tion had Temples built for them, the inferior Gods were admitted into the Temples of their Betters; except Onions and Garlick, the Deities of the Egyptians, which were conftantly perfecuted by the Roman Soldiery and Popuface. If it be ask'd, how this Scheme can promote Chriftianity? I anfwer. All Religions will have a fair Hearing, and what can be faid

for each will foon be known; and fo the Falfe W

be found unfound and perish; but the true one, or the Chriftian, furvive alone.

Thefe Propofals may perhaps, at first, fheck fome prejudiced Perfons, bred up in the Sla- B very of old Errors, and a narrow way of Thinking; however, I fhall not think my Pains ill beltowed, if my Sketches be approved by thofe clear Heads and free Spirits who have fo often admired them in the great Originals, whence I have only copied them in Miniature. As the Times may not be quite ripe for the Execution of fuch great Defigns; I must expect C to be treated, as all publick spirited Projectors ufually are, with Envy and Detraction.

The Vulgar may think, the Authors I have borrow'd from, Enemies to Chriftianity, becaufe they have laid Defigns to revive it above their Comprehenfion. But, as no canoniz'd Saint ever gave higher Encomiums of the Truth and Excellence of the Chriftian Reli- D gion, it would be cruel and unchriftian to fufpect them of Aims to overturn it.

Our Legislators, who have more Difcernment, will diftinguish better; and tho' none of the foregoing Propofals be approved, 'tis hoped they will think of fome more, effectual Expedient for the Revival of Chritianity in thefe Countries. There are feveral fery good E political Reafons for it. Firft, as Religion, which, in the Divine Poet Herbert's Time,

Stood a Tiptoes on our Land

Ready to fly to the American Strand, is now flown fo, that thofe who have any Regard for it, will be obliged to fly after it; our Lawgivers would do well to ufe their utmost Endeavours to retrieve it among ourfelves, to F prevent the Decrease of our People, and the wafting our Eftates. Would it not be abfurd that our Parliament, while they are with fuch Diligence, concerting Measures for raifing fufficient Quantities of Hops, Wheat, &c. by cultivating our own Lands, in order to prevent the fending out our Money to procure thofe Commodities from abroad, fhould in the mean Time take no Care to revive and cultivate Chriftianity, which if received among us, might keep the Inhabitants in the Nation.

2. Chriftianity is of incomparable Efficacy, in rendering its Profeffors regardless of Riches, and the other good Things of this World; nor does it lefs powerfully infpire Patience under Oppreffion and Tribulations. A true Chriftian can refign himself to any Kind of Treatment without murmuring, he can bear Contempt and Poverty without the smallest Refentment at him who fqueezes or plunders him. Now I humbly fubmit, Whether it is not ex

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E have received another Letter from A. B. which recapitulates the Dif pute between him and Tarico, and claims a Victory; efpecially concerning the Pope's fucceeding Peter in the Supremacy, not as Bp of Rome; how juftly let the Reader decide from what has been already offer'd. He alfo objects to all Tarico's Inftances of the Pope's pretending to Power. See p. 3, 4.

"I own, fays A. B. I fufpet the Truth of "them upon your Quotation, fince you are fo "much out in the Fact on which you lay fo "much Strefs, viz. On Gregory the 8th's « treading on the Emperor's Neck. This "Fact Baronius has demonftrated to be "Fition. The fame may be faid of the cruel "Actions, you aver to be recorded in the "Church-Office of the faid Pontiff, fince as "I am credibly inform'd, there's no fuch "Saint or Office, in the Roman Breviary."

Feb. 15.

A. B.

N. B. If thefe Writers can't agree upon Facts, we think it vain to trouble the Reader, with the Arguments they would build upon them.

From the Prompter. N° 133.

In Defence of thefe Words in the Prayer of a
Philofopher,

"IF thou vouchfafeft to regard the Thoughts,
"the Words, or the Actions of Men; IF
k any of my Actions can poffibly please
or difpleafe thee, &c."

