Bank stock may not improperly be called a trading stock, fince with this they deal very largely in foreign gold and filver, in discounting bills of exchange, &c. Befides which, they are allowed by the government very confide. rable fums annually for the management of the annuities paid at their office. All which advantages rendes a fare in their stock very valuable, though it is not equal in value to the Eaft India stock. The company make dividends of the profits half yearly, of which notice is publickly given when those who have occafion for their money may readily receive it; but private perfons, if they judge convenient, are permitted to continue their funds, and to have their intereft added to their principal. This company is under the direction of a governor, deputy governor, and 24 directors, who are annually elected by the general court, in the fame man ner as in the East India company. Thirteen, or more, compofe a court of directors for managing the affairs of the company; but if the governor or deputy should be absent for two hours af. ter the ufual time of proceeding to bufinefs, the directors may chufe a chairman by majority, and their acts will be altogether as valid, as if the governor or deputy were present. A Continuation of Mr. Scrip's Hiftory. -FTER we left the company at the tavern, which we mentioned to have overheard, and were croffing Lincolns-Inn Fields, there was a great mob we were obliged to pass; and afking one of the by-ftanders what the matter was; he informed us, a couple of people had been fighting there but I shall give the affair in the man's own words, or as near as I can. You must know, Gentlemen, as how that there man there that goes along there is a pick-pocket, and fo indeed is his friend, he has been fighting with; they fell out, here about finding fault with one another, for not dealing upon honour, as they fhould have done. Because you muft know, Sir, that one of um fold the other man's fifter, who deals in caft cloaths, 12 white handkerchiefs, or flower'd ones, to be deliver'd laft fpring, the fecond week Ranelor αpened, at such a price; well, he did fo. But the other went to his friend's mother's ftall, fhe has one in Rag-fair, and fold her 12 filk handkerchiefs at such a price, to be deliver`d a week after the Playhoufes open'd, and got a crown earneft; and now he won't be as good as his word, and fo the other beat him for it, and told us he whole ftory. I asked the man, if these fellows openly declared themselves to be pickpockets; and if they did fo, why had not fome perfon feiz'd them? Lord help you, Sir, his reply was why who do you think wou'd take them here? Why, Sir, a pickpocket is as fafe here, Sir, as-as Ay, replies Mr. Scrip, as a Stockjobber at Jonathan's. As to the fellow that would not deliver the handkerchiefs, and refused to fulfil his contract, he is a LAME DUCK. This being a phrase I never before heard, I defired my friend to explain it to me, which, as foon as we were at home, he did in the following manner. A LAME DUCK, Sir, is a man who in Change Alley has committed the very fame action, in refpect of felling for time, as this fellow has done, who was just now beat by his brother rogue. Every year, Sir, there are people who make bargains for large quantity of ftock, either fubfcribe for it to one of the Government's Loans, or elfe fell it for time; depending, before the day of payment comes, that things will turn out in their favour; or, in other words, they tofs up fo much money of another perfon's against - nothing of their own; for they at making these bargains are perhaps worse than nothing: and if they are out of luck, and have the turn against them, they refufe to fulfil their contract, and waddle away with the title of Lame Ducks. But what punishment attends them for fuch behaviour? They are deny'd the privilege of coming into Jonathan's for about about fix weeks; although they have liberty to trade in the Alley as ufual, and are no more affected with this ignominy, than a common ftrumpet would be, who is furprized with a man bedfellow in her arms. But, Sir, this behaviour is yet more fhocking, if confidered as it ought to be, than perhaps it may appear to you at first fight. While I was entangled in the alley, I fold one of the family ten thousand pounds of stock for time; I loft 1050 1. by it, and when his bargain became due, I paid him the difference, 1050 1. in Bank bills. In lefs than fix months afterwards, I bought 12,000 1. of him for time, the event turned out in my favour, I was to have received of him 1675 1. But on the contrary, he refus'd to fulfil his contract; would not give me fix-pence, and went a Lame Duck out of the as well as any LAME DUCK does deny ing to fulfil his contract.This at Ha zard-table is called Levanting. Now if fuch a difcipline was to be put in practice, among the Levanters at Jonathan's. Suppose every LAME DUCK was to be foot-ball'd up and down the walks of the Change, three or four times on each walk, then kick'd over the area for about ten minutes, between the hours of one and two, in the middle of any day in the week, funday excepted; it would not only be very beneficial exercife, for the health of the gentlemen upon Change; but keep other people's principles