Printed for W. BOREHAM, at the Angel in Pater-Noster-Row, where Advertisements and Letters from Correspondents are taken in.

Numb.  XXIV

THE

THEATRE.

By Sir JOHN FALSTAFFE.

To be Continued every Tuesday and Saturday.

Price Two-pence.

    Hic est quem quaeris, ille quem requiris,
    Tota notus in Urbe.

    Mart.

Saturday, May 7. 1720.

I have more than once declar’d, that, as I set up for a publick Spirit, and am for countenancing every Thing which may give either Profit or Delight to my Countrymen, no Essay, tending to the Improvement of any Art or Science, shall want my Approbation or Encouragement.  This may seem a very inconsiderable Assistance from a Person, whose Fortune, and Figure in Life, have not made him Great enough to be a profitable Patron to the Ingenious:  But I have found, in many Instances, that the Approbation of a grave Man, and such I am esteemed, has some Weight with the Many; since, it is observ’d, that, in Works of Learning, not Half of Mankind judge for themselves, and of Those who do, we may presume to say, that at least Half judge amiss.

It is a trite Observation, but not unserviceable in Life, that a Man had as good be out of the World, as out of the Fashion.  This lays me under an Obligation and Necessity of looking out for every Thing new, that starts into the Publick.  The Papers, which are mighty Helps to Intelligence of this Kind, have been big with advertising the History of the Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell:  And finding, by the Information of these Diurnal Oracles, that his Majesty has received it very graciously, I was induced to subscribe for this remarkable Treatise.  I must confess, I think it a Work of immense Erudition, full of curious Disquisitions into speculative Philosophy, comprehending a large Fund of Philological Learning, and furnished with some Remarks, that have escaped the Pens of former Authors, who have writ in any Faculty whatsoever.

Man’s Life is so short, it has been the settled Opinion of the Wise, that this Prosecution of any single Subject would be sufficient to take up all his Time.  For this Reason, and especially in the Summer Season, when I make shift to retire from this Metropolis of Noise and Business, I contract my Speculations and Studies under one Head.  To this End my great Care is, to collect a small Parcel of useful Books, that may all contribute to one and the same Purpose.  As my Pleasure lies chiefly in searching after Truth, and Authors, whose Aim is to inform the Mind, or reform the Morals, I have determined carefully to peruse once more these Memoirs, relating to the celebrated Mr. Campbell.  They are penn’d with a particular Air of Sincerity, and such a strict Regard