Mens humours are like the generality of buildings which have several fronts, fome agreeable, others difagreeable.

A Satyr, which is half man and half beast, is the emblem of luft; to fhew that its followers proftitute the reafon of man, to gratify the appetites of a beast. All men have one or more qualities by which they may be ferviceable, but, like mifers, they lofe the advantage of what they have, by afpiring after things out of their reach.

Hypocrify does great honour, or rather justice, to religion, and tacitly acknowledges it to be an ornament to hu

man nature.

An averfion to labour creates a con. ftant weariness, and makes existence itfelf a burden.

It is with gratitude as with truft among tradesmen; it keeps up commerce, and we do not pay, because it is just to discharge our debts, but to engage people the more easily to lend us another time.

No man deferves to be commended for his virtue who has not spirit to be wicked.

Ignorance and littleness of mind beget stiffness of opinion and incredulity, for few will believe more than they can fec.

No-body is afraid of being despised, but he that is despicable.

The greatest fault in penetration is not its falling fhort, but its going beyond the mark.

We may appear great in an employment below our merit, but we often appear little in an employment too great for us.

Quarrels would not laft long, if the wrong were only on one fide.

What makes us love new acquaintance is, not fo much our being weary of the old, or a pleasure we take in change, as a difguit to find ourselves not fufficiently admired by those who are too well acquainted with us, and a hope of being ore admired by thofe who are not acquainted with us fo well. If you seem to have a good opinion of another man's wit, he will allow you to have judgment.

The ill-placing of rewards is a dou. ble injury to merit.

If we have sense, modesty hest proves it to others; if we have none, it beg hides our want of it.

Exemplary manners are abfolutely necessary to him, who would cenfure others.

Seneca compares great profperity to the fondness of an indulgent mother to her child, which generally ends in its ruin; but the affection of the Divine Being to that of a wife father, who would have his fons exercifed with labour, difappointment, and pain, that they may gather ftrength, and improve their fortitude.

There is nothing we defire more than the applaufe of men; ought we not then to act so as to give men reasonɔ think well of us?

It is a poor and mean pretence to merit, to make it appear by exposing the faults of others.

Clemency is often practised out of vanity, laziness, fear, and policy.

Relieving the diftreffed is doing one's felf a kindness before-hand, because it engages others to relieve us, on the like occafion.

When two people compliment each other, with the choice of any thing, each of them generally gets that which he likes leaft.

Let wickedness escape, as it may at the bar, it never fails of doing justice upon itself; for every guilty perfon is his own executioner.

The greatest fecret to fucceed in converfation is to admire little, to hear much, always to diftruft our own rea fon, and fometimes that of our friends never to pretend to wit, but to make that of others appear as much as we can, to hearken to what is said, and to answer to the purpose.

Complaints, while there is a remedy in the reach of a man's industry, fhews not fo much the greatness of his misery, as the weakness of his mind.

The great have this privilege, that they receive impreffions of kindness very dowly, but are quick in their resentments,

One,

the matter was last feffion taken into the confideration of the House of Commons. This is a great evil, and ftands in need of an immediate remedy; I am, therefore, in great hopes, that, when the Parliament next meets in the enfuing winter, fomething may be done, which will answer every good purpose, towards enabling the industrious poor to reap the fruit of their labour, without being exacted upon by fore-stallers, regraters, and monopolifers.

In the mean time, it may not be amifs to throw out a few hints, for the confideration of those in power, on this important fubject.

It is well known, that this metropos is the great mart of the British empire; whatever is good, whatever is rare, is brought here as to a certain and good market.

The best oxen which our grazing counties produce, are always referved for the consumption of London; and fuch is the general inclination of the country people to fend their goods up to London for fale, that, were there no underhand dealings, no monopolifers and fore-ftallers, all the neceffaries of life would be surprisingly cheap here, in proportion to what they now are, or have been for many years past.

It is certain, that, even now, the grazier receives only a moderate price at first hand for his cattle; the farmer fells his butter and cheese cheap; yet are thefe commodities to go through fo many hands, each of which is to have a feparate profit, and fome not very moderate neither, before they come to the consumer, that the price in many inftances is almost doubled.

I remember an honeft farmer in Wiltfhire, who, fome years ago, when mutton was very dear, as it is now, was told, that, if he would fend fome wethers up to London, they would fetch a high price, for that they fold at four pence per bound by the carcase.

Accordingly our farmer fent up two hundred fine sheep, of a proper age, and in fine order. The confequence was, they were, through a combination among the dealers, two market-day's ex

pofed in Smithfield without being fold, and the third day were fold at the rate of fomething under two-pence per pound to a carcafe butcher, who, within the week, killed them, and fold to the retailers at four pence per bound, or very little under that price.

