circumvented by the artifices and tricks of the court, who always set them on foot, when the house is empty. I would have my countrymen beware (if ever they chuse again) of these self-interested and careless men. They ought, now their All is at stake, to examine how their members have behaved themselves, whether they have been tender of the liberty of our persons, frugal of our fortunes, bold against male administration, prosecutors of crimes, and not persecutors of men. Sense, courage, and integrity are necessary to make a man behave himself as he ought, in these important points. Let them chuse no MAN that has not sense, courage, and integrity, or that will not receive their instructions. There are no counties, and few towns, wherein they do not understand the interest of their country enough to give general instructions. Let me recommend those to them I have hinted at in this paper; order them to bring in bills to regulate the militia, to encourage the use of firelocks amongst the populace, to increase our navy, to reduce all our part of the war to that navy; to settle such salaries upon the judges as may make them impartial: And, above all things, order them to bring in a bill to secure annual parliaments, and the elections of members for the future. Advise them to ransack all our own records, and to consult all the several governments upon that head. Chuse but once wise and honest brave men, and they will find expedients to avoid the disputes, and baffle the arts which have rendered elections precarious and illegal. They will find methods to be too hard for court-tricks, and spendthrift competitors. Chuse no man that is not willing to be instructed, you have a right to instruct them: It was the custom formerly to instruct all the members; and the nature of the deputation shews, that that custom was well grounded. To conclude. Thus have I given my thoughts freely, as to two material points; viz. the old English right of annual parliaments (for a more ample account of which, I must refer my reader to Mr. Johnson's essay on that subject) and the qualifications requisite in such as represent the good people of England in the lower house; which I have done, without regard to any party or interest but that of my country. If what I have said shall have any influence on my fellow subjects, in the present elections; and on those that represent them when they come together, in order to obtain an act for the chusing of parliaments yearly, I shall obtain my utmost aim. A CATALOGUE OF PETITIONS, Ordered to be drawn up and presented to the honourable House at the next Session. Quarto, containing four pages. APETITION of the brewers and butchers, that the former may be caries. incorporated with the vintners, and the latter with the apothe A petition of the bandbox-men and trunk-makers, that the Athenian Mercury, and all weekly papers of the like nature, be continued. A petition of twenty-thousand tradesmen, that, if their wives offer to draw bills more than once a night upon them, they may be impowered honourably to reject them. A petition of the quack-doctors, that the constables may not disturb the industrious night-walkers in the Strand, Fleet-street, and Cheapside. A petition of Dr. Salmon, and two more of the fraternity, that they may have the sole benefit of a new religion, by them lately invented; and that no other persons presume to interlope upon them. A petition of the quakers, that their bare word may be equivalent to swearing, and nonsense to true reasoning; and likewise, that it may be lawful for them to fornicate out of their own tribe. A petition of all the married women in the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweede, that the Dog-days be immediately repealed. A petition of the moderate divines, that the thirtieth of January and twenty-ninth of May be discarded out of the almanack, as being great eye-sores to the godly party. A petition of the maids, that the Mosaical signs of virginity be declared void and unnecessary, and unfit to be required under the Christian dispensation. A petition of the ribbon-weavers, that shoulder-knots and pantaloons of happy memory be revived. A petition of the booksellers to declare, that licensing of books is popish and superstitious, and destructive of the liberty of the subject. A petition of the inhabitants of White-Friars, that their bounds be enlarged, that they may have room enough to receive the broken merchants and tradesmen, that daily flock in to them. A petition of the poets, for a speedy restoration of claret, and the utter banishment of little diminutive pagan bottles. A petition of the midwives and highway-men, that Savin and Hemp may be rooted out of the commonwealth. A petition of the glasiers and tallow-chandlers, that it may be lawful to break windows, on thanksgiving-days, where no lights are set out. A petition of Dr. Otes, that every evidence, for the future, shall be obliged to repair to him for a license. A petition of the prisoners in Newgate, that their confessions and dying-speeches may not be printed before they are hanged. A petition of Dr. Partridge, that no almanack-maker pretend to prophesy for the government, but himself. A petition of the fiddlers, that kicking down stairs and broken heads be reckoned no scandal. A petition of the players, that they may be allowed plurality of wives, in order to be sure of a maidenhead once in their lives. A second petition of the booksellers, that, when a dull heavy book lies upon their hands, it may be publickly burnt, to promote the sale of it. A petition of Bully Dawson, and the rest of his brethren, that swearing and roaring be adjudged as effectual a sign of valour, as fighting. A petition of several young gentlemen of the inns of court, that a statue be erected to Dr. Wall, at the publick charge. A petition of the northern attornies, for a speedy conclusion of the war, because, at