20 Reflections on the great Importance of Magiftrates licenfing of Ale-Houfes. glory of giving peace to the birds and beafs. The fecond particular is, the intereft and advantage of the kingdom, which cannot be better and more effectually brought to pals, than by ftating and examining the public accounts, by which means we fhall attain to the knowledge of the debts of the nation, and be apprized of fuch whores birds, who have any ways mifapplied its treafure, whom we are bound in duty to profecute with the utmoft feverity. For it is but juftice to the winged people, whom we reprefent, to make them eye-witneffes of their punishment, for converting what was given for the public fervice to ends very difhonourable to the ftates. And now is the only time to go through with what is proposed to you, fince our fovereign has already declared his refolution of punishing all fuch wicked fervants as have bafely betrayed the truft committed to them; and fignified his intention of chufing only fuch patriots to advise with, and fuch officers to tranfact the bufinefs of the ftates, as may never again give our enemies an opportunity of triumphing över us. I remember a fwallow of my acquaintance, and you all know that bird is remarkable for forefight and prudence, faw a fellow once a-fowing hemp-feed, and bid feveral other birds, that were in his company, obferve what that countryman was a-doing; for 'tis from this very feed, faid he, that hemp and flax are produced, which the fowler makes his nets of; wherefore, all be upon your guard, and, by way of prevention, pick it up without hesitation, before it takes root. But none of them would take his council at that time, or lend an ear for the fake of the common fafety. In fhort, the bufinefs was delayed from time to time, 'till this feed took root, and then again 'till it had fhot itself up to the blade, and was almost ripe. At fight of this, the fwallow once for all told them, 'twas not too late to prevent what would unavoidably happen, would they beftir themselves battily, and go to work upon it in earnell, but to as little pur pofe as before, not a whore's bird of them, but gave him a hearing, and that was all: When the fallow thought it high time to take leave of his old obftinate companions, and retied from woods and fields, into cities and towns. Now, this hemp and flax was, in procefs of time, worked up into nets, and the swallow had the fortune to fee most of them brought prifoners into the town where he lived; when the foolish birds, grown wifer by their misfortunes, were frighted into a fenfe of thofe wholetome preca tions they ought to have taken; but it was too late, fince they could not be brought to thefe reflections, 'till all hopes of liberty were loft. It is too plain a story now to need an application; but, God be thanked, the fright's over. REFLECTIONS on the great Importance of MAGISTRATES licenfing of Ale-Houfes to proper Perfons. IN large and populous cities, efpeci. and the laws of their country. Indeed, ally in the metropolis of a flourish. ing kingdom, artificers, fervants, and Jabourers, compofe the bulk of the people, and keeping them in good order is the object of the police, the care of the legislature, and the duty of the magiftrates, and all other peace-offi cers. The reftraints on the conduct of mankind in general, especially that part of them who are happy enough to be Chriftians, are the laws of the pope, fuch a compliance with the former, as lays a foundation for a well-grounded hope in the life to come, makes their reftraints by human inftitutions unneceffary; but experience teaches us that thofe objects act the strong lieft on our fears, and our hopes, that promife immediate advantages, and threaten immediate punishment; hence it is that common people itand more in awe of the laws made by men, than of those which Reflections on the great Importance of Magiftrates licenfing of Ale Houfes. 21 which come from the fountain of all Jaws: And the prifon, whipping-poft, pillory, and gallows, make more men honeft, than at firft may be imagined. Religion, education, and good breed ing, preferve good order and decency among the fuperior rank of mankind, and prevent thofe disturbances, irregularities, and injuries to our fellowcreatures, that happen among the illiterate and lower order of the people; good laws are therefore necellary to fupply the place of education among the populace; and fure, no nation in the world could boaft of better for this purpose than England. The common people, when compared to thofe of a higher rank, are as the neceffaries of life, when compared to the conveniencies or ornamental part of it. The riches and ftrength of a nation are the number of its inhabitants; the happiness of that nation, their being