e ADVENTURES of a VALET. Jan. He A uthor, but got fo little by it, contracted feveral fmall debts, Ang in danger of an arrest, he took a lodging within the verge of the court, ere he stayed till application had been ade to the board of greencloth, and notice had been fent him, that a warrant would be granted against him. was now reduced to defpair, and being refolved to dispatch himself, he with that defign fired a piftol at his head, but the ball only grazed and did not penetrate the skull. The noife however alarmed the family, and among the rest, a young lady, named Mrs. Love, who lodged in one pair of ftairs; by whofe care he was recovered. This lady confeffed her conceiving a love for him upon feeing him in that condition, but never would admit of any thing more than careffes; and as fhe was then the kept miftrefs of a foreign minifter, she got him a protection from one of them, who afterwards took him into his actual fervice as his valet; and tho' he C often afterwards faw Mrs. Love, and was indulged in many innocent freedoms by her, yet for fear of her being at laft tempted to fomething criminal by him, the changed her lodgings, and by a letter acquainted him, that tho' fhe had fied to a place where he could never find her, yet whatever fate her wretched body was doomed to, her heart fhould ever be entirely and only his. all the ladies of her acquaintance. This of courfe put an end to his place in that lady's fervice, but as he was so much in his power the durft not refufe him a character, and thereby he got into the fervice of an alderman of the city, as his bookWhilft he was in this fervice, the daughkeeper and fervant without a livery. ter fell in love with him, on which the mother refolved to have him turned away, but his mafter was fo kind as to recommend him to another merchant in the ci ty, as fecond in his compting-house, which place he was to enter upon as foon as his master was provided. In the interval, as he was returning late in the evenB ing from a message he had been sent on, a great noife in Bishopfgate-street called' him cross the way to fee what was the matter, and found it was a young officer caning an old man for accidentally taking the wall of him, whilst another flood with his fword drawn, threatning death Our valet flipping by him got hold of the to any one that should dare to interpofe.' other officer's fword, pulled it out of the fcabbard, and attacked and wounded him' who had his fword drawn, on which the other made his escape, the wounded officer was carried to the round-house, and the old gentleman was conducted home. D Our adventurer being now a real valet, in this character he went thro' feveral diverting fcenes, firft with one foreign minifter, and then with another, till at laft, for making too free with his mafter, he was turned away, and refufed a character. Being thus idle, he E went to Kendal houfe, to fee if he could hear of a place, and by a frange accident got into the fervice of lady Calm, a lady who lived in high character, tho' fhe had her chief fupport from a noble lord, who first debauched her, and then recommended her as a wife to a gentleman, his friend, during whofe life, as well as after his death, his lordship continued his intrigue with her; and before our valet had been long in her fervice as her butler, he was admitted fometimes to fupply the place of her lord. BOOK IV. At last our valet, now butler, grew jealous of his noble rival, and becaufe G his lady would not prefer him to the Jord from whom the had her chief fupport, he took an opportunity to let a lady vifiter into the room, when the lord and he were alone together, and in a Situation which expofed her intrigue to city, and a fervant of his master's banker This adventure made great noise in the having been one of the mob, told every body who it was that had bebaved fo gallantly; and the old gentleman whofe life he had probably faved, hearing whofe fervant he was, fent him a handsome prefent in a bank note. This gallant behaviour, which would have been a recommenprejudice in the city, where they did not dation to him any where elfe, did him a want any fighting clerks. His intended new master sent his excufe for not taking him into his fervice, with a fmall present for the difappointment; and he found he could get no other place in the city, fo he got into the fervice of the celebrated Mifs lady of fortune, who had in a manner Air at the court end of the town, a young openly an intrigue with Sir James Lofty, and foon after a fecret one with Mr. Seewell; and by our valet's management, a third with a foreign minister; but at laft he loft this place by making himself an attack upon his lady. BOOK V. places faved fuch a fum as might fupport ing 1752. Cicero's excellent Letter to his Son Marcus. ing the natural daughter of two people of After his intrigue with this lady was at very melancholy half hour in the park, D. E Our valet waited on the ladies in the afternoon to Mr. Sedate's door, and was there taking his leave, when the fervant who opened the door, after ftaring ftedfaftly in his face, begged him to walk in, till he had fpoke a word to his mafter. Before the fervant returned, Mrs. Love came down, and told him with tranfport, that the had received at once a pardon and a fortune from her father, the whole of which fhould be his, if he would fubmit to honour a prostitute with his hand lawfully; he prefently accepted the propofal, F and was just going to feal his acceptance with a falute, when the fervant returned, and faid, Sir, I could not fpeak to my mafter till the lady retired; but I have now reminded him of an obligation he had to you, and he defires to fee you. This fervant was the perfon who delivered him the bank-note