LUCAN, LIB. I. v. 8.

Do not question but my country readers have been very much furprifed at the feveral accounts they have met with in our public papers, of that fpecies of men among us, lately known by the name of Mohocs. I find the opinions of the learned, as to their origin and defigns, are altogether various, infemuch that very many begin to doubt whether indeed there were ever any fuch fociety of men. The terror which fpread itself over the whole nation fome years fince on account of the Irish, is till fresh in most people's memories, though it afterwards appeared there was not the leaft ground for that general confternation.

The late panic fear was, in the opinion of many deep and penetrating perfons, of the fame nature. Thefe will hare it, that the Mohocs are like thofe fpectres and apparitions which frighten feveral towns and villages in her Majefty's dominions, though they were never feen by any of the inhabitants. Others are apt to think that thefe Mohocs are a kind of bull-beggars, firft invented by prudent married men, and mafters of families, in order to deter their wives and daughters from taking the air at unfeafonable hours; and that when they tell them the Mohocs will catch them, it is a caution of the fame nature with that of our forefathers, when they bid their children have a care of Raw-head and Bloody-bones.

For my own part, I am afraid there was too much reafon for the great alarm the whole city has been in upon this occafion; though at the fame time I muft own that I am in fome doubt whether the following pieces are genuine and authentic: the more fo, because I am not fully fatisfied that the name, by which the emperor fubfcribes himself, is altogether conformable to the Indian arthography.

I fhall only further inform my readers, that it was fome time fince I received the following letter and manifefto,though

ROWE.

THE

MANIFESTO

OF TAW WAW EBEN ZAN KALADAR, EMPEROR OF THE MOHOCS.

WHEREAS we have received in

formation from fundry quarters of this great and populous city, of feveral outrages committed on the legs, arms, nofes, and other parts of the good people of England, by fuch as have itiled themfelves our fubje&ts; in order to vindicate our imperial dignity from the falfe afperfions which have been calt on it, as if we ourfelves might have encouraged or abetted any fuch practices; we have, by thefe prefents, thought fit to fignify our utmost abhorrence and deteftation of all fuch tumultuous and irregular proceedings; and do hereby further give notice, that if any perfon or perfons has or have fuffered any wound, hurt, damage, or detriment in his or their limb cr limbs, otherwife than thall be hereafter specified, the faid perfon or perfons, upon applying themfelves to fuch as we hall appoint for the infpection and redress of the griet ances aforefaid, shall be forthwith committed to the care of our principal furgeon, and be cured at our own expence, in fome one or other of thofe hofpitals which we are now erecting for that purpose.

And

And to the end that no one may, either through ignorance or inadvertency, incur thofe penalties which we have thought fit to inflict on perfons of loofe and diffolute lives, we do hereby notify to the public, that if any man be knocked down or affaulted while he is employed in his lawful bufinefs, at proper hours, . that it is not done by our order; and we do hereby permit and allow any fuch perfon fo knocked down or affaulted, to rife again, and defend himself in the best manner that he is able.

We do alfo command all and every our good fubje&ts, that they do not p:cfume, upon any pretext whatfoever, to iffue and fally forth from their refpective quarters till between the hours of eleven and twelve. That they never tip the lion upon man, woman, or child, till the clock at St. Dunstan's fhall have Bruck one.

That the fweat be never given but between the hours of one and two; always provided, that our hunters may begin to hunt a little after the clofe of the evening, any thing to the contrary herein notwithstanding. Provided alfo, that if ever they are reduced to the neceflity of pinking, it fhall always be in the most fleshy parts, and fuch as are leaft cxpofed to view.

It is alfo our imperial will and pleafure, that our good fubjects the fweaters do eftablish their hummums in fuch clote places, alleys, nooks, and corners, that the patient or patients may not be in danger of catching cold.

That the tumblers, to whofe care we chiefly commit the female fex, confine themfelves to Drury Lane, and the purlieus of the Temple, and that every other party and divifion of our subjects, do each of them keep within their refpective quarters we have allotted to them. Provided nevertheless, that nothing herein contained shall in any wife be conftrued to extend to the hunters, who have our full licence and permiffion to enter into any part of the town wherever their game thall lead them.

