I cannot conclude without mentioning that inimitable Defcription of the Morning by Dean Swift, who has a peculiar Happiness of rendering, by his humourous Turn of Thought, the moft trivial Things agreeable: But as it is too well known to need Repetition, I fhall here omit it; and fhall only obferve upon the Whole, that whoever will compare the feveral A Defcriptions of the Morning both in the antient and modern Poets, will find that thofe of England have defcrib'd it with as much Elegance of Fancy as the others have done, and with far more Variety.

Weekly Mifcellany, Jan. 18. N° 110.

The Advantages of a virtuous and religious
Life, experimentally difplay'd.

I

SIR,

B

was my conftant Vade mecum during my younger Days; and it has been, under the Grace of God, the moft effectual Restraint to me from all the irregular Sallies of Youth, which I no more dar'd to indulge whilft I had fuch a Companion about me, than I fhould have done in the Prefence of its Au

thor. I was now left to the Care of an Uncle, a Clergyman, who took Care to finish the good Work my Father had begun. As my Fortune was not fufficient to maintain me without a Calling, after having taken my Degree at Oxford, I remov'd to Lincoln's- Inn, to ftudy the Laws of my Country, and had the Happiness to be called to the Bar, under that exemplary Chriftian as well as excellent Lawyer, Judge Hales. Here likewife I was

a conftant Hearer of that incomparable Divine Abp. Tillotson, whofe found and rational Difcourfes, confirmed and fettled me in my Averfion to thofe at prefent too spreading Errors, Infidelity and Popery. A Fondness for Gaiety and Diverfions was the prevailing Temper of that Age; and the EntertainCments of the Stage were fo enticing, that for a while, as has been obferved of the great Lawyer I just mentioned, I was exceffively fond of them, and thought them a moft pleafing Relaxation from feverer Studies; but, like him, I foon faw my Error: The falfe Notions of Honour there propagated, the agreeable Shade which was caft over unlawful Love, and the Ridicule and Contempt with which all Serioufnefs and Religion was treat

Was born in the Times of univerfal Confufion in this Kingdom. My Father was a Sufferer for the Royal Caufe, and a Member of the afflicted and perfecuted Church of England; in the Principles of which he took Care early to inftruct me. I just remember the Restoration, and the univerfal Joy that then overspread the Nation, which was carried to fuch Excefs, as the good old Man too justly feared, would more endanger us than all our paft Sufferings: However, he took Care to prevent the ill Effects of it in his own Family, by inculcating ftrongly in them the Principles of Religion. The Whole Du- D ty of Man was then juft published, which he esteemed next his Bible; a Chapter of which explained, enlarged upon, and preft home to our weak Capacities, was the conftant Employment of every Sunday Evening. He took Care likewife, the remaining Part of the Week, to inftru&t his Children in Claffical Learning. At 14 Years old, I loft this E beft of Fathers, but his Image is fill ftrong in my View, as he lay upon his Death-Bed, with his little Family about him. I feel the cold Hand, I hear the feeble Voice, with which he took the parting Leave, and delivered to each of us a Book of Inftructions for our Conduct, written with his own Hand. Farewel, my Children, my Glafs is

run,

I am going to render my Account; I F could bave wifh'd for Life a little longer, for your Sakes, that I might have guarded you against the Snares of a dangerous World, and confimed you in the Ways of Virtue; but Providence orders it ciberwife, and I fubmit: To make the best Amends for your Lefs of me, I leave you thefe Inftructions, as the dying Legacy of a tender Father; not that I think & them better than you may be furnished with from other Broks, but coming from a Father, they may bave more Effit upon you. thefe, and you fall find Peace to your Souls, as I do, at the Hour of Death. This Book