from the old gentleman whom he had refcued from the G two officers in the city, and the old gentleman was this very Mr. Sedate. The fervant knew him again as foon as he faw him, and as his mafter had often before employed people to find him out, he ftopt 29 him and told his mafter, that chance had brought him to the door; whereupon the old man defired to fee him; and Mrs. Love attended him up ftairs, in order to inform her father of many other worthy actions the knew of him; but how was fhe furprised, when the faw her father at fight of him faint away, and her mother in a condition very little better. And as foon as they recovered, fhe was ftill more furprised, by hearing them both declare him her brother and their fon. The father died foon after, and left his whole fortune between them, only allowing a handsome fettlement for their mother, with whom they live in great harmony as brother and fifter, bleffing the fate that had made them the prefervers of one another, and in the extremes of mutual fondness had faved them from an unknown incest. We fhall make no remarks upon this piece, but must from hence take occasion to defire our novelifts to be a little more careful of what the French call la vrayfemblance; for improbabilities are shocking to those who refiect at all upon what they read. The noble and juft Sentiments expreffed in the tavo following LETTERS, may, we hope be of fome Ufe to the rifing Generation, as they may ferve to caution fome, and to reclaim athers, who are not already too far funk in Luxury and Vice. CICERO to bis Son MARCUS *, to reclaim bim from bis loofe course of LIFE. ANI think, O Marcus, thy vicious Ccourfe of life could offer to eclipfe my glory? I would queftion even the oracles of truth in this cafe, for nothing is more difficult than to make a man believe what he does not like: Yet am I obliged to give credit to my fenfes. I fee thee daily involved in all kinds of luxury, and hear thee as often difcourfing or nothing but vanity. Ill fortune had no other way to attack me. My country owes its fafety to me, and both the fenate and people have ftiled me their Preferver. I have furmounted the meannefs of my birth, and baffled all the attempts of envy, malice, pride and calumny against me. Nothing but the vagaries of Marcus could render me unhappy. Poor unfortunate Cicero! reduced to that ftate by the difobedience of a child, which thy enemies thou alone robbest me of my honour, obcould not bring thee to. Thou, Marcus, fcureft my virtue, and cloggeft the wings of my fame. Upon what a weak foundation have I founded my hopes? Upon one, who, inftead of ftriking in with me towards the acquiring of glory, will, if The fame, to whom this celebrated heathen directs his excellent book De Officiis. he 30 Another Letter of Cicero to his Son Marcus. he does not reform, leave to pofterity the G Jan, The herfelf; and without her, perfection would Another LETTER of CICERO, to his Son WHA HATI wrote to you lately, I do not think fufficient to acquit myfelf, and therefore fend you this fecond letter. I must once more earnestly conjure thee, fon Marcus, to forfake the dif folute courfe of life thou haft taken up, which if thou wilt not do for the fake of thy own reputation, do at least for that of mine, which I have acquired not fo much 1752. A CASE in Affeffments to the POOR-RATE. much by the favour of fortune, as by pure merit. Do not endeavour to rob thy father of that happiness, which he has been all his life labouring after. But if nature has not made thee capable of knowing either thy honour, or thy intereft, she could not, fure, but have allowed thee a fenfe of that duty, which all chil-A dren owe their parents. That alone, one would think, ought to excite in thee an inclination to virtue, which thou knoweft I have not only long defired, but also commanded. Not to obey thy father, is mere madness; not to love him, extreme impiety; but to trample on his fame is worfe than parricide. Neither wit nor words are able to exprefs how commendable and neceffary a thing obedience to a parent is. The utmost extent of time owns itself at a lofs to reward fuch children as are dutiful. I will give thee fome examples, Marcus, of fuch fons as with the hazard of their own, have faved their fathers lives. Manlius Torquatus, the first that gave the name to that famous family, to free his father of an accusation before the tribune of the people, went armed and alone to the tribune's house, and by a generous force compelled that magiftrate to defift from hearkening to any farther profecution. Scipio Africanus had fcarce attained the years of manhood, when he rescued his father from out of B D 31 by his dishonest life, robs me both of my the hands of Hannibal, to whom, being grievously wounded, he had become a prey. Neither his unexperienced youth, nor the misfortunes of the day, could hinder the vehemence of his virtue and affection from doing an act that has got him more renown than all his victories afterwards. Caius Flaminius, while tribune of the people, published a law to E divide the conquered lands in Gallia : The fenate opposed it, first with good words, then with threats, and at length with an army; but all in vain, till at last upon his father's bare request only, he abandoned his refolution, and submitted to authority. I could give thee other examples, Marcus, of fons that ventured their all to fecure their father's fafety; whilft thou, on the contrary, wilt not forego a few brutal delights to favour my good name, the lofs of which is worse to me than death. I might, and that with reason, imitate thofe parents, who have proved tyrants to their children; fuch as Junius Brutus, Torquatus, and not long fince Aulus Fulvius, who, rather