The cafe of this gentleman deferves pity; efpecially if he loves fweetmeats, to which, if I may guefs by his letter, he is no enemy. In the mean time, I have often wondered at the indecency of difcharging the holieft man from the table, as foon as the most delicious parts of the entertainment are served up, and could never conceive a reason for so abfurd a cuftom. Is it because a liquorifh palate, or à fweet tooth, as they call it, is not confiftent with the fanctity of his character? This is but a trifling pretence. No man of the moft rigid virtue gives offence by any exceffes in plum pudding or plum porridge, and that because they are the first parts of the dinner. Is there any thing that tends to incitation in sweetmeats more than in ordinary difhes? Certainly not. Sugar-plums are a very innocent diet, and conserves of a much colder nature than your common pickles. I have fometimes thought that the ceremony of the chaplain's flying away from the defert was typical and figurative, to mark out to the company how they ought to retire from all the lufcious baits of temptation, and deny their appetites the gratifications that are most pleafing to them; or at leaft, to fignify that we ought to ftint ourselves in our moft lawful fatisfactions, and not make our pleafure, but our support, the end of eating but moft certainly, if fuch a leffon of temperance had been neceffary at a table, our clergy would have recommended it to all the lay-mafters of families, and not have difturbed other inen's tables with fuch unfeasonable examples of abftinence. The original therefore of this barbarous cuftom I take to have been merely accidental. The chaplain retired, out of pure complaifance, to make room for the removal of the dishes, or poffibly for the ranging of the defert. This by degrees grew into a duty, until at length, as the fashion improved, the good man found himself cut off from the third part of the entertainment; and if the arrogance of the patron goes on, it is not impoffible but, in the next generation, he may fee himself reduced to the tithe, or tenth difh of the table; a fufficient caution not to part with any privilege we are once poffeffed of. It was ufual for the priest in old times to feaft upon the facrifice, nay the honey

cake,

cake, while the hungry laity looked upon him with great devotion; or, as the late lord Rochester describes it, in a very lively manner,

And while the priest did eat the people star'd.

At present the custom is inverted; the laity feast, while the priest stands by as an humble fpectator. This neceffarily puts the good man upon making great ravages on all the dishes that ftand near him; and diftinguishing himself by voraciousness of appetite, as knowing that his time is fhort. I would fain afk thofe ftiff-necked patrons, whether they would not take it ill of a chaplain, that in his grace after meat should return thanks for the whole entertainment with an exception to the defert? And yet I cannot but think, that in fuch a proceeding he would but deal with them as they deserved. What would a Romancatholic prieft think, who is always helped firft, and placed next the ladies, fhould he fee a clergyman giving his company the flip at the first appearance of the tarts or sweetmeats? Would not he believe that he had the fame antipathy to a candied orange, or a piece of puff-paste, as fome have to a Chefhire cheese, or a breast of mutton? Yet to fo ridiculous a height is this foolifh cuftom grown, that even the Chriftmas pie, which in its very nature is a kind of confecrated cate, and a badge of distinction, is often forbidden to the druid of the family. Strange! that a firloin of beef, whether boiled or roafted, when entire, is expofed to his utmoft depredations and incifions; but, if minced into fmall pieces, and toffed up with plums and fugar, changes its property, and, forfooth, is meat for his master.

In this cafe I know not which to cenfure, the patron, or the chaplain, the infolence of power, or the abjectnefs of dependence. For my own part, I have often blushed to fee a gentleman, whom I knew to have much more wit and learning than myself, and who was bred up with me at the univerfity upon the fame foot of a liberal education, treated in fuch an ignominious manner, and funk beneath those of his own rank, by reason of that character which

which ought to bring him honour. This deters men of generous minds from placing themselves in fuch a station of life, and by that means frequently excludes perfons of quality from the improving and agreeable converfation of a learned and obfequious friend.

Mr. Oldham lets us know, that he was affrighted from the thought of fuch an employment by the fcandalous fort of treatment which often accompanies it.

Some think themselves exalted to the sky,
If they light in fome noble family:
Diet, an horfe, and thirty pounds a year,
Befides th' advantage of his lordship's ear,
'I he credit of the bus'nefs, and the ftate,
Are things that in a youngster's fenfe found great.
Little the unexperienced wretch does know,

What flavery he oft muft undergo.

