hand, with a collar of urinals about his neck, led by the hangman thro' the city, whipped, branded, and then banished.

However lenient we are at prefent, with respect to the notorious illiterate empiricks that now infeft this nation, more care was taken formerly of the fubjects conftitution, and their health not fuffered to be infected by those poifoners of whole parishes.

Fairfax was fined and imprisoned in king William's time for doing great damage to several people by his Aqua Celeftis. One Anthony, with his Aurum Potabile; Arthur Dee, for advertising medicines which he gave out would cure people of all difeafes; Fofter, for felling a powder for the green ficknefs; Tenant, an urine cafter, who fold his pills for fix pounds each; Aires, for felling purging fugar plumbs; Hunt was punished for putting bills up in the

streets for the cure of diseases; Philips, a diftiller, for felling his strong water, with directions what they were good for, and how perfons were to take them.

People may say that most quack medicines are not intended against the conftitution, but only the pocket; and they are too infipid to do either good or harm,-but the medicines mentioned above, and which now every dabbler deals in, are in unskilful hands destructive; and we find in our records several perfons brought to condign punishment for adminiftering fuch compofitions ignorantly. Particularly one John Not was fined and imprifoned, for having killed fundry perfons, with fome of those beforementioned dangerous medicines. Thomafine Scarlet, and two more wos men, were feverely punished, for tampering with mercurial medicines.

afleep. But the loving wife tor

ments her unfortunate help-mate morning, noon, and night, nay, and all night too.

When my dear partner, who, I may fay, is the most loving of her sex, first wakes in the morning, if he finds me afleep, fhe feldom fails of letting me know that the thinks I have had reft enough, and that to fleep much is not good for me. If 1 happen to be awake when the first opens her eyes, he will not fuffer me to get up, infifting I must take another nap, for fhe is fure I have had but an indifferent night. When we get to breakfast, if I choose toast, it is ten to one but she finds

it gave me the heartburn the day, before, and then I muft eat bread and butter; if I chufe the latter, it is the fame odds but I am obliged to eat Yorkshire muffin, because the well knew I was fond of it. Sometimes fhe turns down my cup herself, after the firft difh, becaufe fhe fancies my hand shakes, and tea is nervous. At other times I am fwilled with haltpint after half-pint, as the conceives I ate too much fupper over night, and tea is good for digeftion. One time I am poisoned with brandy in my dish, at another with faffron, though she knows I deteft them both; but it is good for me, the fays.

If I happen to come home any fhort time before dinner, I am obliged to swallow down a large dish of chocolate, and to eat a faucer of dry-toast, though perhaps I was juft come from the coffee-houfe, to keep the wind off my stomach; and I am in great luck that a pint-bafon of pease-soup, in which a spoon will ftand upright, is not fet before me, by way of whet to my appetite. Though my loving tormentor may have thus crammed me like a turkey, till the dinner makes its appearance -upon the table, I am obliged to eat whatever the puts upon my plate, or the is otherwise the most miferable creature alive, and is fure I am not well, which never fails of introducing the apothecary into the house, almost as foon as the cloth is taken away. And, I have more than once, on fuch an occafion, fuffered myfelf to be drenched with gallons of camomile tea, because no remonftrances could fatisfy her but my stomach was out of order. If I prefume to help myfelf at table, my March, 1763.

female Sancho Panfa, phyfician, is ready with her interdict to reftrain me. If I call for fmall beer, perhaps my fweet loving wife thinks water better for me; and should this have been my choice, it is great odds but the orders wine to be mixt with it, as it is too cold for my ftomach alone. Do I go to hob or nob in white-wine, I am probably told red is better for my nerves and fhould I mention red, the would infift white is better for my cold. When the defert appears, though I am in general fond of fruit and fweet-meats, I almost tremble at the fight of it, for as the dear loving foul is fond of these things herself, the thinks fhe cannot give a ftronger proof of her regard for me, than in making me eat what the likes beft. Accordingly, if he takes a peach that appears to her remarkably good, I am forced to finish what the has half eat, though I prefer a nectarine. And however wishfully I may caft my eye upon any glass or fawcer, of fweet-meats, I am forced to refift the temptation, well knowing my loving tafter will fupply me abundantly with her relicts of those things which he is fure I am fond of. I must add too, that though the company cannot help fmiling when the loads my plate with jellies, I dare not refuse my love's kindness, if the declares they are admirable, and the is certain I fhall like them.