Follow

ed, foon convinc'd me that this was an Entertainment too dangerous for the young, and unbecoming the old; and therefore I immediately broke loofe from it, and have often reflected, with Satisfaction, upon my Refolution to deny myfelf that Pleasure, which if I had neglected to do, I tremble for the Confequences; not but I am ftill of Opinion, if the Stage were under proper Regulations, it would be a most rational and agreeable Entertainment, and might as much help as it now hinders the Caufe of Virtue. I had the Hippinefs to meet with others in the fame way of thinking; we met at each others Chambers, and entertained ourselves with reading the Cafficks, which furnished us with no lefs

pleafing, but more innocent Evening Diverfion; for I am afham'd to tell you, we could read the Comedies of the antient Heathens with lefs Offence to our Modefty and Virtue than those of modern Chriftians. We made fome Progress in natural Philofophy, and this daily difcovered to us a new World of Wonders; the meaneft Infe&t or vegetable, when nicely examin'd, bespoke the Workmanship of an Almighty Power, and led us up, with Admiration, to contemplate the Hand that formed it: But when we came to look into the Frame of our own Bodies, our Admiration fill encreafed, and we were forc'd

to

D

G

fure, and yet I am ready to leave, ut conviva fatur, whenever Providence thinks fit to call me. My only Defign is, to engage your Readers to believe what I have found true from Experience, That the fureft Way to make Life comfortable, is, to act upon the Principles of Reafon and Religion; and not to indulge my own Vanity; for I am, and defire to be,

It is pleasant to obferve a Man conftantly comparing himself to the greatest Minifters of every Age, fometimes to Burleigh and Walfingham, at other Times to the late D. of Marlborough and the E. of Godolphin, without the leaft Similitude between their Characters, or Actions: For I must take the Liberty to beg one Question, in my Turn, and to A fuppofe the great Man himself to be the Author of this incomparable Treatife. I fhall therefore addrefs myself to him in the following Remarks upon it.

I hope, Sir, you will be fo good as not to expect that I should take any Notice of those Quotations from the Examiner, or those Tranfactions in Q Anne's Reign, with which you have ftuff'd out your Libel; for as I had no Concern myself either in one, or the other, I have no Occafion to defend them; and if I was really your Friend, as I cannot pretend to that Honour, I would advise you, for the Sake of common Decency, not to be perpetually harping upon this Subject; fince your own Conduct hath given a Luftre to all the Miscarriages of thofe Times, whatever they were, and People will be apt to fufpect that all your inveterate Malice against the Queen's Minifters proceeds from nothing fo much as their convicting you of a most scandalous, fraudulent and corrupt Breach of Truft, for which you was expell'd the House of Commons, and fent to Winter Quarters in the Tower.

But as you have been pleas'd to introduce me into your Libel, and to threaten us avowedly with fome extraordinary Proceedings against the Liberty of the Prefs, it becomes my own Caufe, and the Caufe of the Publick, thro' whofe Sides foever you may think fit to attack that invaluable Privilege of Englishmen and Freemen.

For

B

with the Safety of our other inestimable Liberties; which, as the Examiner rightly fays, are preferv'd by being circumfcribed by Law. I freely, own that I find a great deal of Truth and good Senfe in what this Minifter directed the Examiner to write, and advis'd the Queen to speak often from the Throne, upon that Subject.'

Now, for my Part, as I never did approve thefe Doctrines of the Examiner, by whomfoever he was directed to advance them, fo I cannot help admiring your Honour's great Confiftency in bringing fo heavy a Charge againft one Gentleman for being the Director of the Examiner, and not only approving the moft pernicious of thofe Doctrines yourself, but even publickly threatening to put them in Practice. Befides, Sir, you ought to remember that you formerly directed one of your Hirelings to afperfe this very Gentleman, for advising the late Queen to recommend any Regulation of the Prefs from the Throne, which you now likewife approve and juftify. If you please to look into a Pamphlet, entitled the Cafe of Oppofition fated, publifh'd about three Years ago, you will find feveral Pages full of the coarfeft Invectives against the Proceedings of thofe Times, relating to the Prefs, with the ufual Panegyrick on your Honour, for having never exceeded the ordinary Forms of Law, in your Profecution of Libellers.

