Now I would have the Reader to observe, that Mr. Bullock, who always prided himself upon his Attachment to the Principles of Toryism, not only robb'd the above-mention'd ingenious Mr. Charles Johnson of great Part of the large Profits which he expected from the Run of a Farce, which was wrote, so much to the Support, and the Defence of the H&horfill;r Succession, but wrote his own Farce, call'd The Cobler of Preston, likewise in quite another Manner, turning into Burlesque and Ridicule all Mr. Johnson's Thoughts and Designs, and giving Spirit to that Party which Mr. Johnson had rendred contemptible and Spiritless. To this, the Gentleman who is the Subject of my present Discourse, may be said to be accessary, and his Principles with respect to the Govern&rehy;ment, may be brought into Dispute, as he not only knew his Brother Pinkethman to be a fer&rehy;vent Friend to the Interests of his late M&horfill;y, and his Administration, but was satisfied that his Patron, Mr. Bullock, for whose Sake and Interest he was guilty of so felonious an Act, as picking Mr. Pinkethman's Pocket, was a Person whose Hopes depended entirely on the Favour of a contrary Party.

To strengthen our Suspicion of Mr. Spil&rehy;ler's unhappy Sentiments, with regard to the G&horfill;t, and to shew the mutual Confidence that seemed to subsist between Mr. Christopher Bullock and him, I shall now take Notice of another Farce, call'd The Perjuror, wrote likewise by the abovesaid Mr. Christopher Bul&rehy;lock, which was acted in Opposition to the Nonjuror, a Comedy written by that un&rehy;doubted Lover of, and Ornament to his Coun&rehy;try, Mr. Colly Cibber, and in which Mr. Spiller bore a considerable Part, and spoke a Prologue to it, which gave Mr. Cibber and the Court-Party no small Chagrin. No Body will wonder if this Farce had a considerable Run, to very large Audiences of Persons who went under the Censure of being disaffected to the Government, since Mr. Spiller was the Comedian, who, next to the Party-Jokes in it, gave, by his Performance, a Life and Spirit to it.

The Liberty I have taken with Mr. Spiller's Character in these Reflections on his Moral and Political Conduct, may, perhaps, seem very surprizing to those who are acquainted with the Intimacy that has been between us for near twenty Years: But the Regard I have to Truth, and my own Reputation as an Historian, compels me even to break through the Bands of Friendship; nor can I leave such a Chasm in my History, as omitting a Circumstance of such Moment to the curious Reader, as that, of his going from Mr. Rich's Theatre, (for Mr. Keene and Mr. Bullock were both dead,) in the Year 1720, to Ireland, immediately after his Benefit Night, when he received through the Generosity of the Town, an Hundred and Seven Pounds in Money, out of the Office belonging to the Play-House, and did not give any of his numerous Creditors the Favour of a Visit. He stay'd there till his Pockets were quite drain'd, or, (as he himself term'd it,) he was Seedy; and being requested by Mr. Rich to return to his House, thought it no disagreeable Invitation, and according&rehy;ly accepted of it, and came to London, and was re-established in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields The&rehy;atre; but such are the Charms of good Liquor and good Company, that four Pounds a Week were not enough to keep him out of the Hug&rehy;ster's Hands; and having mortgaged his Pay, and taken up several Sums of Money at extra&rehy;vagant Interest, he was forced in the Year 1722, to take Shelter in the Mint, and being drove to very great Straits, he was reduced to have a Play acted for his Benefit in that Place; but the South-Sea Business having brought a little better Company there than usual, he made a Shift to scrape together about Twenty Pounds: The Play was The Drummer: Or, The Haunted House, to which, upon this Oc&rehy;casion, he himself wrote the following Epi&rehy;logue, which has been already printed in a Paper that came out at that Time, called The Whitehall Journal, but from a very incorrect Copy, above Ten Lines being omitted in That, which are here in their proper Place.

This was the first Piece of Poetry my Friend Mr. Spiller, as he assur'd me himself, was ever guilty of; It is very certain, notwithstanding all the Care I have taken to give the Publick as exact an Edition of it as possible, there are many obscure Lines in it, which must arise from the Carelessness or Interpolations of Co&rehy;pyists, but the learned World may shortly ex&rehy;pect to see the Genuine Text restored by that elaborate and circumstantial Critick Mr. L. T. who, as I am told, has spent some Time about it, and designs to publish it with such ample Notes, as will make, with the Prolegomena, Testimonia Authorum, and Appendix, two Volumes in a handsome Octavo: This is a Work which, it is to be hoped, for the Usefulness of it, will meet with Encouragement from the Publick, the Subscription not being above 25 Shillings in Sheets, and as to the time of its being delivered to the Subscri&rehy;bers, every Body knows how punctual this Gentleman has always been in this Particular.

