No CLXXXI. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1756. T has been remarked by certain wife dif-esteem. I had long accustomed my Iphilofophers, that men are strangely felf to look un Gaming as a vice, and as "apt to err in their notions of good and evil, virtue and vice. They tell us, that we have no adequate idea of those words, but are continually mistaking and confounding them; calling good evil, and evil good; virtue vice, and vice virtue. One of thefe philofophers has very lately discovered, that the contentions, misfortunes, and miferies, of mankind, are wholly owing to government and laws; and that a state of anarchy and confu fion, where the weak are at the mercy of the ftrong, and the fimple of the cunning, is the only ftate of concord, fecurity, and happiness. Another of these philofophers, who feems rather inclined to new-model governments, than totally to fubvert them, has proved, to the fatisfaction of multitudes, that fraud, luxury, corruption, and all the catalogue of vices, (as men are mistakenly pleased to call them) are the only means to make a community great, flourishing, and happy; and, on the contrary, that frugality, temperance, continence, and the like, which are vulgarly termed virtues, tend finally to it's deftruction. For my own part, I was not philofopher enough in my youth to investigate thefe deep truths; and now I am old, I find myself fo bigotted to former opinions, as not easily to perceive that rapes, murders, and adulteries, are beneficial to fociety; or that a ftate of nature is better calculated for the prefervation of property, or the eafe, peace, and happinefs of mankind, than government and laws. But left it fhould be faid of me, that from the peevishnefs and obftinacy of age, I am fhutting my eyes against the light, I will freely confefs that I am lately become a convert to fome other opinions, which I formerly held in equal fuch I have frequently treated it in the courfe of thefe papers: but I am now fully convinced of my error, and that I ought to have confidered it as a national virtue, and productive of more advan tages to fociety than any other whatfoever. That my readers may entertain the fame opinion, 1 tha here prefent them with a letter which I have lately received from a very ingenious corre fondent, whofe reafoni g upon this fubject is too conclufive to be oppofed, SIR, TO MR. FITZ-ADAM. you I Hope you will not think it inconfiftent with the manner in which have propofed to conduct your paper, to lay before the public the complaints of your correfpondents, relating to that part of the world you more immediately prefide over; efpecially as you have declared your defign to interpofe whenever the critical emergencies of your. country fhall require your affiftance, You, who are acquainted with public proceedings, must have taken notice of the additional taxes that have been laid upon cards and dice; by which it is juftly apprehended, that the profits arifing from the honourable occupations dependent thereon will be greatly im peded. Whatever fatisfaction gloomy and fplenetic minds (always difpofed to anticipate the ruin of the kingdom) may exprefs, I affure you I cannot help confidering this affair with the most painful concern; and I doubt not my reasons will be equally convincing to you. At a time when the perfidious enemies of our country have rendered all foreign trade precarious and uncertain, to what happier refources can we fly than the cominerce of game? By what means means is the circulation of money, the life and fpirit of trade, more fpeedily promoted? What other bufinets can boaft of fuch large returns? and (with honour be it mentioned) what debts in any other kind of commerce are more punctually difcharged? How ftrongly do the various fluctuations of fortune inculcate fortitude, courage, refigna tion, and a noble contempt of death! virtues for which the proficients in this fcience have been greatly renowned. What better method could be found out for humbling the grandeur, and diminishing the over-grown revenues of our nobility and gentry, than by blending their manners and fortunes with the lowest of their fellow creatures? Nor is it the leaft praife of this profeffion, that the fair fex are qualified to make a figure in it, and to exert those ftriking talents which we feem fo folicitous to exclude from many of the arts of life. By a contart applicat on to gaming, they gradually wear off the killing brightnefs of thole eyes, and the overpowering fplendour of thofe charms, which would otherwife be destructive to many thou fands of mankind. Hence they are taught kindness and condefcenfion, and rendered graciously acceffible to the company and careffes of every adoring fwain. I might obferve farther, that while the merchant and tradesman are contracting a narrow avaricious turn of mind, a haughty contempt, and a fuper cilious air, the gallant fpirits who have efpoufed this genteel commerce, acquire an engaging freedom of converfation, a boundlefs generolity of nature, and an inimitable politeness of manners. If the political advantages of gaming are demanded of me, I anfwer, that it fecures our money in the kingdom, and keeps it in perpetual circulation. Can there be a more convincing demonftration of the dangerous confequences of foreign trade, than that the riches of the kingdom are exhausted by it, and the national current wealth, according to the opinion of fome wife calculators, reduced from forty millions to twelve? A not to mention the