T is objeted (by Bavius in the Grubstreet

Fournal,) that the Ifs are implicit Denials of both natural and reveal'd Religion. But I have already fhewn from Reafon that they are not; but as Reafon feems to be quite out of the Latitude of this Bigot, I shall prefent him with the following Text from Scripture, Phil. iv. 8. Finally, Brethren, whatso ever Things are true, &c. Is there be any Virtue, Is there be any Praife, think of thefe Things. It be as well afferted, that may thefe Ifs are implicit Denials of what is contained in the Verfe, which, I believe, are ufed by the Apoftle rather as a ftrengthening perfuafive Argument to the Philippians, than the calling it in Queftion, and means, argumentatively, in other Words I refer it to you Philippians, I leave it to you to judge, whether you ought not to think of these Things, fince you know within yourselves, there is Virtue, there is Praife. Another Paragraph (in the Grubfireet Journal) thews the unfair Bigot in his true Light, of turning the most innocent Expreflion into Herefy or Infidelity. This candid Chriftian fays, The PROMPTER

Jupposes the Chriftian Religion to be an Impofture; by his Expreffion (See p. 3 A.) betanfe he has no where declared it NOT to be an Impasture.

A Wretch, capable of faying this of any A Man, is capable of lighting up a Smithfield Pile, and would, no Doubt, if he had the Power in his Hands. If thefe are the Sentiments of a Chriftian, I can boldly borrow Oroonoko's Speech, and fay to this Reverend Caviler,

Tou are a Chriftian, Be a Chriftian ftill.

As to my not having declared the Chriftian Religion, not to be an Impoiture; till it is a Part of the established Religion of my Country, for every Individual to make a Confeffion of his Faith, and particular Belief, to a Grub Street Pricft, when called upon, I fhall beg Leave to be ranked among Chriftians, on the fame Terms that the reit of the Nation

are; viz. by my profeffing myself to be a willing, uncompelled Member of a Community, where Chriftianity is the eftablished Religion; in the fame Manner, as I acknowledge myfelf to be a willing and uncompelled Subject of a Body Politick, where Liberty is the Bafis of the Government.

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N. B. The Prompter is mistaken if he ima- D gines Ruffelo Grubeus wrote the original Letters in our laft.

Grubstreet Journal. N° 320.

On the Prompter's Stile and Punétuation.

A livelihood, or any tolerable degree of

Gentleman, who would get either his

reputation as a publick writer, ought to take care he act up to the character he profeffes. If as a Promper, he fhould give his cues in a diftinet and intelligible manner.

Suffer me therefore to ask Mir Prompter, how we, who are actors on the ftage of the world, fhall be the better for our Volunteer Prompter, if he continues to deal in words and phrafes, to which our ears are not accuftomed, and which convey no diftinét ideas to the mind? What are we to under ftand by the dreadfully collected calmness, and the apprehenfive tyrannic fagacity, which compofe the character of Richard III; and thofe low mincing curtails of magnanimity, by which you tell us Mr Cibber mifreprefents the part he acts? The diftorted heavings of an unjointed caterpillar, is, I think, a new comparifon; I with it had been as juft: for I would fain know how that poor reptile can exprefs that motion when disjointed? Nor do I conceive what majesty there can be in transports, which are critically confidered as violent emotions of a diftempered foul, or marks of a weak and fluctuating mind.

But the most extraordinary piece of myftical verbology (excufe me one hard word) is difplayed in what you juftly term a prodigy, viz. an actor general, plastic and unfpecificate. I have been at fome pains to guess at the

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meaning of thefe terms (of art fhall I cal them?), as applied to pcor Celly Cibber, and till you, Mr Prompter, are pleafed to afford me fome information on that head, I, as an actor, thall not venture to pronounce them in my part.

I hall take no notice of your faint endeavours after wit, and your perplex'd punctuation; which feems to prevent any manner of union between words,that ought to be allowed to approach one another without that ill-placed mark of feparation, the comnia.

