cipline of one of thofe Hags of Hell. whom we call Bawds. But left I fhould grow too fuddenly grave on this Subject, and be my felf outragioufly good, I fhall turn to a Scene in one of Fletcher's Plays, where this Character is drawn, and the Oeconomy of Whore dom most admirably defcribed. The Paffage I would point to is in the third Scene of the fecond Act of the Humourous Lieutenant. Leucippe, who is Agent for the King's: Luft, and bawds at the fame time for the whole Court, is very pleafantly introduced, reading her Minutes as a Perfon of Bufinefs, with two Maids, her Under-Secretaries, taking Inftructions at a Table before her. Her Women, both thofe under her prefent Tutelage, and thofe which the is laying wait for, are alphabetically fet down in her Book; and fhe is looking over the Letter C, in a muttering Voice, as if between Soliloquy and fpeaking out, fhe fays,

Her Maidenhead wilk yield me; let fee now;
She is not fifteen they say: For her Complexion--
Cloe, Cloe, Cloe: here I have her:
Cloe, the Daughter of a Country Gentleman;
Her Age upon Fifteens Now her Complexion,

A

A lovely brown; here'tis; Eyes black and rowling,

The Body neatly built; she strikes a Lute well, Sings most enticingly: Thefe Helps confider'd Her Maiden-head will amount to fome three hundred,

Or three hundred and fifty Crowns, 'twill bear it bandfomly.

Her Father's poor, fome little Share deducted
To buy him a Hunting Nag-

THESE Creatures are very well inftructed in the Circumftances and Manners of all who are any way related to the fair one whom they have a Defign upon. As Cloe is to be purchafed with 350 Crowns, and the Father taken off with a Pad; the Merchant's Wife next to her, who abounds in Plenty, is not to have downright Money, but the mercenary Part of her Mind is engaged with a Present of Plate and a little Ambition. She is made to understand that it is a Man of Quality who dies for her. The Examination of a young Girl for Business, and the crying down her Value for being a flight Thing, together with every other Circumftance in the Scene, are inimitably excellent, and have the

true

true Spirit of Comedy; tho' it were to be wished the Author had added a Circumftance which fhould make Leucippe's Business more odious.

IT must not be thought a Digreffion from my intended Speculation, to talk of Bawds in a Difcourfe upon Wenches; for a Woman of the Town is not throughly and properly fuch, without having gone through the Education of one of these Houses. But the compaffionate Cafe of very many is, that they are taken into fuch Hands without any the leaft Sufpicion, previ ous Temptation, or Admonition to what Place they are going. The laft Week I went to an Inn in the City, to enquire for fome Provifions which were fent by a Waggon out of the Country; and as I waited in one of the Boxes till the Chamberlain had looked over his Parcels, I heard an old and a young Voice repeating the Questions and Refponfes of the Church-Catechism. F thought it no Breach of good Manners to peep at a Crevife, and look in at People fo well employed; but who should

fee there but the moft artful Procurefs in the Town, examining a moft beautiful Country-Girl, who had come

up

up in the fame Waggon with my Things, Whether he was well educated, could forbear playing the Wanton with Servants and idle Fellows, of which this Town, fays the, is too full: At the fame time, Whether she knew enough of breeding, as that if a Squire or a Gentleman, or one that was her Betters, fhould give ber a Civil Salute, fhe bould curtfie and be humble nevertheless. Her innocent for fooths, yes's, and't please you's, and fhe would do her Endeavour, moved the good old Lady to take her out of the Hands of a Country Bumkin her Brother, and hire her for her own Maid. Iftay'd till I faw them all marched out to take Coach; the Brother loaded with a great Cheefe, he prevailed upon her to take for her Civilities to his Sifter. This poor Creature's Fate is not far off that of her's whom I spoke of above; and it is not to be doubted, but after the has been long enough a Prey to Luft fhe will be delivered over to Famine; the Ironical Commendation of the Industry and Charity of thefe antiquated Ladies. Thefe Directors of Sin, after they can no longer commit it, make up the Beauty of the inimitable Dedication to the Plain Dealer, and is a Mafter

J

piece

piece of Rallery on this Vice. But to understand all the Purlues of this Game the better, and to illuftrate this Subject in future Difcourfes, I muft venture my felf, with my Friend WILL, into the Haunts of Beauty and Gallantry; from pampered Vice in the Habitations of the Wealthy, to diftreffed indigent Wickedness expelled the Harbours of the Brothel.

T

N° 267. Saturday, January 5.

Gedite Romani Scriptores, cedite Graii.

T

Propert.

HERE is nothing in Nature more irksome than general Difcourfes, especially when they turn chiefly upon Words. For this Reafon I fhall wave the Difcuffion of that Point which was ftarted fome Years fince, whether Milton's Paradife Loft may be called an Heroick Poem? Thofe who will not give it that Title, may call it (if they pleafe) a Divine Poem. It