your defign; efpecially fince we find you are refolved to preferve your taciturnity as to all party-matters. We do not question but you are as great an orator as Sir Hudibras, of • whom the poct sweetly fings, 6 He could not ope "His mouth, but out there flew a trope." If you will fend us down the half dozen well turned periods that produced fuch difmal ⚫ effects in your mufcles, we will depofit them near an old manufcript of Tully's orations, among the archives of the university; for we 'all agree with you, that there is not a more remarkable accident recorded in hiftory, fince that which happened to the fon of Crofus; nay, I believe you might have gone higher, and have added Balaam's afs. We are impatient to see more of your productions, and expect what words will next fall from you, • with as much attention as thofe who were set to watch the speaking head which Friar Bacon formerly erected in this place. We are, 6 Worthy SIR, • Your most humble fervants, 'B. R. T. D. &c.' 'HONEST SPEC, Middle-Temple, June 24. AM very glad to hear that thou beginneft to prate; and find, by thy yesterday's vifion, thou art fo ufed to it that thou canst • not not forbear talking in thy fleep. Let me only advise thee to fpeak like other men, for I am afraid thou wilt be very queer, if thou doft not intend to use the phrafes in fafhion, as • thou calleft them in thy fecond Paper. Haft ⚫ thou a mind to pafs for a Bantamite*, or to • make us all Quakers? I do affure thee, dear SPEC, I am not polifhed out of my veracity, • when I fubfcribe myself Thy conftant admirer, And humble fervant, FRANK TOWNLY.' N° 561. Wednesday, June 30, 1714. Paulatim abolere Sichæum Incipit, & vivo tentat prævertere amore But he VIRG. Æn. i. 724. • Works in the pliant bofom of the fair, And moulds her heart anew, and blots her for 'mer care. The dead is to the living love refign'd, • SIR, I DRYDEN. AM a tall, broad-fhouldered, impudent, black fellow, and, as I thought, every way qualified for a rich widow: but after ⚫aving tried my fortune for above three years * See No. 557, Let. together, together, I have not been able to get one fingle relict in the mind. My first attacks were generally fuccefsful, but always broke off as foon as they came to the word fettlement. Though I have not improved my fortune this way, I have my experience, and have • learnt feveral fecrets which may be of ufe to thefe unhappy gentlemen, who are commonly diftinguished by the name of Widow-hunters, and who do not know that this tribe of women are, generally fpeaking, as much upon the catch as themfelves. I fhall here communicate to you the mysteries of a certain • female cabal of this order, who call themselves the Widow-CLUB. This Club confifts of nine experienced dames, who take their places once a week round a large oval table. I. Mrs. President is a person who has dif'pofed of fix Hufbands, and is now determined to take a feventh; being of opinion that there is as much virtue in the touch of a seventh Hufband as of a feventh fon. Her comrades are as follow: II. Mrs. Snapp, who has four jointures, by 'four different Bedfellows, of four different 'fhires. She is at prefent upon the point of marriage with a Middlefex man, and is faid to have an ambition of extending her poffef'fions through all the counties in England, on this fide the Trent. 6 III. Mrs. Medlar, who, after two Husbands and a Gallant, is now wedded to an old gentleman of fixty. Upon her making her report to to the Club after a week's cohabitation, fhe is ftill allowed to fit as a Widow, and accordingly takes her place at the board. IV. The widow Quick, married within a fortnight after the death of her last Husband. Her weeds have ferved her thrice, and are ftill as good as new. V. Lady Catherine Swallow. She was a widow at eighteen, and has fince buried a fecond Husband and two Coachmen. • VI. The Lady Waddle. She was married in the 15th year of her age, to Sir Simon • Waddle, knight, aged threescore and twelve, by whom he had twins nine months after his decease. In the 55th year of her age the was married to James Spindle, efq. a youth of one-and-twenty, who did not out-live the Honey-moon. • VII. Deborah Conqueft. The cafe of this lady is fomething particular. She is the relict of Sir Sampfon Conqueft, fome time justice • of the Quorum. Sir Sampfon was feven foot high, and two foot in breadth from the tip of · one fhoulder to the other. He had married three Wives, who all of them died in childbed. This terrified the whole fex, who none • of them durft venture on Sir Sampfon. length Mrs. Deborah undertook him, and gave fo good an account of him, that in three years time the very fairly laid him out, and measured his length upon the ground. This exploit has gained her fo great a reputation in the Club, that they have added Sir Sampfon's At "three ⚫ three victories to hers, and give her the merit • of a fourth widowhood; and fhe takes her place accordingly. VIII. The widow Wildfire, relict of Mr. John Wildfire, fox-hunter, who broke his ' neck over a fix-bar gate. She took his death fo much at heart, that it was thought it 'would have put an end to her life, had the 'not diverted her forrows by receiving the addreffes of a gentleman in the neighbourhood, who made love to her in the fecond month of her widowhood. The gentleman was dif• carded in a fortnight for the fake of a young Templar, who had the poffeffion of her for fix weeks after, till he was beaten out by a • broken officer, who likewife gave up his place to a gentleman at court. The courtier was as • short-lived a favourite as his predeceffors, but had the pleasure to fee himself fucceeded by a long feries of lovers, who followed the widow Wildfire to the 37th year of her age, at which time there entered a ceffation of ten years, when John Felt, haberdasher, took it in his head to be in love with her, and it is thought will very fuddenly carry her off. IX. The laft is pretty Mrs. Runnet, who • broke her firft Husband's heart before fhe was fixteen, at which time fhe was entered of the Club, but foon after left it upon account of a fecond, whom the made fo quick a dispatch of, that the returned to her feat in less than a twelvemonth. This young matron is looked upon as the most rising member of the Society, VOL. VIII. • and D |