COLOCANTS

No 552. Wednesday, December 3.

Qui prægravat artes

Infra fe pofitas, extinctus amabitur idem. Hor.

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S I was tumbling about the Town the other day in a Hackney-Coach, and delighting my felf with bufy Scenes in the Shops of each fide of me,it came into my Head, with no fmall Remorfe, that I had not been frequent enough in the Mention and Recommendation of the induftrious Part of Mankind. It very naturally, upon this Occafion, touched my Confcience in particular, that I had not acquitted my felf to my Friend Mr. Peter Motteux. That induftrious Man of Trade, and formerly Brother of the Quill, has dedicated to me a Poem upon Tea. It would injure him, as a Man of Business, if I did not let the World know that the Author of fo good Verfes writ them before he was concern'd in Traffick. In order to expiate my Negligence

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gence towards him, I immediately refolved to make him a Vifit. I found his fpacious Ware-houfes filled and adorned with Tea, China and Indian Ware. I could obferve a beautiful Ordonnance of the whole; and fuch different and confiderable Branches of Trade carried on, in the fame Houfe, I exulted in feeing difpos'd by a Poetical Head. In one place were expofed to view Silks of various Shades and Colours, rich Brocades, and the wealthiest Products of foreign Looms. Here you might fee the finest Laces held up by the faireft Hands; and there examined by the beauteous Eyes of the Buyers, the most delicate Cambricks, Muflins, and Linens. I could not but congratulate my Friend on the humble, but, I hoped, beneficial Ufe he had made of his Talents, and wifhed I could be a Patron to his Trade, as he had been pleased to make me of his Poetry. The honest Man has, I know, that modeft Defire of Gain which is peculiar to those who understand better things than Riches; and I dare fay he would be contented with much less than what is called Wealth in that Quarter of the Town which he inha

bit, and will oblige all his Customers 1 with Demands agreeable to the Moderation of his Defires.

AMONG other Omiffions of which I have been alfo guilty, with relation to Men of Industry of a fuperior Order, I must acknowledge my Silence towards a Propofal frequently enclosed to me by Mr. Renatus Harris, OrganBuilder. The Ambition of this Artificer is to erect an Organ in St. Paul's Cathedral, over the Weft Door, at the Entrance into the Body of the Church, which in Art and Magnificence shall tranfcend any Work of that kind ever before invented. The Propofal in perfpicuous Language fets forth the Honour and Advantage fuch a Perfor mance would be to the British Name, as well as that it would apply the Power Sounds in a manner more amazingly forcible than, perhaps, has yet been known, and I am fure to an End much more worthy. Had the vaft Sums which have been laid out upon Opera's without Skill or Conduct, and to no other Purpose but to fufpend or vitiate our Understandings, been difpofed this way, we fhould now perhaps have an Engine fo formed as to ftrike

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the Minds of half a People at once in a Place of Worship with a Forgetfulness of present Care and Calamity, and a Hope of endless Rapture, Joy, and Hallelujah hereafter.

WHEN I am doing this Juftice, I am not to forget the beft Mechanick of my Acquaintance, that useful Servant to Science and Knowledge, Mr. John Rowley; but I think I lay a great Obligation on the Publick, by acquainting them with his Proposals for a Pair of new Globes. After his Preamble, The promises in the faid Proposals that,

In the Celestial Globe,

CARE fhall be taken that the fixed Stars be placed according to their true Longitude and Latitude, from the many and correct Obferva'tions of Hevelius, Caffini, Mr. Flamfreed, Reg. Aftronomer, Dr. Halley, "Savilian Profeffor of Geometry in Oxon; and from whatever else can be procured to render the Globe more exact, inftructive and ufeful.

THAT all the Conftellations be drawn in a curious, new, and parti'cular manner; each Star in so just, distinct, and confpicuous Proportion,

• that

that its true Magnitude may be readily known by bare Inspection, according

to the different Light and Sizes of the 'Stars. That the Track or Way of 'fuch Comets as have been well obferved, but not hitherto expressed in any Globe, be carefully delineated in this.

In the Terreftrial Globe,

THAT by reafon the Defcriptions formerly made, both in the Eng· lifh and Dutch great Globes are erroneous, Afia, Africa, and America, be drawn in a manner wholly new; by which means it is to be noted, that the Undertakers will be obliged to alter the Latitude of fome Places in ten Degrees, the Longitude of others in 20 Degrees: Befides which great and neceffary Alterations, there be ⚫ many remarkable Countries, Cities, Towns, Rivers and Lakes, omitted in other Globes, inferted here accor'ding to the best Discoveries made by our late Navigators. Laftly, That the Course of the Trade-Winds, the Monfoons, and other Winds periodically fhifting between the Tropicks, be vifibly express'd. VOL. XV. NOW

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