The history of the Robinhood Society: In which the origin of that illustrious body of men is traced; the method of managing their debates is shewn; ... and some original speeches, ... are recorded. ...

THE HISTORY OF THE Robinhood Society.

PART III.

IN the Year 1747, the Society was removed to the Robinhood in Butcher-Row, at that Time kept by Mr. HALL. The Room here was vastly more convenient than the other: New Benches were made, in or∣der that a greater Number of People might be admitted; a Branch for eighteen

Candles was suspended from the Ceiling; a large Chair for the President, curiously gilt, was erected; a Box to keep the Book of Questions, was provided; a Hammer was purchased for the President; and, in short, every Thing that was necessary to reflect Splendor on the Society, and to accommodate its Visitants in the best Manner, was obtain'd by the industrious Landlord, who had formed great Hopes of adding a Reputation to his House, and en∣riching himself, from the vast Concourse of People he expected would assemble there.

IN order to convey the best Idea I can of this famous Society to the Mind of the Reader, I apprehend it is necessary for me to give a fuller Account of the Manage∣ment of it, than I have before done.

EVERY Person that attended it, was to pay Six-pence; and that while these Disputants were enriching their Minds with the Treasures of Knowledge, they might also practise the God-like Virtue of Charity, they agreed, that out of every Six-pence the Landlord should be paid Four-pence for each Quart of Lemonade and Porter; Three Half-pence should be

set by, and appropriated to charitable Uses, to be agreed on by a select Com∣mittee appointed for that Purpose; and the remaining Half-penny should be paid to the Clerk, as a Recompence for the Trouble he was put to, in receiving each Person's Ticket, and taking Care that the Society in general, and the Dispu∣tants in particular, were duly serv'd with Liquor.

A PERPETUAL President was also ap∣pointed, whose Name was JEACOCKE, who was to act as Moderator, and who had, indeed, given great Satisfactio nin that Character at the Essex-Head, for four Years. His Duty consisted in reading whatever Questions were proposed for Consideration, and offering them separately to the Choice of the Members: Those who chose that a Question, should be ad∣mitted, and enter'd in the Book, were to signify it by holding up their Hands; and those who did not think it a proper Ques∣tion, were to signify their Opinion in the same Manner; and the Majority carried it. After this Part of his Duty, he was to read the Question for the Night's De∣bate, and then ask the several Members whether they chose to speak to it, begin∣ning

with the Person who sat next to his left Hand, and proceeding all round the Room 'till he came to the Person who sat next his right Hand. When any Person got up to speak, he was also to take Mi∣nutes of what he conceiv'd to be of par∣ticular Importance, and by thus collecting the different Sentiments of different People, he was enabled, when it came to his Turn to speak, to enforce the Arguments that strengthen'd his own Opinion, and invali∣date those that were against it. If no Person thought proper to own a Question, or to confess himself the Proposer of it, then the President was the adopted Father, and he open'd the Question, by explaining the Terms of it, and concluded the De∣bates on it, by a Speech of his own; but if the Author of the Question own'd it, then the Person next to his left Hand spoke to it, and it was to go round in due Order, and the Proposer concluded it. The Pre∣sident was likewise to keep Order and De∣corum in the Society; to prevent any personal Altercations, or mean Invectives; to make them stick to the Point; to bring them back when they went astray; to see likewise with the Clerk, that the Society was well supplied with Liquor; and, in short, to do every Thing that was for

the Interest of the Society, and the Good of the Members present.

BY this Account of the Duty of the President, it will appear that his Trouble every Night was not little. It is always difficult to keep a promiscuous Company in good Order; and a Society, like the ROBINHOOD, where every one is ad∣mitted for his Six-pence, must be liable to many Irregularities. But though the Pre∣sident's Trouble was so great, yet his Attachment to, and Veneration for, the Society was such, that, unlike the inte∣rested Conduct of most other Presidents, he acted Gratis, contenting himself only with the Honour of the Office.

ONCE a Year a Paper was publish'd by the Society, containing a Justification of it from the Sneers of Witlings, and the Sarcasms of some satirical Authors, and setting forth its Nature and Tendency; and underneath it, was an Account of the Number of People that had attended it all the Year, distinguishing the particular Number that met each Monday Night. This was thought more likely to vindicate their Conduct, and wipe off the Asper∣sions that had been thrown on them, than

an elaborate Defence; since by seeing what a vast Number of People attended each Night, amounting in a Year's Time to upwards of Five Thousand, on a mo∣derate Computation, the Public might perceive that no less than Five Thousand three Half-pennies were distributed in Cha∣rity, amounting to 31l. 5s.—And even supposing that the Society could not vie in Splendor with the ROYAL SOCIETY, or in Dignity with the ANTIQUARIAN, or in Numbers with the SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS, MANU∣FACTURES AND COMMERCE, and even granting their Antagonists Assertions to be true, that it was a Receptacle for the Illiterate and the Impious, where horrid and blasphemous Notions were defended and propagated, and where Religion and Virtue were trodden under Foot; yet still, it may be urged from great Authority, that Charity covers a Multitude of Sins.

THE Society now advancing in its Reputation, and some of the most distin∣guished Wits and Scholars frequenting it, it greatly excited the public Attention. There was scarce a public Paper, but in the Course of its Animadversions, the ROBINHOOD SOCIETY was taken Notice

of. Doctor HENLEY vindicated it from his Rostrum, and comparing it to some of the famed Assemblies of Yore, where a CICERO, or a DEMOSTHENES harangued, he affirm'd it to be of the most eminent Service to Mankind, by mending their Morals, enlarging their Knowledge, and refining their Taste; that it was infinitely preferable, consider'd as a School of Ora∣tory, to the Bar, or the Senate; and that it excell'd the Pulpit, both with Respect to the Advancement of TRUE RELIGION, and the spreading of Human Knowledge. Nay, he affirm'd it to be the Sun of the intellectual and moral World, that with its radiant Beams enlighten'd, chear'd, and vivified the Spiritual System, as the Fir∣mamental Sun doth the Natural.—In short, he undertook to vindicate it from his Rostrum in Lincoln's-Inn Fields, from all the Calumnies and Aspersions, that ever had been, or could be raised against it, and insisted on its being the most perfect human Institution that was ever form'd, except—his own Oratory.

