then briskly stepped up to Pegasus; and, despising the weak efforts of her husband to prevent her, she boldly jumped into the saddle, and whipping and cutting, rode away furiously, helter-skelter, over hedge and ditch, and trampled on every body who came in her road. She took particular delight in driving the poor horse, who kicked and winced all the while, into the most filthy places; where she made him fling about the dirt and mire, with which she bespattered almost every one that came near her. Sometimes, however, she would put a stop to this mad career: and then she plainly convinced us, that she knew as well how to manage Pegasus as any of the females who had tried before her. Being told that this lady was no other than the celebrated biographer of her own actions, Mrs. Pilkington, I had the curiosity to take a nearer view of her; when stepping up towards her, and offering my assistance to help her down, methought she returned my civility with such an uncourteous slap on the face, that, though I awaked at the instant, I could not help fancying for some time, that I felt my cheek tingle with the blow. W No. 70. THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1755. Causam hanc justam esse in animum inducite, Ut aliqua pars laboris minuatar mihi. TER. HEAUT. PROL. 41. Write correspondents, write, whene'er you will; My publisher having acquainted me, that he intends to close the volume with this number, I shall take the opportunity to throw together several letters, which I have received in the course of this work, and to balance with all my correspondents; at the same time assuring them, that I should be very glad to open a fresh account with them in my next volume*. In the infancy of this undertaking I was honoured with a very kind billet from a brother of the quill; the terms of which I am sorry was not in my power to comply with. It was as follows: DEAR SIR, you, if you "I CAN be of great assistance to want any help. I will write for you every other week, or oftener if you choose it. As a specimen of my powers, I have sent you an essay, which is at your service. It is short, but a very good one. "Yours at command, "P. S. Please to send by the bearer a guinea." of The contents of the postcript I naturally referred to the consideration of my publisher, who consequently had a right to determine on the goodness my friend's essay but, whatever was the reason, I heard no more of it. The commerce between bookseller and author is, indeed, of very great service, especially to the latter: for though I myself must undoubtedly be excepted out of the number, yet it must be confessed, that the most famous wits have owed their support to this pecuniary intercourse. Meat and drink, and the other conveniences of life, are as necessary to an author as pen, ink, and paper: and I remember to have seen in the possession of Mr. Tonson a curious ma * This alludes to the division of volumes in the second edition of this work. nuscript of the great Dryden himself, wherein he petitions his bookseller to advance a sum of money to his tailor. The next letter comes likewise from an author, who complains of an evil, which does not, indeed, often affect many of our fraternity; I mean the custom of giving money to servants. DEAR MR. TOWN, "I HAVE been happy all this winter in having the run of a nobleman's table, who was pleased to patronize a work of mine, and to which he allowed me the honour of prefixing his name in a dedication. We geniuses have spirit, you know, far beyond our pockets: and, besides the extraordinary expense of new clothes to appear decent, I assure you I have laid out every farthing that I ever received from his lordship's bounty, in tips to his servants. After every dinner, I was forced to run the gauntlet through a long line of powdered pickpockets; and could not but look upon it as a very ridiculous circumstance, that I should be obliged to give money to a fellow who was dressed much finer than myself. In such a case, I am apt to consider the showy waistcoat of a foppish footman or butler out of livery, as laced down with the shillings and half-crowns of the guests. "I would therefore beg of you, Mr. Town, to recommend the poor author's case to the consideration of the gentlemen of the cloth; humbly praying, that they would be pleased to let us go scot-free as well as the clergy: for though a good meal is in truth a very comfortable thing to us, it is enough to blunt the edge of our appetites, to consider that we must afterwards pay so dear for our ordinary. "I am, SIR, "Your humble servant, By some of my papers I find I have drawn upon me the censure, not only of the free-thinkers, but of the Moravians, Methodists, and other numerous sectaries, which have lately started up in opposition to our established religion. The following letter, occasioned by my sixty-first number, bears about it so many marks of an original, that it certainly comes from one of their teachers, who, as his style smells so much of the craft, is undoubtedly some inspired shoemaker, or enlightened bricklayer. I have therefore printed it without alteration, except in the spelling. "MR. CONNOISSEUR, "I HAVE taken the pains as usual to read your paper, and as you receive letters, I thought proper among the rest to send one also, to let you know, that I did not know that a cat was capable of constituting a religious society before. A priest may, 'tis true; and so may another rational creature, and perhaps an old woman also. But, Sir, you argue, that what a French fool or lunatic says on this head, is true; but you make more out, I observe, from the old woman and the leathern apron, than you do of the cat. For, if old women will, or do constitute a religious society, I understand from the foundation you seem to argue, that you are as much an old woman as they. For to argue or reason from an old woman's story, and for all your learning, and policy, and cunningness, and judgement you seem to have, you have but little of yourself: and as you seem to ridicule religion, and compare it to atheism or lunacy, I would beg the favour to know, Sir, what religion you are of: but by your talk I fear you are of none at all. "This new doctrine, Sir, that you revile, is the hear it, real Gospel, which you will find So, if you and compare it with the Scriptures, if you believe any Scripture at all. For you say, Sir, that the most extraordinary tenets of religion are very successfully propagated under the sanction of leathern aprons instead of cassocks. Well, and suppose it is: you acknowledge it is received by well-disposed people and if it is, then it is plain, as you ridicule it, you are not one of these well disposed. But, Sir, this new doctrine, as you call it, is not only propagated under the sanction of leathern aprons, by barbers, bricklayers, and the like, but by many of the clergy now in the established church: and if you often went to hear them, but not as a critic to carp at what is there spoken, you would understand more what this new doctrine meant, and whether it drives men to enthusiasm, and the like, or no. "Sir, what you touch on the Moravians, I will not say any thing about or against; for perhaps it is too true. But, Sir, I would advise you to know a little more of religion experimentally for yourself, before you pretend to condemn others. And, Sir, if you are informed, that there will be a madhouse built on the ground where the Foundery stands, or the Methodists' Meeting house, as you call it, perhaps there may be as many criticising lunatics in it, as religious ones; and very likely more. Sir, I beg you would take care you don't bother your brains too much about other people's affairs; lest I should have the pain, not the pleasure, of seeing you there. "I have just given you a sketch of the ridiculing the new doctrine, and wish you could find some better employ, if so be it was with a leathern apron before you; for I think it would become you bet |