And whereas we have nothing more at our imperial heart than the reformation of the cities of London and Wettmintter, which to our unfpeakable fatiffaction we have in fome measure already effected, we do hereby earnestly pray and exhort all hufbands, fathers, houfekeepers, and mafters of families, in either of the aforefaid cities, not only to repair themfelves to their refpective habitations at early and seasonable hours; but alfo to keep their wives and daugh ters, fons, fervants, and apprentices, from appearing in the ftreets at thofe times and feafons which may expose them to a military difcipline, as it is practifed by our good subjects the Mohocs: and we do further promife, on our imperial word, that as foon as the reformation aforefaid fhall be brought about, we will forthwith caufe all hof. tilities to ceafe.

Given from our Court at the DevilTavern, March 15, 1712.

MR. SPECTATOR,

X

however it is hardly poffible to come into company, where you do not find them pulling one another to pieces, and that from no other provocation but that of hearing any one commended. Merit, both as to wit and beauty, is become no other than the poffeffion of a few trifling people's favour, which you cannot poffibly arrive at, if you have really any thing in you that is deferving.

What they would bring to pafs, is, to make all good and evil consist in report, and with whifpers, calumnies,

and

and impertinencies, to have the conduct of thofe reports. By this means innocents are blafted upon their firft appearance in town; and there is nothing more required to make a young woman the object of envy and hatred, than to deferve love and admiration. This abominable endeavour to fupprefs or leffen every thing that is praife-worthy, is as frequent among the men as the women. If I can remember what paffed at a vifit last night, it will ferve as an inftance that the fexes are equally inclined to defamation; with equal malice, with equal impotence, Jack Triplett came into my Lady Airy's about eight of the clock. You know the manner we fit at a vifit, and I need not defcribe the circle; but Mr. Triplett came in, introduced by two tapers fupported by a fpruce fervant, whofe hair is under a cap till my lady's candles are all lighted up, and the hour of ceremony begins: I fay, Jack Triplett came in, and finging (for he is really good company) "Every feature, charming creature-he went on It is a moft unreasonable thing that people cannot go peaceably to fee their friends, but thofe murderers are let loofe. Such a fhape! fuch an air! what a glance was that ⚫ as her chariot passed by mine!' My Jady herself interrupted him; Pray who is this fine thing?—I warrant,' fays another, it is the creature I was 'telling your ladyship of just now.'You were telling of?" fays Jack; I with I had been fo happy as to have ' come in and heard you, for I have not 'words to fay what he is but if an agreeable height, a modeft air, a virgin fhame, and impatience of being 'beheld amidst a blaze of ten thousand 'charms The whole room flew out -Oh Mr. Triplett?' When Mrs. Lofty, a known prude, faid the believed the knew whom the gentleman meant; but he was indeed, as he civilly reprefented her, impatient of being beheld. Then turning to the lady next to her

The most unbred creature you ever 'faw. Another purfued the difcourfe -As unbred, Madam, as you may think her, he is extremely belied if 'fhe is the novice the appears; fhe was laft week at a ball till two in the morning; Mr. Triplett knows whe'ther he was the happy man that took 'care of her home; but- This was followed by fome particular exception that each woman in the room made to

fome peculiar grace or advantage; fo that Mr. Triplett was beaten from one limb and feature to another, till he was forced to refign the whole woman. In the end, I took notice Triplett recorded all his malice in his heart; and faw in his countenance, and a certain waggish fhrug, that he defigned to repeat the converfation: I therefore let the dif courfe die, and foon after took an occafion to recommend a certain gentleman of my acquaintance for a perfon of fingular modefty, courage, integrity, and withal as a man of an entertaining converfation, to which advantages he had a fhape and manner peculiarly graceful. Mr. Triplett, who is a woman's man, feemed to hear me with patience enough commend the qualities of his mind: he never heard indeed but that he was a very honeft man and no fool; but for a fine gentleman, he must ask pardon. Upon no other foundation than this, Mr. Triplett took occafion to give the gentleman's pedigree, by what methods fome part of the eftate was acquired, how much it was beholden to a marriage for the prefent circumstances of it: after all he could fee nothing but a common man in his perfon, his breeding or understanding.

