31 for the fingle article of milk, at a pint every day for every house, his tenants take from this town not much lefs than 500l. per annum. The foil of all kinds, which is made every year by the confumption of fo great a town, I have heard has been valued at 2001. per annum. If this be true, the estate of Mr Charwell is fo much improved in this very article; fince all this is carried out upon his lands by the back carriage of thofe very carts which were loaden by his tenants with provisions, and other neceffaries for the people. An hundred thousand bushels of coals, are neceffary to fupply fo great a multitude with yearly fewel; and as thefe are taken out of the coal-pits of Mr Charwell, he receives a penny for every bufhel: fo that this very article is an addition of 400 1. per annum to his revenues. And as the town and people are every year increafing, the revenues in the above-mentioned, and many other articles, are increafing in proportion. There is now no longer any want of the family of the predeceffor. The confumption of 5000 people, is greater than can be made by any fifty of the greatest families in Great Britain. The tenants ftand in no need of diftant markets, to take off the product of their farms; the people fo near their own door, are already more than they are able to fupply; and what is wanting at home for this purpofe, is fupplied from places at greater dif tance, at whatsoever price of carriage. All the farmers every where near the river, are now, in their turn, for an act of parliament to make it navigable, that they may have an eafy carriage for their corn to fo good a market. The tenants of Mr Charwell, that they may have the whole market to themselves, are almoft the only perfons against it. But they will not be long able to oppose it. Their leases are near expiring; and as they are grown very rich, there are many other perfons ready to take their farms at more than doublethe prefent rents, even though the river should be made navigable, and diftant people let in to fell their provisions together with thefe farmers. As for Mr Charwell himself, he is in no manner of pain left his lands fhould fall in their value by the cheap carriage of provifions from diftant places to his town. He knows very well, that cheapnefs of provifions was one great means of bringing together fo great numbers, and that they must be held together by the fame means. He seems to have nothing more in his thoughts, than to increase his town to such an extent, that all the country for ten miles round about fhall be little enough to fupply it. He confiders, that at how great a distance foever provifions fhall be brought thither, they muft end at last in fo much foil for his eftate, and that the farmers of o ther lands will by this means contribute to the improvement of his own. But by what encouragements and rewards, by what arts and policies, and what fort of people he has invited to live upon his eftate, and how he has enabled them to fubfift by their own labour, to the great improvement of his lands, will be the fubjects of fome of my future precautions. SIR, To the GUARDIAN. March 16. Y your paper of Saturday laft, you gave the town Bhoper, that you will dedicate that day to religion. You could not begin it better, than by warning your pupils of the poifon vented under a pretence to freethinking. If you can fpare room in your next Saturday's paper for a few lines on the fame fubject, these are at your difpofal. I happened to be prefent at a public converfation of fome of the defenders of this difcourfe of free-thinking, and others that differed from them; where I had the di<verfion of hearing the fame men in one breath perfuade us to freedom of thought, and in the next offer to demonftate that we had no freedom in any thing. One would think men should blush to find themselves intangled in a greater contradiction than any the difcourfe ri dicules. This principle of free fatality, or neceffary liberty, is a worthy fundamental of the new feet: and in deed this opinion is an evidence and clearness fo nearly related to tranfubstantiation, that the fame genius feems requifite for either. It is fit the world should know how far reason abandons men that would employ it against re ligion. Which intention, I hope, justifies this trouble from, SIR, Your hearty well-wisher, MISATHEUS. No 10. Monday, March 23. Venit ad me fæpe clamitans Veftitu nimium indulges nimium ideptus es; ar He is perpetually coming to me, and ringing in my ears, that I do wrong to indulge him fo much in the ticle of drefs: but the fault lies in his own exceffive and unreasonable feverity. HEN I am in deep meditation, in order to give W my wards proper have a regard to the prevalence of things which people of merit neglect, and from which those of no merit raife to themselves an esteem. Of this nature is the business of dress. It is weak in a man of thought and reflection, to be either depreffed or exalted from the perfections or disadvantages of his perfon. However, there is a respective conduct to be obferved in the habit, according to the eminent diftinction of the body, either way. A gay youth, in the poffeffion of an ample fortune, could not recommend his understanding to those who are not of his acquaintance, more fuddenly than by fobriety in his habit. As this is winning at first fight, fo a perfon gorgeoufly fine, which in Itfelf fhould avoid the attraction of the beholder's eyes, gives as immediate offence. I make it my business, when my Lady Lizard's youngeft daughter, Mifs Molly, is making cloaths, to confider her from head to foot; and cannot be eafy when there is any doubt lies upon me concerning the colour of a knot, or any other part of her head drefs; which, by its darkness or liveliness, might too much allay or bright en her complexion. There is fomething loofe in looking as well as you poffibly can; but it is alfo a vice not to take care how you look. The indifcretion of believing that great qualities make up for the want of things lefs confiderable, is punished too feverely in those who are guilty of it. Every day's experience Thews us, among variety of people with whom we are not acquainted that we take impreffions too favourable and too disadvantageous of men at first fight from their habit. I take this to be a point of great confideration; and I fhall confider it in my future precautions as fuch. As to the female world, I fhall give them my opinion at large, by way of comment, upon a new fuit of the Sparkler's, which is to come home next week. I defign it a model for the ladies. She and I have had three private meetings about it. As to the men, I am very glad to hear, being myfelf a fellow of Lincoln-college, that there is at laft in one of our univerfities rifen a happy genius for little things. It is extremely to be lamented that hitherto we come from the college as unable to put on our own cloaths as we do from nurse. We owe many misfortunes, and an unhappy backwardness in urging our way in the world, to the neglect of thefe less matters. For this reafon I fhall authorise and support the gentleman who writes me the following letter; and though, out of diffidence of the reception his propofal fhould meet with from me, he has given himself too ludicrous a figure, I doubt not but from his notices to make men who cannot arrive at learning in that place, come from thence without appearing ignorant; and fuch as can, to be truly knowing without appearing bookish, I SIR, To the GUARDIAN. Oxford, March 18. 1712-13. FORESEE that you will have many correfpondents in this place; but as I have often obferved with grief of heart, that scholars are wretchedly ignorant in the fcience I profefs, I flatter myself that my letter will gain a place in your paper. I have made it my ftudy, Sir, I in these feats of learning, to look into the nature of vention. As it is neceffary to have the head clear, as well as the complexion; to be perfect in this part of learning, I rarely mingle with the men, (for I abhor wine), but frequent the tea tables of the ladies. I know every part of their drefs, and can name all their things by their names. I am confulted about every ornament they buy; 1 and, I fpeak it without vanity, have a very pretty fancy to knots and the like. Sometimes I take a needle and spot a piece of muflin for pretty Patty Crofs-ftitch, who is my prefent favourite; which, fhe fays, I do reatly enough or read one of your papers, and explain the motto; which they all like mightily. But then I am a fort of petty tyrant amongst them: for I own I have my humours. If any thing be amifs, they are fure Mr Sleek will find fault; if any hoity-toity things make a fufs, they are fure to be taken to pieces the next visit. I am the dread of poor Celia, whofe wrapping-gown is not right India; and am avoided by Thaleftris in her fecondhand mantua, which feveral mafters of arts think very fine, whereas I perceived it had been scoured with half an eye. Thus have I endeavoured to improve my understanding; and am defirous to communicate my innocent dif. coveries to thofe, who, like me, may diftinguifh them felves more to advantage by their bodies than their minds. I do not think the pains I have taken in these my studies thrown away; fince by these means, though I am not very valuable, I am however not difagreeable. Would gentlemen but reflect upon what I lay, they VOL. I. E |