Who, tho' in filken scarf and caflock dreft,
Wears but a gayer livery at beft.

When dinner calls, the implement must wait
With holy words to confecrate the meat,
But hold it for a favour feldom known,
If he be deign'd the honour to fit down.
Soon as the tarts appear; fir Crape, withdraw,
Thofe dainties are not for a spiritual maw.
Obferve your distance, and be sure to stand
Hard by the ciftern with your cap in hand:
There for diverfion you may pick your teeth,
Till the kind voider comes for your relief.
Let others, who fuch meanneffes can brook,
Strike countenance to ev'ry great man's look ;
I rate my freedom higher.

This author's raillery is the raillery of a friend, and does not turn the facred order into ridicule; but is a just cenfure on fuch perfons as take advantage from the neceffities of a man of merit, to impofe on him hardships that are by no means fuitable to the dignity of his profeffion.

NO

NO. 256. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1710.

Noftrum eft tantas componere lites.

VIRG. Ecl. 3. ver. 108.

'Tis ours fuch warm contentions to decide.
R. WYNNE.

The Proceedings of the Court of Honour, held in Sheerlane on Monday the twentieth of November, 1710, before ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Esquire, Censor of Great Britain.

PETER PLUMB, of London, merchant, was indicted by the honourable Mr. Thomas Gules, of Gule-hall in the county of Salop, for that the faid Peter Plumb did, in Lombard-ftreet, London, between the hours of two and three in the afternoon, meet the faid Mr. Thomas Gules,. and, after a fhort falutation, put on his hat, value five-pence, while the honourable Mr. Gules ftood bare-headed for the space of two feconds. it was further urged against: the criminal that, during his difcourfe with the profecutor, he feloniously stole the wall of him, having clapped his back against it in fuch a manner, that it was impoffiblefor Mr. Gules to recover it again at his taking leave of him. The profecutor alledged, that he was the cadet of a very ancient family; and that, according to the principles of all the younger brothers of the faid family, he had never fullied himself with business, but had chofen rather to ftarve like a man of honour than do any thing beneath his quality. He produced feveral witneffes, that he had never employed himself beyond the twisting of a whip, or the making of a pair of nut-crackers, in which he only worked for his diverfion, in order to make a prefent now and then to his friends. The prifoner being asked, what: he could fay for himfelf, caft feveral reflections upon the honourable Mr. Gules; as, that he was not worth a groat; that nobody in the city would trust him for a halfpenny;

No. 256. penny; that he owed him money, which he had promised to pay him several times, but never kept his word and in fhort, that he was an idle beggarly fellow, and of no ufe to the public. This fort of language was very feverely reprimanded by the Cenfor, who told the criminal, that he fpoke in contempt of the court, and that he should be proceeded against for contumacy, if he did not change his ftyle. The prifoner therefore defired to be heard by his counfel, who urged in his defence, that he put on his hat through-ignorance, and took the wall by accident. They likewife produced feveral witneffes, that he made feveral motions with his hat in his hand, which are generally understood as an invitation to the person we talk with to be covered; and that the gentleman not taking the hint, he was forced to put on his hat, as being troubled with a cold. There was likewife an Irifhman who depofed, that he had heard him cough three and twenty times that morning. And as for the wall, it was alledged, that he had taken it inadvertently, to fave himself from a shower of rain which was then falling. The Cenfor having confulted the men of honour, who fat at his right hand on the bench, found they were all of opinion, that the defence made by the prifoner's counfel did rather aggravate than extenuate his crime; that the motions and intimations of that hat were a token of fuperiority in conversation, and therefore not to be used by the criminal to a man of the profecutor's quality, who was likewife vefted with a double title to the wall at the time of their converfation, both as it was the upper hand, and as it was a fhelter from the weather. The evidence being very full and clear, the jury, without going out of court, declared their opinion unanimously by the mouth of their foreman, that the profecutor was bound in honour to make the fun fhine through the criminal, or, as they afterwards explained themselves, to whip him through the lungs.

The Cenfor knitting his brows into a frown, and looking very fternly upon the jury, after a little paufe, gave them to know, that this court was erected for the finding out of penalties fuitable to offences, and to restrain the outrages of private juftice; and that he expected they should moderate