ufefully and conftantly employed. Time is the labourer's ftock in trade; and he that makes most of it, by induftry and application, is a valuable subject; and a journeyman can no more afford to lofe, give, or throw away his time, than the tradef man can his commodity: And the beft way of preventing this ufeful body of men from this fpecies of extravagancy, is to remove from their fight all temptations to idleness; and however diverfions may be neceffary to fill up thofe difmal chafms of burdenfome time among people of fortune, too frequent relaxations of this kind among the populace enervate induftry. In the country, the plowman, the labourer, and the artificer, are fatisfied with their holidays at Eafter, Whitfuntide and Chrifimas. At the two former they enjoy their innocent fports, fuch as a cricket-match, or a game at cudgels, or fome other laudable trial of manhood, to the improvement of old English courage. At Chriftmas they partake of the good cheer of that feafon, and return fatisfied to their la bour; but in this town diverfions calculated to flacken the industry of the ufeful hands are innumerable; to leffen therefore the number of these is the business of the magistrate. Bull-baitings, bear-baitings, cricket and cock-matches, and fuch races as are contrary to law, are in the number of the out-door diverfions that call for redress: The firt indeed are inhuman, and for that reafon, it is hoped, are lefs frequent; but the amufeinents of the greatest confequence, are thofe that are carried on in the public-houtes in town, fuch as cards, dice, draughts, fhuffle-boards, mififippi tables, billiards, and covered fkittle grounds. Thefe are the thieves that rob the journey-men and labourers of their precious time, their little property, and their lefs morals. And it is very certain that thefe evils are in the power of the publican to prevent; and tho' habit makes many things appear neceffary, that are not only in themfelves fuperfluous but injurious, I am perfwaded, that the putting down entirely of the above fpecies of gaming would foon be found to be a confiderable advantage as well to the publican, as his cuftomers. Among the various trufts repofed in the magiftrates of this city, there is none, in my opinion, of greater importance than that of granting licenfes to ale-houfes; for it is on their care, in this refpect, that the peace and good order of this town abfolutely depend; for at the ale house the idle meet to game and quarrel: Here the gamblers form their ftratag ms; here the pick-pockets hide themfelves till dufk, and gangs of thieves form their plots and routs; and here the combination of journeymen are made to execute their filly fchemes. Cannot the publican then, who knows his guests, prevent thefe mifchiefs? is it not therefore his intereft to preserve the credit of his houfe, and is it not the duty of the justice to examine well to whom he grants a licence? for when that is in good hands, every ale-housekeeper becomes an honest and a watchful centinel over the peace, fafety, and regularity of the city. For my own part, I think no man fhould have a license who is not a proteftant, nor any one who has been bred to a trade, unless he is disabled; for the moment the healthy artificer gets 22 Account of the Fashionable Lover. gets a public-houfe, he generally becomes a fot himself; he's a decoy-duck to his old shop-mates of the fame trade, and one useful hand at leaft is lopt off from that trade. There is a large body of men, who, when they marry, have fcarce any other refource but keeping an ale-houfe; I mean, fervants of all kinds, who have never been bred to any trade; perhaps, difabled foldiers and mariners may be proper objects of this truft; but as it is certain that the good order of this town, and the hap pinefs of the common people and their families muftarife from the good order obferved in public-houfes, I doubt not, but the worthy magiftrates will, at the approaching time of licensing, ufe fuch cautions as may be productive of the happieft effects; for it is much eafier to check diforders in their infant itate, than to conquer them when they are fuffered to rife to a troublesome height, and prevention must always be a more eligible object of the mind than punishment and feverity. An Account of THE FASHIONABLE LOVER, a new Comedy, performed for the first time on Monday, Jan. 20th 1772, at the TheatreRoyal in Drury-Lane. Mifs Aubery, THE Mrs. Barry. HE first act of this piece opens at Lord Abherville's, whom we speedily understand to be in a treaty of marriage with Mifs Bridgemore, the daughter of a wealthy merchant in the city, and to be half undone by his loffes at the hazard-table. This nobleman has a friend refident with him in the house, Dr. Druid, a Welch