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Othello's handkerchief.

The imperial robes of Xerxes, never worn but once*.
A wild boar killed by Mrs. Tofts and Dioclesian.
A serpent to sting Cleopatra.

A mustard-bowl to make thunder with.

Another of a bigger sort, by Mr. Dennis's directions, little usedt.

Six elbow chairs, very expert in country-dances, with six flower-pots for their partners.

The whiskers of a Turkish bassa.

The complexion of a murderer in a band-box; consisting of a large piece of burnt cork, and a coal-black peruke.

A suit of clothes for a ghost, viz. a bloody shirt, a doublet curiously pinked, and a coat with three great eye-let-eyes upon the breast.

A bale of red Spanish wool.

Modern plots, commonly known by the name of trapdoors, ladders of ropes, vizard-masques, and tables with broad carpets over them.

Three oak-cudgels, with one of crab-tree; all bought for the use of Mr. Pinkethman.

Materials for dancing; as masques, castanets, and a ladder of ten rounds.

*This alludes to a play of Cibber's which fell after one night's representation.

+ Dennis had, a little before this, brought a tragedy upon the stage, in which he introduced a new method of making thunder. The tragedy did not succeed, but the thunder was adopted, and Dennis soon after heard it at the play of Macbeth; upon which he was very angry, and exclaimed See how these fellows use me! They silence my tragedy, and steal my thunder.'

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Aurengezebe's scymitar, made by Will. Brown in Piccadilly.

A plume of feathers, never used but by dipus and the earl of Essex.

There are also swords, halbards, sheep-hooks, cardinals hats, turbans, drums, gallipots, a gibbet, a cradle, a rack, a cart-wheel, an altar, an helmet, a back-piece, a breast-plate, a bell, a tub, and a jointed-baby.

ADDISON.

PRACTICAL JOKES. No. 45.

I AM got hither safe, but never spent time with sq little satisfaction as this evening; for you must know, I was five hours with three merry, and two honest, fellows. The former sang catches; and the latter even died with laughing at the noise they made. Well, says Tom Bellfrey, you scholars, Mr. Bickerstaff, are the worst company in the world. Ay, says his opposite, you are dull to-night; pr'ythee be merry. With that I huzzaed, and took a jump 'cross the table, then came clever upon my legs, and fell a-laughing. Let Mr. Bickerstaff alone, says one of the honest fellows, when he is in a good humour, he is as good company as any man in England. He had no sooner spoke, but I snatched his hat off his head, and clapped it upon my own, and burst out a-laughing again; upon which we all fell a-laughing for half an hour. One of the honest fellows got behind me in the interim, and hit me a sound slap on the back; upon which he got the laugh out of my hands; and it was such a twang

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on my shoulders, that I confess he was much merrier than I. I was half angry; but resolved to keep up the good humour of the company; and after hollaing as loud as I could possibly, I drank off a bumper of claret, that made me stare again. Nay, says one of the honest fellows, Mr. Isaac is in the right, there is no conversation in this what signifies jumping, or hitting one another on the back? Let us drink about. We did so from seven of the clock until eleven; and now I am come hither, and, after the manner of the wise Pythagoras, begin to reflect upon the passages of the day. I remember nothing but that I am bruised to death; and as it is my way to write down all the good things I have heard in the last conversation, to furnish my paper, I can from this only tell you my sufferings and my bangs.

STEELE

ON PREACHERS. No. 66.

Of all the people on the earth, there are none who puzzle me so much as the clergy of Great Britain, who are, I believe, the most learned body of men now in the world; and yet the art of speaking with the proper ornaments of voice and gesture is wholly neglected among them; and I will engage, were a deaf man to behold the greater part of them preach, he would rather think. they were reading the contents only of some discourse they intended to make, than actually in the body of an oration, even when they are upon matters of such a nature, as one would believe it were impossible to think of without emotion.

I own there are exceptions to this general observation, and that the dean we heard the other day together is an

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orator. He has so much regard to his congregation, that he commits to his memory what he is to say to them; and has so soft and graceful a behaviour, that it must attract your attention. His person, it is to be confessed, is no small recommendation; but he is to be highly commended for not losing that advantage ; and adding to the propriety of speech, which might pass the criticism of Longinus, an action which would have been approved by Demosthenes. He has a peculiar force in his way, and has many of his audience who could not be intelligent hearers of his discourse, were there not explanation as well as grace in his action. This art of his is used with the most exact and honest skill. He never attempts your passions until he has convinced your reason. All the objections which he can form are laid open and dispersed before he uses the least vehemence in his sermon; but when he thinks he has your head, he very soon wins your heart; and never pretends to show the beauty of holiness, until he hath convinced you of the truth of it.

Would every one of our clergymen be thus careful to recommend truth and virtue in their proper figures, and show so much concern for them as to give them all the additional force they were able, it is not possible that nonsense should have so many hearers as you find it has in dissenting congregations, for no reason in the world but because it is spoken extempore. For ordinary minds are wholly governed by their eyes and ears, and there is no way to come at their hearts, but by power over their imaginations.

There is my friend and merry companion Daniel*. He knows a great deal better than he speaks, and can form

* Daniel Burgess.

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a proper discourse as well as any orthodox neighbour. But he knows very well, that to bawl out, My beloved! and the words grace! regeneration! sanctification! a new light! the day! the day! ay, my beloved, the day or rather the night! the night is coming! and judgment will come, when we least think of it! and so forth-He knows, to be vehement is the only way to come at his audience. Daniel, when he sees my friend Greenhat come in, can give a good hint, and cry out, This is only for the saints! the regenerated! By this force of action, though mixed with all the incoherence and ribaldry imaginable, Daniel can laugh at his diocesan, and grow fat by voluntary subscription, while the parson of the parish goes to law for half his dues. Daniel will tell you, It is not the shepherd, but the sheep with the bell, which the flock follows.

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Another thing, very wonderful this learned body should omit, is, learning to read; which is a most necessary part of eloquence in one who is to serve at the altar for there is no man but must be sensible that the lazy tone and inarticulate sound of our common readers depreciate the most proper form of words that were ever extant in any nation or language, to speak their own wants, or his power from whom we ask relief.

There cannot be a greater instance of the power of action than in little parson Dapper*, who is the common relief to all the lazy pulpits in town. This smart youth has a very good memory, a quick eye, and a clean handkerchief. Thus equipped he opens his text, shuts his book fairly, shows he has no notes in his bible, opens both palms, and shows all is fair there too. Thus, with

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