J. HENLEY."

A1 _Miss_ Jennings, or rather perhaps _Mrs._ Jennings, died in November 1736, who is said to have laid strong claims to eccentricity. This lady breathed her last at the _Oxford-arms Inn_, Warwick-lane; and was buried at Christ-church, Newgate-street; but the singularity of her conduct consisted in a predilection for _Inns_; she made them in short her constant residence, whether in the country or in London, where she had her steward, two female servants, a coachman and footman; and, though she sometimes remained several months stationary, her bills were regularly paid every night. At the same time her host was kept in utter ignorance of her name. Mrs. Jennings left a fortune of 80,000_l._ to five children, her first cousins; and appointed ---- Jennings, Esq. of Northaw, her executor.

2A Chair-woman, named Frances White, was interred at St. Margaret's, Westminster, in 1736; but the _singularity_ of the circumstance is, that she should have been deposited before the Altar of the Church, which she thus accomplished: In the course of her pursuits she was observed to be remarkably assiduous and industrious, and often asked charitable assistance: this she frequently received, and so carefully preserved that her sister gained a bequest of 1150_l._ on the easy condition of procuring a grave for her body _within_ the church, and affording it a handsome funeral. The above sum had been concealed in various _hiding-places_ contrived in her chamber.

3A writer in the Weekly Miscellany for August 7, 1736, pertinently observed, that "the attention of the good people of England is very frequently ingrossed by the bold pretensions of persons starting up from time to time in several sciences, but more particularly in those of Divinity and Physick; and with the more reason of hoping to succeed in their views, as the soul, in which the one is concerned, and the body, in which the other, are the two grand subjects which engage the human mind; and each of these pretenders respectively becomes in vogue for a certain period, and then generally dies away in a silence proportioned to the noise they once made.

4The Stroking Doctor in the reign of Charles II.; the French Prophets in the reign of Queen Anne; the Quicksilver lunacy lately; the itinerant preaching Quakeress since; and Mr. Ward's pill and drop, not yet quite gone off from its vogue--are signal instances of the truth of our observation.

5So it may be observed, that the Quicksilver fashion seems to have been beat out of doors by the pill and drop; and now the vogue of the pill and drop, which seem to owe their success to their violent operation in desperate cases, appears in a fair way of subsiding to a new object of the public attention, which really seems (beyond all that we have named) to deserve it, as it is attended with plain and unartificial fact, as it is neither violent or dangerous in the operation, and carries in every act the clearest demonstration along with it.--What we mean is the famous female Bone-setter of Epsom, who must be allowed as much to excel the others, as certainty does imagination, as simplicity does artifice, and as seeing and feeling do the other senses.

6"This person, we are told, is daughter of one Wallin, a bone-setter of Hindon, Wilts, and sister of that Polly Peachem whom a gentleman of fortune married. Upon some family quarrel she left her father, and wandered up and down the country in a very miserable manner, calling herself _Crazy Sally_; and often, as it is presumed for grief, giving way to a practice that made her appear to have too good a title to the name. Arriving at last at Epsom, she has performed such wonderful cures, that we are told the people thereabout intend a subscription for 300_l._ a year to keep her among them."

7Many of those cures are then described, which seem well attested, and are really surprising. "In fine, the concourse of people to Epsom on this occasion is incredible; and it is supposed she gets near 20 guineas a day, as she executes what she does in a very quick manner. She has strength enough to put in any mans shoulder without assistance; and this her strength makes the following story, which may be depended upon, the more credible.

8"An impostor came to her, sent, as it is supposed, by some Surgeons, on purpose to try her skill, with his head bound up; and pretended that his wrist was put out; which, upon examination, she found to be false; but, to be even with him, she gave it a wrench, and really put it out, and bade him go to the fools who sent him, and get it _sett again_; or, if he would come to her that day month, she would do it herself."