ON the other Hand, the Pulpits every where display'd its evil Tendency, and resounded with its Infamy. The Clergy were so much against it, that, Surgeon∣like,

they dissected and cut it up without Mercy. They averr'd, that the House itself could not stand long; that it was a second Pandemonium, or Assembly of evil Spirits; that though they at present triumphed, yet they would shortly be de∣feated; and that every one of the Members that composed it, would infallibly be d—d. Nay, one Reverend Gentleman in parti∣cular,* 1.1 prophesied, some Years after the Period I am now describing, that as it was absolutely certain, that the Merchants that were settling their Books at the Earth∣quake in Lisbon, in the Year 1749, were swallow'd up, and immediately consign'd to the Care of the D—l; so the ROBIN∣HOOD would shortly meet the like Fate, or be torn from its Foundations, whirled through the Air by the Prince of it, be carried, like OUR LADY OF Loretto, Thousands of Leagues, and at Length, with its whole Cargo, thrown down to H—ll.

THE Society, however, in Spight of these Denunciations, maintain'd its Ground,

and increased in Fame. The Names of the Members had been written in their Book of Questions, and new ones were continually added. The Regulations they were under, were likewise copied out fair; and these, with the List of the Questions that succeeded them, were open to every one's Perusal.

THE President discharg'd his Trust with Fidelity and Honour, and the Society in general thought themselves much oblig'd to him for the Care he had taken of their Interest, and the good Order and Regula∣rity he preserv'd.

TO make this History compleat, and to perform my Promise made in the Title-Page, of giving Memoirs of the most re∣markable Members, I shall, in this third Part, as is most fit, begin with the Presi∣dent,

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Mr. CALEB JEACOCKE, Or, As he is more frequently called, The BAKER.

MY Intention in giving a few Me∣moirs of this Gentleman, is not to surprise the Reader, by a Relation of uncommon or interesting Events, but merely to rescue a Character, greatly traduced, and viely misrepresented, by all the Authors, as far as I have seen, who have employ'd their Pens on this Subject.

IN the Lives of the Generality of Men, there is nothing remarkable enough to satisfy the Curiosity of Readers, unless the Imagination of the Author is exerted, to feign Events that never happen'd, and employ his Hero in Scenes he was never engaged in. This is the Case with Mr. JEACOCKE. His Life has not been che∣quer'd with those variegated Hues that make so pleasing an Appearance in the Biographer's Page, nor did he ever run

through such a Variety of Adventures, as in the Recital excite alternately the diffe∣rent Passions of the Mind.

HE was born in London, and having receiv'd such an Education as enabled him only to read, write, and cast Accompts, he was put Apprentice to a Baker. He behaved extremely well in his Appren∣ticeship, and was pointed out as an Exam∣ple for others in the same Station of Life. As soon as his Apprenticeship was expir'd, by the generous Legacy of a good old Aunt, he was enabled to set up for him∣self, and pitch'd upon St. Giles's for that Purpose. He was remarkably diligent in his Business, punctual in his Engage∣ments, and, in every Respect, approv'd himself a truly honest Man; so that he was valued and esteemed by every one to whom he was known.

HAVING a perfect Knowledge of Ac∣compts, and being blessed with such a clear Judgment, as could almost intuitively distinguish and separate Truth from False∣hood, he was requested by many Mer∣chants and Tradesmen, whose Accompts were long, embarrassed, and intricate, to adjust and settle them: And this he per∣form'd

with an Expedition and Correct∣ness, that few could equal, and none excel; even after some of the most emi∣nent Accomptants in London had despaired settling them, and pronounced them im∣possible to be made out clear and evident.

PROVIDENCE smiled on his Underta∣kings, and he got Money apace. His being appointed President of the ROBIN∣HOOD SOCIETY, made him universally known, and THE BAKER has been talk'd of, I believe, in every City and Town in England. JEACOCKE was not averse to Popularity, nor in Love with it for its intrinsic Worth, but for the Benefit that accompanied it, in making him known to some of the greatest Men in the Kingdom, and some of the most respectable and wealthy Merchants, whose Accompts he settled, and for which he was paid very large Sums.

IN this Situation he continued, increa∣sing his Wealth and Fame, 'till the latter End of the Year 1761, when he thought proper to resign his Office of President of the ROBINHOOD SOCIETY, having con∣tinued in that honourable Station nineteen Years: And in a few Months afterwards,

he was appointed one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex, in which Capacity he now acts with an Integrity and Honour, with a Clearness of Judgment, and a Fervour of Humanity, excell'd by none. He is consi∣der'd by the Rational and Judicious, as a tacit Satire on the Practice of some trading Justices, who sell their Judgment and Mercy, as a Grocer sells his Raisins and Sugar, at so much per Pound.

THOUGH JEACOCKE has never re∣ceiv'd, what we term, a liberal Educa∣tion, yet his Mind is stored with a greater Stock of real Knowledge, than nineteen Parts out of twenty of those who have breathed a College Air for many Years. But though his Judgment is clear, and his Knowledge extensive, yet his unbounded Humanity, his amiable Chearfulness, his discreet Complaisance, his incorruptible In∣tegrity, are still superior. His Philanthropy is so great, that Misery and Distress never applied to him in vain. His Advice and Purse were ever open to the Indigent; but his Knowledge of the World teaching him to distinguish between real and pre∣tended Distress, between honest Poverty and artful Villainy, whenever he found

Examples of the latter, he was as rigorous in inflicting Punishments, as in the former he was ready to afford Relief. In his De∣portment he is grave, but not austere; serious, but not melancholy; chearful, but not merry; reserved, but not hypo∣critical. He possesses Judgment without Ostentation; Humility without Mean∣ness; and Worth without Pride. Ever open to Conviction, in his Office of Presi∣dent, he never obtruded his Opinions on his Auditors for certain Truths, but re∣tracted them, and own'd his Mistakes, if pointed out. Slave to no Sect, but a Friend and Member of the Church of England, he vindicated her from the rude Assaults of Deists and Unbelievers, not by positive Dogmas, and mere Ipse Dixits, but by candid Reasoning, and fair Argu∣ment. When unacquainted with the Sub∣ject of Debate, he sought not by retailing the Sentiments of others, to pass as an in∣telligent Man, or to take up their Time by delivering a String of Words without Meaning, but left the Question to be debated by those whose Inclination or Si∣tuation in Life put it in their Power to speak to it properly. By these Means, and having a retentive Memory, and a fine natural Genius, and being remarkably

attentive to whatever was said on every Subject, there are few he has not now a general Knowledge of, and a great many he is particularly conversant in. His Reasoning is close, but not void of Pers∣picuity; and his Elocution free and na∣tural, but not rapid and verbose. He ever strives rather to convince the Mind, than to excite the Passions, and to deliver wholsome Truths and useful Precepts, than to charm the Imagination with Paradoxes, and lead the Soul to Fairy Ground, by the Pomp of Words, and the Richness of Imagery; so that his Eloquence rather resembles a smooth and gentle Current that glides softly along, than the foaming and majestic Tyber, or the rapid Tagus, that rolls its golden Waves in Disdain of Limits, overbearing and sweeping every Thing before it.

