modefty but the dogged virtue of thefe Cynics is the effect of a stupid infenfibility. ct St. AUGUSTINE ufed to fay, "that it was dangerous to fee a woman, more fo to speak with her, but "most of all, to touch her." ( Now, though it might be 'unfafe for one who had taken the vow of celibacy, yet we, whofe duty it is as members of fociety, and whofe intereft it is, if we regard our own happiness, to abjure celibacy, we cannot fee them too often, nor in too fair and tempting a light. • Women were formed to excite our defires, and by that means engage us to court their fociety, and fol licit a lafting union and as our modern ladies are 'well known to have too much spirit and virtue to encourage any licentious attempts, I cannot fee why they fhould not be at liberty to difplay all their 'charms, and make ufe of every allurement which amcTous fancy can fuggeft. And what man of feeling, at every tottering ftep of the fauntring fair one, can refift the intoxicating glance of her half naked beauties. • But this mode of apparel is not only the most en." gaging and attractive, but it excludes all forts of artful impofitions. And now the lover is in no danger of wedding a beauteous face, and having the ' mortification to difcover latent diftortions which may abate his tranfports. 'I hope, from what I have faid, the reader will be of opinion, that if what the fe furly Cenfors complain of are little indecorums, that yet they are by no means of modern growth, but borrowed from the ladies of antiquity. This leads me to obferve, that our British belles 'feem inclined to introduce the fashion of the Roman 'damfels in every particular of their drefs. For in my opinion, the flowing negligee which trails along the 'Mall, approaches very near to their demiffa ftola ; and if the modifh cardinal was ftill fomewhat more lengthened, it would bear a near refemblance to their circumdata Palla. There is one thing however, in which I heartily with the Roman cuftom was introduced among us, that is that fome proper officer was appointed to ! regulat regulate all matters relating to apparel, with proper authority to compel all courtezans to wear a particular fort of habit, as a mark of infamy; for at prefent it requires a nice difcernment, and one who, to ule the reigning phrafe, knows the town thoroughly, to diftinguish between a LUCRETIA and a LAIS. Such an inftitution, I apprehend, would contribute greatly to check the progrefs of public prostitution. It would be great injuftice to my lovely country. · women to conclude this fubject without taking notice ' of one improvement they have made, which fhews their prudent regard to pofterity. I mean, their 'giving fo much room to that part of their body which cannot be too early prepared for extenfion. It was to our ancestors' falfe tafte in gentility that we are indebted for the prefent race of pygmies. The ingenious doctor YOUNG, in his Revenge, has the two following lines, Who turn'd that flender wafle with fo much art, And hut perfection in fo small a ring. But he has lived to fee this gracility of fhape condemned as stiff and aukward: for now it is the per'fection of a waste to fwell to the dimenfions of a hogfhead. But as the embrio, by means of this 'caution, is in no danger of being cramped at its firft dawn into life, I do not doubt but that the fuccecding age will increase both in strength and stature. Bat The niece of QUINTIUS MARTIUS, a modest Roman lady, through an affected delicay, laced herfelf fo tight when she was with child, that he was delivered before her time, and died in labor. the ladies of our days are wiser than to risk their lives through fuch falfe modelty. Even the challe virgin dilates her attire, and, without a blush, difplays the tempting prominence, which trongly intimates that he is not averfe to receive the pleafing burthen which the boldly counterfeits. It must be acknowleged, that if, in other refpects, · they are only humble imitators, in this they have the glory to be originals. G I am Sir, your conftant Reader, LUDIFICATOR. No. 79. No. 79. Friday, October 21st, 1757. Neque enim loculis comitantibus itur E Juv. VERY man, who has the welfare of Great Britain zealously at heart, is at this critical juncture folicitous about various fchemes for raifing the neceffary fupplies for the fervice of the current year; fo as effectually to anfwer the defired end, and at the fame time be as little as poffible a burden on the people. Our enormous national debt, and the vaft annual interest arifing from it, is the grand obftruction to the easy raising of fums for our own defence, and for curbing the lawless ambition of our natural enemy. Whilst we are in thefe unhappy circumstances, aggravated by further diftreffes brought upon us by former weak adminiftrations, I am confident that a fcheme, which (if duly executed) will exonerate the nation from its infupportable loads of d bts, and at the fame time fupply a conftant