virtuofo, who is profoundly skilled in the important science of butterflies; and a faithful domestic that lived with his father, one Colin Macloud, a Scotchman, who makes the most fenfible, as well as the moft timely animadverfions, on his master's extravagance. Hurried away, however, by the tide of fashionable levity, Lord Abberville not only difregards all the admonitions of the difinterested Macloud, but even the graveft exhortations of Mr. Mortimer, who had been left executor to his father, and claimed a kind of parental authority over him. Mortimer is a cynie of an extraordinary caft; his outfide is all roughnefs, his heart all humanity; beneath the appearance of a mifanthrope he conceals a moft exquisite portion of fenfibility, and affects continually to defpife, though he is continually employed in the fervice of, his fellow-creatures. Mortimer has a nephew, a Mr. Tyrrell, wholly dependent on his bounty; this Mr. Tyrrell loves, and is beloved by, Mifs Aubery; Mifs Aubery is apparently an orphan, wholly dependent upon Mr. Bridgemore, a perfon formerly much obliged by her father, and Lord Abberville is, in fact, paffionately devoted to her, though he feems ready, from motives of convenience, to marry the daughter of that gentleman. In the first act, the Bridgemore family come, by appointment, to vifit Lord Abberville; the nobleman, however, defires Dr. Druid to be in the way to receive them, and actually sets off for their houfe, where a maid, gained over to his purpofe, introduces him into Mifs Aubery's bed-chamber. Here he attempts to take liberties, but is interrupted by Mifs Bridgemore; who, nettled at not finding him at home Account of the Fafhionable Lover. home to receive her, returns with her mama to Fish-street-hill, the place of their habitation. Mifs Bridgemore, finding it fomewhat difficult to gain entrance into Mifs Aubery's bedchamber (the door being bolted on the infide by Abberville) is very fufpicious on being admitted, and treats Mifs Aubery, whofe fuperior accomplishments the not only hates but envies, with fo much rudeness, that the latter at laft mortifies her with the fight of the nobleman concealed, and acknowledges (what the fact really is) that her motive for concealing him was to spare Mifs Bridgemore the pain of knowing his infidelity. Lord Abberville, after fone aukward excufes, retires; but Mifs Aubery, finding her continuance with the Bridgemores impoffible after this, and being loaded with new affronts, precipitately leaves the family next morning, and acquaints them by letter, of her refolution never to fee them more. This ftep of Mifs Aubery's opens all the embarraffments of the playMifs Bridgemore, making Tyrrell believe that Lord Abberville, whom he meets on a visit at Fish-street-hill, has taken her away, and Tyrrell, in confequence (who had previously obtained his uncle's confent to marry Mifs Aubery) challenging Abberville on this fuppofition. Mils Aubery, in the mean time, without a lodging, without a friend, wanders towards Mortimer's houfe, with a letter for Tyrrell, and being overcome with fatigue, pours out the anguish of her foul in a foliloquy in the treet; fhe is overheard by Colin Macloud, who, after fome neceffary converfation, makes fuch heart-felt offers of his affiftance, that the immediately accepts it, and he not only procures her a lodging at one Mrs. Mackintosh's, a milliner, but undertakes to deliver her letter to Mr. Tyrrell. Poor Macloud, who knew nothing of Mackintosh, and was only charmned with her name over the door, having feen Mifs Aubery fairly within doors, goes off very well fatisfied, little imagining that the good lady, whofe veins he thought filled with the pureft blood of Caledonia, kept actually a 23 Mrs. Mac houfe of civil reception. kintosh, however, has her fair lodger no fooner in her power, than the fends Lord Abberville word of having a moft beautiful woman for his purposes. My Lord flies on the wings of love, and Tyrrell, who calls at his houfe to terminate their difference, being informed which way he is gone, as well as upon what errand, Maclould immediately follows him to Mrs. Mackintofh's. Here the rivals have an interview in the prefence of Mifs Aubery; but the trembling for the fafety of Tyrrell, and believing that he must be ruined if ever he marries her, anfwers fome questions he puts to her about Lord Abberville's attachment fo unfatisfactory, that he resigns her to the Peer in a paroxyfm of rage, and determines, if poffible, to tear her eternally from his heart. Tyrrell is fcarcely gone, when Mortimer, conducted to Mrs. Mackintosh by the faithful Scot, prevents an attempt upon the chastity of Mifs Aubery, and makes Abberville fo heartily afhamed of himself, that he offers his honourable addreffes