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Mr. FRANCIS, my friend an countryman, translates this very calmly,

"The merchant praises his retreat,

"The quiet of his rural feat."

And most of the other interpreters and commentators would have the OPPIDI RURA to mean the intermingled trees and gardens, which are generally to be met with in country towns. But Dr. BENTLEY, very fenfible that there were no two words in the Latin language more oppofite than OPPIDUM and RUS, alters the word RURA into TUTA, and by that means (according to custom) spoils one of the finest paffages in the book.

It is notorious, that in HORACE's time the Romans had arrived to the highest pitch of extravagancy with regard to their buildings, especially their villas, which were so many little towns and peopled with innumerable flaves: nay the land was not fufficient, the fea was encroach'd upon to very contribute to the grandeur of their retirements; as HORACE in another place obferves :-Contracta pifces æquora fentiunt.

This being premised, we shall find the paffage before us to contain perhaps as good an irony as any in HORACE, which irony is ftrongly heighten'd by the contrast of RURA and OPPIDI. It is not, I conceive, practicable to tranflate this paffage literally-But please to accept of this paraphrase.

The merchant, by his toil-bought wealth grown great,
Builds a metropolis for a retreat,

And, 'midst the dust of crouds and hum of men,
Praises the Stillness of the rural scene.

July 16, 1750.

G..W,

ANECDOTE

ANECDOTE concerning the EXECUTIONER of King CHARLES.

Communicated by Dr. R A WLINSON.

T
TH

HE hiftories of England being altogether filent as to any discovery of the executioner who gave the fatal blow to the decollation of CHARLES I. (that glorious king and martyr) the following fhort account (undoubtedly true) must be highly acceptable to the publick.

RICHARD BRANDON, common executioner or hangman at that time, dyed upon Wednesday, June 20, 1649 (within five months after the king's martyrdom.) The funday before BRANDON died, a young man of his acquaintance, being to vifit him, afk'd him how he did, and whether he was not troubled in confcience for cutting off the king's head? BRANDON reply'd, yes, because he was at the king's trial, and heard the fentence denounced against him; which caused the faid BRANDON to make this folemn vow or proteftation, viz. wifhing God to perifh his body and foul, if ever he appear'd on the scaffold to do the act or lift up his hand against him. And he farther declared, that he was no fooner enter'd upon the scaffold (to do that wicked act) but immediately he fell a trembling, and hath (ever fince) to his death continued in the like agony. He likewife confefs'd that he had 30 l for his pains, all paid him in half crowns, within an hour after the blow was ftruck: and that he had an orange ftuck full of cloves, and an handkerchief out of the king's pocket, As foon as he was carried off from the scaffold, he was proffer'd 20 s. for that orange by a gentleman in Whitehall, but refus'd the fame, but afterwards fold it for 10 s. in Rofemary-lane. About fix o'clock that night he return'd home to his wife living in Rosemary-lane, and gave her the money faying it was the deareft money that ever he earn'd in his life which prophetical words were foon made manifeft. About 002 three

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three days before he died (as above mentioned) he lay speechlefs, uttering many a figh a heavy groan, and in a most deplorable manner departed from his bed of forrow. For his burial great ftore of wine was sent in by the sheriff of the city of London, and a great multitude of people stood waiting to see his corps carried to the church-yard, fome crying out, hang him, rogue, bury him in a dunghill, others preffing upon him, saying they would quarter him for executing the king, infomuch that the church-wardens and masters of the parish were fain to come for the fuppreffing of them; and with great difficulty he was at laft carried to White-chapel church-yard, having a bunch of rosemary at each end of the coffin and on the top thereof, with a rope tied a-cross from one end to the other.

The man, that waited upon this executioner when he gave the fatal blow, was a ragman in Rosemary-lane.

HUNTING

An improper DIVERSION for the FAIR SEX,

Unmanly courage, unbeseeming skill,

To fpring the fence, to rein the prancing fteed,
The cap, the whip, the masculine attire,

In which they roughen to the fenfe, and all
The winning foftness of the fex is loft.

