as supposed, would be made within a few
days. Deserters from the town gave an account, that the garrison was
carrying their ammunition and provisions into the citadel, which
occasioned a tumult among the inhabitants of the town. The French army
had laid bridges over the Scarp, and made a motion as if they intended
to pass that river; but though they are joined by the reinforcement
expected from Germany, it was not believed they should make any attempt
towards relieving Tournay. Letters from Brabant say, there has been a
discovery made of a design to deliver up Antwerp to the enemy. The
States of Holland have agreed to a general naturalisation of all
Protestants who shall fly into their dominions; to which purpose, a
proclamation was to be issued within few days.

They write from France, that the great misery and want under which that
nation has so long laboured, has ended in a pestilence, which began to
appear in Burgundy and Dauphine. They add, that in the town of Mazon,
three hundred persons had died in the space of ten days. Letters from
Lille of the 24th instant advise, that great numbers of deserters came
daily into that city, the most part of whom are dragoons. We are advised
from France, that the Loire having overflowed its banks, hath laid the
country under water for three hundred miles together.

[Footnote 416: See Nos. 1 and 11. In No. 29 of the _Guardian_ Steele
accused the world of ingratitude in not properly "rewarding the jocose
labours of my friend, Mr. Durfey"; and in No. 67 Addison urged the town
to go to a performance at the theatre given for Durfey's benefit. "He
has made the town merry, and I hope they will make him easy, so long as
he stays among us."]

[Footnote 417: Sir William Scawen, a merchant who was knighted in 1692.]

[Footnote 418: Probably Sir Francis Child and Sir Stephen Evance, the
bankers. The latter was ruined at the time of the South Sea mania. The
following advertisement appeared in the _Postman_ for Jan. 1, 1709:
"Lost or mislaid, some time the last summer, at Winchester House, in
Chelsea, a gold snuff-box, a cypher graved on the cover, with trophies
round it, and over the cypher these words, 'DD. Illust. Princ. Jac. Duci
Ormond.' Whoever brings it to Sir Stephen Evance, at the Black Boy in
Lombard Street, shall have ten guineas reward, and be asked no
questions."]

[Footnote 419: This seems to be a banter upon Mr. Whiston's book
intituled, "Praelectiones Physicae Mathemat