prive us of Them again. At the fame Time, I have the Pleasure to obferve that the People, in general, have not lately discover'd any Inclination to be made SLAVES; but feem defirous to preferve a due Ballance between the Power of the CROWN and the Protection of the LAWS.

I should likewise be glad to fee the Word SCREEN fcratch'd out of our English Vocabulary; it being a Term, which has been fo much hackney'd about for feveral Years paft, and proftituted in the Cause of every paltry Fellow, who happen'd to ftand in Need of it, that it is grown quite infamous in our Language. Indeed, the great Engroffer of it hath lately endeavour'd to patch it up for his own Ufe; but it is fo far worn in the Service of Others, that it will be very difficult, if not impoffible, to make it anfwer his Purpose. It may, perhaps, ferve a prefent Turn or two; but cannot, I think, prove any lafting Security to Him.

There is one pretty Monofyllable, which I am fure will always keep its Ground; and as long as our Language lafts, We fhall never be at a Lofs to understand what is meant by a TAX. It must be confefs'd, indeed, that this Word is become neceffary in all Countries; and, when moderately used, may be of great Advantage to Them; but when it is made common, upon all Occafions, it not only grows naufeous, but grievous and infupportable; especially if it exceeds all Bounds, and endeavours to fwell itself into an EXCISE.

For the fame Reafon, I fhall never attempt to fupprefs thofe fashionable Monofyllables, WAYS and MEANS; which are become almoft conftitutional, and as it were Mufick to an Englijb Ear. They are, indeed, the Favourites of the Favourites; and therefore all Endeavours to retrench Them would not only be highly prefumptuous and unpolite, but even imprac-. ticable and ridiculous.

Since I have enter'd upon this Subject, I fhall no Doubt have many Panegyricks fent Me upon the VOL. XI.

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Virtues,

Virtues, the Beauties, and Rhetorick of GOLD; or what We call a good round Sum; and the most eminent, minifterial Writers will give us undeniable Affurances that They fhall be always ready, with the greatest Pleasure, to handle fo weighty an Argument. Some of Them may, perhaps, be fo modeft as to infift only on a PLACE; though They never defign to officiate in it, but to convert it at fecond Hand into the fame Metal, which their Love of Liberty would not fuffer Them to accept in Specie at first.

It will be expected, perhaps, that I fhould intirely difcard thofe ill-founding Words, STOCKS and JOBS and DEBTS; but I am afraid they will prove too hard for Me, and the honest Part of the Nation befides. On the other Hand, ftrong will be the Interceffion made by all Minifters, prefent and future, for preferving and encouraging TRADE. The French, perhaps, may infift on our giving up our Right to the FLAG; and the Spaniards, I fuppofe, will have Pride and Cruelty enough to tell us that We fhall lofe our EARS; but I must beg Leave to think the Pretenfions of these Gentlemen a little unreasonable, and fhall always take the Liberty to oppofe Them, whatever Encouragement They may receive from fome other Perfons.

Numberless Inftances of material (and I can tell you, Sir) Sturdy Monojyllables croud to come under my Pen; but I am obliged to put off the farther Confideration of them till the 12th of June. In the mean Time, I shall just hint to You, that my chief Difficulty will lye in reducing proper Names to my fix'd Standard. In order to This, I must have Recourse to Abbreviations, and make Ufe of what They call NickNames; not out of any Difrespect, I affure You, or by Wy of Reproach, and I hope it won't be look'd up

in this Light; for I dare fay if the great Elizaboth were to revive, She would rejoice to hear her hoTuple of England forever endearing to ThemA Memory of good Queen BESS. I fhall take

the

the fame Liberty with one Gentleman, who hath fince thone out the Glory of this Nation, and muft humbly endeavour to reduce Him within proper Bounds, as much as He seems inclined to know none; for which Reafon He must not take it ill, if I now and then give Him a Boв, fince the Nation hath already borne fo many from Him.

But I beg Pardon, Mr. D'Anvers, for detaining you fo long from more important Confiderations, and am afraid you will think I grow prolix, whilst 1 am recommending a Scheme of Brevity. I fhall therefore conclude in my own Style, by affuring you that I am, in one Word, YOURS.

