which likewife there was a debate and a divifion, the claufe being rejected by 73 to 12. Their lordfhips had likewife a debate, but no divifion, upon the queftion, whether the revifion of a fentence, as practifed by courts martial, was not a A new trial; fo that the bill pat that houfe with a few immaterial amendments, which being agreed to by the other house, on March 21, it received the royal aflent the next day. C Feb. 3, A petition was prefented B to the house of commons by the inhabitants of Southwark, &c, setting forth, that the petitioners were under a neceflity of giving credit to a great number of perfons for fmall fums, and notwithstanding several of their debtors were well able to pay the petitioners, yet they frequently refufed fo to do, prefuming on the difcouragements which the petitioners lay under, from the unavoidable expence in fuing for fuch debts, and the delays even after judgment; and that the giving tradef men an easy and speedy method for recovering their juft debts, and at a fmall expence, would greatly tend to the promoting of induitry, and the fupport of ufeful credit; and therefore praying, that leave might be given to bring in a bill, for the more eafy and fpeedy recovery of fmall debts, within the faid borough, &c. This petition being referred to a committee, Mr. Belchier, their chairman, reported their opinion to the house on the 23d, and thereupon leave was given to bring in a bill as prayed for, and the faid Mr. Belchier, Sir Peter Thompson, Mr. Alexander Hume, and Mr. Hardinge were ordered to prepare and bring in the fame. March 10, the bill was prefented to the houfe by Mr. Belchier, read a firit time, and ordered to be read a fecond time. The 16th it was read a fecond time and committed; and it went through D E F G all the other forms without oppofition, till the queftion came to be put for its being paffed, when a debate enfued, in which Mr. A-y G—1, Mr. Sr G-1, and counsellor H--y, fpoke against the question; and Ns H-ge, Efq; M. R -ge, -x, -3, Efq; Sir W ----M2 r. Sir - -n Bd, Hy F Efq; and W-m Hy, Esq; in favour of it; fo that it was carried without a divifion, and the bill fent to the lords, where it met with no oppofition; for a noble lord, upon reading the title, and finding it to be a bill for the recovery of small debts, wittily obferved, that it was a bill which no way affected him. However, their lord hips made fome amendments, which were on June 9, agreed to by the other houfe, and the bill received the royal affent at the end of the feffion. As to the other bills paffed laft feffion into laws, nothing very remarkable happened with refpect to any of them, therefore we fhall take no particular notice of them; but there was one road-bill paft last feffion, which we muft give fome account of, as follows: Jan. 24, There was prefented to the houfe of commons, a petition of the trustees whofe names were there unto fubfcribed, for putting in execution an act of the 12th of Q. Anne, and another of the 12th of K. George, for repairing the road from the city of Worcester to the borough of Droitwich, &c. fetting forth, among other things, that the term granted by the faid two acts was for 42 years, commencing the 14th of June, 1714; but that the faid term would not be fufficient; and therefore praying for a keeping in repair the road leading from Droitwich through the faid parifhes to Bradley Brook in the road to Alcefter; which petition was referred to the fame committee. A C Feb. 6, Upon the report from this committee, made by Mr. Winnington, leave was given to bring in a bill for further enlarging the term and powers granted by the faid two acts; and alfo for repairing the road from Droitwich to Predley Brook; and Mr. Winnington and Mr. Sandys were ordered to prepare and bring in the B fame the bill was accordingly prefented by Mr. Winnington, Feb. 14, when it was read a firft time, and ordered to be read a fecond time; but before it was read a fecond time, viz. Feb. 21, there was prefented to the houfe a petition of the major part of the trustees for putting in execution the faid two acts, afembled, Feb. 6, 1748, at Droitwich, purfuant to an adjournment of the last affembly of feveral of the trustees, affembled at the city of Worcifler ; fetting forth, that feveral of the D trustees for putting the faid acts in execution had, in a clandeftine and private manner, and without any publick affembly for that purpose, and without previous notice to the faid petitioners, or fo much as afking their confent or concurrence there. E unto, petitioned the houte for kave to bring in a bill for enlarging the term and powers granted by the faid acts; but in regard the faid roads were then in good and fufficient repair, and for that the money borrowed and fecured, and then remaining due on the tolls thereof, would by the fame tolls by paid off, long before the expiration of the then fubfifting term; and as the ordinary method prescribed by law, would for the future amend and keep the respective roads in good and fufficient G repair, therefore praying the houfe to take the premifes into confideration, and not fuffer the faid bill to pafs inco a law. F Tho' every turnpike road be a tax upon the fubje&t, and should not therefore be established or continued without abfolute neceflity; and tho' the facts fet forth in this petition were fo