*

Hence my female phyfician often proves the reverfe of the fimoakers adage of Tobacco bic; for, if I am well, she'll make me fick: if I am fick, fhe don't make me well. And when she is molt induftrious to prove her love for me, I am frequent ly inclined to prefer envy, hatred and malice, and all uncharitablenefs, to fuch loving kindness, and could heartily cry out with captain Flash to the dear mifchief, "O! damn your love," though I am convinced of the fincerity of it. My great coat, which I number among my best friends, by her means deferves a place among my falfe ones. In diftrefs, either from rain or frost, my good friend does me no fervice, for my wife often hates a great coat, I am fo apt to take cold when I leave it off; and then I muft weather every inclemency, and ftand every fhower of rain without it. When I am in no want of it, my good friend is ready with its kind office; and if my love should take it into her head that I have at any time fuffered for want of my great coat, I am forced to groan under the weight of it, even in the hot months of July. Her defire to have me pleafed, will not let me fee the play I admire, or vifit the friends which I like. Should I prefume to engage for myself, I fhall find my felf perhaps one of an agreeable party which the knew before I should be happy with in another place. And if I fhould fettle to fee Garrick the next time he plays Lear, I am certainly engaged by her to the new opera; and he has procured tickets herself, to be an agreeable furprize to me. As to the playhoufes, indeed, I am afraid I fhall

:

never be fuffered to enter their doors again, the is fo terrified by the modern Mohawks, the fociety for the reformation of manners and the theatres, that the would as foon truft me to a campaign in Flanders, or among the Catawaws and Cherokees in North America, as at DruryLane and Covent Garden. ·

What adds to my misfortunes, is, that there is no hopes of an alteration for the better. You may be fure I have taken much pains to convince her, that though fhe is the beft of women, the is the worst of wives; that I should rather feel the fevereft effects of hate, than her love. If he was a termagant, I could make her a filent woman, and I could undertake to tame a fhrew; but my dear tormentor is fo meek, that the weeps without complaining, and pines in private with grief, if I oppofe the most trifling circumftance which the judges for my good, or has conceived would please me; the imagines I have no love for her, if he thinks I flight any inftance of her's to me. After having fuffer ed her to wafte herself almoft to a skeleton, I have been reduced to the cruel neceffity of giving way to her difpofition, and submitting a second time to the go-cart and leadingftring. And though I am the jeft of all my friends, and the sport of both fexes, though I can neither eat, drink, fleep, or wake, as I please, though I mult appear merry when I am hipt, and well when I am ill, keep company I don't like, and scarce ever fee my old acquaintance and friends; though I am to be purged, fweated and blistered in per fect health, I cannot fly from my perfecutor, as my love is at leaft

equat

equal to her's, and I am content to bear the weakness of her mind, as I am fo fenfible of the strength of her affection. Therefore, Sir, when

you fee a monkey play with a kitten,

a boy with a puppy, and Mifs with her goldfinch, pray remember Your's, &c.

TRUELOVE.

THIS court cannot forbear expreffing to you their furprize at the precipitate progrefs which has been already made in a new attempt towards a general excife.

The extension of excife laws into private houses, whereby the fubject is made liable to a frequent and arbitrary visitation of officers, and the judicial determination of commiffioners removeable at pleasure, is inconfiftent with thofe principles of liberty, which have hitherto diftinguished this nation from arbitrary governments.