JEACOCKE being such a Person as I have described, it is no Wonder that he should be revered by the Society. He He had a prodigious Influence over them, and kept them in more Awe, than a Pe∣dagogue doth his Scholars, or even than the Speaker of a great Assembly can fre∣quently keep the Members, as Mr. A—R

O—S—W himself once owned to Mr. JEACOCKE.

ANOTHER Member of the Society at its first Opening at the ROBINHOOD, was the NOTORIOUS

Mr. Orator HENLEY.

SOME Account of this Phenomenon may not be unacceptable to the Public. But as a better than I can give of him, has been already given in one of the Notes to Mr. POPE'S Dunciad, I shall extract that Paragraph, and then hazard a few Remarks of my own on this singular Genius.

J. HENLEY the Orator; he preach'd on the Sundays upon Theological Mat∣ters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other Sciences. Each Auditor paid One Shilling. He declaimed some Years against the greatest Persons, and occa∣sionally did our Author that Honour. WELSTED, in Oratory Transactions, No. I. publish'd by HENLEY himself, gives the following Account of him:

He was born at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. From his own Parish School he went to St. John's College in Cambridge. He began there to be uneasy; for it shock'd him to find he was commanded to believe against his own Judgment in Points of Religion, Philosophy, &c. for his Genius leading him freely to dispute all Propositions, and call all Points to Account, he was impatient under those Fetters of the free-born Mind. Being admitted to Priest's Orders, he found the Examina∣tion very short and superficial; and that it was not necessary to conform to the Christian Religion, in order either to Deaconship or Priesthood. He came to Town, and after having for some Years been a Writer for Booksellers, he had an Ambition to be so for Mini∣sters of State. The only Reason he did not rise in the Church, we are told, was the Envy of others, and a Disrelish entertain'd of him, because he was not qualified to be a complete Spaniel. However, he offer'd the service of his Pen to two great Men, of Opinions and Interests directly opposite; by both of whom being rejected, he set up a new Project, and stiled himself the

Restorer of antient Eloquence. He thought it as lawful to take a Licence from the King and Parliament at one Place, as another; at Hick's Hall, as at Doctors Commons; to set up his Oratory in Newport Market, Butcher Row. There (says his Friend) he had the Assurance to form a Plan, which no Mortal ever thought of; he had Success against all Opposition; chal∣leng'd his Adversaries to fair Disputa∣tions, and none would dispute with him: Writ, read, and studied twelve Hours a Day; composed three Dissertations a Week on all Subjects; undertook to teach in one Year, what Schools and Universities teach in five; was not terrified by Menaces, Insults, or Satires, but still proceeded, matured his bold Scheme, and put the Church, and all that in Danger. WESLTED, Narrative in Orat. Transact. No. I.

AFTER having stood some Prosecu∣tions, he turn'd his Rhetoric to Buf∣foonry upon all public and private oc∣currences. All this pass'd in the same Room; where sometimes he broke Jests, and sometimes that Bread which

he call'd the Primitive Eucharist.—This wonderful Person struck Medals, which he dispers'd as Tickets to his Subscribers: The Device, a Star rising to the Meridian, with this Motto, AD SUMMA; and below, INVE∣NIAM VIAM AUT FACIAM. This Man had a Hundred Pounds a Year given him for the secret Service of a Weekly Paper of unintelligible Non∣sense, call'd the Hyp-Doctor. POPE'S Works, Vol. V.

THE Doctor was indeed a Composition of Inconsistency and Singularity. He wanted not Sense or Learning, but perverted both to the most unworthy Purposes. He un∣derstood the Principles of Religion very well; but his chief Delight was in making it appear ridiculous, by the ludicrous Light in which he view'd it himself, and repre∣sented it to others. As to any fix'd Prin∣ciples, with Respect to political Notions, he had none, but employ'd all his Talents to laugh at, and make all Government appear a mere Joke. But though the Doctor understood Religion tolerably well, and could, when he thought proper, com∣pare the different Sects, and exhibit their various Excellencies in a striking and pic∣turesque

Manner, yet he was more dis∣posed to cull out their several Defects and Imperfections, so as to make all of them appear mere human Inventions, and the Creatures which interested Priests and art∣ful Knaves had dressed up, to impose on, and frighten the Vulgar. His chief Talent lay in Buffoonery, and making the most amiable Things appear mere Monsters, and hideous Caricatures. Thus Religion was vilified, her Ministers traduced, Mo∣rality laugh'd at, Merit treated as a mere Non-Entity, and the greatest Characters in the Kingdom taken to Pieces and ana∣tomised with all the Licentiousness imagi∣nable, every Sunday, when the Ollio of Scandal and Nonsense was serv'd up to the Public. He was of an over-bearing Temper, insolent to his Inferiors, and unmannerly to his Superiors. His Pride, which was excessive, taught him to despise every one with whom he conversed; and his Self-Love, which was inordinate, and reign'd over him with a despotic Sway, led him to suppose, that every one was inferior to himself in Point of Judgment. Hence that ridiculous Vanity which was visible in his every Action, and prompted him to enforce his own Arguments with the most indecent Noise and violent Gesticulations,

to disregard the Sentiments of others, and to be continually interrupting them in the Course of their Reasoning. As a Com∣panion, therefore, he was odious; as a Clergyman, indecent; as an Orator re∣prehensible; as a Christian, culpable; and as Man, contemptible.

THE Doctor being such a Person as I have describ'd him, it may be wonder'd that his Oratory should be so prodigiously frequented: But, I apprehend, it is no Wonder at all. Novelties will always attract; Scandal has Charms for many Appetites; and an unrestrain'd Licentious∣ness of railing against Religion and Go∣vernment, will always draw vast Numbers of Infidels and Libertines to hear their Patron and Advocate sounding the Trum∣pet of Sedition. Not but that others of a different Cast attended the Oratory: Some came to laugh with the Orator, and some to laugh at him: Some, to un∣bend their Minds, and forget the rigid Rules of Morality they had just before heard in our Places of public Worship; and some to confirm themselves in Infide∣lity and Impiety, and enable themselves to become Disputants.

