t Whitlocke is called Will Shoestring, for his
singularity in using shoe-strings, so long after the era of
shoe-buckles, which commenced in the reign of Charles II., although
ordinary people, and such as affected plainness in their garb, wore
strings in their shoes after that time.]

[Footnote 381: "Combing the peruke, at the time when men of fashion wore
large wigs, was even at public places an act of gallantry. The combs,
for this purpose, were of a very large size, of ivory or tortoise-shell,
curiously chased and ornamented, and were carried in the pocket as
constantly as the snuff-box. At Court, on the Mall, and in the boxes,
gentlemen conversed and combed their perukes "(Sir John Hawkins' "Hist,
of Music," vol. iv. p. 447, note). Cf. Dryden's prologue to "Almanzor
and Almahide":--

"But as when vizard mask appears in pit,
Straight every man who thinks himself a wit,
Perks up; and managing his comb with grace,
With his white wig sets off his nut-brown face."

And "The Fortune Hunters," act i. sc. 2 (1689): "He looked, indeed, and
sighed, and set his cravat-string, and sighed again, and combed his
periwig: sighed a third time, and then took snuff, I guess to show the
whiteness of his hand." See, too, Wycherley's "Love in a Wood," act iii.
sc. 1:--

"DAPPERWIT. Let me prune and flounce my perruque a little for her;
there's ne'er a young fellow in the town but will do as much for a mere
stranger in the play-house.

"RANGER. A wit's wig has the privilege of being uncombed in the very
play-house, or in the presence--

"DAPPERWIT. But not in the presence of his mistress; 'tis a greater
neglect of her than himself; pray lend me your comb.... She comes, she
comes; pray, your comb. (_Snatches_ RANGER'S _comb_.)"]

[Footnote 382: "Mrs. Distaff hath received the Dialogue dated Monday
evening, which she has sent forward to Mr. Bickerstaff at Maidenhead:
and in the meantime gives her service to the parties" (folio).]

No. 39. [STEELE.

By ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esq.

From _Thursday, July 7_, to _Saturday, July 9_, 1709.

* * * * *

Grecian Coffee-house, July 7.

As I am called forth by the immense love I bear to my fellow creatures,
and the warm inclination I feel within me, to stem, as far as I can, the
prevailing torrent of vice and ignorance; so I cannot more properly
pursue that noble impulse, than by setting forth the excellence of
virtue and knowledge in