in good order, and might have as fine effect upon the Change Alley dealers, as feeing the play of George Barnwell has had upon feveral London prentices. С НА Р. coffee-house; and this is all the fatif-T T was noon the next day before I faction I ever could get. Now would I be glad to hear any impartial perfon's opinion concerning fuch people; and whether the fellow, who stops the stagecoach, and openly ventures his life against the chance of getting perhaps not above a guinea, or two? But I can hardly keep my temper, while I am talking on this fubject; the wrongs I have received, the iniquities which are every day practised, and practifed with impunity by that particular fet of people-God is good to be fure, too good for fome folks, I fancy; elfe Providence would have called them forth to publick justice before this time; or perhaps I commit a fin in saying, that Providence befriends them their deeds are infernal I'm certain. Certainly therefore Satan fhields his liege fubjects. - When there were public gaminghouses in London, and Hazard play'd at openly, there was a man who used to frequent them all, and make betts with every one who did not know him, from five fhillings to five guineas; it was all the fame to him, he had no cash; if he won he received the money, if he loft he knew the confequence, he must undergo a kicking; and he ftood that, faw Mr. Scrip; he appeared to be very chearful. I congratulated him upon it. He told me, that morning the phyficians had pronounced his wife recovered; and that he was to be removed as foon as the could get an apartment ready for her. That business I defired him to make himself perfectly eafy about, fince my fifter, who was fingle, and one who Mrs. Scrip had often vifited, infifted upon his wife's coming down into the country, to her immediately upon her recovery, to restore her intirely. Thefe were the words of her letter, which I fhow'd him; it was an answer to one I had wrote my fifter, with an account of the diftreffes of her former acquaintance. My friend's eyes were tearful as he read the letter, and when he returned it; and he was beginning, with a heart almoft bursting with gratitude, to acknowledge the favour, as he called it; but his eagerness to explain what he felt on my filter's expreffing herself so tenderly for his wife's health, render'd him incapable of uttering intelligibly what he meant to say. Iftopped him from going on, and infifted on it, if he valued my friendship, he would never mention mention a word more of any thing, that me or mine might be of fervice to him in; and to give him time to recover himself, I would take a walk in the garden. The fatisfaction which the human mind receives, when it beholds a fellow creature happy; especially if the spectator has any way contributed to the peace or pleasure of that perfon; is fo exquifite a heart-felt gratification, that I wonder the multitude of pleasure-hunters, who expend fuch vast fums in endeavouring to make themselves happy, will ever employ themselves in any other action. It is a refinement upon pleasure, a rectified felicity, which fatiety can never reach, nor the terrors of approaching old age appall. For a moment, I must own, I was a little vain, in confidering myfelf contrafted with thofe wretches, who had ruined Mr. Scrip. As my fortune enabled me plentifully to carry my defign in execution, I was determin'd to make him and his wife happy for the rest of would not be entirely fatisfactory to fome minds, unless they were affured, that there are punishments as well as rewards; and that the Extortioners, the Stock-jobbers, with the reft of the Vicerailed Unworthies, fhall be fnatched from their ill-obtain'd fplendors, and hurl'd howling into irredeemable perdition. By this time I fuppofed Mr. Scrip had pretty well recovered himself, and on my return we agreed to dine together at the tavern; juft as we were, going out, we met my fifter, who was come to town on purpose to see my friend's wife; and if Mrs Scrip was well enough, she told us, she would take her down the next day into the country with her. In confequence of my fister's arrival, we attended her to Bedlam; the defcription of that we must defer until our next number. their lives. - The thought, I must To the Authors of the BEAUTIES of the own, gave great pleasure; I dwelt indeed for fome time upon the reflection, and could not help thinking, that if even the intention of doing right, afforded the mind an agreeable sensation; certainly that the committing wrong must be attended with horror, fome time or other, to the infamous perpetrators. How much farther may we extend the profpects between the rewards of virtue, and villany, if we will reflect upon an hereafter a right thinking mind, by that profpect, is fortify'd to endure, The whips and fcorns of Time, man's contumely, To labour for his little family a long life's rugged road, bearing at the fame time, the heavy burthen of neceffity. Yet that reflection lightens his load, unfolding to him that glorious tho' diftant view, of an Eternal Beatitude, prepared by the Almighty, for thofe that love him, and keep his commandments. Yet even this hope, this promife of futurity, MAGAZINES felected. Gentlemen, S the following experiment, which