than G endure their difobedient iffue, let out the denegerate blood. Is it not better to lop off the contagious member, than fuffer it to spread its venom? With much greater reafon might I rid myself of a child, who, To the AUTHOR of the LONDON SIR, S the following thoughts are commu A nicated with a view to the publick good, I make no doubt but that they will be found in your next Magazine. From the late orders directed by the Hon. houfe of commons to the overfeers throughout the kingdom, requiring their Faccounts for the laft 4 years, I have the pleasure to conclude, that we are like to be favoured with fome new regulations with regard to our laws relating to the poor. Whenever the legiflature shall think fit to apply itself to this work, the nation, I hope, will reap the benefit of it in many respects; in particular, I promise myself, from the wisdom and equity of parliament, that idleness and indolence will be no more encouraged in those who pay the rates, than in those who receive them. What was intended by stat. 17. Geo, II. our governors themselves beft ་ know; 32 A Boy restor❜d to Sight. by ELECTRICITY. know; it seems to me, however, fuffici- fertion. C A person has an estate, which he keeps in hand, but is too niggardly to manure ; or, if it is let out at a rack rent, is too negligent or lazy to bind his tenant to covenants for dreffing, or to fee the execution of them. Of course the land is impoverished, and the rent continually decreases. The landlord now finding B himself affeffed to the poor-rate for more pounds than he receives from his tenant, (tho' the affeffment be no greater than has been made time out of mind) appeals to the quarter feffions. The decifion there is frequently in favour of fuch appellant ; he is relieved from bearing his accustomed and just proportion of the common burden, which, of confequence, falls upon the fhoulders of his neighbours. Thus induftry is taxed for the benefit of floth, the friends of the publick, the improvers of lands, instead of being encouraged become fufferers; and the enemies of their country, the impoverishers of them, are fupported and rewarded. Let me ask now of any unprejudiced, reasonable man, if this manner of proceeding can by any means be reconciled with equity or good policy? And if it be not an unpardonable reflection both upon the wisdom and juftice of the houses of parliament, to put fuch an interpretation upon any of their acts, as must be attended with confequences fo mifchievous to the state, and E fo injurious to private perfons? On fuch an interpretation, however, as has beenthewn, the determinations of the feffions are often founded, and the poor, diligent hufbandman has the mortification to be triumphed over by the fluggard, to be oppreffed with an additional load of taxes, to be ftill further faddled with cofts of D fuit; and, what is fcarcely lefs provoking F On the whole, as matters are now managed, we are fubject to a grievance, which calls aloud for parliamentary redrefs; for furely, the ruin of our lands, to which it plainly tends, is no trifling confideration. I flatter myself, therefore, that it is no very great prefumption to hope, that a new ftatute will refcue the prefent from fuch monstrous perversion ; Jan. that all decifions hitherto made, and owing to fuch perverfion, will be declared null and void, and all future ones of the. fame kind effectually prevented-in short, that the justices will only be impowered to relieve thofe, whofe eftates are funk by unavoidable accidents, but that where they have been impaired thro' the fault of the proprietors of them, they only will be fubjected to fuffer, as in all reafon and juftice they ought, the inconveniences occafioned by their own avarice or neglect. Your conftant reader, TRIPTOLEMUS. Extract of a LETTER from Mr. FLOYER, Surgeon at Dorchefter, to Dr. BENT, a Phyfician at Exeter. HAVE lately had two or three op portunities of trying the effects of electricity on paralytick perfons with fuccefs. What most of all tends to prove its good effect on the human body, is the following cafe *. A boy of about 7 years old was taken blind suddenly in both eyes, without any previous fever, pains of the head, or any other indifpofition of body, which one might reasonably imagine to be the caufe of his blindness. About 3 or 4 days after he had loft his fight, he was brought to me for my advice. Upon infpecting his eyes, I found the pupil of each fo entirely dilated, that I could not discover of what colour the iris was, (not the leaft verge of it to be seen) but the cornea transparent, appearing one continued black fpot. I asked his father if he ever took notice of what colour his eyes were before he loft his fight? He told me they were of a remarkable lightgrey colour. Upon fhutting his eye-lids, and rubbing them a confiderable while, and then expofing them fuddenly to the fun-beams, could not perceive the leaft degree of contraction in the circular fibres of the iris, and the pupils remaining the fame whether the eyes were open or fhut, whether in the dark or light; neither could he perceive any difference when an opaque body was interpofed between his eyes and the light of the fun, and when there was not; in fhort, he was as blind as if he had had his eyes cut out. I told his parents, it was my opinion he never would fee again as long as he lived, for there was feldom or never a cure for fuch diforders of the eyes. Taking the cafe to be a perfect gutta ferena in both eyes, occafioned (as it is generally imagined) by fome obftructions in the optick nerve, and confequently paralytick, I determined with myself to try the effects of the electrical hock * Which was laid before the Royal Society at their last meeting, upon |