Methinks, Sir, it is a thousand Pities you fhould kick down fo much Merit all at once, Dby adopting the Principles of the Examiner, and treading in the Steps of thofe Minifters, whom you have taken fo much Pains to abufe, for feveral Years together. Nay, was not you, Sir, one of the Libellers of thole Times yourself, and did not you oppose those extraordinary Proceedings against the Prefs, which you now extol, and which even then proved abortive, as your Advocate aboʊomentioned obferves; for, it seems, their own Party mutiny'd against them, and their own Friends obliged them to give it up? You would do well to confider whether this may not happen to be your own Cafe; or whether the other Party, at leaft, may not gravel you with fome Papers, written by your Direction, and under your Patronage, against the very first Effentials of our Conftitution, both in Church and State.

E

F

The Craftsman, it feems, hath been fo fuccefsful in his late Applications to the PubJick, that He flatters bimfelf be bath near run down this Miniftry, and at the fame Time fo prudent in his Conduct, as to keep out of the Reach of the ordinary Forms of Law. which Reafon, you tell us very frankly that you defign to apply to Parliamert, for preventing the Confequences of bis Doctrines. I with your Honour had been pleafed to explain yourfelf a little farther, and to let us know whether you intend a Bill of Pains and Penalties, or an Act for refraining the Prefs; but in whatever Method you may choose to proceed, I am highly delighted with your Reafons for it, borrowed from the Writings of the Examiner, and the Authority of Lord Chief Juf tice Scroggs, which you have inferted at G Length, with your Approbation of them, in the following Words.

< I leave others to difpute about the Liberty of the Prefs, and to make it confiftent

Befides, you ought to have fome Compaffion upon those ingenious Gentlemen, who have fo often vowed and promised in your Name that you would never attempt any Thing against the Liberty of the Prefs, and have even branded all fuch Attempts in the moftious Colours ; for I cannot help thinking how filly the por Devils must look, if you should go on with this glorious Scheme, and lay your Commands upon them to fupport it. I do not mean the great-beaded Knight, who hath fo fully proved in the Courant, nor any of

himfelf B

of his Coadjutors in that Paper; for they never pretended to write upon any other Principles of Liberty, than those of throwing Dirt, and therefore may give it up at once, as I doubt not they will, without any Danger of being charged with Inconfiftency. But I am afraid the courtly Mr. Walfingham will think it proper once more to change both his Paper and his Name, as he did about Den Carles; and that his antient Sifter Mrs. Ofborne will be obliged to mumble the fame Thiftles again, which had like to have choaked her about the Excife.

defy you to prove that this Gentleman is either
the Author or Director of any one Paper, or
even of any one Sentence published in the
Craftsman, from the Beginning of it to this
Day; I defy you, I fay, to prove this, tho'
I am very far from queftioning either your
Abilities, or your Industry, in Researches of
that Nature. But I hope, Sir, you will take
A
a little more Care in your Evidence, at this
Time, than you did in the memorable Affair
about Dunkirk, when you got a Couple of
Fellows to forfwear themselves, in order to
accufe the fame Gentleman.

In this Cafe we fhall be told, perhaps, that you have the Principles of Liberty ftill at Heart, and that nothing could have ever induced you to take fuch a Step, but the ut- B moft Provocation and ill Ufage. Alas! Sir, this will not only be a Confeffion of their own Defeat, and Inability to defend you any longer, but a moft wretched and pitiful Apology for fuch extraordinary Proceedings! Why fhould any Man in Power endeavour to ftrain the Laws, or invade the Liberties of bis Country, unless he is oppofed and exafperat-C ed in the Exercife of it? Will you pretend to fay that the Minifters, whom you accufe in this Libel, made any Attempts upon the Liberty of the Prefs, without fome Provocation? Nay, does not Tacitus confefs that even Auguftus and Tiberius themselves did not pervert the Law of Majefty, till they were highly enrag'd at fome Writings, which reflected upon themselves? To fay therefore D that you would not have attempted any Thing against the Prefs, unless you had found yourfelf burt by it, is only telling us that if the People would but fuffer you to exercise an arbitrary Power by Confent, you would not endeavour to obtain it by extraordinary Means. Very gracious truly; and a moft unanswerable Proof this of your Attachment to the E Caufe of Liberty!

