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• I was then shuffled into another human Body, and acted my Part fo very well in it, that I became first Minifter to a Prince who reigned upon the Banks of the Ganges. 1 here lived in great honour for feveral years, but by degrees loft all the Innocence of the Brachman, being obliged to rifle and opprefs the People to enrich my Sovereign; till at length I became fo odious, that my Mafter to recover his Credit with his Subjects, fhet me thro' the Heart with an Arrow, as I was one day addreffing my felf to him at the Head of his Army.

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UPON my next remove I found my felf in the • Woods under the fhape of a Jack-call, and foon lifted " my felf in the Service of a Lion. I used to yelp near his Den about midnight, which was his time of rouzing ⚫ and feeking after his Prey. He always followed me in the Rear, and when I had run down a fat Buck, a wild Goat, or an Hare, after he had feasted very plentifully upon it himself, would now and then throw me a Bone that was but half picked for my Encouragement; but upon my being unsuccessful in two or three Chaces, he gave me fuch a confounded Gripe in his Anger, that I 'died of it.

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'IN my next Tranfmigration I was again fet upon two Legs, and became an Indian Tax-gatherer; but having ‹ been guilty of great Extravagances, and being marry'd to an expenfive Jade of a Wife, I ran fo curfedly in debt, that I durft not fhew, my Head. I could no fooner step out of my House, but I was arrested by fome body or other that lay in wait for me. As I ventur❜d abroad one night in the dusk of the Evening, I was taken up and hurry'd into a Dungeon, where I died a few • months after.

MY Soul then enter'd into a Flying-Flefh, and in that • State led a moft melancholy Life for the space of fix years. Several Fishes of Prey pursued me when I was in the Water, and if I betook my self to my Wings, it was ten to one but I had a Flock of Birds aiming at me. As I was one day flying amidst a Fleet of English Ships, I • obferved a huge Sea-Gull whetting his Bill and hovering : juft over my Head: Upon my dipping into the Water to

← avoid him, I fell into the Mouth of a monstrous Shark that fwallow'd me down in an inftant.

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• I was fome Years afterwards, to my great furprize, an ' eminent Banker in Lombard-street; and remembring how I had formerly fuffered for want of Money, became fo very fordid and avaritious, that the whole Town cried fhame of me. I was a miferable little old Fellow to look upon, for I had in a manner ftarved my felf, and was nothing but Skin and Bone when I died.

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I was afterwards very much troubled and amazed to • find my self dwindled into an Emmet. I was heartily concerned to make fo infignificant a Figure, and did not • know but some time or other I might be reduced to a • Mite if I did not mend my manners. I therefore applied my felf with great diligence to the Offices that were allotted me, and was generally look'd upon as the notablest • Ant in the whole Molehill. I was at laft picked up, as I was groaning under a Burden, by an unlucky CockSparrow that lived in the Neighbourhood, and had before 'made great depredations upon our Commonwealth.

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"I then better'd my Condition a little, and lived a whole • Summer in the shape of a Bee; but being tired with the painful and penurious Life I had undergone in my two laft Tranfmigrations, I fell into the other extreme, and ⚫ turned Drone. As I one day headed a Party to plunder an Hive, we were receiv'd fo warmly by the Swarm ⚫ which defended it, that we were most of us left dead upon the spot.

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I might tell you of many other Tranfmigrations which I went thro': how I was a Town-Rake, and afterwards • did penance in a bay Gelding for ten years; as alfo how I was a Taylor, a Shrimp, and a Tom-Tit. In the last of thefe my Shapes I was fhot in the Christmas Holidays by a young Jack-a-napes, who would needs try his new • Gun upon me.

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BUT I fhall pafs over these and several other Stages ⚫ of Life, to remind you of the young Beau who made love to you about fix years fince. You may remember, Madam, how he masked, and danced, and fung, and · play'd a thousand Tricks to gain you; and how he was : at

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at laft carry'd off by a Cold that he got under your Window one Night in a Serenade. I was that unfortunate 6 young Fellow, whom you were then fo cruel to. Not

long after my fhifting that unlucky Body, I found my ⚫ felf upon a Hill in Ethiopia, where I lived in my prefent • Grotefque Shape, till I was caught by a Servant of the English Factory, and fent over into Great Britain: I need not inform you how I came into your hand. You see, Madam, this is not the first time that you have had me in a Chain: I am, however, very happy in this my Captivity, as you often beflow on me thofe Kiffes and Careffes which I would have given the World for, when I was a Man. I hope this Difcovery of my Perfon will not tend to my difadvantage, but that you will ftill continue your accuftomed Favours to

.

