which he affured him was infallible; the fer• vant who received the meffage carried it up to his mafter, who inquiring whether the perfon ⚫ came on foot or in a chariot, and being informed that he was on foot: Go,' fays he, "fend the knave about his bufinefs: was his "method as infallible as he pretends, he would long before now have been in his coach and fix. In like manner I concluded that, had all these advertisers arrived to that fkill they pretend to, they would have had no need for fo many years fucceffively to publish to the world the place of their abode, and the virtues of their medicines. One of these gentlemen indeed pretends to an effectual cure for leannefs: what effects it may have upon those who have tried it I cannot tell; but I am credibly • informed that the call for it has been fo great, that it has effectually cured the doctor himself of that distemper. Could each of them produce fo good an inftance of the fuccefs of his medicines, they might foon perfuade the world into an opinion of them.

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I obferve that most of the bills agree expreffion, viz, that with God's bleffing' they perform such and such cures; this expreffion is certainly very proper and emphatical, for that is all they have for it. And if ever a cure is performed on a patient where they are concerned, they can claim no greater fhare in it than Virgil's Iapis in the curing of Æneas; he tried his fkill, was very affiduous about the wound, and indeed was the only • vifible

An

vifible means that relieved the hero; but the Poet affures us it was the particular affistance of a Deity that fpeeded the operation. English reader may fee the whole story in Mr. Dryden's tranflation:

"Propp'd on his lance the penfive hero stood, "And heard and faw, unmov'd, the mourning crowd. "The fam'd Phyfician tucks his robes around, "With ready hands, and haftens to the wound. "With gentle touches he performs his part, "This way and that foliciting the Art, "And exercifes all his heavenly art.

"All foft'ning fimples, known of fov'reign ufe, "He preffes out, and pours their noble juice; "Thefe firft infus'd to lenify the pain,

"He tugs with pincers, but he tugs in vain. "Then to the patron of his Art he pray'd; "The patron of his Art refus'd his aid.

"But now the goddess mother, mov'd with grief, "And pierc'd with pity, haftens her relief. "A branch of healing Dittany fhe brought, "Which in the Cretan fields with care the fought; "Rough in the ftem, which woolly leaves furround; "The leaves with flow'rs, the flow'rs with purple "crown'd;

"Well known to wounded goats; a fure relief "To draw the pointed fteel, and eafe the grief. "This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd; and brews "Th' extracted liquor with Ambrofian dews, "And od'rous Panacee: unfeen she stands, "Temp'ring the mixture with her heav'nly hands; "And pours it in a bowl already crown'd

"With juice of med'cinal herbs, prepar'd to bathe

"the wound.

"The

"The Leech, unknowing of fuperior Art,

"Which aids the cure, with this foments the part; "And in a moment ceas'd the raging smart. "Stanch'd in the blood, and in the bottom, ftands "The steel, but, fcarcely touch'd with tender hands, "Moves up and follows of its own accord;

"And health and vigour are at once reftor❜d.`

lapis firft perceiv'd the clofing wound;

"And firft the footsteps of a God he found:

"Arms, arms! he cries: the fword and shield 66 prepare,

"And fend the willing chief, renew'd, to war. "This is no mortal work, no cure of mine, "Nor Art's effect, but done by hands divine *." VIRG. Æn. Lib. xii. 391. &c.

MY

Y Paper on the Club of Widows has brought me feveral letters; and, among the reft, a long one from Mrs. President, as follows:

*By Dr. ZACHARY PEARCE, late bishop of Rochester, with alterations by ADDISON. See No. 527, No. 633, and GUARD. No. 221, and Notes.

Juft published, the fecond edition of "A New Tranf"lation of the Characters of Theophraftus." Tranflated from the Greek by Euftace Budgell, Efq. Printed for J. Tonfon, &c. SFECT. in folio. This tranflation Dr. Johnson fays, was suppofed to have been ADDISON'S.

• Smart

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• Smart SIR,

You

as

OU are pleafed to be very merry, as you imagine, with us Widows: and you feem to ground your fatire on our receiving confolation fo foon after the death of our Dears, and the number we are pleased to admit for our companions; but you never reflect what Hufbands we have buried, and how fhort a forrow the lofs of them was capable of occafioning. For my own part, Mrs. President as you call me, my firft Hufband I was married to at fourteen by my uncle and guardian (as I afterwards difcovered) by way of fale, for the third part of my fortune. This fellow • looked upon me as a mere child he might breed up after his own fancy: if he kiffed my chamber-maid before my face, I was fuppofed fo ignorant, how could I think there was any hurt in it? When he came home roaring • drunk at five in the morning, it was the cuftom of all men that live in the world. I was 6 not to fee a penny of money, for, poor thing, how could I manage it? He took a handfome • coufin of his into the house (as he faid) to be house-keeper, and to govern my fervants; for how could I know how to rule a family? • While fhe had what money the pleased,

<

my

which was but reasonable for the trouble fhe was at for my good, I was not to be fo cenforious as to diflike familiarity and kindness • between near relations. I was too great a coward to contend, but not fo ignorant a child

to be thus impofed upon. I refented his contempt as I ought to do, and as most poor paf'five blinded Wives do, until it pleafed Heaven to take away my tyrant, who left me free poffeffion of my own land, and a large jointure. "My youth and money brought me many Lovers,

and feveral endeavoured to establish an interest • in my heart while my Hufband was in his laft fickness; the honourable Edward Wait fort was one of the firft who addreffed me, advised to it by a coufin of his that was my intimate friend, and knew to a penny what I was 'worth. Mr. Waitfort is a very agreeable man, and every body would like him as well as he does himself, if they did not plainly fee that his esteem and love is all taken up, and by fuch an object as it is impoffible to get the better ' of; I mean himself. He made no doubt of marrying me within four or five months, and began to proceed with fuch an affured cafy air, that piqued my pride not to banish him; quite contrary, out of pure malice, I heard his firft declaration with fo much innocent furprife, ⚫ and blushed so prettily, I perceived it touched his very heart, and he thought me the bestnatured filly poor thing on earth. When a 'man has fuch a notion of a woman, he loves •her better than he thinks he does. I was overjoyed to be thus revenged on him for defigning on my fortune; and, finding it was in my power to make his heart ache, I refolved to 'complete my conqueft, and entertained several ⚫ other pretenders. The firft impreffion of my undefigning

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