CANDIDUS.

Craftsman Feb. 21 No. 503

RACHEL FORESIGHT to Mr D'ANVERS,
SIR,

S Justice,
and profeffed your Readiness to do it, upon all
Ince You have already done the fair Sex
as to their political Capacities,
other Occafions, I muft put You in Mind of
one Endowment, for which They have been
famous in all Ages, I mean the Spirit of Prophecy.

The Oracles of the ancient Sibyls (who were all Women) have acquir'd fuch an eftabh'd Reputation in the World, that they Them, who refided at Delphos, had fo much will for ever do Honour to our Sex. One of Authority amongst the Gracians, that no important Enterprize was undertaken without her Advice; and the Writings of another, who liv'd in a Cave at Cume, were held in fuch high Veneration amongst the Romans, that the religions Officers were appointed on Purpofe to confult them, upon all great Occalions, by Order of the Senate.

There are very few Nations in the World, which have not produc'd fome of these female Sages. Egypt was fo famous for the Art of Divination, that a Gypfy, or Egyptian, is a common Name for a Fortuneteller to this Day; and if we may judge of the antient Race by their pretended Defcendants, there were more Women than Men endow'd with this Gift.

Amongst the Moderns, Joan of Arc, in the Reign of Henry 6. ought never to be forgotten in this Kingdom; for the Englih were more fhamefully defeated in France, by the Predictions and military Exploits of that young Huffy (who, by the Way, came out of Lorrain) than by all their male Heroes either before or fince.

But no Country in Europe hath been more productive of these female Aftrologers and Magics than our own. Lancashire, my native Country and Place of Refidence, was always look'd upon as a Colony of Witches, and the wefrern Isles of Scotland have been equally renown'd for a certain Kind of Sootfayers, call'd fecond fighted Perfons. But I fhall confine myfelf, at prefent, to that celebrated Yorkshire Sibyl, Mrs Trfula hipton, commonly called Mother Shipton, who flourish'd in the Reign of Henry the 8th; and fince Merlin, the Welsh Oracle, has lately had fo much Honour done Him, I think it a little hard that

no Notice fhould be taken of his Sifter in the Same Art.

This great Trophetess came into the World, like her Brother Merlin, in a very extraordinary Manner, being begot by a Demon in A Mafquerade, on the Body of a poor young Girl, whom He found bemoaning her Condition by the fide of a River.

Many notable Pranks are recorded of Her, during her Childhood, as fetting Women upon their Heads, and transforming Men into horned Beafts; And her Fame foon fpread thro' the Kingdom, Multitudes of all Ranks reforted to Her for the Knowledge of future Events, which the explain'd to Them in feveral myftical prophecies, particularly Cardinal Wolfey's Downfal, and the Reformation of Religion; but the following is the moft remarkable of them all.

When the cow doth ride the bull,
Then, O priest, beware thy skull;
And when the lower fhrubs do fall
The great trees quickly follow fall;
The mitred peacock's lofty pride
Shall to his mafter be a guide:
And one great court to pafs shall bring,
What was ne'er done by any king.
The poor ball grieve to fee that day,
And who did feast must fast and pray ;
Fate fo decreed their overthrow

Riches brought pride, and pride brought woe.

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Whatever might be meant by this Prophecy, the great Character Mother Shipton hath fo juffly obtain'd by her other Predictions, puts it beyond all Doubt that it either hath been, or will be fulfilled fome Time or other; and I humbly propofe it to the Ladies of GreatBritain, who have the Honour of their Sex and the Intereft of Necromancy at Heart, that a magnificent Statue be erected to her Memory in fome Place of publick Refort, with Mother Bunch, on one Side, as her Prime Minifter, and Mother Osborne, as her Secretary, on the other.

