THURSDAY, Saw the Sufpicious HufbandAt night, Polly again. FRIDAY, Set out at twelve o'clock for Oxford — a damn'd muzzy place. THERE are no fet of mortals more joyous than these occafional rakes, whose pride it is to gallop up to town once or twice in the year with their quarterage in their pockets, and in a few days to fquander it away in the highest scenes of luxury and debauchery. The tavern, the theatre, and the bagnio, engross the chief part of their attention; and it is conftantly Polly again with them, till their finances are quite exhausted, and they are obliged to return (as Bookwit has it) "to fmall beer and three-half66 penny commons." I SHALL enlarge no further on this subject at prefent, but conclude thefe reflections with an Ode, which I have received from an unknown correfpondent. He tells me, it was lately fent from an academical friend to one of these gentlemen, who had refigned himself wholly to these polite enjoymonts, and feemed to have forgot his connexions with the univerfity. All, who peruse this elegant little piece, will, I doubt not, thank me for inferting it; and the learned reader will have the additional pleasure of admiring it as an humorous imitation of Horace. Iccî, beatis nunc Arabum invides Gazis, &c. L. I. Ode xxix. S O you, my friend, at last are caught All meaner ftudies you refign, Your whole ambition now to shine The beau of the beau-monde. Say, gallant youth, what well-known name What watchmen mourn your fury? What sprightly imp of Gallic breed No No more let mortals toil in vain, What rolling time will bring: Since you each better promife break, For lace and velvet quit your gown, NUM B. XII. Thursday, April 18, 1754. Nec verò hæ fine forte datæ, fine judice fedes. Nor fhall the four-leg'd culprit 'scape the law, T URNING over the last volume of lord Bolingbroke's works a few days ago, I could not help fmiling at his lord hip's extraordinary manner of commenting on fome parts of the Scriptures. Among the reft he represents Mofes, as making beafts accountable to the community for crimes, as well as men: Whence his lordship infers, infers, that the Jewish legislator supposed them capable of diftinguishing between right and wrong, and acting as moral agents. The oddity of this remark led me to reflect, if fuch an opinion fhould prevail in any country, what whimfical laws would be enacted, and how ridiculous they would appear, when put in execution. As if the horse, that carried the highwayman, should be arraigned for taking a purse, or a dog indicted for feloniously stealing a fhoulder of mutton. Such a country would seem to go upon the fame principles, and to entertain the fame notions of juftice, as the puritanical old woman, that hanged her cat for killing mice on the fabbath day. THESE reflections were continued afterwards in my fleep; when methought fuch proceedings were common in our own courts of judicature. I imagined myself in a spacious hall like the Old Bailey, where they were preparing to try feveral animals, who had been guilty of offences against the laws of the land. The walls, I observed, were hung all round with bulls-hides, fheep-fkins, foxes-tails, and the fpoils of other brute-malefactors; and over the justice-feat, where the King's-Arms are commonly placed, there was fixed a large stag's head, which overfhadowed fhadowed the magiftrate with its branching horns. I took particular notice, that the galleries were very much crouded with ladies : which I could not tell how to account for, 'till I found it was expected, that a Goat would that day be tried for a rape. THE feffions foon opened; and the first prifoner, that was brought to the bar, was a Hog, who was profecuted at the suit of the Jews on an indictment for burglary, in breaking into their fynagogue. As it was apprehended, that religion might be affected by this cause, and as the profecution appeared to be malicious, the Hog, though the fact was plainly proved against him, to the great joy of all true Chriftians, was allowed Benefit of Clergy. AN indictment was next brought against a Cat for killing a favourite Canary-bird. This offender belonged to an old woman, who was believed by the neighbourhood to be a witch. The jury, therefore, were unanimous in their opinion, that fhe was the devil in that shape, and brought her in guilty. Upon which the judge formally pronounced sentence upon her, which I remember concluded with these words: "You must be carried to the place of execution, "where |