ing difcoveries, and fpreading the names of thofe gentlemen round the audience.

I shall not pretend to vindicate a clergyman, who would appear openly in his habit at a theatre with fuch a vicious crew as might probably ftand round him, at fuch comedies and profane tragedies as are often represented. Befides, I know very well, that perfons of their function are bound to avoid the appearance of evil, or of giving caufe of offence. But when the lords chancellors, who are keepers of the king's confcience; when the judges of the land, whofe title is reverend; when ladies, who are bound by the rules of their fex to the stricteft decency, appear in the the atre without cenfure; I cannot understand, why a young clergy-man, who comes concealed, out of curiofity to fee an innocent and moral play, should be fo highly condemned nor do I much approve the rigour of a great prelate, who faid, He hoped none of his clergy were there. I am glad to hear there are no weightier objections against that reverend body planted in this city, and I wish there never may. But I fhould be very forry that any of them fhould be fo weak, as to imitate a court-chaplain in ENGLAND, who preached against the Beggar's Opera, which will probably do more good, than a thousand fermons of fo ftupid, fo injudicious, and so prostitute a divine.

In this happy performance of Mr. GAY'S, all the characters are juft, and none of them carried beyond nature, or hardly beyond

practice,

practice. It discovers the whole fyftem of that common-wealth, or that imperium in imperio of iniquity, established among us, by which neither our lives nor our properties are fecure, either in the high-ways, or in publick affemblies, or even in our own houfes. It fhews the miferable lives and the conftant fate of thofe abandoned wretches: for how little they fell their lives and fouls; betrayed by their whores, their comrades, and the receivers and purchasers of those thefts and robberies. This comedy contains likewife a fatire, which, without enquiring whether it affects the prefent age, may possibly be useful in times to come. I mean, where the author takes the occafion of comparing those common robbers of the publick, and their several stratagems of betraying, undermining, and hanging each other, to the feveral arts of politicians in times of corruptions

This comedy likewife expofeth, with great justice, that unnatural tafte for Italian mufick among us, which is wholly unfuitable to our northern climate and the genius of the people, whereby we are over run with Italian effeminacy, and Italian nonfenfe. An old gentleman faid to me, that, many years ago, when the practice of an unnatural vice grew frequent in London, and many were profecuted for it, he was fure it would be the forerunner of Italian opera's and fingers; and then we should want nothing but stabbing, or poisoning, to make us perfect Italians.

Upon

Upon the whole, I deliver my judgment, that nothing but fervile attachment to a party, affectation of fingularity, lamentable dullnefs, mistaken zeal, or ftudied hypocrify, can have the leaft reasonable objection against this excellent moral performance of the celebrated Mr. GAY.

NUMBER XIX.

Having, on the 12th of October laft, received a letter, figned Andrew Dealer and Patrick Pennylefs, I believe the following PAPER, just come to my hands, will be a fufficient anfwer to it.

Sic vos non vobis vellera fertis, oves. N. B. In the following difcourfe the author perfonates a country gentleman in the north of Ireland. And this letter is fuppofed as directed to the Drapier.

SIR,

IAM

AM a country gentleman, and a member of parliament, with an eftate of about 1400l. a year; which, as a northern landlord, I receive from above two hundred tenants: and, my lands having been let near twenty years ago, the rents, until very lately, were efteemed to be not above half value; yet, by the intolerable fcarcity of filver, I lie under the greateft difficulties in receiving them, as well as in paying my labourers, or buying

any

any thing neceffary for my family from tradefmen, who are not able to be long out of their money. But the sufferings of me, and those of my rank, are trifles in comparison of what the meaner fort undergo; fuch as the buyers and fellers at fairs and markets; the hopkeepers in every town; the farmers in general; all those who travel with fifb, poultry, pedlary-ware, and other conveniencies to fell: but more efpecially handicrafts-men, who work for us by the day; and common labourers, whom I have already mentioned. Both these kind of people I am forced to employ until their wages amount to a double piftole, or a moidore (for we hardly have any gold of lower value left us) to divide it among themselves as they can: and this is generally done at an ale-boufe, or brandy-fhop; where, befides the cost of getting drunk (which is ufually the cafe), they must pay ten-pence, or a fbilling, for changing their piece into filver to fome bucktering fellow, who follows that trade. But, what is infinitely worse, those poor men, for want of due payment, are forced to take up their oatmeal and other neceffaries of life at almost double value; and, confequently, are not able to difcharge half their fcore, especially under the scarceness of corn for two years paft, and melancholy dif appointment of the prefent crop.

The caufes of this, and a thousand other evils, are clear and manifeft to you and all thinking men, although hidden from the vulgar; thefe indeed complain of hard times,

the

the dearth of corn, the want of money, the badness of feafons; that their goods bear no price, and the poor cannot find work; but their weak reasonings never carry them to the hatred and contempt borne us by our neighbours and brethren without the leaft grounds of provocation, who rejoice at our fufferings, although fometimes to their own disadvantage. They confider not the dead weight upon every beneficial branch of our trade; that half our revenues are annually fent to England; with many other grievances peculiar to this unhappy kingdom; which keeps us from enjoying the common benefits of mankind; as you and fome other lovers of their country have fo often obferved with fuch good inclinations, and fo little effect.

It is true indeed, that, under our circumftances in general, this complaint for the want of filver may appear as ridiculous, as for a man to be impatient about a cut finger, when he is ftruck with the plague and yet a poor fellow going to the gallows may be allowed to feel the fmart of wasps, while he is upon Tyburn-Road. This misfortune is fo urging and vexatious in every kind of fmall traffick, and fo hourly preffing upon all perfons in the country whatsoever, that a hundred inconveniencies of perhaps greater moment in themfelves have been tamely fubmitted to with far lefs difquietude and murmurs. And the cafe feems yet the harder, if it be true, what many fkilful men affert, that nothing is more eafy than a remedy; and, that the want of filver,