a mift, impenetrable, as he hopes, to the eye of rivalry or curiofity.

UPON this principle, Toм DOUBLE has formed a habit of eluding the most harmlefs question. What he has no inclination to answer, he pretends fometimes not to hear, and endeavours to divert the enquirer's attention by fome other subject; but if he be preffed hard by repeated interrogation, he always evades a direct reply. Afk him whom he ftage? he is ready to tell veral excellent performers. was laft at the coffee-house, he replies, that the weather has been bad lately. Defire him to tell the age of any of his acquaintance, he immediately mentions another who is older or younger.

likes beft on the that there are feEnquire when he

WILL PUZZLE values himself upon a long reach. He forefees every thing before it will happen, though he never relates his prognoftications till the event is past. Nothing has come to pafs for these twenty years of which Mr. Puzzle had not given broad

hints, and told at least that it was not proper to tell. Of those predictions, which every conclufion will equally verify, he always claims the credit, and wonders that his friends did not understand them. He fuppofes very truly that much may be known which he knows not, and therefore pretends to know much of which he and all mankind are equally ignorant. I defired his opinion yesterday of the German war, and was told that if the Pruffians were well supported, fomething great may be expected; but that they have very powerful enemies to encounter, that the Auftrian general has long experience, and the Ruffians are hardy and refolute; but that no human power is invincible. I then drew the conversation to our own affairs, and invited him to ballance the probabilities of war and peace; he told me that war requires cou-rage and negotiation judgment, and that the time will come when it will be feen whether our skill in treaty is equal to our bravery in battle. To this general prattle he will appeal hereafter, and will demand to have his forefight applauded, whoever fhall at last be conquered or victorious.

With NED SMUGGLE all is a fecret. He believes himself watched by obfervation and malignity on every fide, and rejoices in the dexterity by which he has escaped fnares that never were laid. Ned holds that a man is never deceived if he never trusts, and therefore will not tell the name of his taylor or his hatter; he rides out every morning for the air, and pleases himself with thinking that nobody knows where he has been; when he dines with a friend he never goes to his house the nearest way, but walks up a bye-street to perplex the fcent.

When he has a coach

called he never tells him at the door the true place to which he is going, but ftops him in the way that he may give him directions where nobody can hear him. The price of what he buys or fells is always concealed. He often takes lodgings in the country by a wrong name, and thinks that the world is wondring where he can be hid. All these transactions he registers in a book, which, he says, will fome time or other amaze pofterity.

IT is remarked by Bacon, that many men try to procure reputation only by objections,

of

of which if they are once admitted the nullity never appears, because the design is laid afide. This falfe feint of Wisdom, fays he, is the ruin of Bufinefs. The whole power of cunning is privative; to say nothing, and to do nothing, is the utmost of its reach. Yet men thus narrow by nature, and mean by art, are sometimes able to rife by the miscarriages of bravery and the openness of integrity; and by watching failures and fnatching opportunities, obtain advantages which belong properly to higher characters.

N° 93. Saturday, January 26.

AM SOFTLY was bred a Sugar-baker:

SA

but fucceeding to a confiderable estate on the death of his elder brother, he retired early from business, married a fortune, and fettled in a country houfe near Kentish-town. Sam, who formerly was a sportsman, and in his apprenticeship, ufed to frequent Barnet races, keeps a high chaife, with a brace of feafoned geldings. During the fummer months, the principal paffion and employment of Sam's life is to vifit, in this vehicle, the most eminent feats of the Nobility and Gentry in different parts of the kingdom, with his wife and fome felect friends. By these periodical excurfions Sam gratifies many important purposes. He affifts the feveral pregnancies of his wife; he fhews his chaife to the best advantage; he indulges his infatiable. curiofity for finery, which, fince he has turned gentleman, has grown upon him to an extraordinary