L

P. S.

Your most devoted humble Servant,

Pugg.

I would advise your little Shock-dog to keep out of my way; for as I look upon him to be the most formidable of my Rivals, I may chance one time or other to give him such a Snap as he won't like.

N 344.

Friday, April 4.

In folo vivendi caufa palato eft. Juv.

Mr. SPECTATOR,

1

Think it has not yet fallen into your way to difcourfe on little Ambition, or the many whimfical Ways • Men fall into, to distinguish themfelves among their Acquaintance: Such Obfervations, well purfued, ⚫ would make a pretty Hiftory of low Life. I my felf am got into a great Reputation, which arofe (as most extraordinary Occurrences in a Man's Life seem to do) from a

: mere

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mere Accident. I was fome days ago unfortunately engaged among a Set of Gentlemen, who efteem a Man according to the Quantity of Food he throws down at a Meal. ¡Now I, who am ever for diftinguishing my self according to the Notions of Superiority which the reft of the Company entertain, ate fo immoderately for their Applaufe, as had like to have coft me my Life. What added to my Misfortune was, that having naturally a good Stomach, and having lived foberly for fome time, my Body was as well prepared for this Contention as if it had been by appointment. I had quickly vanquished S every Glutton in Company but one, who was fuch a Prodigy in his way, and withal fo very merry during the ⚫ whole Entertainment, that he infenfibly betrayed me to continue his Competitor, which in a little time concluded in a compleat Victory over my Rival; after which, by way of infult, I ate a confiderable Proportion beyond what the Spectators thought me obliged in honour to do. The Effect however of this Engagement, has made me refalve never to eat more for Renown; and I have, purfuant to this Refolution, compounded three Wagers I had depending on the Strength of my Stomach; which happened very luckily, because it was ftipulated in our Articles either to play or pay. How a Man of common • Senfe could be thus engaged, is hard to determine; but the Occafion of this, is to defire you to inform several • Gluttons of my Acquaintance, who look on me with En< vy, that they had best moderate their Ambition in time, left Infamy or Death attend their Succefs. I forgot to tell you, Sir, with what unfpeakable Pleasure I received the Acclamations and Applaufe of the whole Board, when I had almost eat my Antagonist into Convulfions: It was then that I returned his Mirth upon him with fuch fuccefs as he was hardly able to fwallow, though prompted by a defire of Fame, and a paffionate Fondnefs for Diftinction. I had not endeavoured to excel fo far, had not the Company been fo loud in their Appro bation of my Victory. I don't queftion but the fame • Thirst after Glory has often caufed a Man to drink Quarts without taking breath, and prompted Men to many VOL. V. F

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other

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other as difficult Enterprizes; which if otherwife purfued, might turn very much to a Man's advantage. This Ambition of mine was indeed extravagantly purfued; ⚫ however I can't help obferving, that you hardly ever see a Man commended for a good Stomach, but he immediately falls to eating more (tho' he had before denied) as ⚫ well to confirm the Perfon that commended him in his good Opinion of him, as to convince any other at the Table, who may have been unattentive enough not to have done juftice to his Character. I am, Sir,

Mr. SPECTATOR,

،

Your most humble Servant,
Epicure Mammon.

Have writ to you three or four times, to defire you would take notice of an impertinent Custom the Women, the fine Women, have lately fallen into, of taking Snuff. This filly Trick is attended with fuch a Coquet Air in fome Ladies, and fuch a fedate mafculine one in others, that I cannot tell which most to comC plain of; but they are to me equally disagreeable. Mrs. Saunter is fo impatient of being without it, that the takes it as often as he does Salt at Meals; and as the ⚫ affects a wonderful Eafe and Negligence in all her manner, an upper Lip mixed with Snuff and the Sauce, is what is prefented to the Obfervation of all who have the ⚫ honour to cat with her. The pretty Creature her Neice does all she can to be as difagreeable as her Aunt; and if fhe is not as offenfive to the Eye, fhe is quite as much to the Ear, and makes up all the wants in a confident Air, ⚫ by a naufeous Rattle of the Nose when the Snuff is delivered, and the Fingers make the Stops and Clofes on the Noftrils. This, perhaps, is not a very courtly Image in fpeaking of Ladies; that is very true: but where arifes the Offence? Is it in those who commit, or those who obferve it? As for my part, I have been fo extremely difgufted with this filthy Phyfick hanging on the Lip, that the most agreeable Converfation, or Perfon, has not been able to make up for it. As to thofe who take it for no other end but to give themselves occafion for pretty

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