rather ruined, than promoted the intereft they aim at, (which hath always been the cafe of many great fufferers) they only ferve to recommend them to the children of violence or folly.

I have by me a bundle of memorials presented by feveral cavaliers upon the restoration of King Charles II. which may ferve as fo many inftances to our prefent purpofe.

Among feveral perfons and pretenfions recorded by my author, he mentions one of a very great eftate, who, for having roafted an ox whole, and distributed a hogfhead upon King Charles's birthday, defired to be provided for, as his Majefty in his great wifdom fhall think fit.

Another put in to be Prince Henry's Governor, for having dared to drink his health in the worst of times.

A third petitioned for a colonel's commiffion, for having curled Oliver Cromwell, the day before his death, on a publick bowling-green.

But the most whimfical petition I have met with is that of B. B. Efq; who defired the honour of Knighthood, for having cuckolded Sir T. W. a notorious Roundhead.

There is likewife the petition of one, who, having let his beard grow from the martyrdom of King Charles I. until the restoration of King Charles II. defired in confideration thereof to be made a privycounfellor.

I must not omit a memorial, fetting forth that the memorialift had with great dispatch, carried a letter from a certain Lord to a certain Lord, wherein, as it afterwards appeared, meafures were concerted for the restoration, and without which he verily believes that happy revolution had never been effected; who thereupon humbly prays to be made Postmafter-general.

A certain gentleman, who feems to write, with a great deal of fpirit, and ufes the words Galan

try

try and Gentleman-like very often in his petition, begs (that in confideration of his having worn his chat for ten years paft in the royal cavalier cock, to his great danger and detriment) he may be made a captain of the guards.

I fhall close my account of this collection of memorials, with the copy of one petition at length, which I recommend to my reader as a very valuLable piece.

The Petition of E. H. Efq; humbly fbeweth,

THAT

HAT your Petitioner's father's brother's uncle, Colonel W. H. lost the third finger of his left hand at Edgehill fight.

That your petitioner, notwithstanding the smallnefs of his fortune (he being a younger brother) always kept hofpitality, and drank confufion to the Roundheads in half a fcore of bumpers every Sunday in the year, as feveral honeft gentlemen (whofe names are underwritten) are ready to testify.

That your Petitioner is remarkable in this country, for having dared to treat Sir P. P. a curfed fequeftrator, and three members of the affembly of Divines, with brawn and minced pies upon New-year's day.

That your faid humble Petitioner hath been five times imprifoned in five feveral county-gaols, for having been a ringleader in five different riots; into which his zeal for the royal caufe hurried him, when men of greater eftates had not the courage to rise.

That he the faid E. H. hath had fix duels and four and twenty boxing matches in defence of his Majefty's title; and that he received fuch a blow upon the head at a bonfire in Stratford upon Avon, as he hath been never the better for from that day to this.

That your Petitioner hath been fo far from improving

improving his fortune, in the late damnable times, that he verily believes, and hath good reafon to imagine, that if he had been mafter of an eftate, he had infallibly been plundered and fequeftred.

Your petitioner, in confideration of his faid merits and fufferings, humbly requests that he may have the place of receiver of the taxes, collector of the customs, clerk of the peace, deputylieutenant, or whatsoever elfe he fhall be thought qualified for.

And your petitioner fhall ever pray, &c.'

No 630. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8.

No

Favete linguis

HOR. Od. i. l. iii. ver. 2.

With mute attention wait.

HAVING AVING no fpare time to write any thing of my own, or to correct what is fent me by others, I have thought fit to publish the following letters.

SIR,

Oxford, Nov. 22. IF you would be fo kind to me, as to fuspend

that fatisfaction which the learned world must receive in reading one of your fpeculations, by publishing this endeavour, you will very much oblige and improve one, who has the boldness to hope, that he may be admitted into the number of your correfpondents.

I have often wondered to hear men of good fenfe and good nature profefs a diflike to mufic, when, at the fame time, they do not fcruple to own, that it has the moft agreeable and improving influences over their minds: It feems to me an unhappy contradiction, that thofe perfons VOL. Vill. fhould

C c

་

t

No.630. fhould have an indifference for an art, which raises in them fuch a variety of fublime plea• fures.

are

However, though fome few, by their own, or the unreafonable prejudices of others, may be led into a diftafte for thofe mufical focieties, which erected merely for entertainment; yet fure I may venture to fay, that no one can have the leaft reafon for diffaffection to that folemn kind of melody, which confifts of the praifes of our Creator.

You have, I prefume, already prevented me in an argument upon this occafion (which fome divines have fuccefsfully advanced upon a much. greater) that mufical facrifice and adoration has claimed a place in the laws and cuftoms of the moft different nations; as the Grecians and Romans of the prophane, the Jews and Christians of the facred world, did as unanimoufly agree in this, as they difagreed in all other parts of their

oeconomy.

I know there are not wanting fome who are of opinion, that the pompous kind of mufic which is in ufe in foreign churches is the most excellent, as it most affects our fenfes. But I am fwayed by my judgment to the modefty which is obferved in the mutical part of our devotions. Methinks there is fomething very laudable in the cuftom of a Voluntary before the firft leffon; by this we are fuppofed to be prepared for the adminion of thofe divine truths, which we are fhortly to receive. • We are then to caft all worldly regards from off our hearts, all tumults within are then becalmed, and there fhould be nothing near the foul but peace and tranquillity. So that in this fhort office of praife, the man is raised above himself, and is almoft loft already amidst the joys of fu- . turity.

I have heard fome nice obfervers frequently commend

commend the policy of our church in this particular, that it leads us on by fuch eafy and regular methods, that we are perfectly deceived into piety. When the fpirits begin to languish (as they too often do) with a conftant series of petitions, the takes care to allow them a pious refpite, and relieves them with the raptures of an anthem. Nor can we doubt that the fublimeft poetry, foftened in the most moving ftrains of mufic, can ever fail of humbling or exalting the foul to any pitch ⚫ of devotion. Who can hear the terrors of the Lord of hofts defcribed in the moft expreffive melody, without being awed into a veneration ? Or who can hear the kind and endearing attributes of a merciful Father, and not be foftcned into love towards him?

As the rifing and finking of the paffions, the cafting foft or noble hints into the foul, is the natural privilege of mufic in general, fo more particularly of that kind which is employed at the altar. Thofe impreffions which it leaves upon the fpirits are more deep and lafting, as the grounds from which it receives its authority are ⚫ founded more upon reafon. It diffufes a calmnefs all around us, it makes us drop all those vain or immodest thoughts which would be an hindrance to us in the performance of that greatduty of thanksgiving, which, as we are informed by our Almighty Benefactor, is the moft accep-table turn which can be made for thofe infinite ftores of bleffings which he daily condefcends to pour down upon his creatures. When we make ufe of this pathetical method of addreffing cur-felves to him, we can fçarce contain from raptures! The heart is warmed with a fublimity of goodness! We are all piety, and all love!

How do the bleffed fpirits rejoice and wonder, to behold unthinking man proftrating his foul to his dread Sovereign in fuch a warmth

Cc 2

of