complained that she was struck by it, and fell also ill. After which, two more of the boys were taken with the same distemper; and another girl, of about nine' years of age, is also indisposed. Yesterday, the lad that was first taken ill died, having first voided an incredible number of worms, some of them as big as small eels, and all of them extraordinary sharp and peked at the ends. The other three, who keep their bed, do also void worms both ways; and we hear, that though remedies have been applied, and the advice of a physician taken (who, we are informed, says they are planet-struck), the young maid, and two of the boys, are given over as past recovery; and look very ghastly, though plump and well-favoured before this happened. Whether this be a natural distemper, or a warning to such houses, we leave it to others to judge."

Such was the interference of the planets. I shall now turn the reader's attention to one more decidedly visible and certain on the part of the mob-that generous and eccentric redresser of wrongs. A porter's lady, we are informed by the Protestant Mercury, who resided near Strand-lane, beat her husband with so much violence and perseverance, that the poor man was compelled to leap out of a window, to escape her fury. Exasperated at this virago, the neighbours made what Dawks, the editor, called a "Riding;" or, I suppose, a pedestrian procession, headed by a drum, and accompanied by a displayed chemise for a banner: the manual musician sounded the tune of " You round-headed cuckolds, come dig, come dig;" and nearly seventy coal-heavers, carmen, and porters, adorned with large horns fastened to their heads, followed. The public seemed highly pleased with the nature of the punishment, and gave liberally to the vindicators of injured manhood. Actuated by a similar wish to extirpate vice, several individuals exerted themselves to suppress swearing, houses of ill-fame, and selling meat on Sundays; but the want of a systematic and general opposition to these encroachments made their efforts quite as futile, though not as whimsical, as the expedient of the coal-heavers; and this is still further proved in the following letter, addressed by the bishop of London to the clergy of his diocese.

December 15, 1697.

"GOOD BROTHER, "Having been informed from several hands, That His Majesty's Injunctions of February the 13th, 1689-90, have not been observed of late (in such a manner, at least, as is enjoyned); I thought it my duty to admonish you of this neglect. And the rather at this time, because His Majesty has declared in his Speech

to both Houses of Parliament, That, now he has leisure to be with us, one of his chief cares shall be, to suppress Profaneness and Immorality. And would it not be a shameful reproach to us (a great part of whose business it ought to be, continually to watch against such sins), to be found tardy in those opportunities, which the laws have given us to warn people of their wicked courses? You are to take notice likewise, That, since His Majesty's Injunctions, there is another Act come out, for the more effectual suppressing Prophane Cursing and Swearing, 5 and 6 Will. III. c. 11, to be read likewise.

"I could wish with all my heart, that the late silence of those Acts and Proclamations, contained in these Injunctions, proceeded from so thorow a reformation in manners, that there were no more need to mention them.

"Sir,

"Your most assured Friend,

"and Brother,

"H. LONDON."

To conclude this section of my work with due effect, I shall present the reader with a positive proof of the partial brutality of manners existing at the close of the 17th century, from The Post Boy.

"An Elegy upon that most orthodox and pains-taking Divine, Mr. Samuel Smith, Ordinary of Newgate; who died of a Quinsey, on St. Bartholomew's Day, the 24th of August, 1698.

"TYBURN, lament, in pensive sable mourn,

For from the world thy ancient Priest is torn ;
Death, cruel Death, thy learn'd Divine has ended,
And by a quinsey from his place suspended.
Thus he expir'd in his old occupation,
And, as he liv'd, he dy'd by suffocation.

Thou Reverend Pillar of the Triple Tree,
I wou'd say Post, for it was propt by thee;
Thou Penny-Chronicler of hasty fate,
Death's Annalist, Reformer of the State,
Cut-throat of Texts, and Chaplain of the Halter,
In whose sage presence Vice itself did falter..

L

:

How

How many Criminals, by thee assisted,

Old Smith, have been most orthodoxly twisted!
And when they laboured with a dying qualm,
Were decently-suspended to a psalm.

How oft hast thou set harden'd Rogues a squeaking,

By urging the great sin of Sabbath-breaking;
And sav'd Delinquents from Old Nick's embraces,
By flashing fire and brimstone in their faces!

Thou wast a Gospel Smith, and after sentence,
Brought'st Sinners to the anvil of Repentance;
And tho' they prov'd obdurate at the Sessions,

Could'st hammer out of them most strange Confessions:
When Flate was stray'd, and Silver Spoons were missing,
And Chambermaid betray'd by Judas kissing.

Thy Christian bowels cheerfully extended

Towards such, as by their Mammon were befriended.

Tho' Culprit in enormous acts was taken,

Thou wouldst devise a way to save his bacon;

And if his purse could bleed a half pistole,

Legit, my Lord, he reads upon my soul.
Spite of thy charity to dying wretches,

Some fools wou'd live to bilk thy Gallows Speeches;

But who'd refuse, that has a taste of writing,

To hang, for one learn'd Speech of thy enditing.

Thou always hadst a conscientious itching,

To rescue Penitents from Pluto's kitchin;
And hast committed upon many a soul

A pious theft, but so St. Austin stole ;

And shoals of Robbers, purg'd of sinful leaven,

By thee were set in the high road to Heaven.

With several Mayors hast thou eat beef and mustard, And frail mince-pyes, and transitory custard.

But now that learned head in dust is lay'd,

Which has so sweetly sung, and sweetly pray'd;

Yet