4 Abufive. No, no, until you give a better, I fhall not forbear thinking, that the true Reas. fon of your picking a Quarrel with me was, because it is more agreeable to your Prin ciples, as well as more to the Honour of your aflured Victory, to attack a Governour. Mr. Ifaac, Mr. Ifaac, I can fee into a Mill-stone as far as another (as the Saying is). You are for fowing the Seeds of Sedition and Difobedience among my Puppets, and your Zeal for the (good old) Caufe would make you perfwade Punch to pull the String from his Chops, and not move his Jaw when I have a Mind he fhould harangue. Now I. appeal to all Men, if this is not contrary to that uncontroulable, unaccountable Dominion, which by the Laws of Nature I exercife over them; for all Sorts of Wood and Wire were made for the Ufe and Benefit of Man : I have therefore an unquestionable Right to frame, fashion, and put them together, as I pleafe; and having made them what they are, my Puppets are my Property, and therefore my Slaves: Nor is there in Nature any Thing more juft, than the Homage which is paid by a lefs to a more excellent Being: So that by the Right therefore of a fuperior Genius, I am their fupreme Moderator, altho' you would infinuate (agreeably to your levelling Principles) that I am my felf but a great Puppet, and can therefore have but a co-ordinate Jurifdiction with them. I fuppofe I have now fufficiently made it appear, that I have a paternal Right to keep a Puppet-Show, and this Right I will maintain in my Prologues on all Occafions. And therefore, if you write a Defence of your felf against this my Self-Defence, I admonish you to keep within Bounds; for. 6 every every Day will not be fo propitious to you as the 29th of April; and perhaps my Refentment may get the better of my Generosity, and I may no longer fcorn to fight one who is not my Equal with unequal Weapons There are 1 fuch Things as Scandulums Magnatums; therefore take Heed hereafter how you write fuch Things as I cannot easily anfwer, for that will < put me in a Passion. . I order you to handle only thefe Two Propofitions, to which our Difpute may be redu ced: The First; Whether I have not an Abfolute Power, whenever I please, to light a Pipe with one of Punch's Legs, or warm my Fingers with his whole Carcafs? The Second, Whether the Devil would not be in Punch, fhould he by Word or Deed oppofe my Sovereign Will and Pleafure? And then, perhaps, 'I may (if I can find Leifure for it) give you the Trouble of a fecond Letter. ८ 'But if you intend to tell me of the Original of Pupper-Shows, and the feveral Changes and Revolutions that have happened in them, fince Thefpis, and I don't care who, that's Noli me tangere, I have folemnly engaged to fay nothing of what I can't approve. Or, if you talk of certain Contracts with the Mayor and Burgeffes, or Fees to the Conftables, for the Privilege of Acting, I will not write one fingle Word about any fuch Matters; but fhall leave you to be mumbled by the learned and very ingenious Author of a late Book, who knows very well what's to be faid and done in fuch Cafes. He is now fhuling the Cards, and dealing to Timothy but if he wins the Game, I will fend him to play at Backgammon with you; and then he will fatisfy you, that Deuce-Ace makes " Five. R 4 And ما And i, fubmitting my self to be try'd by my Country, and allowing any Jury of 12 good Men, and true, to be that Country; not excepting any (unlefs Mr. Ifaac Bickerstaff to be of the Pannel, for you are neither good nor true I bid you heartily. farewel; and A Faithful INDEX OF THE Dull as well as ingenious Paffages IN THE TATLERS. VOL. I. A. A CTS the Country Wife: (Mrs. Bignell.) Advice asked, not for Information, but out Fullness of Heart on its Perplexity. Advice not to be given by every Body. Afculapius and Hebe. Efculapius's Recepe for Love. Page 15 of the 181 Ibid. 317 345 263 102 155 357 Africanus's Magnanimity and Manner of purcha Sing Annuities. Alchymift. Alicant taken. Amanda, Wife of Florio. Annihilation defcribed by Milton and Dryden. 38 B. Bankers fhould take Poems for Bills. Batchelor's Scheme to govern a Wife. Battle near Badajos. Page 312 70 123 Beadleftaff's Teftimony of the Reformation at Ox- Betterton's Character. Mr. Bickerstaff's Cures. 316 245 Mr. Bickerftaff's Difpofal of his Three Nephews. 214 A Bafe Report that he has compounded with the Toymen and Milleners. Mr. Bickerstaff makes his Will. Billet-deux concerning a Rivali. Bruffels Poftfcript (a Poem) confidered.. Charms of Mufick cure the Spleen. Children, how nursed. Circumfpection Vater, its Effects. Clariffa and Chloe, celebrated Beauties. Comment on Stone-Walls. Comparison between Cæfar and Alexander. 221 47 2.09 337 136 143 172 86 104 180 343 107 245 23 246 45 Confcience defcribed under the Character of Ale- thes. 352 Contention between Two Ladies to the Title of Very Pretty. Converfation Repartees. Goquet. Corinna's Life with Limberham. 245 227 195 358 Country's Ignorance of Bickerstaff's Characters. 226 |