mistress of mankind; she has left the bed of her husband and her beauteous offspring, to give a loose to want of shame and fulness of desire.  Wretched Nocturnus, her feeble keeper!  How the poor creature fribbles in his gait, and scuttles from place to place to despatch his necessary affairs in painful daylight, that he may return to the constant twilight preserved in that scene of wantonness, Messalina’s bedchamber.  How does he, while he is absent from thence, consider in his imagination the breadth of his porter’s shoulders, the spruce nightcap of his valet, the ready attendance of his butler!  Any of all whom he knows she admits, and professes to approve of.  This, alas! is the gallantry; this the freedom of our fine gentlemen:  for this they preserve their liberty, and keep clear of that bugbear, marriage.  But he does not understand either vice or virtue, who will not allow, that life without the rules of morality is a wayward uneasy being, with snatches only of pleasure; but under the regulation of virtue, a reasonable and uniform habit of enjoyment.  I have seen in a play of old Heywood’s, a speech at the end of an act, which touched this point with much spirit.  He makes a married man in the play, upon some endearing occasion, look at his spouse with an air of fondness, and fall into the following reflection on his condition: 

“O Marriage! happiest, easiest, safest state; Let debauchees and drunkards scorn thy rights, Who, in their nauseous draughts and lusts, profane Both thee and Heaven by whom thou wert ordained.  How can the savage call it loss of freedom, Thus to converse with, thus to gaze at A faithful, beauteous friend?  Blush not, my fair one, that thy love applauds thee, Nor be it painful to my wedded wife, That my full heart overflows in praise of thee.  Thou art by law, by interest, passion, mine:  Passion and reason join in love of thee.  Thus, through a world of calumny and fraud, We pass both unreproached, both undeceived; While in each other’s interest and happiness, We without art all faculties employ, And all our senses without guilt enjoy.”

St. James’s Coffee-house August 1.

Letters from the Hague of the 6th instant, N.S., say, that there daily arrive at our camp deserters in considerable numbers; and that several of the enemy concealed themselves in the town of Tournay when the garrison marched into the citadel; after which, they presented themselves to the Duke of Marlborough; some of whom were commissioned officers.  The Earl of Albemarle is appointed governor of the town.  Soon after the surrender, there arose a dispute about a considerable work, which was asserted by the Allies to be part of the town, and by the French to belong to the citadel.  It is said, Monsieur de Surville was so ingenious as to declare, he thought it to be comprehended within the limits of the town; but Monsieur de Mesgrigny, governor of the citadel, was of a contrary opinion.  It is reported, that this affair occasioned great difficulties,