Linguift, or Orator. You fee he laid your felf before you with fo much Addrefs, that you faw nothing particular in his Behaviour:

He

A

He has fo happy a Knack of representing Errors and Imperfections, that you can bear your Faults in him as well as in your felf: He is the first Mimick that ever gave the Beauties, as well as the Deformities, of the Man he acted. What Mr. Dryden faid of a very great Man, may be well apply'd to him:

He is

Not one, but all Mankind's Epitome.

You are to know, that this Pantomime may be faid to be a Species of himself: He has no Commerce with the reft of Mankind, but as they are the Objects of Imitation; like the Indian Fowl, called the Mock-Bird, who has no Note of his own, but hits every Sound in the Wood as foon as he hears it; fo that Mirrour is at once a Copy and an Original. Poor Mirrour's Fate (as well as Talent) is like that of the Bird we just now fpoke of: The Nightingale, the Linnet, the Lark, are delighted with his Company; but the Buzzard, the Crow, and the Owl, are obferved to be his mortal Enemies. Whenever Sophronius meets Mirrour, he receives him with Civility and Refpect, and well knows, a good Copy of himself can be no Injury to him; but Bathillus fhuns the Secret where he expects to meet him; for he that knows his every Step and Look is constrained and affected, muft be afraid to be rival'd in his Action, and of ha ving it discovered to be unnatural, by its being practised by another as well as himself.

From my own Apartment, August 5.

Letters from Coventry and other Places have been sent to me, in Answer to what I have said in Relation to my Antagonist Mr. Powell, and advise me, with warm Language, to keep to Subjects more proper for me than fuch high Points. But the Writers of thefe Epiftles mistake the Use and Service I propofe to the learned World by fuch Obfervations: For you are to understand, That the Title of this Paper gives me a Right in taking to my self, and inserting in it, all fuch Parts of any Book or Letter which are foreign to the Purpose intended, or profefs'd by the Writer: So that fuppofe two great Divines should argue, and treat each other with Warmth and Levity unbecoming their Subject or Character, all that they fay unfit for that Place is very proper to be inferted here. Therefore from Time to Time, in all Writings which Thall hereafter be published, you shall have from me Extracts of all that shall appear not to the Purpose; and for the Benefit of the gentle Reader, I will show what to turn over unread, and what to peruse. For this End I have a Mathematical Sive preparing, in which I will fift every Page and Paragraph; and all that falls through, I fhall make bold with for my own Ufe. The fame Thing will be as beneficial in Speech; for all fuperfluous Expreffions in Talk fall to me alfo: As, when a Pleader at the Bar defigns to be extremely impertinent and troublesome, and tries, Under Favour of the Court With Submillion, my Lord — I humbly offer - and, I think I have well confidered this Matter; for I would be

very far from trifling with your Lordship's Time, or trefpaffing upon your Patience However, thus will venture to fay and fo forth. Or elfe, when a fufficient felf-conceited Coxcomb is bringing out fomething in his own Praise, and begins, Without Vanity, I must take this upon me to affert. There is alfo a Trick which the Fair Sex have, that will greatly contribute to swelling my Volumes: As, when a Woman is going to abuse her best Friend, Pray (faid fhe) have you beard what I faid of Mrs. Such a one: I am heartily forry to hear any Thing of that Kind, of one I have fo great a Value for; but they make no Scruple of telling it; and it was not spoken of to me as a Secret, for now all the Town rings of it. All fuch Flowers in Rhetorick, and little Refuges for Malice, are to be noted, and naturally belong only to Tatlers. By this Method you will immediately find Volumes contract themselves into Octavo's, and the Labour of a Fortnight got over in half a Day.

This is to give Notice, That if any able-bodied Palatine will enter into the Bonds of Matrimony with Betty Pepin, the faid Palatine fhall be fettled in a Freehold of 40 s. per Annum in the County of Middlesex.

8

The TATLER. [N° 52.

From Saturday August 6. to Tuesday Aug. 9. 1709. White's Chololate-house, Auguft 7. Delamira refigns her Fan.

Ong had the Crowd of the Gay and Young stood in Sufpence as to their Fate in their Paffion to the beauteous Delamira; but all their Hopes are lately vanished, by the Declaration that he has made of her Choice, to take the happy Archibald for her Companion for Life. Upon her making this known, the Expence of Sweet Powder and Jeffamine are confiderably abated; and the Mercers and Milleners conplain of her Want of publick Spirit, in not concealing longer a Secret which was fo much the Benefit of Trade. But so it has happen'd; and no one was in Confidence with her in carrying on this Treaty but the matchlefs Virg whose Despair of ever entring the Matrimo al State, made her, fome Nights before la mira's Refolution was published to the world, address her self to her in the following Man

ner:

Delamira, You are now going into that State of Life, wherein the Use of your Charms is wholly to be applied to the pleafing only one Man. That swimming Air of your Body, that janty bearing of your Head One Shoulder, and that inexpreffible

Beauty