THE Orator, with various Success, still kept up his ORATORY KING GEORGE'S, or CHARLES'S CHAPEL, as he differently term'd it, 'till the Year 1759, when he died. At its first Establishment it was amazingly crowded, and Money flowed in upon him apace; and between whiles, it languished and drooped: But for some Years before its Author's Death, it dwin∣dled away so much, and fell into such an hectic State, that the few Friends of it fear'd its Decease was very near. The Doctor, indeed, kept it up to the last, determin'd it should live as long as he did, and actually exhibited many Evenings to empty Benches. Finding no one at length would attend, he admitted the Acquaintances of his Door-Keeper, Runner, Mouth-Piece, and some others of his Followers, gratis. On the 13th of October, however, the Doctor died, and the Oratory ceased; no one having Iniquity or Impudence suf∣ficient to continue it on; since which it is turn'd into a Tradesman's Warehouse.

I SHALL now give a brief Account of the most considerable of the Oratorical Members from its first Establishment at the ROBINHOOD, to the present Time.

Mr. B*RR***T*N.

FORMERLY a Governor of one of our Plantations. He was a Man of tolerable good Parts, had been engaged in various Scenes of Life, was a close Rea∣soner, but very deficient in oratorical Abi∣lities; his Delivery being slow, and ac∣companied with a Thickness of Voice, and an ungraceful Demeanor, which greatly prejudiced the Audience against him. He was a rank Deist, and, on all Occasions, ridiculed the Christian System, with an Asperity and Acrimony that denoted his extreme Aversion to it; but, it is said, that on his Death-bed he owned the beau∣ty and Sanctity of that Religion, which alone can ensure an happy Immortality to those who square their Lives agreeable to its holy Precepts, and, in pathetic Terms, bewailed his own Infelicity, in being depri∣ved of that Comfort and that Light which can enable the Righteous to triumph over the Grave, and make Death lose its Sting.

Mr. B*DD**PH.

A VERY Proteus in Principle and Con∣duct. This Day of one Opinion; the next of a different. He changed his Sentiments much oftner than he did his Cloaths; an extravagant Life, and an Itch for Disputing, having reduced him from an honourable Situation in Life, to a very mean one, with one Suit of Cloaths only to his Back. He is descended from noble Ancestors; has a Barone, for his elder Brother, but is now in the Service of the East-India Company, in the Character of a private Soldier. He is endued with ex∣cellent Faculties, distinguishes Things with a Clearness and Precision few can excel him; has a ready Wit, sound Judgment, and an easy Delivery; but he has a squeaking disagreeable Tone, and, on Account of his changing Sides so often, whatever he says has little or no Effect on his Auditors. He has distinguished him∣self in the Republic of Letters by many in∣genious Productions; but what made him more particularly remarkable as an Au∣thor, was, the uncommon Pains he took in the Affair of CANNING and SQUIRES,

searching and diving into that mysterious Transaction, and giving the Result of his Enquiries, and his own Conjectures, in several Pamphlets and Essays he wrote on the Subject. He was promised to be am∣ply rewarded for his Trouble, by the Ma∣gistrate who employ'd him in the Affair, but who, it is said, never gave him one Penny on that Account.

Mr. G*NT**M*N.

A VERY ingenious Gentleman, the Son of a Colonel of the Irish Establish∣ment, Author of SEJANUS, a Tragedy, and many other well-wrote Pieces. He is now a Lieutenant on Half-pay, and lives at Worcester. As an Orator he was excel∣lent; having an Energy of Expression, a Facility of Utterance, and a Reach of Thought few can equal. Fortune, who, in the Distribution of her Favours, proves herself a blind and ignorant Judge of Merit, has been peculiarly severe to this Gentleman. He was promised, by a late deceased worthy Lord, to be provided for; but nothing has been done for him, and he now lives upon a scanty Pittance; a deplorable Instance that Men of the

greatest Merit, Learing, and Genius, may sit sighing in Rags and Poverty, while pli∣ant Knaves, Fools, and Coxcombs, bask in the Sunshine of a Court, and almost bend beneath the Load of Fortune's Fa∣vours. He has not unfrequently wrote in Conjunction with

Mr. D*RR**K.

A MAN no more fit to stand in Com∣petition with G*NT**M*N, than a Pigmy with Hercules. This Gentleman, however, as an Author, and a facetious Companion, is not without some Merit. His Merit, however, is tinctured with no small Degree of Self-Conceit, and his Conversation with unpardonable Egotisms. He was born in Dublin, and, by his Aunt, put Apprentice to a Linnen-draper; but, instead of minding his Business, he was ever reading Plays, and composing Mad∣rigals. In Consequence of this Propensity, he ran away from his Master, came to London, and commenced Author; in which honourable Vocation he continued, with various Success, till about two Years ago, when he was chosen Master of the Ceremonies at Bath; but was lately dis∣charged

from that Office, and Monsieur CAULETT chosen in his Room.

Mr. FOOTE.

THIS very ingenious Gentleman is so well known to the Public, that any Account of him would be needless. The same Thing may also be observed of

Mr. MACKLIN,

WHO is now exhibiting his Abilities, both as an Author and an Actor, at the Theatre in Smock-Alley, Dublin.

Mr. GR***S.

A PAINTER by Trade, and a Deist in Principle. He was a strenuous Advocate for the Society; but the very Household Abilities he poss ssed, put it out of his Power to be eminently s rviceable to it. His Character is drawn with no unskilful Hand by the Author of THE ROBINHOOD SOCIETY, a Satire. To which I refer, and shall therefore say no more of him here.

JOHN H**KE, Esq

A GENTLEMAN of Genius and Judg∣ment, a firm Friend, and an agree∣able Companion. He possesses a Solidity of Thought, and a Vivacity of Imagina∣tion, that seldom unite in the same Person. He is descended from a respectable Family, had high Expectations from a wealthy Uncle, but was greatly disappointed, and barbarously treated, by his leaving his For∣tune from his Nephew, to People he was not allied to. Mr. H**KE, however, by the Exertion of his Talents, has gained a very pretty Fortune, and was lately chosen Member for M****n in Essex. In this Capacity there is no Doubt but he will be∣have properly; for he has all the Faculties and Accomplishments requisite to form the complete Senator; and, in the Editor's Opinion, possesses an Integrity of Soul, not any ways inferior to the Judgment of his Head. He is likewise a Member of the Society for the ENCOURAGEMENT of ARTS; but has not for some Years be∣longed to the ROBINHOOD.