But, it seems, the Gentleman, whom you have mark'd out for Vengeance, deferves to be proceeded againft in a peculiar Manner, becaufe bis Cafe is peculiar, and diftinguishes bim from other Writers.

Why really this Gentleman's Cafe, by your excellent Management, is fomewhat peculiar, and even fingular, in feveral Refpects; but F as a Writer, if he is one, I fee no Manner of Peculiarity in bis Cafe, to diftinguifh bim from ethers; nor can I apprehend how you can proceed against him, in a peculiar Manner, as fuch, without affecting others, whofe Cafe is not peculiar; nay, even without affecting every Writer in the Kingdom. Befides, Sir, do you defign to demolish him at once, with out any Proof? That would be a peculiar Manner of proceeding, indeed. Or would you have it fuppofed that you have got fufficient Information against him? No, Sir, whatever Evidence you may have procured, as to other Matters, which do not concern me, I

G

Your Honour hath not been pleafed to point
out the particular Writings, which have
given you so much Offence, and therefore it
would be ridiculous to defend any of them in
the Dark; but if it fhould happen to be the
late Differtation on Parties, as fome People
conjecture, in which the Juftice, Lawful-
nefs, and true Defign of the Revolution are
fo fully explained and vindicated, your Con-
fiftency will ftill appear in a more confpicuous
Light; for what a glorious Figure muft that
Man make in the World, who was for-
merly concerned in the Profecution of one
Man, for juftifying the Doctrines of Paffive
Obedience and Non Refflance, as inconfiftent
with the Revolution, and now threatens to
open a Court of Inquifition against antiber,
who hath laid the Axe to the Root of those
flavish Doctrines?

Indeed, I am even inclined to believe you
are not in Earneft in this Defign against the
Prefs, how much foever you may have it at
Heart, and that fuch Menaces are intended
only, like many of your former Artifices, to
deter People from enquiring into your own
Actions. But as I am confident this Strata-
gem will not take Effect, it will be expected,
in the 2d Part of this notable Treatife, that
you fhould answer the Charge brought againft
yourself, (I hope unjustly;) instead of amuf-
ing us with a fale Recapitulation of what
was done above twenty Years ago.
World hath heard enough of thefe Things
already, and their Attention is now fixed
upon Tranfactions of a much more modern
Date.

The

But fhould I find you refolved to perfift in
this Scheme of deftroying all Freedom of writ-
ing, as the only Expedient for skreening your
ownConduct from Enquiry and Arimadverfion,
I fhall think it my Duty to examine it more
at large, and to vindicate this great Bulwark
of our Conftitution, in whofe Defence I have
fo often appear'd already, as long as the Laws
of my Country will permit me to do it. In
the mean Time,

I am, Sir, your most devoted Servant,
CALEB D'ANVERS.

N. B. Fog of this Day gives us a large
Extract from a Pamphlet, intitled, An
Addrefs

Addrefs to the Knights, Citizens and Burgeffes elected to represent the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament: But as the Pamphlet is well known, we think it unnecaffary to give it a third Publication.

T

Prompter, Jan. 21. N° 21.

Inftructions to unmarried Ladies.

caufe, tho' in the very Road to Virtue, there are are feveral Primrofe-Paths (as Laertes in Shakespear expreffes himself) which may invite the Step, without leading abfolutely out of the Road itself, or offering any indecent Profpect to the View, yet the World expects the Fair Traveller fhou'd tread the direct A Road, without going to the Right or Left, for Fear they thou'd wander too far, or trip in the Circumflex.

HE Cuftom practifed during the Saxon and Danish Invafion in England, of proving the Innocence of the Ladies in those Times, by making them walk bare-footed thro' burning Plougb-fbares, with their Eyes Hood-winked, feem to me to carry a Sort of a fecret Allegory along with it, and to typify B the Condition of the unmarried Part of the Fair Sex; for what fo analogous to the Dangers of walking thro' burning Plough-fhares, as the ftrong Temptations the Fair Sex are exposed to, from the warm Addreffes of ours?