THOMSON.

HE following letter will explain to my readers the reason

Tof my handling a fubject likely to gain me fo many

fair enemies but when they confider I cenfure only to amend, their good fenfe, I doubt not, will readily pardon me.

66

"SIR,

S

As you have promis'd to take the LADIES into your

protection, I can no where apply myself so properly, "for the amendment of any abuse that regards the fair sex.

"Unluckily

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66

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Unluckily for me, I am very fhort-fighted; and have not yet arriv'd to the fashionable aurance of wearing spectacles. Happening t'other day to dine at a friend's in the country, "I fat oppofite to a very smart spruce-looking young fellow. "His hair was tied up behind; his coat was adorn'd "with a blue fatin cape/and cuffs; his waftcoat of the fame; "in fhort, his whole dress and appearance exactly resembled "that of our modern Beau-monde.Upon my addreffing ❝ him on fome occafion with the appellation of " Sir," my young fpark, I obferv'd, applied a white handkerchief "immediately to his face, while a fort of fimpering or grin❝ing went round the table. I did not then comprehend the 66 mystery: but soon after wanting something that stood next my gentleman, I defir'd his help, concluding with "There's enough Sir !--O Sir!--Sir, I thank you.--This set the "table into commotion; the men at once burft into a loud "horfe-laugh; the females titter'd; and I-look'd serious. "At length the good lady of the family, pitying my confu"fion, told me, fhe fancied the lady's drefs had deceiv'd me; "for fhe was just come from hunting. My mistake, you "may imagine, was the cause of much mirth and wit among "the company. In truth I had reafon to regret my being fo near-fighted, or the pretty face of my fair huntress would "have easily inform'd me of her sex. I determin'd however "to write to your worship (whose advice, I find, is very "much esteem'd by the LADIES) to defire your opinion of "a drefs, which in that fex appears to me highly prepof"terous and abfurd. I am, Sir, your humble fervant

66

TIMOTHY PURBLIND

My correspondent is very unlucky, as he observes, in being fo fhort-fighted; or, I dare fay, fuch a dress and appearance had been nothing new to him: for as to the face, that might not have been fo infallible a mark, fince fo many of our delicate-complexion'd Petit-maitres have encroach'd on that branch of the female prerogative.

I cannot

I cannot, indeed, but highly difapprove not only the habit, but also the cause of it. HUNTING is an exercise very improper for the fair fex. It makes them appear rough and manlike : it robs them of all the endearing foftnefs, all the alluring tenderness, that fo captivates and charms the heart. As pity and a certain degree of timoroufnefs are effentially woven into their constitution, do they not pervert the very end of their creation, who daringly tempt the perils of the chace, or exult in the prosecution and death of a poor harmless animal? If the laws of decency are not broke thro' by fuch an unbecoming practice, I am fure, thofe of delicacy are, which above all things 'tis the business of the fair to keep up.

Mifs PEGGY ATALL is the only child of an honest country 'fquire in this neighbourhood, whom I sometimes vifit. Her mother dying when she was young, her education was left folely to the care of her father, who being very fond of her, out of his particular affection, brought her up and inur'd her to all the laborious sports of the field. But HUNTING is her favourite diverfion: fhe was reckon'd the boldest rider in the county and as she is an heiress, many a young fox-hunter, whofe love has been greater than his prudence, has hazarded his neck and cheaply come off with a dislocated limb or fo, in following her thro' the various perils and hairbreadth 'scapes of the chase. Her whole conversation turns on that topick: I have often heard her charm a large circle of gaping fellow-fportsmen with a recapitulation of the feats of the day: fhe would descant a whole hour on the virtues of Dreadnought, her own horfe, who had brought her in at the death of a ftag, with Tom the huntsman, when every gentleman on the field was thrown out; concluding with the most exulting expreffions of barbarous joy at feeing the poor beaft torn to pieces, when, as Mr.THOMSON elegantly describes it,

The big round tears run down his dappled neck,
He groans in anguifh; while the growling pack

Blood

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