fentence of death, her brother, Patrick Flanagan, being in keeping with two or three dutcheffes. A gang of footpads, in Straw Hats and Red Cloaks, have infefted the New Road near Iflington for fome time paft. Two of them, very defperate viragoes, were takenby Mrs. Juftice Foolding's women last night, and by her worship's warrant committed to New Prifon. We hear that Mrs. Catherine Macaulay will certainly be the Middlesex member. Laft night a street-walker in the Strand, who has long been known among his fellow prostitutes by the name of Black Tom, was very much maltreated by fome young ladies who had been spending the evening at the Shakespeare tavern. The poor wretch now lies dangerously ill, and it is thought will not long furvive. One of the young ladies is faid to be the eldest daughter of a popular countefs. Laft week Mifs Theodofia Forrefter, being on a party of shooting near her mama's feat in Dor❤ fetshire, had the misfortune of lofing her right breaft by the ftock of the barrel of the gun burfting at the time of her firing. The The fame day Mifs Stiles put out her collarbone by a fall from her horfe in jumping over a fivebar-gate. One of the capital figures at the last masquerade was a lady in the character of Eve, in a fuit of Flefh-coloured filk, with an apron of Fig-Leaves. SIR, TO THE PRINTER. Tuesday, Dec. 4, 1770. THERE are in every language, ancient and modern, certain heterogeneous words and anomalous expreffions, which render it more difficult to be acquired by ftudents and foreigners than even the moft licentious idiomatick phrafes, or the moft irregular combination of fentences. In vain may the laborious Lexicographer boast of having traced every radical word through a collateral feries. of Parallel Ramifications. The Philologift ftill toils with hopeless investigation, and finds himself bewildered in the maze of petty Familiarity and entangled in Colloquial Barbarifms. The Ebullitions of Convivial or Epiftolary Humour, and the Sallies of Dramatick Hilarity, the Lucubrations of the the Periodical Effayift, the Sportive Vein and Dry Intelligence of our Diurnal, Nocturnal, and Hebdomadal Hiftorians, are almoft totally unintelligible for want of an adequate interpretation. To remedy this defect in English Literature, I have, with infinite labour, compiled a Vocabulary or Gloffary, intended as a Supplement to a larger and more folemn Dictionary. It is easy to foresee that the idle and illiterate will complain that I have increased their labours by endeavouring to diminish them, and that I have explained what is more eafy by what is more difficult-Ignotum per ignotius. I expect, on the other hand, the liberal acknowledgments of the learned. He who is buried in Sholaftick Retirement, fecluded from the affemblies of the Gay, and remote from the circles of the Polite, will at once comprehend the definitions, and be grateful for such a seasonable and neceffary Elucidation of his Mother Tongue. Annexed to this letter is a fhort fpecimen of the Work, thrown together in a vague and defultory manner, not even adhering to alphabetical concatenation. The whole will be comprifed in two Folio Volumes, and will appear fome time within the enfuing twenty years. In the mean while, fubfcriptions are taken in at all the most eminent book fellers fellers in London and Weftminfter; of whom may be learnt all further particulars relative to this arduous and important undertaking. SPECIMEN. Higgledy-piggledy,-Conglomeration and Confufion. See-Saw,-Alternate Preponderation. Fee! Fau! Fum!-Gigantick Intonations. Hobble-de-boy,-Adolefcence, between the period Willy nilly-The Execution of an Act maugre the confent of another. Dingle-dangle,-Aerial Sufpenfion. Ninnyhammer Nincomprop, Afinine Wretches. Ninnyhammer, Hocus-pocus,-Pfeudo-necromancy. Jemminy-criminy,-An emafculate Obteftation. Rigmarole,-Difcourfe, incoherent and rhapfo dical. Zig-zag,-Tranfverfe Angles: Crincum-crancum,-Lines of Irregularity and In volution. Helter-skelter,-Quafi Hilariter & Celeriter, fignifying Motion of equal Jocundity and Velocity. Hodge-podge,-A culinary Mixture of heterogeneous Ingredients, applied metaphorically to all difcordant Combinations. Philological Difquifitions are but ill adapted to the readers of a fugacious paper. Having, therefore already given a fufficient indication of my purpofe to the Philofopher, the Academick, and the Scholar, I fhall at prefent add no further interpretations; but in order to convince the learned of the Neceffity and Importance of the work announced to them, I fhall fomewhat enlarge the catalogue of terms that demand explication; which like base metal among legitimate coin, have, by long usage, become |