libel, and refufing two and nine-pence for Sir Richard Blackmore's Effays.

As the poor man's frenzy increased, he began to void his excrements in his bed; read Rochester's bawdy poems to his wife, gave Oldmixon a flap on the chops, and would have kiffed Mr. Pemberton's by violence.

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But at last he came to fuch a pafs, that he would dine upon nothing but copper-plates, took a clyfter for whipt fyllabub, and made Mr. Lintot eat a fuppofitory, for a radish, with bread and butter.

We leave it to every tender wife to imagine, how forely all this afflicted poor Mrs. Curll: at first she privately put a bill into feveral churches, defiring the prayers of the congregation for a wretched flationer diftempered in mind. But when she was fadly convinced, that his misfortune was public to all the world, fhe writ the following letter to her good neighbour Mr. Lintot.

A true copy of Mrs. Curll's letter to Mr. Lintot.

"WORTHY MR. LINTOT,

"YOU and all the neighbours know too well the frenzy with which my poor man is vifited. I never perceived he was out of himself, till that' melancholy day that he thought he was poisoned in a glass of fack; upon this he ran a-vomiting all over the house, nay, in the new-washed dining room. Alas! this is the greateft adverfity that ever befel my poor man, fince he loft one testicle at fchool by the bite of a black boar. Good Lord! If he should die, where fhould I difpofe of the flock? unless Mr. Pemberton or you would help a diftreffed

widow; for God knows, he never publifhed any books that lafted above a week, fo that if he wanted daily books, we wanted daily bread. I can write no more, for I hear the rap of Mr. Curll's ivory-headed cane upon the counter. Pray recommend me to your pastry-cook, who furnishes you yearly with tarts in exchange for your paper, for Mr. Curll has difobliged ours, fince his fits came upon him; -before that we generally lived upon baked meats.

He is coming in, and I have but just time to put his fon out of the way for fear of mifchief: fo wifhing you a merry Eafter, I remain

Your moft humble fervant,

C. CURLL."

P. S. As to the report of my poor husband's ftealing o'calf, it is really groundless, for he always binds in sheep."

But return we to Mr. Curll, who all Wednesday continued outrageoufly mad. On Thursday he had a lucid interval, that enabled him to fend a general fummons to all his authors. There was but one porter, who could perform this office, to whom he gave the following bill of directions, where to find them. This bill, together with Mrs. Curll's original letter, lie at Mr. Lintot's fhop to be perufed by the curious.

Inftructions to a porter how to find Mr. Curll's Authors.

"At a tallow-chandler's in Petty France, half-way under the blind arch, ask for the hiftorian.

At the Bedstead and Bolfter, a mufic-houfe in Moorfields, two tranflators in a bed together.

At the Hercules and Still in Vinegar-yard, a fchoolmafter with carbuncles on his nofe. "At a blacksmith's fhop in the Friars, a Pindaric writer in red ftockings.

"In the Calendar-mill-room at Exeter-change, a compofer of meditations.

"At the Three Tobacco-pipes in Dog and Bitch yard, one that has been a parfon, he wears a bluc camblet coat, trimmed with black: my best writer againft revealed religion.

"At Mr. Summers, a thief-catcher's, in Lewkner's lane, the man that wrote against the impiety of Mr. Rowe's plays.

"At the Farthing pye-house in Totting-fields, the young man who is writing my new paftorals.

"At the Laundreffes, at the Hole in the Wall in Curfitors-alley, up three pair of ftairs, the author of my Church-history,if his flux be over-— You may also speak to the gentleman who lies by him in the flock-bed, my index-maker.

"The Cook's wife in Buckingham-court: bid her bring along with her the fimiles, that were lent her for her next new play.

"Call at Budge-row for the gentleman you used to go to in the cockloft; I have taken away the ladder, but his landlady has it in keeping.

"I don't much care if you ask at the Mint for the old beetle-browed critic, and the purblind poet at the Alley over against St. Andrew's Holborn. But this as you have time."

2 Mrs. Centlivre.

All these gentlemen appeared at the hour appointed in Mr. Carll's dining-room, two excepted; one of whom was the gentleman in the cockloft, his landlady being out of the way, and the gradus ad Parnaffum taken down; the other happened to be too closely watched by the bailiffs.

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They no fooner entered the room, but all of them fhewed in their behaviour fome fufpicion of each other: fome turning away their heads with an air of contempt; others fquinting with a leer, that shewed at once fear and indignation, each with a haggard abstracted mien, the lively picture of fcorn, folitude, and fhort commons. So when a keeper feeds his hungry charge of vultures, panthers, and of Libyan leopards, each eyes his fellow with a fiery glare: high hung, the bloody liver tempts their maw. Or as a housewife ftands before her pales, furrounded by her geefe; they fight, they hifs, they gaggle, beat their wings, and down is fcattered as the winter's fnow, for a poor grain of oat, or tare, or barley. Such looks fhot through the room tranfverfe, oblique, direct; fuch was the flir and din, till Curll thus spoke, (but without rifing from his close-stool.)

"Whores and authors must be paid beforehand to put them in good humour; therefore here is half a crown apiece for you to drink your own healths, and confufion to Mr. Addison, and all other faccessful writers.

"Ah, Gentlemen! what have I not done? what have I not fuffered, rather than the world fhould be deprived of your lucubrations? I have taken involuntary purges, I have been vomited, three times have I been caned, once was I hunted, twice was head broke by a grenadier, twice was I toffed in

my

a blanket; I have had boxes on the ear, flaps on the chops; I have been frighted, pumped, kicked, flandered, and befhitten.--I hope, Gentlemen, you are all convinced, that this author of Mr. Lintot's could mean nothing elfe but ftarving you, by poifoning me. It remains for us to confult the beft and fpeedieft methods of revenge."

He had scarce done fpeaking, but the hiflorian propofed a history of his life. The Exeter-Exchange gentleman was for penning articles of his faith. Some pretty smart Pindaric, fays the red-ftocking poet, would effectually do his bufinefs. But the index-maker faid, there was nothing like an index to his Homer.

After feveral debates, they came to the following refolutions.

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Refolved, That every member of this fociety, according to his feveral abilities, fhall contribute fome way or other to the defamation of Mr. Pope. Refolved, That towards the libelling of the faid Pope there be a fum employed not exceeding fix pounds fixteen fhillings and nine-pence (not including advertisements).

Refolved, That he has on purpose, in feveral paffages, perverted the true ancient Heathen fenfe of Homer, for the more effectual propagation of the Popish religion.

Refolved, That the printing of Homer's battles, at this juncture, has been the occafion of all the disturbances of this kingdom.

Ordered, That Mr. Barnevelt be invited to be a member of this fociety, in order to make further discoveries.