As it is impossible for any Man, how in&rehy;offensive soever in his own Behaviour, to pass through the World without making some E&rehy;nemies, so Mr. Spiller was not without those who maliciously and groundlesly reported this Epilogue was not of his own Writing, but that he was assisted therein by the great and admir'd Authors of that Never-to-be-forgotten Dramatick Opera called Penelope.

I must own I have here a strong Desire to enter upon the Character of those immortal Poets, who never had met with a Paralell in the Dramatick Way, if Mr. Johnson had not come from Cheshire, to oblige the Cities of Lon&rehy;don and Westminster with his Hurlothrumbo, or News from Terra Australis Incognita at the same Theatre, but that I have already tired my Readers by too long Digressions, and should I once begin upon so copious a Subject, and give the proper Eulogiums due to each of those memorable Bards, I must swell my Volume much beyond the Size I propose, and make a bound Folio, or a Quarto at least: Besides, I can the more easily put the Restraint upon myself, since I am informed that Capt. Alex&rehy;ander Smith, the renowned Biographer, whom I have mentioned in the former Part of this History, has undertaken to write the Lives of the modern Poets, with the same Accuracy and Elegancy of Stile, as he has shewn in the Lives of the Highwaymen, and in this inten&rehy;ded Work, no Doubt, Justice will be done to two Authors who maintain so considerable a Rank in the Commonwealth of Letters.

The Applause Mr. Spiller receiv'd from his Friends and Companions upon the Account of the above-mention'd Epilogue, encourag'd him to try his Genius in several other Pieces of Poetry: And tho' Mr. Christopher Bullock in his above-printed Dedication of The Wo&rehy;man's Revenge, Or, A Match in Newgate, to him, was pleas'd to compliment him upon his being an Enemy to Reading, I have it in my Power to assert the contrary upon my own Knowledge, I my self having at his Desire, borrow'd Byshe's and Gildon's Arts of Poetry for his Assistance, from whence having learn't the Rules of Measure, and furnish'd his Head with as great a Competency of Jingles for the Ends of Verses, as most of our Squab-Poets about Town can make Boast of, he brought forth several very pretty Pieces, with which he frequently entertain'd his Friends in private, though his Modesty would not give him Leave to make them public, he once ventured so far as to re-translate the Third Ode of the Ninth Book of Horace, from an old Translation, which he bought for Two-pence in Duck-Lane, after the following manner.

The writing these Verses was occasioned by a Quarrel and Reconciliation between him and one Mrs. Stratford, dwelling in Wild-Street, with whom, after his Separation from his Wife, he lived for some Time in great Inti&rehy;macy. And here it may not be improper to give the Reader a Notion of Mr. Spiller's Taste of Beauty, by describing the Person and Per&rehy;fections of this Lady, who had the Happiness to captivate his Heart. She was in Stature just rising to that Height where the Graceful can only begin to shew itself, of a lively As&rehy;pect; and a Command in her Mien, that like the principal Figure in the finest Paint&rehy;ings, first seizes, and longest delights the Eye of the Spectator. Her Voice was shrill, strong and piercing; her Pronunciation indeed a little too Voluble, and her Emphasis always placed with great Spirit in her Periods. She had one peculiar Happiness from Nature, she look'd, and maintain'd the Agreeable at a Time, when other fine Women only raise Admirers by their Understanding. 'Tis true she could not boast much of her Paraphernalia, her best Gown being a Coventry Yard Wide, a pretty deal the worse for wearing; but Mr. Spiller, while his Amour continued with her, did the utmost in his Power to see her dress'd according to her Condition, and, even when he was on the other Side of the Water, al&rehy;low'd her Fourteen Pence a Week, and gave her Three Shillings and Six-Pence at one Time, to buy her a Hoop at Rag-Fair: And not long af&rehy;ter this, upon Valentine's Day, he sent her, as she assured me herself, the following Copy of Verses, with a new flourish'd Apron.

By the foregoing Verses, it may be imagin'd that Mr. Spiller's Passion for Mrs. Stratford was purely Platonick, by talking so much of her Virtue, and indeed, altho' she admitted Visits from him, she was cold to all Mankind besides, and rather than suffer another to share those Raptures which she preserv'd alone for him, or prostitute her self for Gain, she has conde&rehy;scended to several Employments much below the Dignity of one who sometimes lay by the Side of so great a Man; such as dealing, at one Season of the Year, in Asparagus, and at another in Rumps, Burs, and hot bak'd Faggots.