diametrically oppofite to thofe fet forth in the first, yet the petition was only order'd to lie upon the table; and the fame day the bill was read a fecond time, and committed, without fo much as referring this laft petition to the confideration of the committee. March 2, Mr. Sandys reported the amendments made by the committee, and feveral of them were agreed to by the houfe; but it being propofed to amend the claufe for authorifing and impowering perfons to put the former acts and this act in exccution, fo as to exclude all thofe that had been, or fhould be elected fince July 31, 1748, the bill was recommitted to the fame committee with respect to this claufe; and on the 7th it was ordered, that came to the have voices. that faid committee fhould March 13, There was prefented to the houfe a petition of the truftees, whofe names were thereunto fubfcribed, for putting the two former acts in execution, affembled on March 6, in the city of Warafer, purfuant to an adjournment of the Jaft meeting; fetting forth, that the faid bill, if paffed into a law as amend ed, would deprive them of a right which they were intitled to, under and by virtue of one of the faid former acts of parliament; and therefore praying, that they might be heard by their counsel against the faid bill, or that they might have fuch other relief in the premifes, as to the houfe fhould feem meet. But this favour was refufed, and the petition orderd to lie on the table. The fame day Ivir. Tracey reported from the committee, that they had gone through the faid claufe, and had made an amendment there. unto, which they had directed him A 2 a 2 A B the L-d E-1, Ed P-ts, to report to the house; and after reading the report, the further confideration thereof was adjourned till the Thursday following; when it was again taken into confideration, and a new amendment made to the above mentioned claufe; but a debate arif. ing, the further confideration of the faid report was adjourned till the Turfday following, from which day it was further adjourned to April 6, when a motion was made for adjourning it for two months; but the queftion was carried in the negative, and then the party against the bill began to propofe adding, by way of amendment, the names of fome of their friends to this claufe; for by that clause was enacted, that a great number of gentlemen by name should be joined with the truftees appointed C in the recited acts, or elected by authority thereof at any time before July 31, 1748, to put the recited acts and this act in execution. But as the gentlemen who have brought in the bill were refolved, that a majority of their friends fhould be appointed truflees, a negative was put upon two gentlemen propofed by the other fide, and then, to prevent their being put to any more fuch trouble, a motion was made for the house to refolve, not to appoint any perfons to be trustees for putting the faid former acts and this prefent act in execution, but thofe only who are named and included in this report from the committee to whom the faid bill was recommitted. As a precedent for this motion, the refolution contained in the journal of the house of Friday May 18, 1660, That no more names of commiffioners be added in the ordinance for three months affeffment was read; whereupon there enfued a long debate, in which the principal Speakers for the refolution were Sir Jn R -t, P-p G Efq; R A. Ty, Efq; and n, Efq; and the principal fpeakers against it were F G * See Lond. Mag, for last month, P. 317. flat i flattering words and falfe infinuations are fo B Volpone (for this is the rame by which I mhall chufe to call him) was one of this principle. He was a gentleman of a Cornjh extraction, of very mean birth and parentage. In his younger years he was very remarkable for his vivacity and a peculiar turn of genius, which inclined his friends to train h m up to the study of the law, in which he foon became a very great C proficient, and gave the world very great expectations of an eminent man. natural gravity of his countenance, and fmooth volubility of tongue confirm'd people fill more in the opinion they had conceived of him. The Ꭰ Recommended with thefe and feveral other qualifications, he marry'd into a very reputable family, and became intitled to a confiderable fortune, of which had he been fufficiently careful, he might have improv'd it to great advantage; but, alas! he grew too manifeftly negligent and careless. As to the law, he generally employed it to very bad ends; he was a perfect mafter of all the quibbles and ambiguities of his profeffion. Never man E acted more inconfiftent with the true intent of his profeffion. If any perfon came with a bad caufe to be fupported, Volpone was the man that could best defend it. If there was any point in petty borough affairs, that others look'd upon as too dirty to undertake, Volpone was the man that was always applied to on fuch an occafion. He was a perfon of that complexion, he car'd not how difhoneft his practice in this refpect, if he could obtain his defir'd end. His kill in matters of this nature was fo extraordinary, that it is generally believ'd he never had his equal, and indeed it is great pity he ever should. But unhappily for him, the natural bent publick with his obfervations on this topick, they might have been of fingular service to markind. Thefe