more; but shaked his head, and hinted, that they should not live long
with her. The widow sighed, and gave him the other half-guinea. After
this prepossession, all that she had next to do, was to make sallies to
our end of the town, and find out who it is her fate to have. There are
two who frequent this place, whom she takes for men of vogue, and of
whom her imagination has given her the choice. They are both the
appearances of fine gentlemen, to such as do not know when they see
persons of that turn; and indeed, they are industrious enough to come at
that character, to deserve the reputation of being such: but this town
will not allow us to be the things we seem to aim at, and are too
discerning to be fobbed off with pretences. One of these pretty fellows
fails by his laborious exactness; the other, by his as much studied
negligence. Frank Careless, as soon as his valet has helped on and
adjusted his clothes, goes to his glass, sets his wig awry, tumbles his
cravat; and in short, undresses himself to go into company. Will Nice is
so little satisfied with his dress, that all the time he is at a visit,
he is still mending it, and is for that reason the more insufferable;
for he who studies carelessness, has, at least, his work the sooner done
of the two. The widow is distracted whom to take for her first man; for
Nice is every way so careful, that she fears his length of days; and
Frank is so loose, that she has apprehensions for her own health with
him. I am puzzled how to give a just idea of them; but in a word,
Careless is a coxcomb, and Nice a fop: both, you'll say, very hopeful
candidates for a gay woman just set at liberty. But there is a whisper,
her maid will give her to Tom Terrour the gamester. This fellow has
undone so many women, that he'll certainly succeed if he is introduced;
for nothing so much prevails with the vain part of that sex, as the
glory of deceiving them who have deceived others.

_Desunt multa_.

St. James's Coffee-house, May 11.

Letters from Berlin, bearing date May 11, N.S., inform us, that the
birthday of her Prussian Majesty has been celebrated there with all
possible magnificence; and the king made her on that occasion a present
of jewels to the value of thirty thousand crowns. The Marquis de Quesne,
who has distinguished himself by his great zeal for the Protestant
interest, was, at the time of the despatch of these letters, at that
Court, soliciting the king to take care, that