Now I am upon the Topick of Mr. Spiller's Amours, I cannot omit that which he carry'd on with Mrs. D&horfill; the Duke of R&horfill;s Mistress, which lasted for a considerable Time, but ended, at last, in a great Quarrel between them, and the utter Ruin of Mrs. D&horfill; in the Duke's Favour, through Mr. Spiller's inadvertent Discovery of the Intrigue for a Joke; For being dress'd a little cleaner than ordinary, and the Duke happening to be behind the Scenes, could not help taking No&rehy;tice of it. "Yes, (says Jemmy) my Linnen is not only clean, but as fine as any of your Grace's. "That's impossible, reply'd the Duke, upon which the other shew'd his Grace the Coronet and his own Mark upon his Shirt, it being one Mrs. D&horfill; had, that Day, lent him. The Duke, by this Circum&rehy;stance being convinc'd of what he had some slight Suspicion of before, from that Night would never have any thing to say to her; so that the Lady lost a very good Keeper, and poor Spiller an Opportunity of appearing so spruce as she oftentimes made him. He thought himself so happy in her good Graces, 'till this Piece of Folly ruined him, that they often wish'd their Inclinations for each other might be as lasting as their Lives, as you may see by the following Verses he sent her a little before their Quarrel.

Whatever Opinion the World may have of Mr. Spiller as a Poet, I am sure Nobody will refuse him the Praises due to a good-humour'd Fellow and a most facetious Companion. Mr. Spiller was not only esteem'd by the Managers of the House, as one on whom much of their Interest depended by all the Frequenters of that House, for the constant Diversion his hu&rehy;morous Behaviour on the Stage afforded them; but in private Conversation, by many of the smartest and prettiest Fellows about Town, who acquired that Character oftentimes by re&rehy;tailing his merry Conceits to their Companions: Nay, some Persons of the first Rank have not thought an Evening ill spent in so good Com&rehy;pany: the late Duke of Wharton particularly took much Pleasure in passing some of those Hours he devoted to Mirth, in the Company of honest Jemmy; a Familiarity with a Man of such Quality is certainly to be look'd upon as a great Honour done to a Person of his low Station of Life, but it happen'd quite other&rehy;wise at a certain Time to poor Spiller, for his Grace having, one Evening, an unaccountable Frolick come into his Head of obliging every Man in Company to disrobe himself at ev'ry Health that was drank, of some Part of his Covering, first a Peruke, then a Coat, and af&rehy;terwards a Waistcoat. Poor Jemmy, when they came to the last, made a Thousand Ex&rehy;cuses, but all to no Purpose, for the Duke in&rehy;sisting upon having his Toast pledg'd in the same Manner he had drank it himself, he was forced to own that having Mislaid his Shirt he had forgot to put it on that Day, and so was expos'd in his Buff to the whole Company, which, you may imagine occasion'd not a little Laughter; therefore how much happier had it been for him to have contented himself that Evening, with the humble Conundrums of some of the Peers of his own House, who might have been in the same Condition with himself. But this cursed Ambition leads a Man into numberless Inconveniences.

Mr. Spiller's free and expensive Manner of Living still continuing, and not having the Convenience of his usual Sanctuary in Cases of Extremity, the Mint, that Place being put down by Act of Parliament, he became a Victim to the Resentment of his mercyless Creditors, and a wretched Property to Bailiffs and Spun&rehy;ging Houses, by whom, after they had drain'd his Pocket to the last Half Penny, he was un&rehy;generously deliver'd up to Goal. But in this Place it was his peculiar good Fortune to ex&rehy;perience, contrary to the usual Custom of those Places, a great Indulgence and Civility, upon the Account of the pleasant and facetious Tem&rehy;per which he preserv'd in those unhappy Cir&rehy;cumstances; and particularly when he was thrown into the Marshalsea Prison, at a certain Time, at the Suit of several Persons, his jo&rehy;cose Conversation so won upon the Good-Na&rehy;ture of the Person who was then Deputy-keeper of the Goal, that he found a very sincere, ge&rehy;nerous and serviceable Friend in him ever af&rehy;ter; not only assisting him at that Juncture, to make his Affairs easy with his Plaintiffs, and appear in the World again, but continu&rehy;ing the same good Office to him, whenever it was his Fate to come under his Hands as a Prisoner again. In short, by the Management and unwearied Industry of this Person, Mr. Spiller's Circumstances were, a few Months before the World was depriv'd of him, brought into so easy and comfortable a Situation, that he could not only, on a common Week Day, venture out of the Play-house, which was made a Sort of Garrison by those of his Bro&rehy;ther Comedians who went under a small Sus&rehy;picion of Debt, to pay his Friends a merry Vi&rehy;sit or so, but even was able to give his Ac&rehy;quaintance the Enjoyment of his Company, whole Days and Nights together, without the least Apprehension of Danger, at the House of his above-mentioned Friend, who being of too generous and humane a Temper to con&rehy;tinue in the Office of a Goaler, and live in Luxury by the Misfortunes of Wretches who were committed to his Custody, quitted that mercenary Employment, and took a publick victualling House near Clare-Market; where, His Sign, though seemingly well adapted for the Place, was judg'd too vulgar and unpolite to countenance the Resort of such Gentlemen of Taste and Consequence as Mr. Spiller's Mirth and influence invited thither, was, by the con&rehy;current Desire of an elegant Company, who were assembled there over a Bowl of Arrack Punch, one Evening, (about Three Months before Mr. Spiller's Death) and by the generous Offer of Mr. Legar, who was one of the Com&rehy;pany, and as excellent a Master in the Science of Painting as Musick, chang'd from the Bull and Butcher, to Mr. Spiller's Head; and drawn by the said Mr. Legar, gratis, in a Manner, and with a Pencil, that equal the proudest Performances of those who have ac&rehy;quired the greatest Wealth and Reputation in the Art of Painting.

