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was fent abroad on his travels, but never got further than Paris; where having loft a confiderable bet of four to one concerning the taking a town in Flanders, he was obliged to come back with a few guineas he borrowed to bring him over. Here he foon became univerfally known by frequenting every gaming-table, and attending every horfe- race in the kingdom. He firft reduced betting into an art, and made White's the grand market for wagers. He is at length fuch an adept in this art, that whatever turn things take, he can never lofe: this he has effected, by what he has taught the world to call hedging a bet. There is fcarce a contefted election in the kingdom, which will not end to his advantage; and he has lately fent over commiffions to Paris to take up bets on the recall of the parliament. He was the first, that ftruck out the abovementioned practice of pitting; in which he is fo thoroughly verfed, that the death of every perfon of quality may be faid to bring him a legacy; and he has fo contrived the bets on his own life, that (live or die) the odds are in his favour.

On the AMUSEMENTS of SUNDAY.

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[Connoif. N° 26.]

Gentleman of my acquaintance lately laid before me an estimate of the confumption of bread and cheefe, cakes, ale, &c. in all the little towns near Lon don every Sunday. It is incredible how many thoufand buns are devoured in that one day at Chelsea and Paddington; and how much beer is swallowed at Iflington and Mile End. Upon the whole I was vaftly entertained with a review of this estimate, and could not help approving the obfervation of Tom Brown," that the "Sabbath is a very fine inftitution, fince the very breaking of it is the fupport of half the villages about “ our metropolis.”

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Our common people are very obfervant of that part of the commandment, which enjoins them to do man

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ner of work on that day, which they also feem to underftand as a licence to devote it to pleasure. They take this opportunity of thrufting their heads into the pillory at Georgia, being fworn at Highgate, and rolling down Flamstead-Hill in the park at Greenwich. As they all aim at going into the country, nothing can be a greater misfortune to the meaner part of the inhabitants of London and Westminster than a rainy Sunday; and how many honeft people would be balked of a ride once a week, if the legislature was to limit the hired one-horfe chaifes working on that day to a certain number as well as the hackney coaches.

The fubftantial tradefman is carried to his fnug box, which has nothing rural about it except the ivy that over-runs the front, and is placed as near to the roadfide as poffible, where the pleasure of seeing carriages pafs under his window amply compenfates for his being almost fmothered with duft. The few fmart prentices, who are able to fit an horfe, may be seen spurring their broken-winded hacks up the hills; and the good-natured hufband together with his mate is dragged along the road to the envy and admiration of the footpaffenger, who (to compleat the Sunday picture) trudges patiently with a child in one arm, while his beloved doxy leans on the other, and waddles at his fide fweltring beneath the unufual weight of an hoop-petticoat.

It is not to be fuppofed that the country has in itfelf any peculiar attractive charms to thofe who think themfelves out of the world, if they are not within the found of Bow Bell. To most of our cockneys it ferves only as an excufe for eating and drinking; and they get out of town merely because they have nothing to do at home: a brick-kiln Imells as fweet to them as a farm-yard; they would pass by a barn or an hay-ftack without notice; but they rejoice at the fight of every hedge ale-houfe, that promifes good home-brew'd. As the reft of a cit's life is regular and uniform, his Sunday diverfion's have as little variety; and if he was to take a journal of them, we might fuppofe that it would run much in the following manner.

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Sunday

Sunday-Overflept myfelf-Did not rife till nineWas a full hour in pulling on my new double channel'd pumps.-Could get no breakfaft, my wife being bufy in dreffing herself for church.

At ten-Family at church-Self walked to Mother Redcap's-Smoked half a pipe, and drank a pint of the Alderman's. N. B. The beer not fo good as at the Adam and Eve at Pancrass.

Dined at one-Pudding not boiled enough, fuet mufty-Wife was to drive me in an one-horse chaife to fee Mother Wells at Endfield-Wah, but it looked likely to rain-Took a nap, and posted feven pages from my day-book 'till five. Mem. Colonel Promife has loft his election, and is turned out of his place.To arreft him to-morrow.

At fix Mrs. Deputy to drink tea with my wife-I hate their flip-flops-Called on my neighbour the CommonCouncil-man, and took a walk with him to Iflington.

From feven to eight-Smoked a pipe at the Castle, eat an heart-cake, and drank two pints of cyder. N. B. To drink cyder often, becaufe neighbour tells me it is good for the ftone and gravel.