The farmer was, you may imagine, greatly chagrined, as he could have fold them for more at home, and have faved the expence of bringing them to London. He determined within himself to trouble Smithfield no more with his company, but fell his fheep at home, as his neighbours did theirs.

This was what the dealers aimed at, thinking, that by coming up to London with his fheep he incroached on their province; it was, therefore, their intention to ficken him, as they called it, and thereby induce him the more readily for the future to fell his sheep to their out-riders.

This inftance of the great power and influence of the Smithfield dealers is one amongst many others which I could enumerate; but it is to little purpose to repeat grievances, unless we, at the fame time, attempt a remedy.

When the Committee of the Houfe of Commons fit next on this bufinefs, I could with them to take into their confideration the means of preventing the markets from being fore-stalled.

I would humbly offer to them the following crude hints, which will, thro your means, readily come to their notice, as I have reason to think that most of them, during the recess, have ordered their bookfellers to fend them down your Magazine to their country-houfes; and this I the rather prefume to say, as I know many who have given these orders.

But to return to the fubject. It is well known, that a very great number of beafts are every week bought up, by out-riders, as they are driving to market. It is also as well known, that Smithfield is, by the practices of the great dealers, but barely fupplied with cattle, for the confumption of the metropolis and its environs, from market-day to market

day.

day. Alfo great numbers of beaits are brought to market, and afterwards driven back to the fields about Iflington, &c. unfold.

Now I would recommend it to our Law-makers, that no man should be left at liberty to buy cattle as they were driving to market within twenty miles of London. That if any cattle were bought on the road to London, at any distance beyond twenty miles, fuch buyer fhould give security, before the next juftice of the peace, that he would either kill it within a week, and within ten miles distance of the place where he bought it, or that he would not fell it alive within fix months of the time he purchased it.

That no cattle should be fold in Lon don, or within five miles of it, for flaughter, in Smithfield only excepted.

That oxen, cows, calves, sheep, lambs, and hogs, fold in Smithfield for flaughter, should not be afterwards fold alive to any person whatever.

That cattle, which were brought to Smithfield market, and driven away unfold, should pay the following tolls, viz. For every ox ten fhillings, every cow seven fhillings, every calf five fhillings, every sheep four fhillings, lambs two fhillings and fix-pence each, and each hog or pig three fhillings; the produce of this toll to be applied to the relief of poor confined debtors; feveral of which debtors, upon giving proper fecurity, fhould be permitted to collect the fame. This toll would induce the owners to fell them for flaughter, if they poffibly could.

That no cattle, horfes excepted, fhould be fold in Smithfield but for immediate slaughter, as every butcher fhould be obliged to engage to slay what he bought, within a week, at most, of the time of purchasing.

That all cattle, coming up to Smithfield market, should be exempted from paying any toll at the several turnpikegates. This is the more reasonable, as our roads are now in general fo good, that the other tolls will keep them suf

ficiently in repair: befides, it is well known that cattle rather do the roads good, by treading in the ruts, than harm,

That no falefman, or carcafe-butcher, be henceforward permitted to buy cattle in order to fell them again alive.

That no one carcafe-butcher be per mitted to buy for slaughter, in one market-day, above ten oxen or cows, two hundred fheep or lambs, fifty calves, and fifty hogs or pigs. This would prevent the market being en, grossed by a few over-grown dealers.

That no cattle should be fold in Smithfield market after ten in the morn ing. This would be replete with many advantages; and feveral lives would every year be saved by it.

That no falefman be permitted to carry on the business of a carcase-butcher, and vice versa.

That no unwholesome, unfound, or distempered beafts, as far as can be difcovered on inspection, be permitted to be exposed to sale in Smithfield market.

These confiderations above I recommend to the notice of such of your readers as are Members of either House of Parliament, and doubt not but they may be found of use. It is, indeed, high time, that some stop should be pur to the many grievances above hinted at: the prices of the neceffaries of life cannot rife without affecting our manufactures; for, if the workmen must pay dear for provifion, it is very natural to imagine that they will endeavour, by all legal means, to raife their wages; and this, of course, raises the price of the manufacture, be it what it may, to the merchant.

After the proclamation of the peace, many flattered themselves with the hope of feeing its general concomitant, plenty; but it is a forrowful truth, that the reverse has been the case, as almost every thing is become dearer fince the conclufion of the war. It might, perhaps, not be very difficult to affign a reafon or two for this; but, as that would lead me too far, I shall fay no more of it.

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