An attack upon the liberty of the fubject, made fo immediately after a glorious and fuccefsful war,, and at a time when we had just rea-. fon to expect to enjoy the bleffings

of peace, demands your serious attention.

And this court doth remark, that whatever may be the neceffity of the times, the fmallness of the fum indicates that cannot be the only motive to fo extraordinary a measure,

For these reasons, this court doth moft earneftly recommend your conftant attendance in parliament, and utmost endeavours to oppofe every enlargement and extenfion of the powers of excise, and that you do not conceal from the public'any fuch attempt, nor fuffer yourfelves to be amused by any plaufible alteration in the bill, fubjecting the makers of cyder and perry to excife laws.

Tumult ceafe! Sink to peace!

Let there be light!-Th' Almighty faid; And lo the radiant Sun,

Flaming trom his orient bed,

His endless course begun,
See, the twinkling Pleiads rife :
Thy ftars, Orion, reddens in the skies:
While flow around the northern plain,
Arcturus wheels his nightly wane.

Thy glories, too, refulgent Moon, he fung;
Thy myftic mazes, and thy changeful ray;
O fairest of the starry throng!
Thy folemn orb of light
'Guides the triumphant car of night
O'er filver clouds, and sheds a softer day
Ye Planets, and each circling Conftellation,
In fongs harmonious tell your generation!
Oh! while yon radient Seraph turns the
⚫ fpheres,

J

And on the ftedfast pole-star stands fublime;
Wheel your rounds

To heav'nly founds;
And footh his fong-enchanted ears,
With your celeftial chime."

In dumb furprize the lift'ning Monarch lay;

(His woe fufpended by fweet mufic's (way) And awe ftruck, with uplifted eye, Mus'd on the new-born wonders of the íky,

Lead the foothing verfe along:

He feels, he feels the pow'r of fong. 'Ocean. haftens to his bed: The lab'ring mountain rears his rock' encumber'd head : Down his fleep and fhaggy fide The torrent rolls his thund'ring tide; Then smooth and clear, along the fertile ' plain, [main. Winds his majestic waters to the distant

Flocks and herds the hills adorn :

The lark, high foaring, hails the morn. And while along yon crimson clouded fteep,

The flow fun feals into the golden deep;

Hark! the folemn nightingale
Warbles to the woodland dale.

Pleasure ftrews her guiltless rofes

Joys divine in circles move,

Link'd with innocence and love.

Hail, happy love, with innocence combin'd!

All hail, ye finless parents of mankind! Saul is moved by the representation; but expoftulates with David, "Why, when others are happy, he should be miserable," David, to convince him that guilt is the fource of mifery, fings the Fall of Man, and his expulfion from Paradife. This alarms the Monarch's pride; and inftead of reclaiming, provokes him to refentment and rage. David, fuperior to his threats, awakens his confcience, and terrifies him, by finging the fate and punishment of guilt, in the deftruction of the rebellious tribe of Koran by an earthquake, and of the guilty world by the general deluge, Saul ftruck with horror, attempts to kill himfelf: but being prevented by his friends, David fooths his anguifh, by invoking repentance and divine mercy to compose his paffions. Saul relents into virtuous for row: but his despair returning, David calls on his attendant choir to raise a more fublime and affecting ftrain. This hath its effect; and Saul melts into tears of penitence. David now comforts him with the return of the Divine favour. To banish the remains of pride, he then fings his own happiness in the humble ftation of a fhepherd. Still farther, to compofe the Monarch's griefs, by a train of foft mufic he throws him into a gentle flumber; invoking celeftial visions to transport him to the regions of the bleffed, and change his anguish into joy. The defired effects appear in his countenance : the fiend departs: and Saul awakes in perfect tranquillity. David then concludes with a fong of triumph on the powers of harmony, and the feraphic hymn that attended her, as the minifter of heaven, on the creation of the world.