to the beautiful Orphan, and is repulfed with all the contempt of a virtuous indignation. Mortimer then takes Mifs Aubery under his own protection, and speedily effects a reconciliation between her and his nephew, for whom he designs the principal part of his fortune. Lord Abberville's match with Mifs Bridgemore being entirely broken off, that Nobleman is reduced to great diftreffes for money, and is at laft obliged to borrow at a most exorbitant intereft from Naphthali, a Jew Broker, who fecretly gets the neceffary loans from Bridgemore. Colin Macloud, going upon fome business to Fish-street-hill, meets a gentleman of a very prepoffeffing appearance in the treet, and afks if he can tell him which is Mr. Bridgemore's? this gentleman is no other than the father of Miss Aubery, the chief caufe of Bridgemore's original rife in the world, and has juft returned from the Indies, after an abfence of 17 years. Mr. Aubery knows Bridgemore's honfe well, but is fearful of entering, left he should hear fome unfavourable account. of 24 Addrefs of a Mandrin of China: his daughter; whom he left an infant in the hands of his fuppofed friend; he therefore examines Macloud about the family, and is told nearly as much of the story as has been hitherto communicated in the prefent narrative, Upon this it is agreed by Aubery and Macloud, who have contracted an inftant esteem for each other, from a congeniality of virtue, that the Scot fhall go to Bridgemore, and acquaint him, that a Turkey merchant, who was prefent in the Indies when Mr. Aubery died, is at Mr. Mortimer's, and withes to fee him. Colin executes his commiffion, and Bridgemore, who is indebted immenfely to Aubery, overjoyed at the news, as he hopes by the death of his benefactor to avoid the payment of the debt, fets out for Mortimer's. Previous to his arrival, Aubery difcovers himfelf to his daughter, and confents to her marriage with Tyrrell; Bridgemore comes in, full of spirits, but his triumph is of a very fhort continuance; the man he believes dead, confronts him, and upbraiding him with his villainy, mentions fuch clear teftimonies of his guilt, that Bridgemore offers an implicit fubmiffion to any conditions. Mortimer then interposes in favour of Lord Abberville, whom he has fcandaloufly plundered likewife, that the confcientious merchant promifes reftitution there too, and retires to settle all matters with Mortimer's lawyer. The play now terminates with reconciliation between Tyrrell and Abberville; the latter promifing to renounce his vices entirely, and to make an ample provifion for the fidelity of Macloud. The piece was opened with a humorous Prologue, fpoken by Mr. Wefton, in the character of a Printer's' Devil. The Epilogue, which is rather ferious and fentimental, was spoken in character by Mrs. Barry. For the OXFORD MAGAZINE. WHEN the Chinese Empire was your great men live in a mutual good. over-run with pride, luxury, and corruption, a Mandrin, affected with the calamities of his country, took an opportunity, and addreffed the Emperor in the following man ner: "SIRE, "BEHOLD, what is the prefent fituation of your empire! Riches are in great request, virtue almoft in none; uprightnefs, modelty, temperance, are rare, efpccially at court: The most natural and common laws are overthrown: The greatest number of your minifters and officers, study only the grimace of complaifance, and how to enrich themfelves: By your indulgence, corruption has spread itself through every department of government. Such is the ftate of things, and fuch is the fource of thofe calamities that afflict your Empire; this is what you muft endeavour to remedy, otherwife all the amiable qualities you poffefs are ufelefs. "The court is commonly the pattern for the people's manners. When understanding, difputes and quarrels will very foon become rare among their inferiors; when juftice, temperance, modefty and humanity reign at court, order and unanimity will appear among the people; they will excite each other to follow fo fair examples. It was by thefe means our wifeft Princefs, without almoft ufing any feverity, made virtue flourish; for if vice reigns at court, it foon diffuses itself throughout the empire. "At present nothing is to be feen but luxury and expenfive follies; never were refinements upon fenfual pleafures carried to fuch an extravagance; delicacies for the palate are now fo much improved, that repafts serve no longer the end of nourishment, but of gluttony and debauchery; and mufic, whose original design was to calm the emotions of the heart, ferves now only to kindle the most shameful paffions: In short, one would think that there was an universal endeavour to eltablith vice and folly throughout the kingdom. Difimulation and fraud have |