importation of the various follies, fashions, and poifons, which expofe, infatuate, and destroy, fo many of our deluded countrymen. Can any other argument be neceffary to procure an unlimited indulgence to a commerce, from whence fo many advantages fpring, and which is fo evidently conducive to the public good? If it fhould be objected, that many perfons of plentiful incomes are reduced to poverty by gaming, I fhould be glad to know what employments in life are totally exempted from misfortune; and how many bankrupts are recorded in our public chronicles, who defpairing to rife in the world by the vulgar method of trade, have had recourfe to this genteel profeffion, and quickly retrieved their fortunes. It would be eafy to mention many more circumftances in praife of fo noble a commerce, if it was in the leaft neceffary: I doubt not of the concurrence of all men of genius and spirit in these my fentiments; I hope the legislature will henceforward look with favour on an art, in which the politeness, the morals, the conftitution, and the riches, of this kingdom are fo greatly concerned; and inftead of difcouraging it with fevere taxes, and heavy burthens, will contribute every thing to it's advancement. To this end I cannot prefent you with a better propofal, than That all thofe who can bring fufficient proof of their having loft from one thousand to one hundred thousand pounds, fhall be maintained at the public expence, and rewarded for their patriotifim, in facrificing their fortune fo difinterestedly for the good of their country. If you fhall pleafe to communicate thefe thoughts to the public, and recommend them by fome arguments of your own, I shall think you that friend of the world you pretend to be, and may poffibly give you some future advices which may not be unworthy your notice. I am Sir, your fincere friend, and hearty admirer, JACK LOVEBOX. N° CLXXXII. THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1756. Very facetious friend of mine was obferving the other day, that he could always difcover with great ces tainty the shape, height, and complexion, of any man's wife in company, by call ing for his toalt. If he gives you a lean woman woman- Depend upon it,' fays he, his wife is a fat one;' or if he drinks his bumper to a beauty of fine height and complexion, you may fafely conclude that the lady at home is little and fwarthy, and fo on- -For,' continues he, I have ever found it to be true, that when a man has been married a full half year, he will be the conftant • admirer of all other women, in proportion as they differ from his own • wife.' I wish with all my heart there was no colour of truth in this remark; but I am afraid that the wives of the generality of men, like their other poffeffions, are apt to pall a little upon their hands. Fine fortunes, fine houfes, fine gardens, and fine equipages, bring but little enjoyment to their owners; infomuch that we are every day breaking the tenth commandment, by coveting our neighbour's boufe, our neighbour's wife, or any thing that is our neighbour's. Whence this perverfenels of mankind arifes, I will not take upon me to determine. My friend, who never thinks enough to perplex himself, lays the fault upon human nature. He afferts that men are in every respect just what they were intended to be, and that we have the fame reafon to be angry with a bear for not being a man, as with a man for having the imperfections of one. That we are frail by nature is too certain a truth; but the comfort is, that He who made us fo does not expect perfection from us, and will pardon er. rors that do not proceed from wilful corruption, and obftinate difobedience. There is a humourous fable of the ancients upon the general frailty of mankind, which, as I have never feen in English, I have ventured to modernize and tranflate for the entertainment of my readers. Jupiter, after he had feized the throne of Saturn, conquered the Titans, and made the universe his own, left the government of this lower world, and the affairs of mankind, to the inferior deities. Each had his feparate votaries, and no one was to interfere, in the department of another. Mars was captain-general of the foldiery of all nations, Neptune was lord high admiral, Bacchus prefided over clubs and feltivals, Mercury over trade, Apollo over wit and phyfic, Minerva over learning, Venus and the Graces over beauty, Ju no over marriage, Diana over chastity, and fo on. In the first ages of the world the affairs of men feemed to be in a very flourishing condition; but the face of things began gradually to change, till at lait a general depravity prevailed over the face of the whole earth. The gods, finding themfelves unequal to the tafk impofed upon them, and angry with mankind, petitioned Jupiter to take the government of them into his own hands; but he frowned at their requeft, commanding them to proceed as they had begun, and leave the confequences to himfelf. The deities, perplexed at their repulfe, convened a council among themselves, in which it was agreed that they fhould draw up a fecond petition to Jupiter, that for the better understanding the nature of mankind, they fhould have leave to pay a vifit to the world, and to take upon them for a time the feveral natures of their votaries. Jupiter laughed, and confented to their petition; but with this particular limitation, that they fhould be entirely divefted of fupernatural powers; and that, as they were to perfonate mortals, they fhould be fubject to their