Mr. M*R*Y.

A TAYLOR by Trade, formerly a Qua∣ker, now a Deist; and a very merry Fellow he is. He has no great Abilities, nor very contemptible ones. If an Attempt to entertain is meritorious, this merry Fellow possesses a great Share of Merit; for all his Speeches are calculated for that End.

Mr. WILLIAM C**TY.

FORMERLY a Cabinet-maker in the Strand. There was nothing very remarkable in this Person, but that his Conceptions of Things were so dull, and the Succession of his Ideas so rapid, that his Tongue could not give Utterance to them. He was so sensible of his Deficiency in this Respect, that in the Course of his Speechifying, he was ready to quarrel with himself, for not being able to give a Vent to the Thoughts with which he was almost ready to burst. Whether he was more happy in expressing his Sentiments in Wri∣ting, than in extemporaneous Discourses,

I know not, never having seen any of his Compositions, though I am told he wrote a good deal.

GEORGE B**DG*S.

A Noted Bug-Doctor near Hatton-Garden, Author of several unintel∣ligible Pamphlets, full of pious Rants, enthusiastic Jargon, and unmeaning Stuff. He is a Quaker, and has often held forth as a Preacher, in which Character he must certainly appear to Advantage, as he has a Facility of Utterance, and can harangue for half an Hour together in such a Style and Manner it shall be im∣possible for any Mortal to fathom his Meaning. Fine Accomplishments these for a Quaking Preacher!

Mr. S**ND**S*N.

A SURGEON of some Eminence in Great Queen Street, near Lincoln's Inn Fields. He is of the establish'd Church with Respect to his Religion, and a stre∣nuous Advocate for it. As a Scholar, he is by no Means contemptible; as a

Surgeon, skilful; as an Orator, middling; and as an Author, indifferent. He is a Man of great Integrity, and is respected by all who have the Pleasure of his Ac∣quaintance. He is of an open, chearful Temper, and extremely good-natur'd. He belongs to a Society, not unlike that of the ROBINHOOD, held at the Devil Ta∣vern, near Temple-Bar. He is a great Admirer of the Moderns, and thinks they excel the Antients, in the Goodness both of their Lives and Writings. How far this Opinion of his is just, it is not our Business to enquire into here, though such an Enquiry would be both pleasant and profitable.

Mr. R*B**S*N.

A GENIUS truly surprizing: A perfect Phenomenon. He is characterised in the Satire on the ROBINHOOD SOCIETY, under the Name of BIBO; and, indeed, that Name suits him very well. It is a common Saying, that

Poets are born, but Orators are taught.

THE Meaning of this must be, that without a natural Genius, no Man can excel in Verse; but without any Genius, a Man may be capable of shining as a Speaker: This, however, is by no Means applicable to BIBO, for he was neither born, nor made an Orator; and it is really astonishing, that without having any Thing to say, he yet speaks his five Mi∣nutes at the ROBINHOOD without Inter∣mission, after which he sits down, and with a ghastly Grin smiling his own Ap∣plause, proceeds to his darling Business of quaffing Porter.

Mr. B**C**Y.

THIS Gentleman is Master of an Academy at Tottenham High Cross, and has lately taken Holy Orders. He is a Native of North Britain, and is a Man of Learning and Integrity. Were it not for a strong Scotch Accent, he would be a very good Orator, since his Sentiments are always orthodox and just, his Diction pure and elegant, his Elocution free and graceful, and his Action spirited and easy. I know of no Person to whom I would

entrust the Education of a Son, sooner than to him; for while he takes Care to improve their Heads, he neglects not to mend their Hearts. He was one of the Candidates for the Lectureship of White∣chaple Church not long since; and if Piety and Virtue, Learning and Good-Sense, had been preferr'd, perhaps Mr. B**C**Y had been chosen Lecturer: But it is no un∣common Thing to see Merit disregarded, and Ignorance exalted.—Interest now-a-days, is the Empress of the World.

Mr. C**WF**D.

THIS Gentleman is also of the same Country, and of the same Profes∣sion as the last mention'd, but not posses∣sed of equal Abilities. He is, however, a Man of good common Sense, but has no great Depth of Learning. What his Merit may be as a School-master, I pre∣tend not to say; but as an Orator, he is by no Means contemptible. He is rather too diffuse in his Reasoning, and his Ex∣pressions are frequently vague and undeter∣minate; but there is a Vein of Piety, and a Zeal for the Interests of Religion, dis∣coverable in all his Discourses.—In

short, he is a Man of some Abilities, but they are not so great as he imagines them to be.

Mr. WILLIAM W**Y.

THIS Gentleman is a facetious Com∣panion, and possesses a considerable Share of Learning and good Sense. He was bred to the Profession of the Law, but that dry Study not agreeing with his gay and volatile Disposition, he frequently indulg'd himself in a Correspondence with the Muses, and improv'd it to such Ad∣vantage, as shortly to get them with Child, as COLLEY CIBBER humorously expresses it. What sort of Offspring he has, ap∣pears by his SHRUBS OF PARNASSUS, his BLOSSOMS OF HELICON, and the POETI∣CAL CALENDAR in twelve Volumes, in which last Work he was assisted by Mr. FAWKES. He is now Steward to a noble Lord, and behaves in that Character with incorruptible Integrity, and great Judg∣ment. As an Orator, we pretend not to give our Opinion of him, as he never spoke at the Society above twice or thrice.

Mr. RICHARD L***S,

AUTHOR of the ROBINHOOD SO∣CIETY a Satire, The Adventures of PATRICK O'DONNELL, the Adven∣tures of CHARLES CARELESS, and a Multitude of other Works. This Gentle∣man, as well as his Friend Mr. W**Y, was bred to the Law, but, like him, in∣stead of studying COKE UPON LYTTLE∣TON, or VINER'S Abridgment, was ever reading SHAKESPEAR and POPE, and composing Madrigals. As an Author, we decline giving our Opinion: His Works must speak for him. As an Orator, he must be ranked in the third Class, having a weak Voice, a harsh and untuneable Accent, and an ungraceful Action. He has not spoke in the Society for many Years; and, indeed, if he had never spoken there at all, it would have been no Matter; for as during the Time he belong'd to the Society, he was no Orna∣ment to it, so now he has withdrawn him∣self from it, he is not miss'd.