At nine-Got to town again, very much fatigued with the journey-Pulled off my claret coloured coat, and blue fattin waistcoat-Went to club, fmoked three pipes, came home at twelve, and flept very foundly, till the prentice called me to go and take out a writ against Colonel Promise.

As to perfons of quality, like Lady Loverule in the farce, they cannot fee why one day should be more holy than another: therefore Sunday wears the fame face with them, as the reft of the week. Accordingly, for fome part of this fummer, Ranelagh was opened on Sunday evenings; and I cannot help wondering that the cuftom did not continue. It must have been very convenient to pass away the time there, 'till the hour of meeting at the card-table; and it was certainly more decent to fix affignations there than at church.

Going to church may, indeed, be reckoned among our Sunday amufements, as it is made a mere matter of diverfion among many well meaning people, who are

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induced to appear in a place of worship from the fame motives, that they frequent other public places. To fome it anfwers all the purposes of a rout or affembly, to fee and be feen by their acquaintance; and from their bows, nods, curt'fies, and loud converfations, one might conclude that they imagined themfelves in a drawing-room. To others it affords the cheap opportunity of fhowing their tafte for drefs: Not a few, I believe, are drawn together in our cathedrals and larger churches by the influence of the mufic rather than the prayers, and are kept awake by a jig from the organ-loft, though they are lulled afleep by the harangue from the pulpit. A well-difpofed chriftian will go a mile from his own house to the Temple-Church, not becaufe a Sherlock is to preach, but to hear a Solo from Stanley.

But though going to church may be deemed a kind of amufement, yet upon modern principles it appears fuch a very odd one, that I am at a lofs to account for the reasons, which induced our ancestors to give into that method of paffing their Sunday. At leaft it is fo wholly incompatible with the polite fyftem of life, that a perfon of fashion (as affairs are now managed) finds it abfolutely impoffible to comply with this practice. Then again the fervice always begins at fuch unfashionable hours, that in the morning a man must huddle on his clothes like a boy to run to fchool, and in an afternoon must inevitably go without his dinner. In order to remove all these objections, and that fome ritual may be established in this kingdom agreeable to our inclinations and confiftent with our practice, the following SCHEME has been lately fent me in order to fubmit ity to the ferious confideration of the Public.

Imprimis, It is humbly propofed, that Chriftianity be entirely abolished by act of Parliament, and that no other religion be impofed on us in its ftead; but as the age grows daily more and more enlightened, we may at laft be quite delivered from the influence of fuperftition and bigotry.

Secondly, That in order to prevent our ever relapsing into pious errors, and that the common people may

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not

not lofe their holiday, every Sunday be fet apart to commemorate our victory over all religion; that the Churches be turned into Free-thinking Meeting-Houfes, and difcourfes read in them to confute the doctrine of a future ftate, the immortality of the foul, and other abfurd notions, which fome people now regard as objects of belief.

Thirdly, That a Ritual be compiled exactly oppofite to our prefent Liturgy; and that instead of reading portions of Scripture, the firft and fecond leffons fhall confift of a fection of the Poft-humous Works of Lord Bolingbroke, or of a few pages from the writings of Spinoza, Chubb, Maundeville, Hobbes, Collins, Tindal, &c. from which writers the preachers fhall alfo take their text.

Fourthly, That the ufual Feafts and Fafts, viz. Chriftmas Day, Eafter Sunday, Trinity Sunday, &c. be ftill preferved, but that on thofe days difcourfes be delivered fuitable to the occafion, containing a refutation of the Nativity, the Refurrection, the Trinity, &c.

Fifthly, That inftead of the vile melody of a Clerk bawling out two ftaves of Sternhold and Hopkins, or a cathedral choir finging anthems from the pfalter, fome of the most fashionable cantatas, opera-airs, fongs, or catches, be performed by the beft voices for the entertainment of the company.

Lastly, That the whole fervice be conducted with fuch tafte and elegance, as may render thefe Free-thinking Meeting-Houfes as agreeable as the theatres; and that they may be even more judiciously calculated for the propagation of atheifm and infidelity, than the Robin Hood Society or the Oratory in Clare Market.

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On CLEANLINESS.

[Spect. No. 631.]

Had occafion to go a few miles out of town, fome days fince, in a stage-coach, where I had for my fellow-travellers a dirty bean, and a pretty young quakerwoman. Having no inclination to talk much at that

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