Again, If the Lady fufpected of Incontinence, fhou'd (as it was Ten to One but the wou'd) touch any of the burning Ploughfhares, tho' ever fo flightly, fhe was reputed guilty, tho' perhaps very often innocent. So with us; if a Lady liftens ever fo little be yond the ufual Bounds of an allowed mutual Intercourfe, her Reputation, like the Ordeal Lady's, is loft in the Opinion of the World, tho' her Virtue ftands fecure in her own.

But to leave the Allegory, every Woman has two Characters to maintain; one which the owes to berfelf, and one which the caves to the World, viz. The Characters of Virtue and Reputation. Many Women have loft Virtues; for it is more difficult by far, to their Reputations, and yet have preferved their preferve Reputation than Virtue. The one depends on the Publick, who may judge from falfe Appearances, and of Course err; the other, on an inward Confciousness of what is Right, which can never err. But as Reputation, as well as Virtue, is effential to every Woman that wou'd live agreeably in the World, and at Peace within herself, both must C be preferved.

The Circumftance of walking bare-footed, is a strong Confirmation of an allegorical Senfe, D fince the being a little fcorched by the bot Iron, can never be meant as an adequate Punishment for the Crime, and must therefore be underfood, figuratively, to exprefs, that there is nothing to protect them from the Dangers they are expofed to, but their bare natural Innocence; which, for that Reafon, is the eafier corrupted, as the Foot is more liable to be fcorch'd by being bare, and defenceless, than if it was protected by a Covering.

The Eyes being Hood-winked, is a further Confirmation of an allegorical Senfe; for Love is always defcribed, by Poets, as wearing a Bandage over his Eyes. This then being the Condition of the unmarried Ladies, the Bufinefs of the Prompter is, to point out a Path, they may tread, and be fecure amidst the burning Plow fhares ftrewed in their Way.

The High Road that leads to the Happiness and Mifery of the Sex, is Love. Their Inexperience, added to the Pleasures that enchanting Route offers to their pleafed Senfes, makes them but too often quit the rugged Track, for the more beaten one; which feeming, as in Fact it is, to be more frequented, and being moft agreeable, draws their Steps infenfibly from the other.

The rugged Track, is nothing but keeping Defire within the Bounds prefcribed by Cuftom, Decency, and Virtue. I mention Cuftom, be

It wou'd be an Affront to the Sex, to offer any Arguments to them, to incuce them to preferve their Virtues. To fuppofe they want prompting on this Head, wou'd be an unpardonable Piece of Prefumption. But, without offending them, I will venture to fay, I have obferved fome among them, that have not had as much Regard for Reputation, as the Importance of it rcquires, and that think they have nothing to lay to their Charge, as long as they can fatisfy themselves as to their own Conduct. A Way of Thinking productive of all the exterior Ills that attend the Crime itself.

Pra

How different is the Behaviour of Leonora, and Prudentia, in this Refpe&t! dentia has as ftrong a Paffion for Leontius, as Leonora feels for Torrifmond. The fame Reasons forbid thefe coming tegether, as keep thofe afurder. The only Difference between their Behaviour is, that Prudentia endeavours to conquer the Pal fion the has for Leontius, whereas Leonora Bill feeds ber's, by keeping Company with Torrif Fmond. Prudentia feels as great Happiness in the Thought of being united to Leontius, as Leonora does to Torrifmond; but in the little Profpect there is of it, forbears the dangerous Intimacies, which Leonora indifcreetly ventures upon. Prudentia may, at length, get the better of her Paffion by the Method fhe takes, but Leonora never will. Both have Gequal Regard for Virtue, but Prudentia more for Reputation. Leonora thinks, while fhe's confcious none can arraign her Virtue, none ought to arraign her Reputation. Prudentia thinks, the best Security her Virtue can have, is an un-attacked

Re