9This strange woman utterly ruined herself by giving way to that eccentricity, which too frequently in one way or other marks all our characters. The object of it was a Mr. Hill Mapp, on whom she fixed her affections, and to whom she was determined at all events to be married, though every effort was made by her friends to prevent the match. On the day appointed for the ceremony, Sir James Edwards, of Walton-upon-Thames, waited on her with the daughter of Mr. Glass, an Attorney, a poor afflicted child whose neck was dislocated and supported by steel instruments. Miss Wallin saw the girl, and said she could restore the parts, but would do nothing till she became Mrs. Mapp.

10A gentleman present, finding her resolute, lent her his chariot to convey her to Ewell, where she expected to obtain a conveyance to London with her intended husband, though in that expectation she was disappointed. "As she was going to Ewell, Mr. Walker, brazier, of Cheapside, met her, and returned with her to the Inn. He was carrying down his daughter to her, a girl about 12 years of age, whose case was as follows: the vertebræ, instead of descending regularly from the neck, deviated to the right scapula, whence it returned towards the left side, till it came within a little of the hip-bone, thence returning to the locus, it descended regularly upon the whole, forming a serpentine figure. Miss Wallin set her strait, made the back perfect, and raised the girl two inches.

11While this was doing, Sir James Edwards's chariot with two gentlemen in it, came to beg her to come back to Epsom, suspecting she might not return again; but all their persuasions availed nothing, and the best terms they could make with her were, that she should not go to London to be married, but have the chariot and go to Headley, about three miles from Epsom. As the coachman was driving her by Epsom, she was told that the Minister of Headley was suspended for marrying Mr. C. whereupon the coachman said he would carry her no further, unless it was to Epsom. She then alighted, and went into a cottage on the side of the town; presently after which, information being given that she was there, Mrs.

12Shaw and several other ladies of that place went to her on foot to importune her to return; but, to avoid any farther solicitation, she protested she would never come nigh the town, if they opposed her marriage any longer; and then walked on towards Banstead. Sir James Edwards, being informed how much she was affronted by his coachman, immediately ordered a pair of his horses to be put to a four-wheeled chaise, and sent them with another driver to offer their service to convey her where she pleased. Mr. Bridgwater in his chaise, and several other people on horseback, followed her also, and overtook her when she had walked about a mile over the Downs towards Banstead, where she had determined to be married.

13When she came there, the Minister having no licences, she returned to her first resolution of going to London; but, the horses having travelled that morning from Walton, and being harassed about without any refreshment, the coachman was afraid to venture so far as London with them, and desired to be excused; upon which Mr. Bridgwater, in regard to the child Sir James Edwards had brought, and other unhappy creatures who were in Epsom waiting for their cure, brought her in his chariot to London, saw her married, and conveyed her back again immediately after, being fully resolved to see her perform her promise." Mrs. Mapp was buried at the expence of the parish of St. Giles in 1737!!

14The methods adopted by Lord and Lady Vane to render themselves conspicuous in the annals of their Country were so extremely eccentric, and are so well known, that their shades would feel indignant should I refuse the Viscount's advertisement a niche in this odd catalogue of worthies. His Lordship thus introduced himself to public notice January 24, 1737:

15"Whereas Frances, wife of the right honourable the Lord Viscount Vane, has for some months past absented herself from her husband, and the rest of her friends, I do hereby promise to any person or persons who shall discover where the said lady Vane is concealed, to me or to Francis Hawes, Esq. her father, so that either of us may come to the speech of her, the sum of 100_l._ as a reward to be paid by me on demand at my lodgings in Piccadilly. I do also promise the name of the person, who shall make such discovery, shall be concealed, if desired. Any person concealing or lodging her after this advertisement, will be prosecuted with the utmost rigour. Or, if her Ladyship will return to me, she may depend upon being kindly received. She is about 22 years of age, tall, well-shaped, has light brown hair, is fair-complexioned, and has her upper teeth placed in an irregular manner. She had on when she absented a red damask French sacque, and was attended by a French woman, who speaks very bad English.