frailties. The deities confented to the will of Jupiter; and having deliberated on the feveral parts they were to act, made their defcent upon the earth. Mars bought himself a pair of colours in the guards; and being a gay, handsome young fellow, and a great favourite of the ladies, was quickly advanced to the command of a company. His equipage was the moft fplendid that could be imggined; he dreffed, danced, gamed, and fwore, to the utmolt perfection;, he knocked down watchmen and confta. bles, drew his fword upon chairmen and waiters, laughed at the parfons, bilked whores and hackney-coachmen, cheated taylors and lacemen, formed towns at every tavern, and faluted at the head of his company with inimitable grace. But having unfortunately fe duced the wife of his friend, and being called out on the occafion, he chofe to decline fighting, and was broke for cowardice. Neptune was a hardy rough tar, and got early the command of a fixtygun fhip. He attacked the trade of the enemy with great intrepidity, and took prizes of immenfe value. His prudence was was equal to his courage; inafmuch as his fhip was never known to fuffer by the enemy's fhot, or a man to die on board her of a violent death. But as Neptune was now no more than a man, and therefore liable to error, he had the misfortune to mistake his admiral's fig. nal to attack, for a fignal to fheer off; and happening to have no intereft at court, was difabled from fervice, and fent to live upon his fortune. Bacchus was a country fquire, and a great sportfman; he got drunk every day, and debauched all the wives and daughters of his tenants and neighbours; till being reduced by his extravagance, and driven to various fhifts, he at latt drew beer in a night-cellar to hackneycoachmen and street-walkers. Mercury was a linen-draper in the city, and acquired a plentiful fortune by being three times a bankrupt; but happening to be difcovered in a fourth attempt, he was ftript of all his wealth, and very narrowly escaped hanging. He was afterwards captain of a gang of thieves, and at last recalled to heaven from the condemned hold in Newgate. Apollo commenced mortal in the character of a phyfician, and fo peopled the fhades of Pluto with fouls, that the boat of Charon became crazy by their weight. Jupiter grew incenfed at his murders, and commanded him to begin the world again in a more innocent calling. Apollo obeyed, and became a wit. He compofed loofe fonnets and plays; he libelled the good, flattered the bad, blafphemed the gods, and was patronized by the great: but unhappily standing in need of their affiftance, they withdrew their favours, and left him to starve in a garret on the bounty of booksellers. • Minerva was a lady of fine parts and learning, but a great flattern. She never ftuck a pin in her clothes, nor changed them till they wore out. Her linen was ftained with ink, her hair uncombed, her petticoats falling off, her ftockings full of holes, and her feet flipfhod. She talked in fyllogifms, wrote in heroics, and married her footman. Venus, who while a goddefs had always a hankering after mortal flesh and blood, was highly pleafed with this defcent upon earth. She affumed the form of a beautiful girl of fourteen, took lodgings in Covent-garden, and dealt out her favours liberally to all vi futors. Her ftate of mortality was fo fuited to her inclinations, that Heaven and the goddefs were never thought of, till the lots of her nose made her figh for immortality. Diana was a great prude all day; but had her Endymions by moon-light. It has been reported of her, that he was eleven times brought to bed, without being once able to give the least probabie guefs at the father of the child. Of Juno it is only faid, that the fcolded feven hufbands to death; and of the Graces, that they were exceeding neat girls till they were married, and fluts afterwards. Having ftaid the limited time upon earth, they were all fummoned to heaven in their human forms and habits, to make their appearance before the throne of Jupiter. Mars and Neptune made a tolerable figure, but looked a little shy. Bacchus had a blue apron on, and a ftring of pewter pots thrown across his fhoulder. Mercury appeared fettered and hand-cuffed; he had a woollen cap upon his head, a nosegay in his hand, and a halter about his neck. Apollo was full dreft in a fuit of rusty black, a tye-wig, a filver-hilted fword, roll-up ftockings, deep ruffles, but no thirt: his features were begrimed with snuff, and his mouth crammed with tobacco. As Minerva approached to make her curtfey, Jupiter held his nose, and beckoned her to keep aloof, telling her that for the future he would have no learned ladies upon earth. Venus held her fan before her face, till Jupiter commanded her to uncover. He then enquired after her nofe, and asked if the gin she had drank that morning was right Holland's. Diana complained much of a dropfy; upon which Jupiter laughed, and promifed to fend Lucina to cure her; adding, that he hoped fhe had had good times. Juno looked angry at not being firft taken notice of; which, upon Jupiter's obferving, he gave her a gracious nod, and affured her that every one of her husbands was quiet in Elyfum. The Graces would have apologized for their difhabille, but Jupiter prevented them, and told them with a mile that he would have no marriages in heaven. He then restored them all to their divinities; and after ridiculing and rebuking them for their murmurings and curiofity, difiniffed them to their feveral charges, |