ftudies, together with the zeal he always manifefted for party difputes, he purfu'd to the utter diregard of his own concerns, which entailed upon him most of the calamities he afterwards endur'd. He grew poor, and growing poor, he grew more dishonest. He was neceffated to borrow large fums of money in order to fupport his former grandeur and magnificence. This was his courfe of l'fe for feveral years. At length the good lady his wife dy'd without iffue, whofe death put a happy period to the growing miferics the had elfe been a partaker of. Soon after the deceitful Volpone paid his addreffes to a young lady in her full bloom of years, whom I fhall call Cleora. She was a woman of merit, but without any fortune to recommend her. Her the barbarous Volpone allur'd into the ind fluble ftate of matrimony, and inhumanly involv'd in the fame misfortunes with himself. He was above fixty years of age, when he committed this ungererous action, an action of the bafeft nature. The young lady, encourag'd with fuch a fuppos'd advantageous offer of marriage, confented to his propofals-confented, and was undone. Frequently he made to her the moft folemn proteftations of his worth and fortune, in order to decoy her into the fatal fnare. Strange inhumanity thus to decoy a poor thoughtlefs innocent creature with all the enchanting hopes of grandeur and greatnets. How often would the wicked Volpone recline his head in the fair Cleora's bofom, and tell her a thousand fine things the fhould one day be mistress of? How often would the fond dotard fqueeze her foft hand in all the raptures of a dying lover, and flush her vain imagination with the tempting thoughts of equipage and vanity? F Scarce was the fatal knotty'd that gave the deceitful opone to his Cleora's arms, when he was called to Lond: upon neceffary bufinefs, or oblig'd, as fome fuppofe, to abfcond or occafion of the preffing infults of his creditors, which ftill grew more numerous, increas'd at home by the protution of Cleora, who imagining the was marry'd to fo great a gentleman, thought he was privileged to live in a manner fuitable to the dignity of her exalted ftation. But, alas! how of his genius likewife inclin'd him to the G foon was the unfortunate Clora convinced Audy of the mathematicks and natural philofophy; the latter of which he grew fo paffionately enamoured of, as to neglect the intricate mazes of the law for a mere delightful theory. Had Volpone obliged the 5 of her mistake? The house and all her husband's valuable effects became a prey to the hands of unmerciful bailiffs. What a new and unexpected feene of horror was here! Her husband was abfent, where-the could could not tell-She concluded it might be for this very purpofe he had left her. All the complicated agonies of grief and difpair came upon her at once, the wept-the figh'd-the curs'd the ingratitude of faithJefs man. Ah! wretched Cleora, how in a moment were all thy hopes and expectations vanifh'd! how unhappily haft thou been A deceiv'd by the vile and inhuman Volpone ! helpless, alone expofed to the abufive language of cenforious tongues, and the malicious fneer of an injur'd world. But fee the fad reverfe of fate while things were thus carry'd on, the artful Volpone, who had been long in expectation of the threatning storm to break upon him, makes application to a great gentleman in Generofity and Treachery difplay'd, faid to T B perfidious man had for him the regard he a cargo of equal value the fecond year. This E F to the fevereft maxims of truth and reafon: He never knew the bleffings of a mother, who died in child-bed of him. His father furviv'd to the 18th year of Ardelio's age, and bequeathed him a fortune of 14,cco'. Being apprentice to his father at his decease, and having ferv'd but little more than half his time, he chofe to compleat the term with the perfon who was Jeft his guardian; during which he contracted a moft paffionate love for a young lady in the neighbourhood, of admired beauty, and not inferior to him in point of circumftances. She received his addreffes with ali proper encouragement, and his fift and laft entertainment every day, was to re- G volve in his mind ideal fcenes of his future felicity. A perfon who had ferv'd apprenticeship with Ardelio, under his uncle, perceiving his generous difpofition, refolved to attempt raising a fortune for himself at Arduo's hazard, who unappily believing this Two thousand pounds was now the whole of Ardelo's fortune, who had the mortification to find himself treated first with coldness, and afterwards with all the cruel infolence of contempt, by the father of his adored Belinda, who, by his tyranny. was facrificed in the 20th year of her age to a wealthy dotard of 72. Ardelio heard the pointed intelligence with a mind truly heroick, tho' he fuffer'd upon this occafion all that a foul of the tendereft fenfibility could endure; but never permitted a curfe to escape him on the perfidy of his betrayer, who left a widow and two children oppreffed with all the miferies of wretchedness and contempt. Ardelio by a private hand, fent col. to their relief, but forbad that they fhould be told from whence this fupply proceeded, left gratitude to her injured benefactor fhould opprefs the mind of this unhappy woman. A diforder invir cible by art, fucceeded to Ardelo's lots of Belinda: Anxiety to conceal |