B As to the Government of Venice, the Doge is little more than a Pageant of State, is no Gainer by that Dignity, his Income not being equal to his Expence; he pays a larger Share of the Taxes than any other Perfon, and is liable to be called to an Account.- But the King of Great Britain hath not only aci vil Lift of near one Million per Ann. for the Support of his Royal Houfhold, but is also intrufted with the Difpofition of the publick Revenues. All Officers, civil and military, are in his Nomination, and most of them removeable at his Pleasure. He appoints and tranflates the Bishops. In fhort, nothing can reftrain the Power of the Crown C from being abfolute, but the perfonal Virtues of the Prince, and the Continuance of a free and uncorrupt ParliamentThe Excifes in France are under much the fame Regulations with Regard to Officers, as thofe in Venice and Holland. But, fay thefe Advocates for Power, the Merchants fhall have greater Encouragement by an Excife than they now enjoy; and the Fetters will be fo nicely fitted that the Wearers will be in Love with them, and verify the Prediction of our excellent Laureat, in his Birth Day Ode, And haughty Britons hug their Chains. But furely the Merchants are the best Judges in Cafes of this Nature. It is downright Popery in Politicks, to call Chains and Incumbrances on Trade, Liberty and Encouragement. If it could be fo managed that the Burthen should not fall directly on the Importers; would not the Oppression of the Retailers ultimately affect them? The modeft Author of the genuine Thoughts tells us, that the Lofs in the Duties on Wine and Tobacco does not Fall far fhort of 12 d. in the Pound upon Land; and that all Frauds will be prevented, if the Retailer pays the Duty Were this true, near 500,000l. per Ann. would be advanced by an Excife on Wine and Tobacco; but a great Part of thefe Duties being appropriated to the Ufe of the Crown; the Publick will have only a Part of this Advance. If the Civil Lift therefore be confiderably augmented, and the Number of OfAficers increased, may not it prove dangerous to the Conftitution? The Safety of Europe is preferved only by a due Balance of Power. The Safety of all free Governments is founded on the fame Equilibrium.-Is not the Power of the Crown greater, and the Civil List Revenues larger than in former Ages ?--Let it be confider'd whether the People have too much Power. They have concurred, almost univerfally, in their Declarations against this Project, without Regard to Party Distinctions, or Differences in Religion; yet the Scheme is ftill purfued; and the Projector hath declared his Refolution to make an Attempt on their Reprefentatives, to put them under this Yke.-Doth not this fhew that the united Strength of the whole People is inconfiderable in his Eyes? And if he fhould fucceed, will it not be a Demonftration, that the People do not abound with too much Power, even at this Time? or rather, that the Balance is already too much against them? . D E F G H The Author of the genuine Thoughts, tells us, that in a Revolution Government, the Crown fignifies no more than the Conftitution, or the executive Power of the Laws.] This is admitted; but how will it ferve his Purpose? For the Revolution was founded on Principles of Liberty, and with a Defign of abridging the Power of the Crown; whereas the Crown is already poffeft of more Power than it enjoy'd under any of the Stuarts. Dniversal Spectato2 March 3. No. 230. Homer's Notions of Fate, Destiny, &c. Homer imagines all Events proceed from the fole Will and Pleasure of Almighty JUPITER, whofe Appointment of the Means or fecond Caufes of their being brought about is what he means means by Fate, which operates fo as to leave a Free Will to Man. We fhall find, fays Mr Pope in his perior to all. 2. Destiny or Fate, mean- move, Thou Fate! fulfill it By this Meffenger (Hermes or Mercury) we are to understand Reafon, or the Light of Nature, which Heaven implants in the Breast of every Man, and continually dictates to him, this is good, or this is evil. That a certain fatal Moment was decreed by Ilion's facred Wall nec Fato, meritâ nec morte peribat, Sed mifera ante diem. -- They likewife extended Destiny (or the Care of Providence) to the very Beafts. As when the Force of Men and Dogs combined. In the Book of Jonah God's Compaflion towards the brute Beafs, is one of the Reafons himself gives against destroying Nineveh. Shall I not spare the great City, in which there are more than fix fcore thousand Perfons, and alIL. 8. v. 7. D fo much Cattle? Matt. Chap. 10. Ver. 29. Are not two Sparrows fold for a Farthing? and yet one of them shall not fall to the Ground without your Father. God had even fix'd the Time for the Deftruction of Nineveh; yet forty Days and Nineveh fhall be overthrown: Notwithstanding, when the People lamented Ethed, he repented of the Evil that he had faid their Tranfgreffions, and cried mightily unto Our felf will fit and fee the Hand of Fate IL. 20. V. 34. vain. For he, the God, whose Counfels uncontroll'd, v. $41. JUPITER'S Speech, Odyf. 1. V. To manly Years should re-affert