miftrefs's left-off cloaths, and ridiculously affecting the airs of a woman of quality? Thus the mind is puffed up by vanity; ⚫ that diftinction and refpectful distance which should always subfift, is weakened if not deftroyed; and the giddy girl becomes much fitter to be the mistress of a man of quality, than a wife in her own station. This might be easily remedied, if perfons ⚫ of fashion, at the same time that they give their cloaths to their servants, would interdict their wearing them. As the cafe ftands at present, the fervant who applies for a place, refembles rather a vifiter to the perfon fhe applies to, than one folliciting em⚫ployment. Their finery induces them to infift upon high wages, ⚫to the great injury of all ranks of people who stand in need of ⚫ their fervice; and instead of being of advantage to them, it in⚫volves them in difficulties from which they are unable to extricate themselves; for the whole of their wages being generally spent in cloaths, if by accident they are thrown out of place, what recourfe have they for fupport, but first to pawn or sell their cloaths, and then to prostitute their persons ? • The dread of the confequences to which the diffolute lives of • prostitutes unavoidably fubject them, namely, univerfal contempt, difeafe and want, may, indeed, have its influence over ⚫ the minds of many, whofe inclinations lead them to give a loose to their passions, or whose proneness to idleness tempts them to ⚫ prefer a life of eafe and debauchery, to that of industry and virtue. But, remove the dread of perishing in the streets by disease and want, and point out to them a certain afylum at all events, * not attended with the certain punishment of confinement, labour or correction; and will not the loofely-inclined be induced to lift themselves in the troops of prostitutes, under this reflection, that let what will happen, there is a certain retreat for them: • and thus the hospital, inftead of redreffing the evil, will actually • increase it.' He raises feveral material objections to the plans which have been already offered to the public, as remedies for thefe evils. In the course of his enquiry, he takes notice that the first step towards a reformation would be a fuppreflion of bawdy-houses, which are now openly kept in different parts of the town, and in parti*cular about Covent-Garden: nay, we are even given to under'ftand, that there are many infamous houfes of this fort in Bowftreet, under the very nofe of that virtuous and vigilant magistrate Mr. Juftice Fielding! - With. refpect to afylums and reformatories, we apprehend they would be found altogether an unneceffary expence upon the public, provided a proper police was established in this great metropolis; provided the workhouses of every parish were properly fuperintended, and the laws against vagrants strictly executed: provided proper checks were put upon overfeers, and parish-officers fub fubjected to fevere punishment, for neglect of duty, or relaxation of difcipline. Art. 14. Letters wrote to the King of Pruffia, by a Man of Quality, now upon his travels through England. Published at the request made to the author by feveral perfons of diftinction here. 8vo. Price 1s. 6d. Hooper and Morley. This author fhould be a foreigner by his falfe English, a man of fashion by his fantastic familiarity, a German by his phlegm, and an Hanoverian by his politics. As we are always laudably jealous of the rights and privileges peculiar to an Englishman, we cannot help looking with indignation upon this performance, as a dange-rous attempt to intrude upon us, and that even in our own bottoms, cargoes of dulnefs and impertinence, which may interfere with our own manufactures. We would have this Teutonian interloper to know, that none but the fubjects of Great Britain have a right to write nonfenfe in the language of the country. This gentleman, in his curious dedication to the Earl of Holdernefs, tells us, that his lordship and all the Matadors then prefent, infifted upon his publishing; and how could he pretend to pru dence - We do not fee, indeed, that he had any sort of reason for making fuch pretence.-In the compofition of his dedication he fays, he began to transcribe from different addreffes of the fame nature, here and there several pitiful ftories, with intention to patch them together, and make them his own; and had already copied a great many epithets, which he intended to load upon both his lordship's two fhoulders, &c. but, he confidered that in so doing, he should have passed for a fcribbler in good earneft.-He might likewife have confidered the great rifque he ran of paffling for fuch, whether he did fo or no ;but we really think, as the dedication stands, he has loaded full as much upon both his lordship's two shoulders, as both the said two houlders can conveniently bear. In the first letter he gives us to understand, that his Pruffian majefty commanded him to give him an exact account of England; a kingdom, in whose description the most brilliant wits of Europe have miscarried. Here, we think his Pruffian majefty has laid the load too heavy on both our author's two Shoulders: for, if even an afs may be overburthened, how much more may a man of quality be loaded above his strength. He goes on, however, endeavouring to demonstrate that England cannot be faved without a powerful standing army; without taking the lead in continental quarrels ; and hiring German troops to fight our battles. We cannot tell which chiefly to admire, the prefumption or impertinence of this performance. A. A BASSIANS, their origin 177 Abubecre, Mahomet's father-in- Alexander, fome account of his mance Bagdat, city, the choice of its fome very remarkable the defign of this piece 167 battle of 394. Reflections 292 D. account and character of 428 8, 160 Iconological, of images, 320 count of Chiron, or the mental optician, 522 Doubts occafioned by the fecond 400 Douglass's treatife on the hydro- E. 308 267 252 75 F. Fair fex, an encomium on 6z 162 Farriery, the art of, by Mr. 377 for 353 |