I am the more free in expreffing my Concern for the Honour of Female Magick, fince a Bill is order'd to be brought into the Houfe of Commons, for repealing that pernici Cous Act of K. James 1. which feems to have been calculated to deftroy all the Conjurers in the Kingdom, except Himfelf; for without fome Proficiency, in that Art, it would have been impoffible for Him to fmell out a Gunpowder Plot in the Letter to Lord Monteagle, if He had no other Intelligence. Yet fuch a terrible Enemy was he to all People, D poffefs'd of the Jame Faculty, that He not only wrote an ever-memorable Treatife, call'd Damonology, against Them, but caus'd that fevere Act to be pafs'd, and enjoin'd all his Judges to put it ftrictly in Execution. This no Doubt, was a terrible Difcouragement to the Gifts of Prophecying; and though the At made no Diftinction of Sexes, yet ours was much the greatest Sufferer by it; for it was come to that Pafs at laft, that a IVoman could hardly grow poor, old and ugly (which arCurfes enough, in all Confcience, of thems felves) without Danger of being hang'd for a

This prophecy is interpreted as follows: The Cow meant K. Henry, who gave it in his, Arnis, as E. of Richmond, and the Bull betcken'd Mrs Anne Bulioigne, whom the King took to Wife, either became the firft Syllable of her Name was Bull, or because her E Father bore the Bull's Head for his Creit. The reft of the Prophecy is apply'd to the Sup preffion of Monafteries, in that Reign, with which it agrees well enough. But that the Cow fhould fignify the King, and the Bull the Quren, feems to be fo inconfiftent with the Character of Henry 8. that I fubmit it to you, and the Publick, whether the whole will not F bear fome other Conftruction.

May it not be apply'd, to the tragical Reign of K. Charles 1. when the Queen had too much Influence over that unhappy Prince? Arch-Bifhop Land may as properly be ftyl'd the mitred Peacock, as Cardiner Wolfey, fince his Pride was full as lofty, and at laft brought his Head to the Block. Nay it is more ap- G plicable to that Reign than the other; for Land's Fate led the Way to That of his Mafter; or, as the Prophecy lays, was a Guide to it; which was not the Cafe of Wolfey's Fall. The latter Part of the Prophecy anfwers likewife very well to the Subverfion of Church and State, as well as the Confufions and Calamities fubfequent upon it, by the over-bearing Pow- H er of infolent Sellaries.

Or, to bring it home to our own Times, what do you think, Mr D'anvers, of her prefent Catholick Majefty and Cardinal Alberoni, who was likewife a prend mitred Peacock, and fell

Witch.

Neither do I fuppofe that the Repeal of this All is intended purely as Matter of Favour to Us; for as we have fome great Men amongst Us, who have juftly acquir'd the Reputation of being Wizards, or Conjurers, their Enemies might take an Opportunity of putting this Law in Force against Them, for want of other Means to gratify their bloody minded Vows and Refentments.

Since the Perfons included in this All are, 1. Conjurers; who make use of Invocations, or magick Words, to raife the Devil, and compel Him to execute their Commands.

-Now, I'll appeal to You, Mr D'anvers, whether feveral Things, both at home and abroad, could have been lately brought to país, if a certain Gentleman, who fhall be nameless, had not had fome Dealing with another Gentleman in black.

2. Witches, or Wizards; who covenant with evil Spirits, and entertain Them in their Service, by Fees or Rewards.-This is fo common and well known a Cafe, that it flands In Need of no Explanation.

3. Sora

3. Sorcerers or Charmers; who by the Means of Images and odd Reprefentations of Perfons,or things, produce feranse Effects above the ordinary Courfe of Nature. I believe nobody will read this Article, without cafting his Eyes A on a little, cunning Man, who hath been muddling in the black Art, and produced feveral Strange Effects, certainly above the ordinary Courfe of Nature; for I will defy the wifeft Man in Europe to prove that the late happy Turn of Affairs, in Favour of the Emperor, was the natural Effect of his Negotiations, for ten Tears poft. By what Kind of Means B He hath done This, whether by the prevailing Influence of certain Images, or any odd Reprefentation of Perfon, I cannot fay; but He is certainly within the Statute, as a Sorcer er, therefore I fhall be glad to fee it repeal'd.

