411 'fon of your picking a Quarrel with me was, because it is more agreeable to your Principles, as well as more to the Honour of your affured Victory, to attack a Governor. Mr. Ifaac, 'Mr. Ifaac, I can fee into a Mill-ftone as far as ' another (as the Saying is). You are for fowing the Seeds of Sedition and Disobedience among my Puppets, and your Zeal for the (good old) Caufe would make you perfwade Punch to pull the String from his Chops, and not move his Jaw when I have a mind he 'fhould harangue. Now I appeal to all Men, "if this is not contrary to that uncontroulable, ⚫ unaccountable Dominion, which by the Laws ' of Nature I exercife over 'em; for all Sorts of • Wood and Wire were made for the Use and * Benefit of Man: I have therefore an unquefti'onable Right to frame, fashion, and put them ' together, as I please; and having made them what they are, my Puppets are my Property, and therefore my Slaves: Nor is there in Nature any Thing more juft, than the Homage which is paid by a lefs to a more excellent Being: So that by the Right therefore of a superior Genius, I am their fupreme Moderator, ' altho' you would infinuate (agreeably to your levelling Principles) that I am my self but a $ great Puppet, and can therefore have but a coordinate Jurifdiction with them. I fuppofe I have now fufficiently made it appear, that I. ⚫ have a paternal Right to keep a Puppet-Show, ' and this Right I will maintain in my Prologues on all Occafions. 'And And therefore, if you write a Defence of your felf against this my Self-Defence, I admonish you to keep within Bounds; for every Day will not be fo propitious to you as the 29th of April; and perhaps my Refentment may get the better of my Generofity, and I may no longer fcorn to fight one who is not my Equal with unequal Weapons: There are 'fuch Things as Scandalums Magnatums; there'fore take Heed hereafter how you write fuch Things as I cannot easily answer, for that will put me in a Passion. I order you to handle only these Two Propofitions, to which our Difpute may be reduced: The First, Whether I have not an Abfolute Power, whenever I please, to light a Pipe with one of Punch's Legs, or warm my Fingers with his whole Carcass? The Second, Whether the Devil would not be in Punch, 'fhould he by Word or Deed oppose my Sove⚫reign Will and Pleafure? And then, perhaps, I may (if I can find Leisure for it) give you • the Trouble of a fecond Letter. But if you intend to tell me of the Original ' of Puppet-Shows, and the feveral Changes ⚫ and Revolutions that have happened in them, fince Thefpis, and I don't care who, that's Noli me tangere, I have folemnly engaged to say nothing of what I can't approve. Or, if you talk ' of certain Contracts with the Mayor and Burgeffes, or Fees to the Constables, for the Privilege of acting, I will not write one single • Word about any fuch Matters; but shall leave you to be mumbled by the learned and very ⚫ ingenious ingenious Author of a late Book, who knows very well what's to be faid and done in fuch Cafes. He is now fhuffling the Cards, and dealing to Timothy; but if he wins the Game, I will fend him to play at Backgammon with and then he will fatisfy you, that DeuceAce makes Five. you; And fo, fubmitting my felf to be try'd by my Country, and allowing any Jury of 12 good Men, and true, to be that Country; not excepting any (unless Mr. Ifaac Bicker ftaff) to be of the Pannel, for you are neither good nor true; I bid you heartily farewel; and am, Diftaff (Jenny), her Difcourfe on 274 277 Her Account of her own Conduct 331 Diverfions for the K. of D. at Dref- 282 348 112 Divito's Sale of Goods Celestial and E. 242 125 Earl of Effex; a Play: Its Character, Eter. 123 335 62 163 Eafie Writers, F. 32 61 Felicia, its Happiness. Wells. 372 315 299 157 The Fox (a Play) applauded. 182 126,127 104 French King's Subjects Answer to his 366 Letter. 69 Frontlet, her Charafter. 248 209 125 Gamefters Mifery and alternate State. 118 Vhat Men of Wealth play againft 134 |