[251] This had been Steele's own regiment.
[252] In the address of Sergeant Hall's letter the Red Lettice is spelt
according to the original, but this is a corruption of Red Lattice; it
signifies a chequered or reticulated window of this colour, no uncommon
sign of a public-house. A house with a red lattice is mentioned in "The
Glass of Government," a tragi-comedy by Geo. Gascoigne, 1575.
The Chequers, at the date of this paper a very common sign of a
public-house, was the representation of a kind of draught-board called
"tables," signifying that that game might be played there. From their
colour, which was red, and their similarity to a lattice, it was
corruptly called the Red Lattice, which word is frequently used by
ancient writers to signify an ale-house (Nichols). Mr. Dobson points
out that Falstaff speaks of "red-lattice phrases" ("Merry Wives of
Windsor," Act ii. sc. 2.), and Staunton says, "Ale-houses in old times
were distinguished by _red lattices_, as dairies have since been by
_green_ ones."
[253] A narrow street between the back side of St. Clement's and
Shipyard, in the Strand. There were butchers' shambles on the south
side, and a market for meat, poultry, fish, &c. The Row was pulled down
in 1813.
[254] Dominic Bouhours (1628-1702) and Nicholas Rapin (1535-1608),
French critics.
[255] The bloody battle of Malplaquet, September 11, 1709.
[256] Mons was taken on October 21.
[257] On January 1, 1660, General Monck quitted his headquarters at
Coldstream, to restore the monarchy. As Gumble puts it in his "Life
of Monck," "This town hath given title to a small company of men whom
God made the instruments of great things." See Mackinnon's "Origin and
Services of the Coldstream Guards" (1833).
[258] The first of a long series of Government lotteries was started in
1709. There were 150,000 tickets at £10 each, making £1,500,000. Three
thousand seven hundred and fifty tickets were prizes from £1000 to £5
a year for thirty-two years. There was a great demand for the tickets.
See No. 124, and the _Spectator,_ No. 191.
No. 88. [STEELE.
From _Saturday, Oct. 29_, to _Tuesday, Nov. 1, 1709_.
_White's Chocolate-house, October 31._
I have lately received a letter from a friend in the country, wherein
he acquaints me, that two or three men of the town are got among
them, and have brought down particular words and phrases which were
never before in those parts. He mentions in particular the words
"gunner" and "gunster," which my correspondent observes they make use
of when anything has been related that is strange and surprising;
and therefore desires I would explain those terms, as I have many
others, for the information of such as live at a distance from this
town and court, which he calls the great mints of language. His letter
is dated from York; and (if he tells me truth) a word in its ordinary
circulation does not reach that city within the space of five years
after it is first stamped. I cannot say how long these words have been
current in town, but I shall now take care to send them down by the
next post.
I must in the first place observe, that the words "gunner" and
"gunster" are not to be used promiscuously; for a gunner, properly
speaking, is not a gunster: nor is a gunster, _vice versâ_, a gunner.
They both indeed are derived from the word "gun," and so far they
agree. But as a gun is remarkable for its destroying at a distance,
or for the report it makes, which is apt to startle all its hearers,
those who recount strange accidents and circumstances, which have no
manner of foundation in truth, when they design to do mischief are
comprehended under the appellation of gunners; but when they endeavour
only to surprise and entertain, they are distinguished by the name of
gunsters. Gunners therefore are the pest of society; but the gunsters
often the diversion. The gunner is destructive, and hated; the gunster
innocent, and laughed at. The first is prejudicial to others, the other
only to himself.
This being premised, I must in the next place subdivide the gunner into
several branches: all or the chief of which are I think as follow:
First, the Bombardier.
Secondly, the Miner.
Thirdly, the Squib.
Fourthly, the Serpent.
And first, of the first. The bombardier tosses his balls sometimes
into the midst of a city, with a design to fill all around him with
terror and combustion. He has been sometimes known to drop a bomb in
a Senate-house, and to scatter a panic over a nation. But his chief
aim is at several eminent stations, which he looks upon as the fairest
marks, and uses all his skill to do execution upon those who possess
them. Every man so situated, let his merit be never so great, is sure
to undergo a bombardment. It is further observed, that the only way to
be out of danger from the bursting of a bomb, is to lie prostrate on
the ground; a posture too abject for generous spirits.
Secondly, the Miner.
As the bombardier levels his mischief at nations and cities, the miner
busies himself in ruining and overturning private houses and particular
persons. He often acts as a spy, in discovering the secret avenues and
unguarded accesses of families, where, after he has made his proper
discoveries and dispositions, he sets sudden fire to his train, that
blows up families, scatters friends, separates lovers, disperses
kindred, and shakes a whole neighbourhood.
It is to be noted, that several females are great proficients in this
way of engineering. The marks by which they are to be known, are a
wonderful solicitude for the reputation of their friends, and a more
than ordinary concern for the good of their neighbours. There is also
in them something so very like religion as may deceive the vulgar;
but if you look upon it very nearly, you see on it such a cast of
censoriousness, as discovers it to be nothing but hypocrisy. Cleomilla
is a great instance of a female miner; but as my design is to expose
only the incorrigible, let her be silent for the future, and I shall be
so too.
