mently in their labour-pains; and it is remarkable that they never chuse to suckle their children.

It is vulgarly supposed that the events of gaming 'are regulated by blind chance and fortune' but the wise and polite, (that is, the Knowing Ones) cannot but smile at the absurdity of this notion; though even the sagacious Hoyle and Demoivre themselves, by the nicety of their calculations of chances, seem to have adopted this ridiculous doctrine. The professors at Arthur's, and the experienced adepts in the mysteries of Gaming, kindly condescend to give lessons, at reasonable rates, to those novices, who imagine that the events of play, like those of war, are uncertain: and so cogent is their method of instruction, that they never fail to convince their pupils, that success at dice, as well as bowls, depends upon a skilful management of the biass, and that the cards are not shuffled by the blind hand of Fortune.

It is a notion confined wholly to the vulgar, that "Matrimony brings people together;" but it is notorious, that in higher life a Marriage is the most effectual method to keep them asunder. It is impolite for a man and his wife ever to be seen together in public; and a person of quality had rather enjoy a tete-a-tete with any body's wife but his own in private. Genteel couples have separate amusements, pay separate visits, keep separate company, lie in separate beds, and (like the man and woman in a weather-house) are never seen together: nay more, if they are very genteel indeed, the lady has her separate maintenance. On the contrary, if a man of fashion has a tendre for an unmarried lady, they reside in the same house, partake of the same diversions, and observe every other article of the strictest cohabitation. The surest way of dissolving a connection of this sort is to marry. Sir John Brute bluntly declares, that, if he was

married to an hogshead of claret, the thought of Matrimony would make him hate it. Thus, in general the very names of Wife and Husband are sufficent to destroy all affection: and it was but a day or two ago that I met with a sprightly young gentleman much of the same opinion with Sir John; who being reproached for neglecting his lady for a mistress, and reminded that Man and Wife were one flesh, replied, that it was very true; and what pleasure could he have in touching his own flesh? Modern Wedlock, therefore, may be rather said to divide than unite: at least, if matrimony ever brings folks together for a time, it is only to separate them more effectually; as, according to the principles of action and re-action, where two bodies are drawn together by a violent attraction, they immediately fly off, and are driven back again from each other, by the principles of repulsion.

It may be well called a Vulgar Error, since none but the Vulgar think so, that the Sabbath is a day of rest.' It is, as experience teaches us, a day of business with some, of pleasure with others, but of rest with none. It is true, indeed, that a cessation from wordly occupations, together with roast beef and plumb-pudding, were formerly the characteristics of the Sabbath in England; but these inactive principles are now entirely out of fashion; nor do I know any person who is strictly debarred from exercising his employment on that day, except the Sheriff's Officer. The exact citizen, nicely calculating the damages he would sustain, on an average, by the loss of the seventh part of his time, defrauds the Sabbath of its due right, as he cheats his customers in the way of trade. As to people of quality, they, I suppose (duly considering how prodigal they are of their lives by adhering to the polite system) are willing to husband the little time allotted them, by adding night to day, and Sunday to the week.'

If Old Woman was not a term frequently made use of by the perverse and impolite multitude, I should hardly attempt to prove so clear and obvious a proposition, as that there is no such thing in the creation as an Old Woman.' Old Women are, indeed, mentioned by some few writers: but I have always looked upon their existence to be as chimerical as that of the Brobdignags or the Yohoes ; and I do not believe that there has ever been such an animal in nature since the Flood. In the present distant period we are unable to conceive the least idea of such a creature, as the same appearance of youth, the same lilies and roses bloom in the faces of the whole sex. For a proof of this, if we look round at the opera, the playhouse, a lady's route, or any other assembly, we may observe, that all our girls, whether of a smaller, or of a larger growth, assume the same air of gaiety and intrigue, and wear the same complexions. A limner of great business has often declared to me, that though he has had several mothers, and grandmothers, and great-grandmothers sit to him, he never yet drew the picture of an Old Woman. Medea is said to have renewed the youth and vigour of her father Eson by boiling him with certain magic herbs in a cauldron but I will not presume to say that our ladies are preserved from old age, by stewing in a copper; or that, according to a more modern notion, Old Women are ground young again by a mill. This, however, is certain; that youth as well as beauty, is the perpetual prerogative of the female sex; and that age, though it sits venerably on a man, would no more become a lady than a beard.

In an age so enlightened as the present, when we have thrown off all other mean prejudices of nature and education, it is no wonder, that we should discard the Gospel; and I am almost in doubt, whether I shall mention the belief of it as a Vulgar

Error, since it daily loses its credit among us. Wherefore, if I may not be allowed to set down the belief in a God, a Saviour, a Future State, the Immortality of the Soul, &c. &c. as prevailing Errors, I cannot omit so fair an opportunity of congratulating my contemporaries on their having overcome them: Nor can I better conclude this paper than by an hint to my friends, the Free-thinkers, cautioning them to consider, whether, if we were made by chance, the world was made by chance, and every thing else was made by chance, there may not also be an Hell made by chance!

EVERY Englishman who has the good of his country at heart, must lament the perplexity which our ministers labour under, in contriving ways and means to raise money for the present exigence of affairs. I have with pleasure hearkened to the several projects proposed in the debates of patriots in our coffee-houses and private clubs: but though I find they are unanimous in allowing the necessity of levying new taxes, every one is willing to shift off the burden from himself.

I was introduced the other night into a set of worthy citizens, who very zealously took this subject into consideration over their evening pipe. One of them, a grave gentleman, pulling the Evening Post out of his pocket, and putting on his spectacles, read aloud to us the several methods already proposed to which many wise objections were immediately started by the company. What's that?' says an old Don, (who I afterwards found had a small estate in houses) An additional duty upon bricks, and pan-tiles, and plain tiles? I suppose they will lay a duty upon the plain-tile pegs by and by.' This speech was received with an hearty chuckle of applause from the rest of the company : when another took occasion to observe, That he

' very much approved the scheme for laying a 'larger tax upon cards and dice;' one of which he called the devil's books, and the other his bones. The duty upon plate might perhaps have passed into a law in this assembly, if it had not been vehemently opposed by one member (whom I discovered to be a silversmith) in which he was seconded by the landlord of the house, who had a seat in this meeting, and told us, that it would lie very 'hard upon publicans, as nobody would now drink their porter out of a pewter pot.' These and the like arguments induced us to set aside all the projects that had been offered hitherto, and to consult together in order to find new ones in their room; among which I could not but smile at the proposal of an honest peruke-maker, who advised the levying of a poll-tax upon all that wore their own hair. For,' says he, we have never had good times since wigs were out of fashion. What rare days were 'those in Queen Anne's reign, when the nobility and gentry wore large flaxen flows of thirty guineas price! And, as you may see, by my lord Godol'phin's monument in Westminster Abbey, a prime

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