Guinea-dropping was practised in 1700; and it was customary for thieves to carry cocks into retired or vacant places to throw at them, in order to collect spectators, and empty their pockets. The following extract from the Protestant Mercury of February 14, 1700, will point out three of those places of iniquity: "Last Tuesday, a Brewer's servant in Southwark took his walks round Tower-hill, Moor-fields, and Lincoln's-Innfields, and knocked down so many cocks, that, by selling them again, he returned home twentyeight shillings odd pence a richer man than he came out." In collecting materials for this portion of my review of London, order and regularity are unnecessary; cheats, impostors, knaves, and thieves, members of one great family, will be indiscriminately introduced, with their schemes and crimes to mark them, and the cullibility of the good Citizens of London, a large portion of whom are ever ready to catch at the most silly and absurd baits, provided they happen to agree with their pursuits. Money-lenders, those excellent members of Society, the friends of youth, the alleviators of distress, who hold forth their thousands to the publick, merely with a view to accommodate the wants of their countrymen, and without the least wish of private advantage to themselves, were known to the inhabitants of this Metropolis at the period from which I date my present researches. The reader reader will find a wonderful similarity in the ensuing advertisement to some of very recent date. "From our house, New Tuttle-street, near the Royal-oak, Westminster, or Young Man's Coffee-house, at Charing-cross, in the morning. All gentlemen and others that have business in Treasury, Admiralty, or Navy offices, or any of the Courts of Law or Equity, may have it faithfully solicited. We buy and sell estates, help persons to money on good security. We help persons to employments, &c. and have now several to be disposed of, of 400l. 100l. 80l, 60l. 40l. per annum* ; any that shall give in timely notice of places to be disposed of shall be rewarded for the same. And because many have been defrauded of considerable sums of money by one that lately printed from Salisbury-court, Fleet-street; that none may be served so that apply themselves to us, nor the reputation of this undertaking ruined, because ill men have had the management of it, we shall not take our gratuity, till we have done their business ; which must be allowed to be a candid acknowledgment of our intention." In so populous a City as London, no place is sacred from the contrivances of Sharpers. Even plate used at the Coronation feast of Queen Anne, in Westminster-hall, April 1702, was stolen, with table-linen and a great deal of pewter †. *Mark the regularity of the gradations. + Gazette. Το To second the operations of the Royal Proclamation for the Suppression of Vice, certain well-disposed Citizens entered into the following agreement, to promote the Reformation of Man ners. "We whose names are hereunto subscribed, out of a sense of the duty we owe to Almighty God, in pursuance of His Majesty's Proclamation for the discouragement and prosecution of debauchery and prophaneness, and for the suppressing of them, do agree as followeth : "That we meet weekly at, under the penalty of each default without a just cause; to consult how we may be most serviceable in promoting the execution of the Laws against prophaneness and debauchery. That we use all proper means to prevail with men of all ranks to concur with us in this design, especially such as are under the obligation of oaths to do so; and in order to their acting vigorously therein, that we endeavour to persuade them to form themselves into Societies, at least to have frequent meetings for this purpose. "That we encourage and assist officers in the discharge of their duty, of discovering disorderly houses, of taking up of offenders, and carrying them before the magistrates, and, moreover, endeavour to assist both magistrates and officers, by giving information ourselves as we have opportu nity. "That, "That, for order sake, every Member in his turn be Chairman (unless any desire to be excused) for four successive days of meeting; that as soon as four members are met, the Chairman, or, in his absence, the next in order upon the list (that shall be made for that purpose) shall take his place: and that from that time to the breaking up of the meeting, we forbear all discourse of public news or our private affairs, as also all unnecessary disputes upon speculative and controversial points of Religion. "That when any thing is proposed and seconded, the Chairman shall put it to the question, which shall be determined by the majority; and such determination shall remain till altered by a majority upon another meeting. "That, if upon any matter in debate the voices are equal, the question shall be again proposed by the Chairman at the same meeting, if more of the members come in, or otherwise at the next or some other meeting. "That it be part of the office of the Chairman to take notice of the breach of any of our orders, to enquire of every member how he hath discharged the business that was allotted him at the last meeting, and what difficulties he hath met with, in order to find out proper remedies. To read over the agreement of this Society once a month. To read over the minutes of what hath been resolved upon at the end of every meeting, and and the list of the members; and to go or send to such as have been absent twice successively, without a just excuse known to some member of the Society; and, the next time any such persons shall be present, the Chairman for the time being shall put them in mind of the great importance of the business they are engaged in, and of the obligations they have laid themselves under by their subscriptions to attend the meetings of this Society. "That we endeavour to find out proper persons to be brought into this Society; and that no member shall be proposed for a member but when four or more of the Society are present; and that none shall be admitted into this Society till he hath been proposed by three several meetings, and are thought to be men of piety and temper; and that after any person hath been proposed a second time for a member, two persons shall be appointed by the major part of the Society to make enquiry concerning his life and conversation. "That in cases of difficulty that shall occur, we consult the learned in the Law, or other proper persons, that we by no means go further than the Law will warrant us. "That we keep an exact account of our proceedings in a book kept for that purpose. "That the debates and resolutions of the Society be kept secret; and, therefore, no person shall |