Thus, Mr. Spectator, this impertinent humour of diminishing every one who is produced in converfation to their advantage, runs through the world; and I am, I confefs, fo fearful of the force of ill tongues, that I have begged of all thofe who are my well-wishers, never to commend me, for it will but bring my frailties into examination, and I had rather be unobferved, than confpicuous for difputed perfections. I am confident a thousand young people, who would have been ornaments to fociety, have, from fear of fcandal, never dared to exert themselves in the polite arts of life. Their lives have paffed away in an odious rufticity, in fpite of great advantages of perfon, genius, and fortune. There is a vicious terror of being blamed in fome well-inclined people, and a wicked pleafure in fuppreffing them in others; both which I recommend to your fpectatorial wisdom to animadvert upon; and if you can be fuccessful in it, I need not fay how much you will deferve of the town; but new toatts will owe to you their beauty, and new wits their fame. I am, Sir, your molt obedient humble fervant,

T

MARY.

which had been fo confpicuous in his life, did not forfake him to the laft: he maintained the fame chearfulness of heart upon the fcaffold, which he ufed to fhew at his table; and upon laying his head on the block, gave inftances of that good humour with which he had always entertained his friends in the molt ordinary occurrences. His death was of a piece with his life. There was nothing in it new, forced, or affected. He did not look upon the fevering his head from his body as a circumstance that ought to produce any change in the difpofition of his mind; and as he died under a fixed and settled hope of immortality, he thought any unusual degree of forrow and concern improper, on fuch an occafion as had nothing in it which could deject or terrify him.

There is no great danger of imitation from this example. Men's natural fears will be a fufficient guard against it. I fhall only obferve, that what was philofophy in this extraordinary man, would be frenzy in one who does not refemble him as well in the chearfulness of his temper, as in the fanctity of his life and manners.

I fhall conclude this paper with the inftance of a perfon who feems to me to have shewn niore intrepidity and greatnefs of foul in his dying moments, than what we meet with among any of the moft celebrated Greeks and Romans. I met with this inftance in the History of the Revolutions in Portugal, written by the Abbot de Vertot.

When Don Sebastian, King of Portugal, had invaded the territories of

He was

Muli Moluc, Emperor of Morocco, in order to dethrone him, and fet his crown upon the head of his nephew, Moluc was wearing away with a distemper which he himself knew was incurable. However, he prepared for the reception of fo formidable an enemy. indeed fo far fpent with his fickness, that he did not expect to live out the whole day, when the last decifive battle was given; but knowing the fatal confequences that would happen to his children and people, in cafe he fhould die before he put an end to that war, he commanded his principal officers, that if he died during the engagement, they fhould conceal his death from the army, and that they should ride up to the litter in which his corpfe was carried, under pretence of receiving orders from him as ufual. Before the battle begun, he was carried through all the ranks of his army in an open litter, as they stood drawn up in array, encouraging them to fight valiantly in defence of their religion and country. Finding afterwards the battle to go against him, though he was very near his laft agonies, he threw himfelf out of his litter, rallied his army, and led them on to the charge; which afterwards ended in a compleat victory on the fide of the Mcors. He had no fooner brought his men to the engagement, but finding himself utterly fpent, he was again replaced in his litter, where laying his finger on his mouth, to enjoin fecrecy to his officers, who ftood about him, he died a few moments after in that polture.

Ꮮ

APTAIN Sentry was last night

from Ipfwich, which his correfpondent defired him to communicate to his friend the Spectator. It contained an account of an engagement between a French privateer commanded by one Dominick Pottiere, and a little veffel of that place laden with corn, the matter whereof, as

I remember, was one Goodwin. The

credible bravery, and beat off the French, after having been boarded three or four. times. The enemy fill came on with greater fury, and hoped by his number of men to carry the prize, till at laft the Englishman finding himself link apace, and ready to perish, ftruck: Lut the cf4 U 2

fect