Navy, Government, or Houfhold, with their Bribes difpofed in very regular and decent Order; for not any are found fo weak as to pretend to Preferment in that Court without one.

Having feen what's most remarkable in the Favourite's Apartment, I pretend to conduct you to a handfome hofpitable Lady that keeps a Bank, and Cards, for all idle and avaricious People, either to fling away or improve their Money; but as their Humours are different, and all extraordinary, I won't foreftal your Entertainment, which I may be pofitive is new to your Eminence; for I dare to fwear, Aftrea was never yet at a Baffet-Table.

While the Lady is bufy at her Diversion in one part of the Room, you may glance your Eyes and Ears and find her Lord no lefs employ'd at his; he pretends to Brightnefs of Understanding, to determine De Bel Lettres, who writes infufferable; which intolerable; pardon the Tautology, 'tis his own Phrafe; which with a Mediocrity; but none excellently, except it be the Cabal, of which the Lord Giraldo has the Honour to be an eminent Member: They produc'd, indeed, one taking Comedy, and let an inferior Perfon try for the Reputation of it, tho' the Town was not fo complaifant to give it him. The next that came out, was too ftudied, it fmelt of the Anvil, 'twas neither Tragedy nor Comedy, tho' fo called, through the whole it could not force a Smile;

yet

yet could they magifterially, from their Throne of Criticism, condemn and look down with Contempt upon all that did not think as well of it as the Fathers who begot it. The Lord Giraldo is indeed a Man of Wit and pleasant Converfation, and would much more deferve Praise, were he lefs partial; he takes too many Things upon Truft, and often condemns a Book for the Author, as if either Genius or Expreffion were always the fame, they that generally creep, may sometimes foar; at leaft it feems to me to be an Injustice to believe the contrary, till they have proved it. A late Author has produc'd two very different Volumes, and promises us two more; I doubt not but if he had carefully conceal'd his Name, they would have been applauded from the Lord Giraldo's Quarter; but having a Prejudice to the Man, they condemn the Work, and without reading cry, they would not give two Chequins for whole Reams of his Writing, tho' it be never fo correct. If you ask any one their Opinion of fuch a Poem, Play, or Book, they immediately anfwer, 'tis cry'd down at the Lord Giraldo's; they don't like it at the Lord Giraldo's; What should you fee it? What fhould you buy it for? 'tis condemn'd at the Lord Giraldo's: Not that this fo much quoted Lord Giraldo, can be fuppofed to fpare fo much Time from the Publick, and the Duties of his Charge, to read all thofe Books whofe Reputation he deftroys; but

his Levee is too open to little Under-Criticks, even to the very Women- Wits, who fave him the Labour, and give the Detail according to their Prejudice, or mistaken narrow Understanding and then his Lordfhip does them the Honour to report it as his Senfe, tho' in a Thing he knows nothing of; and at that Rate, how fhould the Author avoid being cry'd down at the Lord Giraldo's ?

-When you have fufficiently diverted your felf there, for I can't pretend your Excellency, if you wanted it, would gain much Inftruction from that Quarter, I'll lead you to the Council-Board, and the SenateHoufe: It would take up a great deal of Time to report you the feveral Hiftories of each particular Member, thofe of the Noblefs and others. But I fhall have a care to omit nothing that has happen'd ex traordinary, together with their Foundation, Inftitution, real and pretended Inte refts: The Arts of Government, which are here elegantly difplay'd to the Sight of a nice Obfervator: Reafons why a Place of no feeming Profit fhould have fo much Money expended in the Purfuit of it; and by what Means they find their Account in this Lottery of Fortune, where (as it is now managed by the Wife) none but Fools draw the Blanks.

You fhall fee the Arfenal, the Stores, and Management of thofe that prefide over the Marine Affars, the Abufes and unheed

ed

ed Detections thereof: From thence I'l conduct you to the Army, into the very Tent of their General; report to you how much he has done, how much might have been done; fhew you the Intereft and Inclination of the Officer, the Wretchedness of the Soldier, and the Debauchery of the Whole; their inceffant Defires to prolong the War, their Arts to prevent or retard a Peace, which will level the Power of fome, and annihilate the exorbitant Expence of the Whole.

For a Change of Scene, it may not be amifs to take the Tour of the Opera and Theatre; you'll find the fame Injustice in their little Commonwealth as in a greater: The Favourite Poet (in concert with the Mafter) has of courfe the reading of all new Pieces brought to him for his Approbation, which he is fure never to give, to what feems more meritorious than his own, left he fhould put their Reputation upon a Level. Hence the poor Poet is forc'd, with infinite Patience and Humility (tho' he be doom'd in the Beginning) to dance Attendance for two or three Years together; they refer him to one, then to another, fo to a third, till they have run the whole Round with him, and then difmifs him with an, It won't do, when they have already plunder'd it of all that was either new or well exprefs'd, to drefs up their own Collections; you may judge there's no appear

ing for him, if they would permit it, when his Market has been fo foreftall'd.

The very Women are not encourag'd and paid according to the Merit of their Performance; (certainly their Value confifts in well Speaking and true Action, in a juft Imitation of Nature, a Capacity of varying and reprefenting the Paffions, and thofe other Excellencies appropriated to the Character of a true Comedian;) but the Whim and Liking of the Superior advances his own Favourite to the Profits that are due to others; for if the have the Luck but to please him, no matter what becomes of the Audience; he pays thofe for Speaking who never knew how to fpeak, even to the Imitation of a Parrot. If this had not been obvious, they would never have fuffer'd, by their Injuftice, the admirable Bracillia to leave them, who in fome Things could be only excell'd by the incomparable Berenice; in moft, but by her felf; and in all, was the ufefulleft, as well as the most agreeable, Woman of the Stage..

If you fhould have any farther Inclination to Gallantry, we will make the Tour of the Tuilleries, where Vice and Vanity appear in their own Kingdom: I wonder the Women of Condition do not leave to walk there, fince it is become fo profefs'd a Market for the Bad: It will raife at once your Pity and Indignation, to fee fo many handfome, young, well-fafhion'd Women

aban