The Theater (1720) | Page 4

dispos'd to dye in his Wits, and no doubt, did so: tho' by Intervals, 'tis thought he was a little delirious, talk'd of taking Coach to Fishmongers Hall, broke into imperfect Sentences about Annuities and _South-Sea_, and mutter'd something to himself of making Dividends of Ten per Cent at least six times a Year.
If Sir John appear'd by all the Actions of his Life a Friend to Mankind, he certainly did so in a great Measure at his Death, by the charitable Disposition of what he died possess'd. I have given an Abridgment of his Will, that the World may see he left his Legacies only where they were truly wanted: Neither Favour nor Prejudice had any Influence over him in his last Minutes, but he had nothing more at Heart than the Necessities of his Legatees.
'In Nomini Domini, Amen. I John Edgar, &c. Knight, being sound in Body, but imperfect of Mind and Memory, do make this my last Will, &c.
'Item, As to such personal Estate which I have the good Fortune to leave behind me, I give and dispose thereof, as follows: And, best, I give and bequeath all and singular my Projects to the Society of Stockjobbers, Share and Share alike, because I am sure they will be never the better for them.
'Item, I give and bequeath all my Right, Property and Share in the _transparent Bee-hive_ to my indulgent Friend and Patron, his Grace the Duke of ----, because he has taken such a particular Fancy to it.
'Item, I give and bequeath the full Profit of all those Plays which I have Intentions of writing, if it shall happen that I live to the Poor of the Parish in which I shall dye: desiring it may be distributed by my Executor, and not come into the Hands of the Church-wardens.
'Item, I give and bequeath my Goosequilt, with which I demolish'd Dunkirk, to such Person as shall appear most strenuous for the Delivery of Port Mahon and Gibraltar to the Spaniards.
'And as to such Qualifications wherewith I am endow'd, which have always serv'd me in the Nature of personal Estate, I dispose thereof as follows; First, I give and bequeath my Politicks to the Directors of the Academy of Musick, my Religion to the Bishop of B----, my Eloquence to the most distrest Author in Grubstreet, who writes the full Accounts of _Murthers & Rapes_, and Fires, and my Obscurity to somebody that is inclin'd to turn Casuist in Divinity.
'Item, I give my Beauty to Mr. Dennis, because he had a Mind to steal it from me while I was alive.
'Item, I give my Wits to my Friends at _Button's_, my Good Manners to the Deputy Governors of Drury Lane Theatre; and my Charity to the married and unmarried Ladies of the said Theatre; and lest Disputes should arise about the Distribution thereof, it being too little for them All, my Desire is, that they be determin'd in their Shares by Lot.
'And I make and appoint Sir John Falstaffe, Knight, my full and whole Executor, and residuary Legatee, desiring him to continue my Paper of the Theatre, but after his own Stile and Method; and desiring likewise that the Sum of Forty Shillings may be given to the Boys of the Charity School of St. Martin in the Fields, to write me an Elegy any Time within Eighteen Years after my Decease.'
He left several other Legacies to the Theatrical Viceroys, whose Interest he had always so much at Heart, such as, his Humility, his Learning and Judgment in _Dramatick Poetry_; but these being Things which they always lived without, and which we are assur'd, they will never claim, we thought it needless to insert them.
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Printed for W. BOREHAM, at the Angel in _Pater-Noster-Row_, where Advertisements and Letters from Correspondents are taken in.

Numb. XVII.
THE
THEATRE.
By Sir JOHN FALSTAFFE.
To be Continued every Tuesday and Saturday.
--_Animasque in vulnere ponunt._
Virg.
Tuesday, _April 12. 1720._
The Incident of a late Prize fought at one of our Theatres, has given me some Occasion to amuse myself with the Rise, and Antiquity of _Duelling_; and to enquire what Considerations have given it such Credit, as to make it practicable as well in all Countries, as in all Times. Religion and Civil Policy have ever declar'd against the Custom of receiving Challenges, and deny that any Man has a Right, by a Tryal at Sharps, to destroy his Fellow-Creature. History, 'tis true; both sacred and prophane, is full of Instances of these sort of Combats: but very few are recorded to have happen'd between Friends, none on the light and idle Misconstruction of Words, which has set most of our modern Tilters at Work. The Athenians made it penal by a Law so much as to call a Man a _Murtherer_: and the Detestation