fucceffion of able minifters, will be gratefully received by the public; more especially as it cannot, from its nature, caufe an injury to any one of the fubjects, but will contribute to the particular gratification of many of them. The Athenian lawgiver gained immortal honor by making the uncontroulable d fire of pleasures, that his countrymen were given up to, conducive to the improvement of their morals; and I expect no lefs efteem from Britons for fhewing them how they may attain the great ends I have propofed, by ftrenuoufly gratifying their prefent predominant paffion: a confequence of which (it may be hoped) will be a diminution of immorality amongst uft; fince, when the nation fhall be relieved from the diftreffed condition it has been methodically brought into by the adm-n-n of our affairs for a long feries feries of years paft, and a new system of public manage ment introduc d, a m-n-y may poffibly think it not fo neceffary to encourage every fpecies of vice, as the fureft means of difpofing the people for corruption and. venality. The inordinate excels which Gaming is come to amongst the great and opulent in this kingdom, has "been exclaimed at by many able writers. The certain, though at beft flow, diffipation of their fortunes, the injuries frequently done to their health, and the anxious and turbulent agitations of their minds, have been pointed out to them in the strongest terms, but to no effect. I therefore humbly propofe that a law may be enacted to oblige every wealthy Gamefter in this kingdom (whether nobleman or gentleman) to stake in one bett all his real and perfonal fortune, and in cafe he fhould win the first bett, to oblige him to double it on till he should lofe every fhilling he is worth in the world: and, that his faid real and perfonal fortune fo loft, fhall be immediately feized and fold by proper officers, and the money ariling therefrom be applied in difcharge of the national debt: provided always, that this law fhall not extend, nor be conftrued to extend to the ladies, to fea-officers, foreign counts, barons or marquifes, nor to the chevaliers d'induflre of our country; fince it will be neceffary to keep up the fpirit of Gaming in full force, which, under the regulations I have propofed, will be of more advantage than the total fuppreffion of it can poffibly be. As the lofs of their eftates is the certain fate of men of fortune, who betake themfelves to Gaming, they will by this law have the benefit of obtaining foon the coup de grace, and being rid of that corroding anxiety which always attends doubts and fears, and may claim merit like the fage, who demanded the prize for drinking, becaufe he was the first of the match who had got drunk, it having been the end they all tended to. It will be obferved that such illustrious patriots, who fhall thus facrifice their fortunes for the good of their country, ought not to be abandoned to the preffures of I know the late World* has provided for broken want. See the WORLD, Number 193. Gamesters Gamefters in that useful house of accommodation (the receptacle for fuicides.) But as they may be of great future advantage to this world, I fhall propofe having them fettled according to their heart's defire. The last resource aimed at by all Gamefters of eminence, is a place, penfion or employment: I would have them all fixed accordingly; and fubmit it to the confideration of the public, whether great emolument will not accrue to the fe, by fuiting their places and employments to the games they have been trained up in, and are become masters of. Whoever will trace out the political motives which induced the wifeft of nations to inftitute the Olympic, Pythian, and other games, will find they were established to habituate youth to exercises which bore a resemblance to the offices which they were afterwards to hold in the flate. The Spartans, who were entirely a military commonwealth, trained up their children from their infancy to fuch games as had an analogy to the discipline and feats of war, where even Thieving was encouraged and rewarded, though executed with less ingenuity than Modern Cheating at play: the happy effects of which were, that they became expert, and able to defend their liberty at home, to repel invafions from abroad, and, though a small republic, to be the fcourge of the Perfian king (the grand monarch of those days.) ALEXANDER the Great, from being a good jockey, was foretold by his father, that he would be a conqueror of kingdoms. PHILIP rightly judged, that as he could manage a reftive and unruly horfe, he was qualified for taming that headstrong beaft, a people. No. 80. Saturday, October 22d, 1757. -Ha nuga feria ducunt In mala derifum femel, exceptumque finiflrè. HoR. B UT as the apt diftribution of places and employments requires mature deliberation, I fhall only curforily mention what occurs to me now on this head. The heroes of Brag fhould by all means be dif pofed |