IDRICHSOFORTER

N° 567. Wednesday, July 14.

I

Inceptus clamor fruftratur biames..

Virg

Have received private Ad-vice from fome of my Correfpondents, that if I would give my Paper a general Run, I fhould take care to. season it with Scandal. I have indeed obferved of late, that few Writings fell which are not filled with great Names and illuftrious Titles. The Reader ge nerally cafts his Eye upon a new Book,, and if he finds feveral Letters feparated from one another by a Dafh, he buys. it up, and perufes it with great Satiffaction. An M and an b, a T and an r with a fhort Line between them, has fold many an infipid Pamphlet. Nay, I have known a whole Edition: go off by vertue of two or three well written, 'S..

A

A fprinkling of the Words Faction, Frenchman, Papift, Plunderer, and the like fignificant Terms, in an Italick Character, have alfo a very good Effect upon the Eye of the Purchafer; not to mention Scribler, Liar, Rogue, Rafcal, Knave, and Villain, without which it is impoffible to carry on a Modern Controverfie.

OUR Party-writers are fo fenfible of the fecret Virtue of an Inuendo to recommend their Productions, that of late they never mention the Q

n

or P-t at length, though they fpeak of them with Honour, and with that Deference which is due to them

from every private Person. It gives a

fecret Satisfaction to a Perufer of thefe myfterious Works, that he is able to decipher them without Help, and, by the Strength of his own natural Parts, to fill up a Blank Space, or make out a Word that has only the firft or laft Lettet to it.

SOME of our Authors indeed, when they would be more Satyrical than ordinary, omit only the Vowels of a great Man's Name, and fall most unmercifully upon all the Confonants. This way of Writing was first of all

introduced by T-m Br-wn, of facetious Memory, who, after having gutted a Proper Name of all its intermediate Vowels, used to plant it in his Works, and make as free with it as he pleased, without any Danger of the Statute.

THAT I may imitate thefe cele brated Authors, aud publish a Paper which fhall be more taking than ordinary, I have here drawn up a very curious Libel, in which a Reader of Penetration will find a great deal of concealed Satyr, and if he be acquainted with the present Posture of Affairs, will easily discover the Meaning of it.

IF there are four Perfons in the 'Nation who endeavour to bring all things into Confufion, and ruin their native Country, I think every honest • Engl-fhm-n ought to be upon his • Guard. That there are fuch every one • will agree with me, who hears me

name *** with his firft Friend and Favourite ***, not to mention *** nor • ***. Thefe People may cry Ch-rch, Ch-rch, as long as they please, but, to make ufe of a homely Proverb, The Proof of the P-dd-ng is in the eating. This I am fure of, that if a certain • Prince fhould concur with a certain Pre

• Prelate, (and we have Monfieur Z--n's Word for it) our Pofterity would be in a sweet P-ckle. Muft the British Nation fuffer forfooth, because my Lady Q-p-t-s has been difobliged? Or it is reafonable that our English Fleet, which used to be the Terror of the Ocean, fhould lie Wind-bound for the fake of a. I love to speak • out and declare my Mind clearly, when I am talking for the Good of my Country. I will not make my Court to an ill Man, though he were a By or a Tt. Nay, I 'would not ftick to call fo wretched a Politician, a Traitor, an Enemy to • his Country, and a Bl-nd-rb-ss, &c.

THE remaining Part of this political Treatife, which is written after the manner of the most celebrated Authors in Great Britain, I may communicate to the Publick at a more convenient. Seafon. In the mean while I fhall leave this with my curious Reader, as fome ingenious Writers do their Enigmas, and if any fagacious Perfon can fairly unriddle it, I will print his Explanation, and, if he pleases, acquaint the World with his Name.

I hope this fhort Effay will convince my Readers, it is not for want of Abilities that I avoid State-tracts, and that if I would apply my Mind to it, I might in a little time be as great a Master of the Political Scratch as any the most eminent Writer of the Age. I fhall only add, that in order to outshine all the Modern Race of Syncopifts, and thoroughly content my English Readers, I intend fhortly to publish a SPECTATOR, that shall not have a fingle Vowel in it.

No 568. Friday, July 16.

·Dum recitas, incipit esse Tuus.

Mart.

Was Yesterday in a CoffeeHouse not far from the Royal Exchange, where I obferved three Perfons in clofe Conference over a Pipe of Tobacco, upon which, having filled one for my own Ufe, I lighted it at the little Wax Candle that stood before

them;