Mr. PETER A*N*T.

THIS Gentleman has made himself very notorious. He has been pillo∣ried, fined, and imprisoned, several Times, for his ardent Zeal in inculcating the true Religion, and his laudable Endeavours to prove MOSES a Bl—h—d, and the Christian Religion a mere Ch—t, in∣tended to affront the common Sense of Mankind. Strange! that so zealous a Reformer should be punish'd, instead of being rewarded! and that Mankind are still blinded by Prejudice, which this Gen∣tleman would remove, and still hamper'd by the Shackles of Religion, which he would knock off! He was formerly a School-master, after that Clerk to a Mer∣chant; then, he had some Employment in a public Office, and for these twelve Months last past, he has enjoy'd a Place in Bridewell. What he intends to do now, I know not. He was for some Years a main Pillar of the ROBINHOOD SO∣CIETY, and used to read his Productions to the Members, instead of speaking ex∣tempore. As an Orator, he is to the last Degree contemptible, having a tame and

lifeless Pronunciation, and a mean and in∣sipid Action. His Abilities are, however, far from indifferent, but it is a Pity that Age and Experience should not have taught him Discretion enough—to refrain from insulting the Religion of his Country.

Mr. WILLIAM R*D*R.

THIS Gentleman enter'd into Holy Orders about five Years ago, since which he has not frequented the ROBIN∣HOOD SOCIETY. Before that, he used to be a constant Member, and spoke to every Question that was debated, with an Extent of Knowledge, and a Clearness of Precision, that evinced, there were few Subjects he was unacquainted with. But if his Judgment is very great, his Integrity is still greater. He is a faithful Husband, an affectionate Father, a good Christian, a firm Friend, a chearful Companion. His Exposition of the BIBLE, is a stand∣ing Proof of his Piety and Learning; his DICTIONARY, a noble Monument of critical Accuracy; and his HISTORY of England, an undeniable Evidence of his Candor and Judgment. As a Preacher, he is deservedly admir'd. His Composi∣tions,

abstracted from the Charms of his Delivery, will bear the strictest Scrutiny; but when heighten'd and enforc'd by the Beauty of Pronunciation, and Energy of Action, it is no Wonder they should ex∣tort the Admiration, and secure the Esteem of the enraptured Congregation. As a Scholar, he is greatly celebrated, being thoroughly conversant with both the learned and modern Languages, and which all his Works in general, but his BIBLE and DICTIONARY in particular, irrefragably prove. The last contains a Fund of Knowledge beyond any other I know of; and I dare pronounce it to be the best and most useful of any we have in this Dic∣tionary-making Age.

Mr. R*BL*S.

A JEW, a Deist, a Stock-broker, and an Author, united in one Person. What an Hachis! What a strange Mix∣ture!—He wrote a Pamphlet some Time since, intituled, SUPERSTITION WORSE THAN ATHEISM, which he had the Discretion to vend privately, for Fear of the Censure of the Civil Magistrate. His Notions of Religion exactly correspond

with those of Mr. PETER A*N*T, and his Oratory is not unlike his; he has a thick, mumbling, lisping Voice, a Hesi∣tation of Speech, confused Ideas, and an ungraceful Delivery. It is not a little to the Honour of the Christian Religion, that it has for its Enemies such contemp∣tible Beings.

Mr. S*****S.

A VERY ingenious Gentleman, a good Writer, and a fine Speaker. He was some Time Amanuensis to Mr. JOHN∣SON, and wrote many fugitive Pieces on temporary Subjects, that are now for∣gotten, as well as some that are now justly esteem'd.

Mr. RICHARD AC***D.

HE kept a Lottery-Office not many Years ago, after which he was De∣puty Commissary at Belleisle. He is now a Gentleman at large, and keeps Com∣pany with Bucks and Choice Spirits. He is of a dry, saturnine, sarcastic Disposition, but wants not Sense, though possessed of

little scholastic Knowledge, or oratorical Abilities. He takes great Delight in making personal Infirmities Objects of Ridicule, and of viewing the most serious Subjects with an Eye of Levity. However esteem'd these Qualifications and Disposition may be by his Companions, they are not re∣garded by Disputants; and therefore, we apprehend, Mr. AC***D is much better formed to shine in a modern nocturnal Meeting of Bloods, than in a Society of Philosophers.

Mr. THOMAS M**T*M*R.

THIS Gentleman was formerly a Lin∣nen-Draper, but meeting with Mis∣fortunes, to which every Man in Trade is liable, was oblig'd to compound with his Creditors; after which he turned Stock∣broker, being induced thereto, as himself tells us, by the Representations and Per∣suasions of a Set of Men, who endea∣vour'd to make him believe that he might acquire a large Fortune in a short Space of Time. He found himself, however, miserably mistaken, being egregiously du∣ped by those Vultures, who preyed upon his Substance, 'till he had lost his All. He

then set up a Lottery-Office in Conjunc∣tion with the last-mention'd Gentleman, but met with no great Success. However, he hath since that Time repaired his For∣tune, and is now his Majesty's Vice-Consul for the Austrian Netherlands. He is a Person of excellent Sense, and great good Nature. As an Orator, indeed, he never shone much, a Heaviness of Aspect, and a Thickness of Utterance, still ac∣companying him. What he said was al∣ways worth hearing, but how he said it, was not worthy Imitation. His Piece, intituled, Every Man his own Broker, discovers him to be well versed in that mysterious Business, and to understand the Genius of our Language very well. He is now compiling a History of England.

Mr. THOMAS FL**D.

THIS Gentleman is a fine Scholar, an able Orator, a judicious Writer, and a good Christian. Not long since he took on him the sacred Function, and behaves with that amiable Dignity, and chearful Gravity, as reflects an Honour on the Cloth, and shews how worthy he is to wear it. Were the Number of such

Clergymen greater, it would not be so common as it now is, to hear Christianity ridiculed, and its Ministers treated with Contempt. He has not for some Years frequented the Society; but formerly was very often there, and was an Ornament to it. The Speech which the Author of the ROBINHOOD SOCIETY, a Satire, has put in the Mouth of this Gentleman, whom he calls OTHO, on the Excellency of the Christian Religion, is so good, that I can∣not refrain transcribing it.

