because it had been brought from the Forum of Mars—­with which the statue of Pasquin used to hold witty conversation; questions affixed to one receiving soon afterwards salted answers on the other.  It was in answer to Marforio’s question, Why he wore a dirty shirt? that Pasquin’s statue gave the answer cited in the text, when, in 1585, Pope Sixtus V. had brought to Rome, and lodged there in great state, his sister Camilla, who had been a laundress and was married to a carpenter.  The Pope’s bait for catching the offender was promise of life and a thousand doubloons if he declared himself, death on the gallows if his name were disclosed by another.]

[Footnote 6:  The satirist Pietro d’Arezzo (Aretino), the most famous among twenty of the name, was in his youth banished from Arezzo for satire of the Indulgence trade of Leo XI.  But he throve instead of suffering by his audacity of bitterness, and rose to honour as the Scourge of Princes, il Flagello de’ Principi.  Under Clement VII. he was at Rome in the Pope’s service.  Francis I of France gave him a gold chain.  Emperor Charles V gave him a pension of 200 scudi.  He died in 1557, aged 66, called by himself and his compatriots, though his wit often was beastly, Aretino ‘the divine.’]

[Footnote 7:  From the ’Fables of AEsop and other eminent Mythologists, with ‘Morals and Reflections.  By Sir Roger l’Estrange.’  The vol. contains Fables of AEsop, Barlandus, Anianus, Abstemius, Poggio the Florentine, Miscellany from a Common School Book, and a Supplement of Fables out of several authors, in which last section is that of the Boys and Frogs, which Addison has copied out verbatim.  Sir R. l’Estrange had died in 1704, aged 88.]

[Footnote 8:  Easter Day in 1711 fell on the 1st of April.]

* * * * *

No. 24.  Wednesday, March 28, 1711.  Steele.

      Accurrit quidam notus mihi nomine tantum;
      Arreptaque manu, Quid agis dulcissime rerum?

      Hor.

There are in this Town a great Number of insignificant People, who are by no means fit for the better sort of Conversation, and yet have an impertinent Ambition of appearing with those to whom they are not welcome.  If you walk in the Park, one of them will certainly joyn with you, though you are in Company with Ladies; if you drink a Bottle, they will find your Haunts.  What makes [such Fellows [1]] the more burdensome is, that they neither offend nor please so far as to be taken Notice of for either.  It is, I presume, for this Reason that my Correspondents are willing by my Means to be rid of them.  The two following Letters are writ by Persons who suffer by such Impertinence.  A worthy old Batchelour, who sets in for his Dose of Claret every Night at such an Hour, is teized by a Swarm of them; who because they are sure of Room and good Fire, have taken it in their Heads to keep a sort of Club in his Company; tho’ the sober Gentleman himself is an utter Enemy to such Meetings.