the Throne. He plang dinto the Gulf which Heav'n foretold. H he would do unto them, and he did it not. So There have been Heroes, who by virtuous Care, A Weekly Miscellany, March 3. N° 12. Of Ld Clarendon's History. Gentleman, who figns himfelf Oxonienfis, endeavours to prove the Genuineness of Ld Clarendon's History, a new Edition of which is now ready for Publication at Oxford. This Writer does not examine the Charge of Mr Oldmixon (See p. 514.) and Mr Clark of Hull, but confiders the Proofs which the Work itself brought into the World with it. The Evidence he brings is external and internal; fuch as arifes from the Teftimony of others, or from the Work itself; both which concur in Proof that this History was the genuine Work The external Evidence, is the Teftimony of the Editors, who were the Sons of the noble Author, viz. Henry Earl of Clarendon, and Lawrence Earl of Rochester, under whofe joint Authority the Preface was addrefs'd to the World, tho' the E. of Rochester's Pen is only to be diftinguish'd. It came to the Prefs in his Hand and was printed as it came to the Prefs; and both Brothers jointly declare their Fidelity in executing the Truit their Father repofed in them by his Laft Will, of pubJifhing this Work, just as it was deliver'd to them. B That thefe noble Editors could not D be capable of interpolating or forging any part of the Hiftory, will be allow'd from the Teitimony of Bp Burnet, who gives a great Character of their Honour, Sincerity, and Worth. IN to make a Slip had fuffer'd Difgrace; but Osborne does not infift much on this Circumstance. It's faid, that the Travels and Labours of Hercules were owing to the ill Fate he was born under, whereby he was oblig'd to fubmit to whatever Labours Euristheus fhould impofe upon him to destroy him. This typifies the fervile Obfequiousness of the Craftsman, who hath every Topick of Calumny dictated to him by Fag, in order to bring him to Destruction. The first Labour impofed on Hercules was, to defroy the Nemean Lyon that fell from the Circle of the Moon, C and had a Skin invulnerable. He attack'd it in vain with his Arrows; but bruifing it with his Club he tore it to pieces with his Hands, and made a Garment of the Skin. By the Lion is meant the British State, the Lion being its Arms, Crest and chief Supporter; that it had fallen from the Moon, fignifies from a Changeableness in its Councils, to a feady Management and Purfuit of its true Intereft. By his Arrows are meant the malicious Afperfions thrown E at thofe in Authority to no purpose. His bruifing with his Club denotes the Javage Spirit of the 'Squire, and the barbarous Manner in which he lays about him. By the Lion's Skin muft be meant, the Large Grants obtained from the Crown, which, as a Garment, may be faid to inveft, and defend him from thofe Lafhes of the Law, which Pauper Scribblers are expofed to. London Journal, March 3. No. 714. Hercules and D'anvers compar'd. N the Craftiman of Jan. 13. one of Mr Danvers's Correfpondents had compared him to Hercules. After a little Banter, Philo-mythologus gives F zome Particulars where the Refemblance nolds good between 'Squire Hercules the Elder, and 'Squire D'anvers. G Hercules was called up to Olympus by Jupiter, as an Auxiliary in the War with the Giants, in Confequence of a Rumour that thofe Rebels could not be over come unlefs fome Mortal fhould aflift in the War; all which figure the monstrous High Church Rebellion in the late Reign; and the Sovereign's Grace and Condefcenfion in calling fuch a Mortal to his Councils and Ad- H ministration; and that to a Rumour he owed his Rife. Hercules is faid to have marry'd Hebe the Goddefs of Youth, who chancing Hercules being ftruck with Madness flew his own Children, imagining them to be Enemies; a glaring Type of the Male-treatment the 'Squire has bestow'd upon his best Friends. Hercules was advis'd to go to Atlas, and hold up the Heavens in his ftead; Type of our 'Squire's Ambition to fupplant one of the ableft Statesmen of the Age. a Hercules's Wife fufpecting his Fidelity fent him an invenom'd Coat, which threw him into fuch a burning Fever and raging Forments, that, not able to endure endure it, he made a Pile of burning The Auditog, March 6. No. 17. Hor. B C HE Auditor makes fome DifficulΤ' ty in publifhing the following Letter, as it encourages, tho' indirectly, a Method of Life not fuitable to the Laws of Society now in force, and to glance at one founded on thofe very D Laws; but as the Writer's Defign is to make a proper Diftinction between fuch Women as Conftantia is fuppofed to be, and the common Prostitutes of the Town; and to fhew how commendable Fidelity is in any Shape; that tho' E Marriage could fecure Reputation, it was no Fence against the evil Courses of a Mind wickedly bent: Thefe Reafons prevail'd on him to publifh it, however with a Caution to his fair Readers to fufpend their Judgments till he gives F them a Clue to lead them thro' Fidelio's pleafing Maze. Mr AUDITOR, I Never faw a fine Woman, but I con- It was not long before I found an Object that drew my whole Attention Conftantia was