HAIL, noble Preses! Guide of Reas'ners, hail! With thee my Speech begins, with thee shall end: For Reason gave that Sceptre to thy Hand, And eke her sacred Laws, that thou might'st still The Voice of Infidelity, and check her Friends. 'Tis thine to speak the Dictates of thy Soul: 'Tis thine to lend an Ear when Justice bids Another speak, and to enforce his Thoughts. Thy Smile is Truth, and Error is thy Frown: Yet will I speak what right my Soul esteems. Fix'd is the Thought, and rivited by Time; By Time, which gives to Truth increasing Charms, And steals from Error all her borrow'd Plumes.

RELIGION, hail! thou Guardian of our Lives; Foundress of States; of Law, Protectress fair; Virtue's strong Rock, and Reason's noblest Guide!

Without thy Aid each social Tie is lost: Without thy Aid the Laws would threat in vain: Without thy Aid this World were drown'd in Blood. Freed from the Fear of Hell, or Hope of Heav'n, Life were a Load, and Being were a Curse. When Misery, with Hope-destroying Stake, Impales the Wretch, and Horror wings the Soul, Thy Balm affords Relief, allays the Pain, And bids the harmless Weapon quit the Wound. When Fortune and when Plenty load the Board, Thou on the Altar of the human Heart Dost light a Flame, that, tow'ring to the Clouds, Exhales an Incense grateful to the Skies. If Foes increase, thou bidd'st their Rancour end: If Dangers press, Faith lends her ample Shield, Defies their Threats, and frowns them into Bliss. E'en Death, that plucks the Planets from the Skies, Owns thy superior Might, foregoes his Sting, And the proud Grave, victorious o'er our Clay, At thy Command his laurell'd Chaplet quits, Returns the Shrowd, and, growling, leaves his Prey.

SAY, mighty Reas'ners, Infidels baptiz'd, Who dress in Folly's Garb, yet idly dream That Wisdom's Robe upon your Shoulders shines; Say, when tempestuous Passions tear the Soul, Cloud Reason's Beam, and put out Wisdom's Light; Can the thin Cobweb, spun by subtle Brains, Out-live the Storm, and dare the Tempest's Rage?

Yet, when to Reason's Aid Religion joins, And in her Left Hand gives the redd'ning Bolt, Or in her Right eternal Bliss consigns, Nor Life nor Death can move the stable Soul; Nor Life nor Death impart, or Hope or Fear; Unmov'd, we pass as Israel's Patriarch erst, And make this World a Ladder to the Skies.

WORSHIP, whatever purblind Deists deem, Worship's the noblest Converse of the Soul; It opens Heav'n's irradiating Doors, Admits us to the Audience of the GOD, Makes him our Friend, and makes us truly great. Is it an Honour for the rustic Swain To sit in Council with the sceptred Chief? How great the Honour then to talk with him, Who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

RELIGION shortens Sorrow's thorny Road, Plucks from the Heart the Arrow of Despair; Matures the Seeds of Virtue in the Soul; Gives Reason Wings, and bids her scale the Skies.

MORE would I speak, but who, alas! can sound This vast Abyss, or half its Stores exhaust? Yet, in Obedience to thy sceptred Nod, I stop the flowing Current of my Speech, And glory in the Thoughts I have not spoke.

Mr. JOSEPH C*L***R.

THIS Gentleman is possessed of great good Sense, and many amiable Qua∣lities. Fortune has not been very kind to him, but has reduced him to the mortify∣ing Necessity of writing for Booksellers. Were there any other MECAENAS'S to be met with, it is probable that so much Me∣rit would not go unnoticed and unrewar∣ded. He is not very eminent as an Ora∣tor, an invincible Timidity still hanging on him, and preventing a Display of those Abilities, and that good Sense he is Master of. One would naturally imagine, that Knowledge should inspire a becoming As∣surance; and a Consciousness of our being thorough Masters of a particular Subject, should make us speak to it, with an intre∣pid Spirit: But we often see the Reverse, and that Ignorance bolts forth its Dictates with a free and unconstrained Air, while Learning and Wisdom are shackled by the Fetters which awkward Bashfulness puts on them. Mr. C*L***R has not belonged to the Society for some Years; but after having attended it often enough to discern its Nature and Tendency, he thought he

could neither be instructed or entertained, by going to it any more.

Mr. S**TT.

THIS Gentleman is a Physician of no small Eminence. He is a Man of great Erudition, a nervous Writer, and a fine Speaker; though, in the Pronunci∣ation of many Words, he deviates from the established Custom so much, as has subjected him to the Censures of many Critics, particularly the ingenious Authors of the Connoisseur, and the Gray's-Inn Journal; the former by BONNEL THORN∣TON, Esq and the latter by ARTHUR MURPHY, Esq As a Specimen of his Oratory, and Turn of Thinking, we shall give a Speech he made some Years since, on the following Question.

How are we to be certain of the Incor∣ruptibility and Freedom of a Parlia∣ment? Sign'd, ARISTARCHUS.

THIS Question is undoubtedly, Mr. President, of no small Importance; though whether it can be properly de∣bated

in a Society like this, I much doubt. I don't insinuate by this Obser∣vation, that such Gentlemen of Genius and Judgment as honour us with their Company, are incapable of determining this Question, and ascertaining the Marks whereby we may judge and di∣stinguish a free and incorrupt Parlia∣ment from a venal and corrupt one; but am afraid, very much afraid, that those Marks are not so easy to be point∣ed out in any extempore Speech. To speak to a Question of this Nature pro∣perly, requires a previous Consideration of the Subject, and a deliberate Thought of what we are to utter, lest a hasty Judgment, or crude Conjectures, might mislead instead of informing a candid Searcher after Truth. I shall, however, attempt to point out some Criterions to judge of a free and incorrupt Parlia∣ment, which, I apprehend, may be looked on as infallible; though I must necessarily omit others, perhaps not less important, which the Brevity of Time allowed me, will not permit my men∣tioning.

A FREE and incorrupt Parliament the People will ever repose the utmost Con∣fidence

in, and though their Decisions may be sometimes erroneous, they will never be unjust. When this is the Case, it will appear evidently by the following Marks, viz.

WHEN the Members of Parliament act with a visible Independency, and will not suffer any one Man to lead them by the Nose, or brow-beat them into Com∣pliance with his Schemes, and thereby destroy that Equality which is essentially requisite to preserve the Liberty of these Assemblies.

