do, when any thing strikes me in a particular man It ran thus:

ner.

"John Haynes, of St. Clements, Oxford, begs "leave to inform the public, that he alone pos

sesses the true art of making leather breeches sit " easy."

As the newspaper containing the advertisement came from Oxford, his Holiness and their Eminences immediately saw, that in these last words was conveyed a keen though covert satire upon the loose casuistry of the sons of Loyola. A consistory was called, and Ganganelli formed his resolution. What followed, all the world knows."

I thought it but justice to my worthy friend Haynes, to mention thus much: and as, by the introduction of fustian, his trade has long been upon the decline, I would hope that every good protes. tant will forthwith bespeak a pair of leather breeches (and pay for them when brought home) of a man who has given such a blow to Popery, and had the address to effect what the Provincial Letters attempted in vain.

From this instant it is evident, that we ought to read all newspapers, country as well as town, on which we can lay our hands; for we know not what we may have lost, by missing any one of

them. This enlarges the sphere of our researches, and the imagination riots in the delicious prospect. The journals printed at the two universities must always have an especial claim to our attention.

I was seized, a few years ago, at a considerable distance from our Alma Mater, with a violent fever. James's powder ceased to be of service; the physician of the place, who had been called in, shook his head; and I began to think I should never more behold St. Mary's spire, and Radcliffe's library. I was almost speechless, but endeavoured, from time to time, as well as I could, to articulate the word JACKSON. My attendants concluded me delirious, and heeded not what I said: till a lad, who travelled as my servant, coming accidentally. into the room, exclaimed eagerly, that he would be hanged if his master did not mean the Oxford newspaper. It was fetched by express, and I made signs, that it should be read. The effect was a kindly perspiration, followed by a gentle sleep, from which I awoke, with my fever abated, and felt myself greatly refreshed indeed. I continued mending. On the Saturday following, "the julep, as before," was repeated; and on Monday I arose, and pursued my journey.

There is one argument in favour of a multiplicity

of newspapers, which I do not remember to have met with; namely, that no man is ever satisfied with another man's reading a newspaper to him; but the moment it is laid down, he takes it up, and reads it over again. It is absolutely necessary, therefore, that each should have a newspaper to himself, and so change round, till every paper shall have been read by every person.

A question has sometimes been debated concerning the best time for reading newspapers. But surely the proper answer to it is, Read them the moment you can get them. For my own part, I always dry my paper upon my knees, and make shift to pick out a few articles during the operation. It has been fancied, that by reading of this kind in a morning (the season marked out for it, since Mr. Palmer's regulation of the post), the head of a young academic becomes so filled with an heterogeneous mixture of trash, that he is fit for nothing. But-bona verba,- Fair and softly, my good friend. Why should we not take up the matter at the other end, and say rather, his mind is so expanded by a rich variety of new ideas, that he is fit forany thing?

I shall conclude this speculation with observing, that we have just cause to be thankful for the num

ber of newspapers dispersed among us; since, in a little time, nothing else will be read; it being nearly agreed by all persons of the ton, that is, by all men of sense and taste, that religion is a hum, virtue a twaddle, and learning a bore.

Z.

(No. XXIII.)

SATURDAY, Aug. 18, 1787.

Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula compum.

VIRG.

AMONG the sources of those innumerable calamities which, from age to age, have overwhelmed mankind, may be reckoned, as one of the principal, the abuse of Words. Dr. South has two admirable discourses on the subject; and it is much to be wished, that a continuation could be carried on, by some proper hand, enumerating the words, which, since his time, have successively come into vogue, and been, in like manner, abused to evil purposes, by crafty and designing men.

It is well known what strange work there has been in the world, under the name and pretence of Reformation; how often it has turned out to be, in reality, Deformation; or, at best, a tinkering

sort of business, where, while one hole has been mended, two have been made.

I have my eye, at present, on an event of this kind, which took place in very early times, and is supposed to have been productive of many and great advantages to the species; I mean the alteration brought about in the “ œconomy of human walking" when man, who, according to the best and ablest philosophers, went originally on four legs, first began to go upon two. I hope it will be excused, if I venture humbly to offer some reasons why I am led to doubt, whether the alteration may have been attended by all the advantages so fondly imagined.

There is something suspicious in the history given of this reformation. It is said to have had the same origin with that ascribed by Dr. Mandeville to the moral virtues. It was the "offspring of flattery, begot upon pride." The philosophers discovered, that man was proud: they attacked him in a cowardly manner, on his weak side, and by arguments, the sophism of which it might be easy enough, perhaps, if there were occasion, to unravel and expose, prevailed upon him to quit his primæ val position; and, whether fairly or not, they coaxed him upon two. How far any good is to be

M