R. A.

To CALEB D'ANVERS, Efq;

Mr. D'AN VERS,

SI was ftrolling about Town, fome Days ago, I

dropt into a little Coffee-house, where I found an old Book of London Journals lying upon the Table. Whilft the Woman of the Houfe was making me a Pot of fresh Coffee, I amufed myself with turning over thofe Papers, which were once the Favourites of the Town, and happen'd to caft my Eyes on the following Article of Home-News, (in the Journal of Saturday April 15, 1721) which is fo very remarkable, that I think it deferves a fecond Publication at this Time. I have therefore fent it to you verbatim, as it runs in the following Words.

"'Tis with no little Pleasure and Satisfaction that "the Lovers of Liberty fee a deferving Patriot worthily "restored to his Majefty's Favour, and, like Gideon's "Fleece, fucking up the Dew of Heaven, whilst all "about it lye bare and dry. All good Men rejoice to "fee the following Employments fo well fill'd; and "efteem this prudent Step of the Administration to be a fufficient Earneft of an hearty Disposition to give

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the

"the People all poffible Satisfaction, as well as to make "a virtuous and able Minifter fome Amends for his "Loffes and Sufferings.

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"Firft Lord of the Treasury, Mr. Walpole. Chancel "lor of the Exchequer, Mr. Walpole. Clerk of the "Pells, Mr. Walpole's Son. Customs of London, fecond "Son of Mr. Walpole, in Reverfion. Secretary of the Treafury, Mr. Walpole's Brother. Poftmafter-general, "Mr. Walpole's Brother. Secretary to Ireland, Mr. "Walpole's Brother. Secretary to the Poftmafter-general, "Mr. Walpole's Brother-in-Law. -All other Friends "are justly restored to the Employments They had left.

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Tante molis erat W condere Gentem!

"Obferve, O Britons, the Price and Reward of the "virtuous, conftant and steady Conduct of an illuftrious Patriot, who was never guilty of Rapine, Bribery, Corruption, when in Power; nor of Faction, "when out of it; who never attempted to foment "any Difference in the Family of his royal Mafter; "who always appear'd for his Country, when in Em

ployment; and equally endeavour'd to ferve his "Prince, when a private Man; who always carried "the fame Face through profperous and adverfe For

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tune, and never deviated from the fteady and uni"form Principles of Liberty, in Regard to Church or "State; who had no Share in contriving, affifting, "or conniving at the late grand Imposture, or any of "its fubordinate Bubbles; nor hath made Advantage "of them fince; and, in Fine, who hath done every "Thing in his Power, which can reasonably be ex"pected from one in his Station, towards repairing "Our Misfortunes, and punishing the Authors of them. -Rejoice, O rejoice, my Countrymen, The God"defs Aftræa will take one Journey more to vifit the "Earth.

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I need not trouble You, or the Reader, with any Comment on this notable Prediction, which hath fince

been

been fo exactly fulfill'd. Befides, that Office properly belongs to the ministerial Writers, and I would by no Means incroach upon their Province. I fhall therefore leave it to the Confideration of thofe ingenious Gentlemen, and fubfcribe Myfelf, without any farther Ceremony.

A.

SIR, Yours,

JACK RAMBLE.

N° 358. SATURDAY, May 12, 1733.

Was in Hopes that the Projector of Excifes would have pocketted up his late Difgrace, and endeavour'd to foften the juft Refentments of an injured People, by inftructing his Advocates to fhew fome publick Marks of Contrition and Humiliation. In that Cafe, I should have been content with congratulating my Countrymen on their Deliverance, and have pais'd on to fome other Topicks, that deferve Confideration. But, it feems, He has an After-game to play; and, being a little recover'd from that Confufion and Horror, into which He rafhly plunged himself, infolently perfifts in the Uprightness of his Scheme, and gives us to understand that it is only laid afide for the prefent, in Compliance with the unreafonable Prejudices of a felf-interefted, or mifguided Multitude. Nay, He hath gone farther, and manifested his Defign, by taking a mean Advantage of venting his Spleen againft Thofe, who had the Virtue to oppofe his deftructive Measures. He may, perhaps, think This a politick Step, in order to convince the World that He hath not loft Ground, and to deter Others from prefuming to controul his Will and Pleafure, in

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