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them; but has met with one Vanderbank, who works in arras^, and makes very good tapestry hangings: therefore, in order to celebrate the hero of the age, he claps together all that can be said of a man that makes hangings:

Then, artist, who dost Nature's face express

In silk and gold, and scenes of action dress;
Dost figur'd arras animated leave,

Spin a bright story, or a passion weave;

By mingling threads, canst mingle shade and light,
Delineate triumphs, or describe a fight?'

Well, what shall this workman do? why? to shew how great an hero the poet intends, he provides him a very good horse:

Champing his foam, and bounding on the plain, Arch his high neck, and graceful spread his mane.'

Now as to the intrepidity, the calm courage, the constant application of the hero, it is not necessary to take that upon yourself: you may, in the lump, bid him you employ raise him as high as he can; and if he does it not, let him answer for disobeying orders.

'Let fame and victory in inferior sky

Hover with balanc'd wings, and smiling fly

Above his head,' &c.

A whole poem of this kind may be ready against an ensuing campaign, as well as a space left in the canvass of a piece of tapestry for the principal figure, while the under-parts are working: so that in effect the adviser copies after the man he pretends to direct.

4 He was inimitable in this work. See Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting, vol. v. p. 166. et seqq. 8vo. 1782.

6

This method should, methinks, encourage young beginners: for the invention is so fitted to all capacities, that by the help of it a man may make a receipt for a poem. A young man may observe that the jig of the thing is, as I said, finding out all that can be said in his way whom you employ to set forth your worthy. Waller and Denham had worn out the expedience of Advice to a Painter: this author has transferred the work, and sent his advice to the poets; that is to say, to the turners of verse, as he calls them. Well; that thought is worn out also: therefore he directs his genius to the loom, and will have a new set of hangings in honour of the last year in Flanders. I must own to you, I approve extremely this invention, and it might be improved for the benefit of manufactory: as, suppose an ingenious gentleman should write a poem of advice to a callico-printer; do you think there is a girl in England, that would wear any thing but the taking of Lisle, or the battle of Oudenarde? They would certainly be all the fashion, until the heroes abroad had cut out some more patterns. I should fancy small skirmishes might do for underpetticoats, provided they had a siege for the upper. If our adviser were well imitated, many industrious people might be put to work. Little Mr. Dactile, now in the room, who formerly wrote a song and a half, is a week gone in a very pretty work, upon this hint: he is writing an epigram to a young virgin who knits very well (it is a thousand pities he is a Jacobite); but his epigram is by way of advice to this

6 "Instructions to a Painter," &c.

5 "Directions to a Painter, in four parts." 8vo. 1666. Denham's name has been put to these pieces; but they are not in any of the printed collections of his works,

damsel, to knit all the actions of the pretender and the duke of Burgundy's last campaign in the clock of a stocking. It were endless to enumerate the many hands and trades that may be employed by poets, of so useful a turn as this adviser. I shall think of it, and, in this time of taxes, shall consult a great critic employed in the custom-house, in order to propose what tax may be proper to be put upon knives, seals, rings, hangings, wrought beds, gowns, and petticoats, where any of these commodities bear mottoes, or are worked upon poetical grounds.

St. James's Coffee-house, April 15.

LETTERS from Turin of the third instant, N. S. inform us, that his royal highness' employs all his address in alarming the enemy, and perplexing their speculations concerning his real designs the ensuing campaign. Contracts are entered into with the merchants of Milan, for a great number of mules to transport his provisions and ammunition. His royal highness has ordered the train of artillery to be conveyed to Susa before the twentieth of the next month. In the mean time, all accounts agree, that the enemy are very backward in their preparations, and almost incapable of defending themselves against an invasion, by reason of the general murmurs of their own people; which, they find, are no way to be quieted, but by giving them hopes of a speedy peace. When these letters were dispatched, the marshal de Thesse was arrived at Genoa, where he has taken much pains to keep the correspondents of the merchants of France in hopes, that measures will be found out to support

7 Prince Eugene.

the credit and commerce between that state and Lyons: but the late declaration of the agents of monsieur Bernard, that they cannot discharge the demands made upon them, has quite dispirited all those who are engaged in the remittances of France.

From my own Apartment, April 15.

Ir is a very natural passion in all good members of the commonwealth, to take what care they can of their families. Therefore I hope the reader will forgive me, that I desire he would go to the play called the Stratagem this evening, which is to be acted for the benefit of my near kinsman Mr. John Bickerstaff1. I protest to you, the gentleman has not spoken to me to desire this favour; but I have a respect for him, as well in regard to consanguinity, as that he is an intimate friend of that famous and heroic actor, Mr. George Powel, who formerly played Alexander the Great in all places, though he is lately grown so reserved, as to act it only on the stage ".

STEELE.

& See N° 5, 9, and 29.

9 The Beaux Stratagem. By Farquhar. 4to. 1707. This comedy was begun and finished in the course of six weeks, while the author laboured under a settled illness, of which he died during the run of the piece.

10 A comedian of that name.

This seems to have been intended as a delicate animadversion on the irregularity of Powel, who about this time began to sink in his reputation by his drunkenness.

N° 4. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1709.

Quicquid agunt homines

nostri est farrago libelli.

JUV. Sat. i. 85, 86.

Whatever good is done, whatever ill-
By human kind, shall this collection fill.

Ir is usual with persons who mount the stage, for the cure or information of the crowd about them, to make solemn professions of their being wholly disinterested in the pains they take for the public good. At the same time those very men, who make harangues in plush doublets, and extol their own abilities and generous inclinations, tear their lungs in vending a drug, and show no act of bounty, except it be, that they lower a demand of a crown to six, nay, to one penny. We have a contempt for such paltry barterers, and have therefore all along informed the public, that we intend to give them our advices for our own sakes, and are labouring to make our lucubrations come to some price in money, for our more convenient support in the service of the public. It is certain that many other schemes have been proposed to me; as a friend offered to shew me a treatise he had writ, which he called, The whole Art of Life; or, The Introduction to great Men, illustrated in a Pack of Cards. But, being a novice at all manner of play, I declined the offer. Another advised me, for want of money, to set up my coach, and practise physic; but, having been bred a scholar, I feared I should not succeed that way neither, therefore resolved to go on in my

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