whom, however, I must hint, that he has every claim to my attention, except that of originality.

"TO THE AUTHOR OF THE PROJECTOR.

66 SIR,

"As you recommend brevity to your correspondents, I hope you will insert this letyour humble servant,

ter, from

“THE old adage, that there is nothing

new under the sun,' though trite, is certainly true. To this, Sir, yourself and your learned labours bear equal testimony. Not to enter into the display of learning which a Delphin Index would readily furnish on the subject, it sufficient to glance at the Academy for PRO

may

be

JECTORS established by royal authority in the capital of Balnibarbi, and the PROJECT at Laputa (which would not be unuseful in England) for writing books mechanically. There have been PROJECTORS in all ages of the world; and among the number was your illustrious prototype Sir Richard Steele—

'A Chemist he, whose vain Projection broke!"

"Not only in the name, but in the very design and execution of the Essays, have you been forestalled: nor is it difficult to trace in every one of your papers, that the Author of them has given his days and nights' to the study of ADDISON*. After this palpable detection, presume not to pique yourself on originality; but candidly acknowledge that there is nothing new under the sun.' As every rule, however, has its exceptions, I must admit the vagaries of Fortune, respecting the Colossus who doth bestride the broad Continent of Europe, to be one.

"To illustrate my original position, I shall transcribe from a periodical paper, printed in 1705-6 (which shall be nameless, that your

* I have omitted some part of my Correspondent's Letter here, as too flattering to these humble attempts; and, perhaps, have retained too much.

ingenious readers may have the pleasure of guessing), such a picture of MODERN MANNERS as might fairly have been produced by an Essayist of the present hour; and, with every good wish for the prosperity of all your JECTS, am, Sir, your friend and admirer, "QUIDNUNC."

PRO

persons

“THERE are many ways by which become insolvent; many times by mere Providence in losses at sea; of this we must not complain, but rather pity their misfortunes; but oftener by their own mismanagements and extravagance, by over-trading themselves, being ambitious of wealth, or by giving and taking such extravagant credit, as, upon the least stop of cash, their reputation is broken, and themselves afterwards.

“It is evident that our trading forefathers never made such failures in the world as their successors have done. This may be proved from the statutes of bankrupts at this time on the file; but when virtue, honour, honesty, and a good conscience in trade, are laid aside, ruin and destruction must take place. The Romans never supported their commonwealth after they lost their virtue. Our virtuous ancestors, were they alive, would be astonished

at the figure some traders make in the world, who, in their days, would have been esteemed as petty chapmen; and, by thus deviating from the customs and good usages of our ancestors, almost all societies of men are dwindled far beneath the reputation of the antients.

"The antient traders never made a show, a pompous vanity, either in habit or entertainment; they were plain and decent in their clothing; the furniture of their houses was substantial, more for use than ornament; their fashions did not alter at every turn; but a set of furniture lasted from generation to ge neration.

"The case is now quite altered, and every one may conclude it to be a turn of French politicks upon our vanity and weakness, first by working our Court into their fashions, that is, persuading them to put themselves into the French king's livery, and then working the City into the fashions of the Court; by which means our courtiers neglected the business of state, the French politicks became as fashionable as the French dress; and by this means the French Tyrant became formidable enough to maintain a war against the united strength of Europe.

"But the French effeminacy being introduced, the court could never have lessened the strength of England, had not the traders been also debauched. Had these kept their pristine virtue, and trod in the paths of their sober and honest ancestors, France had never made its earnings of us; for, whilst the traders and the common people had supported the wealth, we need never have questioned the strength of the kingdom. But here we were touched in the sensible part; lines of communication were opened betwixt the City and the Playhouse; nothing but gaiety, foppery, and pedantry, were to be found in the shops at the Exchange, and other parts of the city, till at length, by the habit, we could not know a lord from a citizen.

"A great part of a tradesman's stock, nowa-days, goes away in fitting-up his shop, and furnishing his house, which must be done after the fashion too; and a year or two after, if he can hold it so long, he marries, and then, perhaps, Madam does not like the furniture, and so she must have new of a better fashion. Their entertainments are answerable to their furniture, every thing in the season; for there is a mode of eating and drinking too; their meat must be nicely dressed, cooked up with