Page:Famous history of the whimsical Mr Spectator.pdf/9

( 9 ) an Amanuenſis in a private part of the room. After the ſecond bottle, when men open their minds without reſerve, my honeſt friend began to take notice of the many ſonorous but unneceſſary words that had paſſed in his houſe ſince their fitting down at table, and how much good converſation they had loſt by giving way to ſuch ſuperfluous praſes. What a tax, ſays he would they have raiſed for the poor, had we put the laws in execution upon one another? Every one of them took this gentle reproof in good part. Upon which he told them, that knowing their converſation would have no ſecrets in it, and for the humour-ſake would read it to them, if they pleaſed. There were ten ſheets of it, which might have been reduced to two, had there not been thoſe abominable interpolations I have before mentioned. Upon the reading of it in cold blood, it looked rather like a conference of fiends than of men. In ſhort, every one tremled at himſelf upon hearing calmly what he had pronounced amidſt the heat and inadvertancy of diſcourſe.

I SHALL only mention another occaſion where-in he made uſe of the ſame invention to cure a differant kind of men, who are the peſts of all polite converſation, and murder time as much as either of the two former, though they do it more innocently; I mean that dull generation of ſtory-tellers. My friend got together about half a dozen of his acquaintance, who were