present, the people cannot spare money to go to law. A petition of the harlots, that pluralities be denied to all married women, of what degree or quality soever. A petition of the coffee-houses, that they may be privileged in forni. cation up stairs, and for treason and false news below.' A petition of the country parsons, that, in favour of them, the house will be pleased to take off the additional duty upon tobacco. A petition of the city clergymen's daughters, that increase and multiply be made the eleventh commandment. A petition of the knights of the post, that all the pillories in the kingdom be burnt on the next thanksgiving-day. A petition of the drawers, about the Temple and Covent-Garden, that they may be allowed to lie a-bed till eleven. A petition of the Royal Society, that the comb-makers, mouse-trap men, and Athenians be suppressed, as interlopers upon them. A petition of the chimney-sweepers, that they may have the scour ing of all ecclesiastical consciences, every spring and fall. A petition of the city, that none be suffered to talk treason, but such as are well-affected to the commonwealth. A petition of the College of Physicians, that the importation of Dutch doctors be prohibited, as prejudicial to the manufacture of our own universities. A petition of the taylors, that leave be given to bring in a long bill to promote new fashions. A petition of the seamen, that the parsons may not meddle with politicks, but every one keep in his own element. A petition of the barbers, that they may be made free of the church, since the divines have usurped upon their trade, by turning trimmers. A petition of the country inn-keepers, that the soldiers, quartered in their houses, would be content to tap their hogsheads, but not their wives, or daughters. A petition of the dissenting divines, that none shall be admitted into that class, but men of strong lungs and stronger backs. A petition of the anabaptists, that they may be impowered to erect a publick dipping-pond at Lambeth Ferry. A petition of the painters, that they may have leave to enter all the conventicles in town, and draw their respective pastors in their proper colours. A petition of the waistcoateers of Wapping, that it may be lawful for them to go sixteen months with child, in cases of necessity. A petition of the printers, that all distinctions of bawdry, blasphemy, and treason be utterly abolished. A petition of the proctors of the commons to have fornication encouraged, that they may have the sole punishing of it afterwards. A petition of the claret-drinkers, that red noses shall qualify people for all sorts of preferment. A petition of several mayors and aldermen, that money be adjudged to comprehend both wit, sense, and good breeding. A petition of several recorders in the kingdom, that making of speeches be utterly abolished, unless Bulls be tolerated. A petition of the ordinary of Newgate, that all sorts of breaking be declared sinful, but especially sabbath-breaking. A petition of the orphans that the monument be hung with mourning once a year, and that at the expence of the chamber. A petition of the several ladies living near Westminster, that all deserters be brought to condign punishment. A petition of the Athenians, that they may have a patent for their new invention of making second-hand Spira's. A petition of the parish-clerks, that a day be set a part to celebrate the pious memory of Hopkins and Sternhold, and that the city poct draw up the service for the day. And for your worships then we'll pray, For eke, for ever, and for ay. VOL. XII. R HOW TO ADVANCE THE TRADE OF THE NATION, AND TO EMPLOY THE POOR. Folio, containing four pages. Humbly offered to the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses assembled in Parliament. To employ our poor, and advance the trade of the nation, are matters of great concern at this time. This honourable assembly are not insensible of the abundance of complaints throughout the kingdom in general in most trades, for want of sale for their goods. It is supposed there may be five hundred thousand poor of one sort or other in the nation; and if these poor are to be put to work on the same manufactories which we are over-stocked with already, what will be done with all those goods so many thousand hands shall make more every year? It is but undoing in one place to make another. The merchants generally send but very little more to markets abroad one year than another; they commonly know what quantities of goods will glut each market abroad. Most commodities and manufactories are brought to so low an ebb, that slow workmen cannot get their living at their trades, and many of such, with their families, are become the poor of the parish wherein they are; yet the slowest of handicraft tradesmen will out-do those poor which never wrought before in each trade, if they were put into a work-house together; and for any number of persons joining together to employ the poor in the woollen manufactories, or any other where the price is beat down to so low a rate that the slow workmen cannot maintain themselves, what those persons gain by such poor is by oppressing the oppressed, and the cries of them will rage against the kingdom and government, because of the hard usage of several of their task-masters for lucre of gain to themselves. The poor ought to be encouraged, and mercifully dealt with, and kindly used, until their slow hands be brought to ready working, and ought at first to have the highest price the commodity will bear to themselves, and their overseers, and master-workmen that teach them, be paid by the parish; it is sufficient advantage for them if they can in some small time bring those poor to maintain themselves, which has been so burthensome to them heretofore. But how to set so many hands at work at this time, when trade is at so low an ebb, requires great consideration; and several |