men have any authority over them; if they had, we should find them in their counting-houses according to the custom of sober citizens on that day, posting their books, and balancing the accounts of the former week. But in my humble opinion, even this is a custom better broke through than continued; for though industry is a very valuable quality, and is commonly the means of making, what is called in the city, a good man of a very knavish one, it may be pushed too far; as it most certainly is, when it defeats the end and intention of Sunday, which was ordained and instituted for a day of rest. "I can just remember, Mr. Fitz-Adam, that before Christianity was entirely reasoned out of these kingdoms, it was a nighty custom for young folks to go to church on that day; and indeed I should have thought there was no manner of harm in it, if it had not been plainly proved, as well by people of fashion as others, that going to church was the most tiresome thing in the world; and that consequently it was notoriously perverting a day set apart solely for rest. "But while almost every one, in speculation, is averse to labour on a Sunday, how strange is it to see a lethargic citizen drudging at his books, a decrepit old country couple fatiguing themselves to death by walking to church, and their children and grand-children venturing their necks and harassing their bodies by running races upon the road! I am for the strict observance of all institutions; and as we have happily got rid of the religious prejudices of our forefathers, I know of but one way of keeping Sunday as it ought to be kept; but unless what I have to propose be backed by your censorial authority, I see no probability of its taking effect: I could wish, therefore, that you would earnestly re commend to both sexes, of every rank and condition, the lying in bed all that day. This will indeed be making it a day of rest, provided that all single persons be directed to lie alone, and that permission be given to those who cannot sleep in their beds, to go to church and sleep there. If this can be brought about, our churches may still be kept open, and the roads cleared of those noisy and dissolute young fellows, who finding in themselves no inclination to lie still, are disturbing the rest of all other people. "Your taking this matter into consideration will oblige all sober observers of Sunday, and particularly, "SIR, "SIR, "Your most humble servant "TO MR. FITZ-ADAM. "It is an old saying, but a true one, that a good husband commonly makes a good wife. If it was as true, that a good wife commonly made a good husband, I am inclined to think that Hymen would wear a much brighter countenance among us than we generally see him with. "In all families where I have been an intimate, I have taken particular notice of every occurence that has tended to the disturbance of the matrimonial tranquillity; and upon tracing those occurences to their source, I have commonly discovered that the fault was principally in the husband. "I have now in my possession a calculation of Demoivre, made a few years ago, with great labour and accuracy, which proves that the good wives, within the weekly bills, have a majority upon the good husbands of three to one; and I am humbly of opinion, that if the calculation was to be extended to the towns and counties remote from London, we should find the majority at least five times as great. But to those husbands who have never thought of such a calculation, and who have little or no acquaintance with their wives, a majority of three to one may be as much as they will care to swallow; especially if it be considered how many fine ladies there are at St. James's, how many notable wives in the city, and how many landladies at Wapping; all of which, as a friend of mine very justly observes, are exactly the same character. "But though I am convinced of the truth of this calculation, I am not so partial to the ladies, particularly the unmarried ones, as to imagine them without fault; on the contrary, I am going to accuse them of a very great one, which if not put a stop to before the warm weather comes in, no mortal can tell to what lengths it may be carried. You have already hinted at this fault in the sex, under the genteel appellation of moulting their dress. If the necks, shoulders, &c. have begun to shed their covering in winter, what a general display of nature are we to expect this summer, when the excuse of heat may be alleged in favour of such a display? I called some time ago upon a friend of mine near St. James's, who, upon my asking where his sister was, told me,' At her toilette, undressing for the ridotto.' That the expression may be intelligible to every one of your readers, I beg leave to inform them, that it is the fashion for a lady to undress herself to go abroad, and to dress only when she stays at home and sees no company. "It may be urged, perhaps, that the nakedness in fashion is intended only to be emblematical of the innocence of the present generation of young ladies; as we read of our first mother, before the Fall, that she was naked and not ashamed; but I cannot help thinking that her daughters of these times should convince us that they are entirely free from original sin, as well as actual transgression, or else be ashamed of their nakedness. "I would ask any pretty miss about town, if she ever went a second time to see the wax-work or the lions, or even the dogs and the monkeys, with the same delight as at first? Certain it is, that the finest show in the world excites but little curiosity in those who have seen it before. That was a very 6 fine picture,' says my lord, but I had seen it before.' 'Twas a sweet song of the Galli's,' says my lady, 'but I had heard it before.' A very fine poem,' says the critic, but I had read it before.' Let every lady therefore take care, that while she is displaying in public a bosom whiter than snow, the men do not look as if they were saying, ''Tis very pretty, 'but we have seen it before.' "I am, SIR, "Your most humble servant, "You will be surprised perhaps, at my presumption in supposing that you will pay any regard to the production of a puerile pen, or that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings the public will deign to receive either instruction or amusement; but how ever that may be, I cannot forbear acknowledging the obligations I owe you, if it be only to convince you, that gratitude is still a school-boy's virtue. You must know then that ever since you made your first appearance, I have constantly appropriated the sum of two-pence, out of my slender allowance of a shilling a week, for the purchase of your paper; and have often, while my school-fellows were harping on the old thread-bare subjects of Greece and Rome, enriched my exercise from your treasure with some lively strokes on modern manners; but never so much to my honour as last week, when the scrap of Juvenal prefixed to this letter was our theme. The general topic was declaiming against that oldfashioned pedantic language called Greek, which you may imagine was the most popular turn that could be given to the subject here; but for my part, I chose to consider rather the spirit than the letter of my author, and to turn my satire against France, the Greece of our days; in which view I had an opportunity of introducing the description of the tour to Paris, which is touched with such an inimitable spirit of ridicule by your last week's correspondent. Standard wit, like standard gold, will bear a great deal of alloy without being totally debased; and the proof of it is, that notwithstanding the disadvantage of appearing under the disguise of my Latin poetry, the Tour to Paris went for the Play. This expression, Sir, will be jargon to the town in general; but those of your readers who have been educated here will know that it means the highest mark of distinction that an Eton boy is capable of receiving; when a whole holiday is granted to the school in consideration of the merit of that copy of verses which is judged the best, and to which the panegyric that Horace bestows on poetry in general, when he styles it laborum dulce lenimen, is peculiarly applicable. Imagine what exultation of mind |