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Conveyance with Sir John Blunt to fecrete fifty thousand Pounds of that Director's Eftate, forfeited to the South Sea Company by Act of Parliament. The Company recover'd the fifty thousand Pounds against Ward, but he fet up prior Conveyances of his real Estate to his Brother and Son, and conceal'd all his perfonal, which was computed to be one hundred and fifty thousand Pounds: These Conveyances being fet afide by a Bill in Chancery, Ward was imprifon'd, and hazarded the Forfeiture of his Life by not giving in his Effects till the last Day, which was that of his Examination. During his Confinement, his Amusement was to give Poison to Dogs and Cats, and fee them expire by flower or quicker Torments. To fum up the Worth of this Gentleman, at the feveral Æra's of his Life; at his standing in the Pillory he was worth above two hundred thousand Pounds; at his Commitment to Prison, he was worth one hundred and fifty thousand, but has been fince fo far diminifh'd in his Reputation, as to be thought a worse Man by fifty or fixty thhufand.

FR. CHARTRES, a Man infamous for all manner of Vices. When he was an Enfign in the Army, he was drumm'd out of the Regiment for a Cheat; he was next banifh'd Bruffels, and drumm'd out of Ghent on the fame Account. After a hundred Tricks at the Gaming Tables, he took to lending Money at exorbitant Intereft, and on great Penalties, accumulating Premium, Intereft, and Capital, into a new Capital, and feizing to a Minute when the Payments became due; in a Word, by a conftant Attention to the Vices, Wants, and Follies of Mankind, he acquir'd an immenfe Fortune. His Houfe was a perpetual Bawdy-Houfe. He was twice condemn'd for Rapes, and pardon'd, but the laft Time not without Imprisonment in Newgate, and large Confifca

tions. He died in Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The Populace at his Funeral rais'd a great Riot, almost tore the Body out of the Coffin, and caft dead Dogs, &c. into the Grave along with it. The following Epitaph contains his Character very justly drawn by Dr. Arbuthnot.

HERE continueth to rot

The Body of FRANCIS CHARTRES,
Who with an Inflexible Conftancy, and
Inimitable Uniformity of Life,
Perfifted,

In fpite of Age and Infirmities,
In the Practice of Every Humane Vice;
Excepting Prodigality and Hypocrify:

His infatiable Avarice exempted him from the firft,
His matchless Impudence from the second.

Nor was he more fingular in the un-deviating Pravity
Of his Manners, than fuccessful in
Accumulating Wealth,

For, without Trade or Profeffion,
Without Trust of Publick Money,
And without Bribe-worthy Service,
He acquir'd, or more properly created,
A Minifterial Estate.

He was the only Perfon of his Time, Who cou'd Cheat without the Mask of Honefly, Retain his Primæval Meannefs when poffefs'd of Ten Thoufand a Year,

And having daily deferv'd the Gibbet for what he did, Was at last condemn'd to it for what he could notdo.

Oh Indignant Reader!

Think not his Life Ufelefs to Mankind !
Providence conniv'd at his execrable Defigns,
To give to After-Ages a conspicuous

Proof

Proof and Example,

Of how fmall Eftimation is Exorbitant Wealth in the Sight of GOD, by his bestowing it on The moft Unworthy of all Mortals.

This Gentleman was worth feven thousand Pounds a Year in Land, and about one hundred thousand in Money.

Mr. WATERS, the third of these Worthies, was a Man no Way resembling the former in his military, but extremely fo in his civil Capacity; his great Fortune having been rais'd by the like diligent Attendance on the Neceffities of others. But this Gentleman's Hiftory muft be deferred for a Time, when his Worth may be known more certainly.

Our Author thinks many Iconveniencies have arofe from the Invention of Money, which could not have poffibly been, if there was no Conveyance of Property in fuch small Compass; tho' this we think no Argument, as long as it can be transferr❜d by Acknowledgements, and fmall Pieces of Paper, which he fenfible of, immediately confeffes :

His Grace will game: To White's a Bull be led,
With spurning Heels, and with a butting Head;
To White's be carry'd, as to antient Games,
Fair Courfers, Vafes, and alluring Dames.
Shall then Uxorio, if the Stakes he fweep,
Bear home fix Whores, and make his Lady weep?
Or foft Adonis, fo perfum'd and fine,
Drive to St. James's a whole Herd of Swine?
Oh filthy Check on all induftrious Skill,
To spoil the Nation's laft great Trade, Quadrille!

Once,

Once, we confefs, beneath the Patriot's Cloak, From the crack'd Bag the dropping Guinea fpoke, And jingling down the Back-stairs, told the Crew, "Old Cato is as great a Rogue as you." Bleft Paper-credit! that advanc'd fo high, Now lends Corruption lighter Wings to fly! Gold, imp'd with this, can compass hardest Things, Can pocket States, or fetch or carry Kings; A fingle Leaf can waft an Army o'er, Or fhip off Senates to fome diftant Shore; A Leaf like Sybil's scatters to and fro Our Fates and Fortunes as the Wind fhall blow; Pregnant with Thoufands Aits the Scrap unseen, And filent fells a King, or buys a Queen.

Mr. Pope knew well how to enjoy the Fortune he was bleft with, the foberer Pleasures were those he only dar'd aim at, his Conftitution did not permit him to run into Exceffes, nor his Inclination lead him to it; he thought himself rich, nay, he thought there was no Poverty where there was Health, Peace, and Competence; he had a charitable Tenderness for the Diftrefs of Poverry, and reproaches in this Poem all hard Hearts, and those who fix an Odium on it:

Bond damns the Poor, and hates them from his The grave Sir Gilbert holds it for a Rule, [Heart: That " every Man in Want is Knave or Fool:

God

*This is a true Story which happened in the Reign of King William III. to an unfufpected old Patriot, who coming out at the Back-Door from having been closeted by the King, where he had receiv'd a large Bag of Guineas, the bursting of the Bag difcover'd his Business there.

"God cannot love (fays Blunt, with lifted Eyes)
"The Wretch he ftarves" and pioufly denies :
But Rev'rend S**n with a fofter Air,
Admits, and leaves them Providence's Care.

In the Year 1730, a Corporation was establish'd to lend Money to the Poor upon Pledges, by the Name of the Charitable Corporation. It was under the Direction of the Right Honourable Sir R. S. Sir Arch. Grant, Mr. Dennis Bond, Mr. Burroughs, &c. But the Whole was turn'd only to an iniquitous Method of enriching particular People, to the Ruin of fuch Numbers, that it became a parliamentary Concern to endeavour the Relief of those unhappy Sufferers, and three of the Managers, who were Members of the House, were expell'd. That "God bates the Poor, and That every Man in Want is Knave or Fool, &c. were the general Apothegms of fome of the Perfons here mention'd.

Such Perfons as thefe are perfectly deteftable, and who is there that would not prefer the most extreme Poverty, before Riches, and fuch a contemptible and indigent Mind? How many great Philofophers, how many admirable Painters, Poets, and Wits, have been poor? How many reputed Saints, and holy Men and Women? How many have embrac'd a voluntary Poverty rather than fell their Innocence and Honefty to Courts or Colleges? And it is recommended in Holy Writ as a great Bleffing, and the Means of arriving at Heaven, which is faid to be extremely difficult for the Rich, and eafier for a Camel to pass through the Eye of a Needle. Is it not ftrange, that in a Country profeffing Christianity and Reformation, there should be any fuch unpurg'd and fordid Spirits!

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