Thirdly, the Squib.
The squibs are those who in the common phrase of the world are called
libellers, lampooners, and pamphleteers. Their fireworks are made up
in paper; and it is observed, that they mix abundance of charcoal in
their powder, that they may be sure to blacken where they cannot singe.
These are observed to give a consternation and disturbance only to weak
minds; which, according to the proverb, are always more afraid than
hurt.
Fourthly, Serpents.
The serpents are a petty kind of gunners, more pernicious than any
of the rest. They make use of a sort of white powder, that goes off
without any violent crack, but gives a gentle sound, much like that of
a whisper; and is more destructive in all parts of life than any of the
materials made use of by any of the fraternity.
Come we now to the Gunsters.
This race of engineers deals altogether in wind-guns,[259] which, by
recoiling often, knock down those who discharge them, without hurting
anybody else; and according to the various compressions of the air,
make such strange squeaks, cracks, pops, and bounces, as it is
impossible to hear without laughing. It is observable, however, that
there is a disposition in a gunster to become a gunner; and though
their proper instruments are only loaded with wind, they often, out
of wantonness, fire a bomb, or spring a mine, out of their natural
inclination to engineering; by which means they do mischief when they
don't design it, and have their bones broken when they don't deserve it.
This sort of engineers are the most unaccountable race of men in the
world: some of them have received above a hundred wounds, and yet have
not a scar in their bodies; some have debauched multitudes of women who
have died maids. You may be with them from morning till night, and the
next day they shall tell you a thousand adventures that happened when
you were with them, which you know nothing of. They have a quality of
having been present at everything they hear related; and never heard
a man commended who was not their intimate acquaintance, if not their
kinsman.
I hope these notes may serve as a rough draught for a new establishment
of engineers, which I shall hereafter fill up with proper persons,
according to my own observations on their conduct, having already had
one recommended to me for the general of my artillery. But that, and
all the other posts, I intend to keep open, till I can inform myself
of the candidates, having resolved in this case to depend no more upon
their friend's word than I would upon their own.
_From my own Apartment, October 31._[260]
I was this morning awakened by a sudden shake of the house; and as soon
as I had got a little out of my consternation, I felt another, which
was followed by two or three repetitions of the same convulsion. I
got up as fast as possible, girt on my rapier, and snatched up my hat,
when my landlady came up to me, and told me, that the gentlewoman of
the next house begged me to step thither; for that a lodger she had
taken in was run mad, and she desired my advice; as indeed everybody
in the whole lane does upon important occasions. I am not like some
artists, saucy because I can be beneficial, but went immediately.
Our neighbour told us, she had the day before let her second floor
to a very genteel youngish man, who told her, he kept extraordinary
good hours, and was generally at home most part of the morning and
evening at study; but that this morning he had for an hour together
made this extravagant noise which we then heard. I went upstairs with
my hand upon the hilt of my rapier, and approached this new lodger's
door. I looked in at the key-hole, and there I saw a well-made man
look with great attention on a book, and on a sudden, jump into the
air so high, that his head almost touched the ceiling. He came down
safe on his right foot, and again flew up, alighting on his left;
then looked again at his book, and holding out his right leg, put it
into such a quivering motion, that I thought he would have shaken it
off. He used the left after the same manner, when on a sudden, to my
great surprise, he stooped himself incredibly low, and turned gently
on his toes. After this circular motion, he continued bent in that
humble posture for some time, looking on his book. After this, he
recovered himself with a sudden spring, and flew round the room in
all the violence and disorder imaginable, till he made a full pause
for want of breath. In this interim my woman asked what I thought:
I whispered, that I thought this learned person an enthusiast, who
possibly had his first education in the peripatetic way, which was a
sect of philosophers who always studied when walking. But observing him
much out of breath, I thought it the best time to master him if he were
disordered, and knocked at his door. I was surprised to find him open
it, and say with great civility and good mien, that he hoped he had not
disturbed us. I believed him in a lucid interval, and desired he would
please to let me see his book. He did so, smiling. I could not make
anything of it, and therefore asked in what language it was written.
He said, it was one he studied with great application; but it was his
profession to teach it, and could not communicate his knowledge without
a consideration. I answered, that I hoped he would hereafter keep his
thoughts to himself; for his meditation this morning had cost me three
coffee-dishes and a clean pipe. He seemed concerned at that, and told
me, he was a dancing-master, and had been reading a dance or two before
he went out, which had been written by one who taught at an academy in
France.[261] He observed me at a stand, and went on to inform me, that
now articulate motions, as well as sounds, were expressed by proper
characters, and that there is nothing so common as to communicate a
dance by a letter. I besought him hereafter to meditate in a ground
room, for that otherwise it would be impossible for an artist of any
other kind to live near him; and that I was sure, several of his
thoughts this morning would have shaken my spectacles off my nose, had
I been myself at study.
I then took my leave of this virtuoso, and returned to my chamber,
meditating on the various occupations of rational creatures.