To prove that he was an exceeding good Punster, pray take the following Specimen of his Wit in that Way. It was at a Time when the Town gave but very little Encouragement to Lincoln's-Inn-Theatre, which forced the Master of the House to be a little behind-hand with his Actors. They being met as usual at Rehearsal on a Saturday Morning, with Hopes of receiving some Part of their Pay, young Bullock, who had always a strict Friendship with Mr. Spiller, after having been at the Of&rehy;fice, comes upon the Stage again to his Friend, with a sorrowful Countenance, Faith, Jemmy, there's no Cole, said he; Cole you must un&rehy;derstand is a Cant-Word for Money. Why, then reply'd the other, if there is no Cole, we must burn Wood. You are likewise to remark here, that Wood was the Name of the Man who was to pay them.

Mr. Spiller's Wit was not the Effect of Wine; for he was the same over humble Porter; the same when he drank nothing; nay, like that arch French Wag Scarron, he would sport in the midst of Pain; for being one Night in great Torture with the Tooth-Ach, a Barber that was behind the Scenes, desired that he would let him draw his Tooth for him, No, said he, I can't spare one now, Friend, but you may draw them all after the 10th of June if you please, for I shall have no Occasion for them then; meaning when the Company gave over playing, he should have nothing to eat.

Going one Day through Rag-Fair, he cheapen'd a Leg of Mutton, for which they ask'd him Two Shillings; No, says Jemmy, I can't afford to give you Two Shillings for a Second-Hand Leg of Mutton, when I can buy a New One in Clare-Market for Half a Crown.

A certain Officer of the Army, who was very much addicted to enlarge his Narratives beyond the Bounds of Truth, was, one Night, diverting the Company behind the Scenes with an Account of a Pike that he saw alive, which was above Five Foot long. Pish, reply&rehy;ed Spiller, That's nothing, I myself have seen a Half-Pike six Foot long, that has not been worth Two-pence.

When he lay ill of the Small-Pox some Years since, an Acquaintance coming to see him, and bewailing the Misfortune of his be&rehy;ing at that Time Blind, Oh, said he, I shan't be so long, for Puppies you know always see at the End of Nine Days. Nay, but a few Days before he died, being carried up to lye in a Room on the same Floor with Mr. Walker at the Play-House, with whom he had had some little Dispute not long before, You see Tom, said he, I have kept my Word; I told you I would be even with you before long.

To mention all the numerous Circumstances that attended the Life of this valuable Member of our Common-Wealth, Mr. Spiller, is a Task which I am perswaded, his dearest Friends, and those who are most religiously tender and careful of his Memory, will excuse me from undertaking. Let it suffice, that during the Run of the Beggar's Opera, which was the longest that any Dramatick Piece that ever yet appeared upon the British Stage met with, he made his last important Figure as a Comedian, in the Character of Matt of the Mint, which seems to be the next in Rank to that of Macheath, and outdid his usual Outdoings to such a Degree, that whenever he sung the following AIRS, which I shall take the Li&rehy;berty to transcribe, he executed his Part with so truly sweet and harmonious a Tone, and in so judicious and ravishing a Manner, that the Audience could not avoid putting his Mo&rehy;desty to the Blush, by repeated Clamours of Encore, Encore.