I muft likewife obferve, that You have been fufpected of keeping a Familiar yourself; for how could you otherwife foretell fo many re- € markable Events, which came exactly to pafs according to your Predictions.

It is therefore for the Good of all Parties, that this Alt fhould be repeal'd; and we have no Reafon to doubt it, fince it will not only answer the Purpose of an Act of Indemnity and fecure the great Perfons mentioned from any Indictment, or Articles of Impeachment, as D Conjurers; but, perhaps, give Them Grace, for the future, to defy the Devil and all his

Works.

I am come to Town, with feveral of my Countrywomen, to ufe my Intereft, on this Occafion; for I think it as incumbent upon all Perfons, who think Themfelves a little wifer than their Neighbours, (and That is no incon- E fiderable Party, in this Kingdom) to promote the Repeal of this Law, as the Diffenters do to follicit That of the Teft; but I was forry to hear that three or four Perfons fhould be fo indifcreet, as to appear, at the laft Masquerade, in their proper Characters, and perform feveral magical Opperations, before We have actually gain'd our Point; for I am very apprehenfive that This may be efteem'd an Infalt upon Anthority, as the Law ftands at prefent, and perhaps induce fome Perfons to oppofe the Repeal of it. Tour unknown Friend RACHEL FORESIGHT.

From the Occasional Paper. N° 7. Some Remarks on the Arguments drawn from State of Nature and Natural Rights urged by the Writers in favour of the Diffenters.

called a State of Nature, which is indeed fo unnatural, fo hard even to be fuppofed, I cannot well conceive.

Were Mankind one Society of Beings fo perfectly rational, that their Appetites and Paffions were in every Inftance entirely fubject to their Reafon, its very poffible there would be no Differences among them concerning their natural Rights. But if we take human Nature as we find it, wherein Reafon is fo imperfect; wherein Appetite and Paffion are fo very prevalent, we must expect that there will be at leaft feemingly interfering Rights, and great Difputes what is Right, what is Wrong.

Pufendorf founds the Law of Nature upon the Sociablenefs of the human Race. And thus much, I think, is very plain, that if we once diffolve the Bands of Society, and deftroy that beautiful Subordination, which our great Creator has made natural to us, and introduce a State of Equality and Independence, our natural Rights immediately interfere and clafh. Should two Perfons in this State meet upon a Bridge, or in a Path where one only can pafs at a time, which of them muft give Way to the other? Muft not one of them depart from his natural Right, or muft they ftand in the fame Place for ever? Should two light at the fame time upon one and the fame thing, which cannot be divided, whofe must be the Property? Should feveral of them meet in a Body as Arbitrators to decide fuch a Difference as this, which of them must speak firft? Which laft? Or mult they all talk together? For they have an equal Right. Shall this be determined by Lot? How fhall they come to that Determination? Unless therefore fome among them will depart from, or give up their natural Rights, I cannot perceive but that there must be an eternal Silence, or an eternal Jarring among them, without any Method of an Adjustment. And do we not by Experience find, when Sovereign Princes, who claim an Equality and Independence, or their Reprefentatives meet together, they often part without doing the Bufinefs which affembled them, upon the Account of fuch Rights as thefe, however frivolous they may appear? And muft always do fo, if many of them did not, by the Help of Protefts, and falvo jures, depart from or give up their natural Rights.

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One great Advantage of a well order'd Government is, that it prevents Men's being Judges in their own Cafes. We all know how prevalent a Principle is that of Self-Love; how very much it temps Men as well to magnify the Injuries they have received as to overrate their own Services; and how very unfit it is that any fhould be trufted with being their own Judges and Executioners. Notwithstanding, this i, by a Weekly Author, called a natural Right; and, he fays, that the Laws of England allow it in feveral Cafes. But I am apt to think he is much mistaken. I know not any one Inftance, in which it is or ught to be permitted. The Cafe of a necef

fary

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