WHEN all the Acts and Resolutions of Parliament are manifestly calculated for the public Good, and not to serve any dark and private Purposes.

WHEN the Conduct of Gentlemen in Employment makes it evident, that they are under no Restraint in the House, but are left at full Liberty to give their Votes, upon all Occasions, according to their Consciences and Opi∣nions.

THIS is, indeed, the strongest Mark of a free Parliament, and we may certain∣ly

conclude it to be the Case, when the Members, who are in Office, do not constantly run in Herds, and slavishly follow a Minister in all his Proposals; but when it is observed, on the con∣trary, that they frequently divide against, what is called, the Court Party, and are not turned out of their Places, at the End of a Session, without any visible Reason, but giving a Vote, perhaps, against some favourite Question, or to make Room for others, whose only Merit is a sordid, pliant, and prostitute Complisance.

IN short, Gentlemen, a Parliament cannot be truly denominated free, which lies under any Restraint or Discourage∣ments whatsoever; nor will their Re∣solutions have any other Weight than what Force gives them; for I will ven∣ture to assert, that the most inconsider∣able Minority, or even one honest Man, of the meanest Understanding, is a better Judge of political Affairs than the largest Majority, which is packed together, and bribed to serve the Pur∣poses of a bad Minister.

BY viewing our own Parliament, and having an Eye to the Marks and To∣kens I have pointed out, we may be enabled to judge whether it is such a one as mentioned in the Question. I hope, I trust it is, and that it is quite opposite to one I well remember, a few Years ago, when the grand Corrupter presided at the Helm. Under his Ad∣ministration Bribery and Corruption were reduced to a Susetem, Election-Jobbing was carried on as openly as any other Trade, all Virtue and Mo∣rality were laughed out of Countenance, the interests of Religion were disregard∣ed, and its sacred Foundations under∣minded, and sapped by Vice and Vena∣lity. Nay, the great Engine of Cor∣ruption had so despicable an Opinion of hooman Nature, that he laid it down as an incontestible Truth, that no Man could, in the true Sense of the Word, deserve the Appellation of Patriot, for every Man had his Price. I shall close these Remarks with a beautiful Passage from our great Poet, describing the Si∣tuation of Things at this Juncture, re∣marking, by the Way, that every Thing was subservient to the Cause of

Venality, and contracted, like the vari∣ous Rays of the Sun, into one Focus, to feed this dark and infamous Passion.

VIRTUE may choose the high or low Degree, 'Tis just alike to Virtue and to me; Dwell in a Monk, or light upon a King, She's still the same belov'd, contented Thing. VICE is undone if she forgets her Birth, And stoops from Angels to the Dregs of Earth. But 'tis the Fall degrades her to a Whore; Let Greatness own her, and she's mean no more. Her Birth, her Beauty, Crowds and Courts confess; Chaste Matrons praise her, and grave Bishops bless. In golden Chains the willing World she draws, And hers the Gospel is, and hers the Laws; Mounts the Tribunal, lifts her scarlet Head, And sees pale VIRTUE carted in her stead. Lo! at the Wheels of her triumphal Car, Old England's Genius, rough with many a Scar, Dragg'd in the Dust! his Arms hang idly round: His Flag inverted trails along the Ground! Our Youth, all liv'ry'd o'er with foreign Gold, Before her dance: behind her crawl the Old! See thronging Millions to the Pagod run, And offer Country, Parent, Wife, or Son! Hear her black Trumpet thro' the Land proclaim, That NOT TO BE CORRUPTED IS THE SHAME! In Soldier, Churchman, Patriot, Man in Pow'r, 'Tis Avarice all, Ambition is no more. See all her Nobles begging to be Slaves! See all her Fools aspiring to be Knaves!

The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore, Are what ten thousand envy and adore: All, all look up, with reverential Awe, At Crimes that 'scape, or triumph o'er the Law: While Truth, Worth, Wisdom, daily they decry— NOTHING IS SACRED NOW BUT VIL∣LAINY. Yet shall this Verse, if such a Verse remain, Shew there was one who held it in Disdain.

Mr. W**TE.

A SCOTCH Schoolmaster, that has the Brogue on him as strong as an Highlander just arrived from the bleak Mountains of the North. He lives in C—l-Street in the Strand, and adver∣tises to each a just and graceful Pronunci∣ation; for which he is indisputably well qualified—we mean, of his native Erse, but not of the English, which he cannot himself pronounce so well as a Teague in the County of Fipperary. He is, however, a Man of good Sense, and possesses no small Share of Learning; but as an Orator, he may be compared with the Scotch one men∣tioned by Mr. FOOTE, in his last Farce; and, indeed, it is not improbable, but that in exposing the Absurdity of a Schoolmaster, with a braod Scotch Accent, teaching an

elegant and graceful Pronunciation of Eng∣lish, the ingenious Satirist had Mr. W**TE in his Eye.—It has frequently been observed, with surprise, that, in ge∣neral, Schoolmasters are extremely subject to Vanity and Self conceit. But, I think, it is no great Wonder. They assume such a supercilious and haughty Air in their Schools, where, without Doubt, it is, in a great Measure, necessary, and contract such an Opiniatetry and Conceit of them∣selves, and their own Importance, as are not easily to be shaken off when they leave their native Dominions. The Force of Habit is very srong, and, without great Difficulty, cannot be conquered: But surely a Schoolmaster, when he leaves his School, ought to leave his stiff-starched Airs, and imaginary Consequence behind him, and come into Company with the Ease and Deportment of a Gentleman.—I men∣tion these Things because the Person, whose Character I am now attempting, is a professed Votary to Self-Conceit; and imagines he is intitled to the same Respect and Homage without the Pale of his School, that he has an undoubted Right to exact within—But this, as I have before obser∣ved, is the Case with all of the Profession.

Mr. H**H*M.

AUTHOR of Genuine and authentic Memoirs of the ROBINHOOD SO∣CIETY, and an Oration in Praise of the LAW, pronounced there a few Years ago, by one PITTARD, a strolling Actor. He is a Person of some Sense, but not half so much as he thinks he has. He has not at∣tended the Society for some Years, nor, indeed, is the Loss of him very great; for, as he is to be ranked in the middling Class as an Author; so, as an Orator, he is a very mean one, unfurnished with Ideas, and destitute of a graceful Delivery.

End of the THIRD PART.

Notes

• * 1.1

  That very popular Gentleman, the candid, the ingenious, and ingenuous Mr. R—M—NE.