The upon the bench, who never enquired what the plaintiff or defendant was, but what was his cause. pulpits were rescued from nonsense and blasphemy. St. Augustine, being asked what he would wish to have seen of all that had been beheld by mortal man, replied, 'Christ in the flesh, Paul in the pulpit, and Rome in its glory.' Next to this wish, which is not to be equalled in any proportion, I would desire to see the Restoration. Upon it there was a universal change from all that was wicked and detestable to all that was good and desirable. But I may be asked, Is this a time for joy when we labour under such irretrievable calamities? Shall we return thanks for a deliverance from rogues with swords in their hands, when we are ruined by footmen, pimps, parasites, bawds, harlots, nay what is more vexatious, old ugly harlots! such as could not find entertainment in the most hospitable hundreds of old Drury? The paper was voted "a false, malicious, scandalous, infamous and traitorous libel," and an humble address was presented to the King assuring him “that this House will stand by and support his Majesty and his Royal Family against all traitorous and seditious attempts that shall be made against his sacred person and government." Mist was sent to Newgate "to be kept in close custody." He was not to be admitted the use of pen, ink, or paper. There, no doubt, he was detained till August 10th, when the House rose. Imprisonment in those days was a dreadful punishment, unless for people who had money enough to pay for food and lodging. In one London gaol "a day seldom passed without a death; and upon the advancing of the spring, not less than eight or ten usually died every twenty-four hours." These facts are stated in the Report of a Committee of the House of Commons, which in 1729 examined the state of the gaols. No great improvement was made. In 1732 the Court of Common Council resolved that the place of Keeper of Newgate ought not to be sold. At the same meeting they voted "that the sum of £1000 should be given to the present Lord Mayor and Sheriffs as a proper satisfaction in lieu of the perquisites arising on the sale of the place." Eighteen years later more than twenty persons, who had attended the Sessions at the Old Bailey, died of fever. A list of them is given in the Gentleman's Magazine for May, 1750. In 1761 Wesley wrote: "Of all the seats of woe on this side hell few, I suppose, exceed, or even equal, Newgate." Mist, undaunted, still published his paper, under the transparent disguise of Fog's Journal. The white roses, of which Swift had heard nothing, were worn by the Jacobites, on June 10th, the day on which he was writing. It was the birthday of the Pretender. Addison, writing in The Freeholder, on June 22, 1716, says: "We have taken notice in former papers of this political ferment being got into the female sex, and of the wild work it makes among them. We have had a late most remarkable instance of it in a contest between a sister of the white rose, and a beautiful and loyal young lady, who, to show her zeal for Revolution principles, had adorned her pretty bosom with a sweet william." Swift mentions "the white rosalists, tenth-a-junians and the like." Churchill, in his Prophecy of Famine, describes how in the Highlands "Far as the eye could reach no tree was seen, No flowers embalm'd the air but one white rose, Hearne records how on June 10, 1713, "they had a terrible rackett with the Jacobite party at Edinburgh. The streets were crowded with all sorts of people, huzzaing and hollowing, 'God save the King, and down with Hanover and the whiggs!' -playing and singing the old tune "The King shall enjoy his owne again.' On June 11, 1726, the Primate Boulter wrote from Dublin: "Yesterday in the evening a very numerous rabble assembled in St. Stephen's Green, as they usually have done on the 10th of June." The soldiers were sent for, and firing with ball wounded three or four. "I do not find," the Primate continues, "that there was much more in it than the popish rabble coming down to fight the Whigg mob, as they used to do on that day." XXI. [Indorsed, "a humorous pleast [pleasant] letter."] GALSTOWN. Septr 14th 1721. SR, I have been here these three months, and I either answered y' former Letter, or else it required no answer. I left the Town on a sudden, and came here in a Stage Coach meerly for want of Horses. I intend a short Journey to Athlone, and some Parts about it, and then to return to Dublin by the end of this Month, when the weather will please to grow tolerable; but it hath been so bad for these ten weeks past that I have been hindred from severall Rambles I intended. Yours of the 5 instant was sent here last Post; It was easy for you to conceive I was gone out of Town considering my state of Health, and it is not my Talent to be unkind or forgetfull, although it be my Misfortune as the World runs, to be very little Serviceable; I was in hopes that y' Affair by this time had come to some Issue, or at least, that you who are a warm Gentleman, like others of your Temper, might have cooled by Degrees. For my own Part, I have learned to bear Every thing, and not to Sayl with the Wind in my Teeth. I think the Folke in Power, if they had any Justice, might at least give you some honorary Satisfaction: But I am a Stranger to their Justice and all their good Qualityes, having onely received Marks of their ill ones I had promised and intended a Visit to Will Pool, and from thence would have called at Woodbrook. But there was not a single Intervall of Weather for such an Expedition. I hope you have good Success with your Drains and other Improvements, and I think you will do well to imitate our Landlord here, who talks much of Building, but is as slow as possible in the Execution. M' Jervas is gone to Engld, but when I go to Town I shall Enquire how to write to him, and do what you desire; I know not a more vexatious Dispute than that about Meres and Bounds, nor more vexatitious [sic] Disputants than those Righteous I suppose upon the Strength of the Text, that the Righteous shall inherit the Land. My humble Service to Your Lady. I am your most humble &c., J. S. |