her own Mistress, and in Poffeffion of a plentiful Fortune; and was only unhappy in loving a Perfon, who from his natural Inconftancy was little capable of making a juft ReturnWhat could I do? I loved her, fhe me. In fhort I told her plainly I loved her too well to marry her. It is impoffible to paint the Paffion, Rage, Love, and Defpair, in the Colours the then shewed them-Much fhe faid, and when fhe had done, I told her how much the wronged me; that if she thought me fo much a Man of Honour from the Experience fhe had of me, as to believe me incapable of Bafenefs, we might live together as Man and Wife ; her Fortune would be her own, and if I should prove a Villain, fhe might retire with the fame Income fhe brought. Many Difficulties were started on her fide; but at laft I laid them all; and we have lived together thefe ten Years without the leaft Matrimonial Farr Nor have I had the leaft Inclination to change: Her Intereft has been mine and mine hers; and I believe the knowing ourselves free, has united us more ftrongly than all the Ties of Art can invent. So far we are compleatly happy; but there are three or four Ladies in the Town nearest us, of no great Reputation for Conftancy to their Husbands, who, over their Tea-Table, fpeak of Conftantia as one who had prostituted her Chastity. You may tell me, the Remedy for this is in my own Power, by marrying the Perfon I have been fo long happy with. But why fhould I to obviate the Impertinence of a few. run the Rifque of altering the Scene of my Happiness? And how am I certain that the Thoughts of being irrevocably tied, may not revive my old inconftant Temper? All I expect from your I Am a young Woman about 25, un A B married (to my great Misfortune) and shall remain fo, unless you can correct the Men from perfuading us to take their Words. Shew them how much a married State will conduce to their Happiness as well as ours; and that no Station of Life can equal that, where two Perfons come together with Friendship, Love, Honour and Gene- C rofity; as for Fortune, if it be on one Side it's fufficient; as to Beauty -Its Blaze, tho' fierce, is quickly paft, While Love,Good Senfe, and Virtue,always laft. At to those who are drawn into the Snare of coming together upon Hon- D our, what a miferable Life muft they undergo? A Woman in these unhappy Circumstances can never love the Author of her Ruin; fhe only fears him, and like the Indians, worships the Devil. And what Satisfaction can accrue to the Man? On the contrary, what a Pleasure muft a Man feel when he comes from the Fatigue of Bufinefs, to be welcom'd by a kind, virtuous Wife, and to fee what he gets, improved by her both to his Credit and Comfort! Harriot Loveworth. Grubstreet Journal, March 8. No. 167. The Tragedy of Cælia criticis'd. Mr Bavius. MY E F Y chief Intent, in correfponding with you, is to fhew how G infufficient the prefent Managers of Drury-Lane Play-house are to discharge their Truft, as Directors of our Entertainments. The Fable of Calia is this: Amodeft young Lady is deluded from her Father's Houfe by a Gentleman who had been hofpitably entertained there; fhe is with Child; and he provides her a Lodging with a notorious Bawd. She H had not been long there, before fhe was hurried among common Prostitutes to Bridewell. Mean while, the Spoiler of Beauty and Virtue boasts his Succefs and this falfe Gallantry; but is feverely reprehended by an Acquaintance formerly an honourable Suitor to Clia. The Father comes to Bridewell, and finds his Daughter in a most forlorn Condition, with a heavy Heart takes her in his Arms, and promises the Continuance of his paternal Affection. A Meflenger enters, and relates a Duel betwixt the Ruiner of Calia, and her former Lover, in which the guilty fell; foon after Calia expires in her Father's Arms. This Fable in the Hands of a Genius, might have been improved into a Play that would have fcourg'd fome of thofe Vices that ruin Thousands. But the Author followed Nature without cloathing her in that poetical Dress which allures the Fancy; the Diction is fuch, as cannot move much more than an accurate Relation of the Tale by a single Perfon; yet the late Mrs Cibber went thro' the part of Calia fo pathetically, as to draw Tears from Eyes unufed to the melting Mood; and was the laft Character that agreeable Actress performed on the Stage. This Tragedy is a Proof that fomething more is neceffary in dramatick Poetry, than barely the purfuit of Nature. The Story itself is moving, and had the Diction been truly poetical, feveral Paffages would make fuch an Impreffion on the Readers, that on particular Occafions they would recollect and apply them often. For Example, I don't remember that I have been dif compos'd with Liquor for feveral Years palt, but the next Morning I recollected thofe Words of Shakespeare's Othello, "O that Men fhould put an Enemy in their Mouths to steal away their Brains!" This Paffage, ftript of its metaphor, is not worth Obfervation. The Efficacy of Poetry is fuch that it forces itself on the Mind, whether any useful Doctrine is conveyed in it or not. The following |