On the LEARNING of OXFORD Tradefmen and College Servants. From my ground-floor in OXFORD. Cannot but be fenfible how gracious a reception I have met with from the learned, not only in the Univerfity, but alfo in this City. There is not a tradefman, I dare fay, of any note among us, who has the least connection with the gown, but is a fubfcriber to my monthly labours. As felfadoration is an idolatry peculiar to scribblers, I cannot help feeling fome emotions of transport, when I hear the townf men whisper one another, as I go by, That's HE, that's the STUDENT. This refpect I have the vanity to attribute to that profound learning diffufed from the colleges into every quarter of the town. A tradesman of OXFORD is no more like another common tradesman than fome collegians are like other men. Our very scouts and bed-makers have a knowledge fuperiour to ordinary fervants: our menials are dignified with latin appellations our butler must be promus, our cook coquus, the porter at our gate janitor; in fhort our whole domus is diftinguished by fuch very learned titles. To return to the tradesmen, the very fign-pofts exprefs their tafte for learning and fuperiour education. Our mercers, milliners, taylors, &c. &c, &c. have shewn their nice judgment in the art of designing, by the many curious emblematical devices that fo eminently adorn the entrance to their fhops. How fublime are the signs of our innkeepers! the angel, the cross, the mitre, the maidenhead, with many others, are too well known to need mentioning. A toothdrawer amongst us denotes his occupation by an excellent poetical diftich; a fecond with great propriety ftiles himself operator for the teeth and my printer who fells JAMES'S JAMES's fever powder, GREENOUGH's tinctures, HOOPER'S female pills, and the like, exhibits to our view in large golden letters over his door the pompous denomination of Medicina!. Warehoufe. Nor are we at all furprized to fee written in in this learned Univerfity, tho' over a female bookseller's door, BIBLIOPOLIUM MARIÆ &c. Not to dwell too minutely on externals, every tradesman with us is a mathematician, or philofopher, or divine, or critick, and what not? But they are all to a man particularly famous for their skill in arithmetick. For my own part I never dealt with one yet, who was not thoroughly practifed in addition and multiplication. I know an alehoufeman (he fells an excellent pot of ale) who has made several experiments in electricity, but without a machine: I know a grocer a profound reafoner and fpeculative moralift; a bookbinder deeply read in Geography, Chorography, &c. and a glazier, a great mathematician, who has fquar'd the circle feveral times all but a little bit. A barber has published a cutting poem lately, which is univerfally admired, and is all his own making. It is not to be doubted but that our OXFORD bookfellers are excellent criticks. They can tell you the character of a book by only looking at the title page. My own in particular is fo fine a judge of compofition, that he begs me not to fend any thing to the prefs, till it has been fubmitted to his correction. Befides I know he has a strong defire to commence author himself: but his fingular modefty will not permit him to own it. He has therefore prevailed with me to erect a fmall box with a flit in his door to receive the contributions of thofe writers who chufe to be concealed. As I know the man's vanity will oblige him fometimes to put in bis mite, I defire the reader, when he meets with any thing particularly dull, to suppose it written, not by me, but my bookfeller. I have often heard two learned tradefmen chop logick together on the moft fublime topicks. Once in particular I was prefent prefent at a very important difpute, when a fhoemaker (a very honeft fellow) affirmed to the general fatisfaction of his audience, that the world was eternal from the beginning, and would be fo to the end of it. At another time the difcourfe turning upon politics, a mercer, (no fmall man, I can affure you) wonder'd what a duce ive would have. I'm fure, fays he, there's not a happier island in England than Great-Britain; and a man may chufe his own Religion, that he may, whether it be Mahometism or Infidelity. A little while ago I lent my Smith's Harmonics to my Mufick-mafter, who has fince return'd it, affuring me, that it is not worth a farthing; for 'twould teach me the Thievery may hap, but as for the Practicks, he'll put me into a betterer method. I could produce many more fuch inftances which I have glean'd from their converfations; but thefe will be fufficient to convince the world that no fubject is too high, no point too intricate for their exalted capacities. Nor is the thirft of knowledge lefs prevalent among the lower order of college fervants. T'other day I caught my bedmaker, a grave old matron, poring very seriously over a Folio, that lay open upon my table. I afk'd her what she was reading? Lord blefs you, mafter, fays fhe, who I reading? I never could read in my life, bleffed be God; and yet I loves to look into a book too. My fout indeed is a very learned fellow, and has an excellent knack at ufing hard words. One morning he told me, the gentleman in the next room contagious to mine defired to speak to me. I once overheard him give a fellow fervant very fober advice, not to go aftray but be true to his own wife; for Idolatry would furely bring a man to Inftruction at laft. I cannot conclude better than by giving a specimen of an Oxford tradesman's poetical genius, in an extract of a letter from my taylor, who (in the college phrafe) put the dun upon In my answer I advised him to perufe PHILIPS's defcription of a dun in his fplendid fhilling; to which he made me this reply. me. * But now to that which, you fay, breaks all friendship, a dun, horrible monfter! I have bruis'd PHILIPS, tho' in fome places too hard. As to the appellation, I cannot think it rightly apply'd, For I Ne'er yet did thunder with my vocal heel, But you, Whom fortune's bleft with fplendid fhilling worth, Fruits, that doe chearful make the heart of man. N. B. I have paid him. Thus have I taken fome pains to do justice to that profound erudition and extenfive knowledge, which elevates all OXFORD above the common rout of mankind; and which evidently proves the neceffity and advantage of an University education. For if townfmen by our influence are fo enlighten'd, what must we gownfmen be ourfelves? The STUDENT. A MODERN HISTORY. Communicated in a Letter from a Gentleman in LONDON. SIR, To the STUDENT. ERMIT me to take up a few pages of your fucceeding PERMIT number with the relation of an incident I was a witness to laft night. Let it not fright the gravity of the STUDENT, when I tell him it happen'd at the Masquerade: were Mafquerades and Students things incompatible, it would not have happen'd at all. I have many reafons for wifhing it particularly to appear to the world in your work: I only think it worthy the notice of the publick as the act of a Student; I would plead in favour of a Student against a too rigid father; and I would alarm other Students by example against the first steps of an ill thing, the utmoft confequences of which may not appear till much too late to be remedied. I need not give you the initial letters of the name of the hero of this ftory, when I tell you, he is the gayeft and best hatured fellow among you; the delight of every body that knows him; and that he is unlucky enough to be the son of an old French Debauchee, who fent him two years ago to your Univerfity, with the pious refolution of making atonement for the fins of a generation of pick-pockets, by breed. ing him a clergyman. None are fo apt to fufpect the actions of others as thofe who have been blameable themfelves. The cautious father, who perfuaded himfelf that his own happiness depended upon his fon's virtue, was upon the watch, while he liv'd with him, on every the flighteft occafion; and when he parted with him to your community, confign'd him to the care of the most rigid man he could find in it. |