" and the greatest rapidity of motion from place "to place.

"I hope to raise myself in the opinion of your "readers, as a perfon of elegant taste, when I "affure them that I often admire a gay equipage, "at the risk of being run over by it. My mind, "thank God! is not fo mean as to think that "the existence of a poor pedestrian deferves the "least confideration, when opposed to the sublime "fatisfaction a youth of diftinction must enjoy "in finding that dinner at the Thatched-House "has not waited for him above two hours. In"deed, as the poor are an useless and expensive " part of the creation, and are likely to over-run "the rich, if the rich do not run over them, I am "vastly pleased when I see persons of exalted rank, CC or great fortunes, whirl over the pavement, and "especially through a crowd, making us fly on all "fides. There is fomething truly magnificent, " and indeed claffical, in this; for, if I recollect "right, we read of armed chariots, in the antiquity, driving through the thickest ranks, " and mowing down all refiftance; and as the "poor's rates are an enormous burden upon us, I

ages

of

"think

"think it a question not unworthy of confidera"tion, whether the addition of a few scythes to ແ our phaëton wheels, would not more effectually "thin our streets, and diminish the number of the «< poor (efpecially the helpless through age or in"fancy), than any of the methods which the nu66 merous writers on that fubject have proposed.

«Since I have fuffered my thoughts to run "upon wheels, I have turned over Fitz-Stephens, "Stow, and feveral others of our civic hiftorians, "intending to have traced the rife and progress of "these machines; but, upon reflexion, I confidered "it as losing time to look back into the practices ❝of our barbarous ancestors. I fhall only observe, "that in old times coaches were unknown in our "ifland. The first chariot, or whirlicot, that "I read of, is one that was erected by Richard the "Second for his mother, 'because she was fick and "weak.' Richard was not one of the wisest of our "princes; and the abfurdity of his troubling his head "about his mother, an old woman, will forcibly "strike the youth of the prefent day. The chariot, "notwithstanding it was introduced by the king, "was far from becoming a general fashion; and ❝ fome

"fome time after, Ann of Bohemia, Richard's

queen, invented fide-faddles; and the ladies, fol"lowing the queen's example, went a shopping, "vifiting, and to the public places, on horseback. "The mules had the honour of carrying the church"men for feveral centuries; and Cardinal Wolfey

appears mounted on one, in his picture at "Windfor. In the reign of Mary, an open car"riage, called a Landau, was introduced, fo named "from the place in Alface where it was invented; "and Stow informs us that in his day, the world "was running upon wheels. If we fhould hit "horfes together this time, perhaps I may whip (( up something more for you on this subject on a "future occafion. In the mean time I fhall con"tinue

"Your conftant reader,

"PETER PRY."

To Mr. SIMON OLIVE-BRANCH.

« SIR,

"I understand that the funds of a charity❝ school, in Cripplegate parish, were in such a "declining state, that the governors found it a "hard

"hard task to fupport the eftablishment, even

upon a very contracted scale.

Sermon after

"fermon was preached, and little advantage de"rived from them. At length a genius who hap→ "pened to be in the direction, fuggefted the "happy idea of inftituting a ball for the benefit "of the charity. The proposal was instantly "adopted: a room was hired, and a number of "tickets were printed, on which the device repre“sented a figure of Charity in the fourth position. "For these there was a very speedy demand; and "the worthy inhabitants of the parish convinced “the world that, although when ye mourned unto "them they would not weep, when ye piped unto "them they would dance. The profits arifing "from the affembly, restored the affairs of the "school; and there is every reason to hope, that a "ball or two annually will carry the intention of "the pious founder into effect. I further under"ftand that, in gratitude to the fcience from "which the establishment has derived fuch ad"vantages, the children are all to be taught to "dance. A faving will be made, fufficient to "counterbalance the expence, in not fuffering

"them to learn to fing; for charity, which used

to

"to be at our fingers' ends, has, of late, got as low

as our toes; and thus they have gained more by "a fingle appeal to this part of us, than by all the "anthems and hymns they have chanted thefe "seven years. I fuppofe, as the experiment has "been attended with fuccefs, charity-fermons will

give way to charity-balls, and the poor children muft foot it in future into the favour of the

IN returning to the long-forfaken subject of Religion, I feel like a traveller, who, after feafting upon the various produce of various countries, after roving from delicacy to delicacy, and sharing in the luxury of princes, turns homewards his wearied fteps with increased delight, longs to flake

his