I have lately made, is uncommon,, and has fomething in it seemingly contrary to nature and reafon, I believe, your inferting it in your next Magazine, will be agreeable to most of your readers, as probable it may excite some of the more curious, at a convenient opportunity, for their amusement, to make the like. Jan. 25, 1763. During the late froft, I procured from the water a circular plain piece of clear ice, two feet nine inches diameter, and half a foot thick; this I eafily reduced to the form of a convex lens, both fides being fegments of a fphere of the fame radius ; and after polishing its furface with my hand, I oppofed it (about 10 o'clock in the forenoon) to the faint rays of the fun; then, by the laws of refraction, the folar rays collected by the ice, converg ed to a focus, at feven feet diftance, where where the united rays, in a moment, fired gunpowder paper, and other combuftible matter, fucceffively plac'd there, to the altonifhment of a great number of people, who were prefent on the occafion. Were it poffible to make ice keep its form, or continue tranfparent, only while we make the experiment, there is reafon to believe, that the folar fire, collected by an icy lens, would be fufficiently intenfe, to produce all the wonderful effects of the real burning-glafs, fuch as melting, calcining, and even vitrifying metals, &c. But we know by experience, that, because of the rarefaction of the air lodged in the intestines of common ice, it begins to lofe its transparency the inftant it is expofed to the fun; for in a few minutes it will become fo obfcure, as greatly to weaken the force of the light and heat which it collects; and if fuffered to remain thus expofed, the action of the fun will foon render it ufelefs; as a great part of the rays will be abforbed in the ice, or at least, refracted to different points, befides the focal one. There is no difficulty in accounting for the tranfmiffion of light, and fire, thro' ice; nor for their refraction and condenfation, fince they are reducible to the general known laws of Optics; but The SHEPHERD and TRUTH. By a YOUNG LADY. W I. HILST all profoundly calm-e're birds or mortals rife, Or Phoebus yet with golden charms had ting'd the eastern skies; An angry fwain by love provok'd, within a verdant bower, Against the Female Race invok'd by turns each heavenly power. II. To thee foft God of Peace, he faid, I laft direct my prayer, II. Revenge thus amply on her fex, the mifchiefs of the first, Here IV. Here Ropp'd the fwain with passion dumb, when lo, before his eyes, Ceafe thy invectives, guilty youth,-thie charming Phantom cried, V. But thy perverse misjudging race, to cenfure ever prone, The fprings of others faults can trace, blind only to their own. VI. Shall man inconftant as the air, by choice and custom grown ; She ceas'd; the conscious Youth reprov'd, fhrunk from her dazzling fight, Woman of the Town's Hiftory continued. 1 Was maintained in the utmoft fplendor by my keeper; his vanity made him how me off (as he call'd it) in all the extravagance of the mode. I was followed at every public place, address'd by love letters, fongs made upon me, metzo tinto pictures of me fold at all the print-fhops. I grew into fuch fame, that I was the general toast among men of fortune; and the ladies borrowed their fashions from what I wore. But my friend, like feveral more of his fex, was diffatisfied with what he enjoy'd, unless he could tell the whole world how happy he was; therefore he had every week private parties to fup with him at my apartments. There I was obliged to fuffer him to treat me with all that fondling familiarity, that childish toying, which fome new marry'd people expofe themselves with before company-every minute kiffing, or loll ing upon one another's necks, patting cheeks, playing with lips, or talking like babies. I was at first ashamed of behaving fo -but he foon made me fo frequently ufe it, that this way of acting became qüfte indifferent to me, then fatiguing, and at last loathfoine. Õ Ó ƒ Ö Õ Šƒ ƒ Š I dared not refufe him-though fuch fulfome behaviour made me fick—I was oblig'd to practise it-what cou'd I do? I could not bear the thoughts of living lefs elegant. There was the rub— pride, curfed pride; the affectation to appear fine, is the ruin of both fexes; to indulge ourselves in unwarrantable luxuries, to gratify that mean, false parfion, we women fubmit to flaveries incredible; and like the worthless timeferving flatterer, we facrifice our minds to the bribery of prostitution. I dreaded every appointment, which this man made. I knew what a night I had to go through. I have felt my heart fink, when he has begun with, Betjey, I shall have company to-night at your boufe. No truant fchool-boy cou'd be more dejected after conviction. I reflected that, fpaniel like, I must play over all the common tricks before company, of fondling, and fooling. Is it any wonder then, that kept mif treffes generally despise their keepers, and like every man better than he who maintains them? it is because our keepers behave worse to us than any other men do; they have bought us, and every English woman, I am certain, tho' fhe fubmits, to be fold, defpifes the chapman. Money indeed he has no objection |