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Plowden, Salkeld,, &c. have fenfe enough to follow the fame courfe of ftudy.

Tom Riot, the principal ornament of my class of ftude ts, was sent to the Temple, not with any intention that he fhould become a great lawyer, but merely becaufe, for a few years, his father did not know how to difpofe of him otherwife: but fo unwearied has been his application to the new method, that his father and the rest of his friends will, I doubt not, be furprized at his wonderful proficiency. As nothing is of more confequence to thofe gentlemen, who intend to harangue at the bar, than the acquiring a ready elocution, and an ealy habit of delivering their thoughts in public, to this I pay particular attention. For this purpofe, advifed him to a diligent attendance on the theatres; and I affure you, Mr. Town, he never fails to take notes at a new play, and feldom or never miles appearing at one house or the other, in the green boxes. He has alfo gathered many beautiful flowers of rhetoric, unblown upon by all other orators ancient or modern, from the Robin Hood Society; and at the fame place he has collected the frongeft arguments on every fubject, and habituated himself to modes of reafoning never hitherto introduced into courts of justice. But what has been of more than ordinary fervice to him, and is particularly re. commended by Lord Coke himself, who calls conference the life of ftudy,' is his fo frequent attendance at George's, and the other coffee-houfes about the Temple, where every ftudent has fo many opportunities of benefiting himfelf by daily converfation with counfellors, attornies, clerks to attornies, and other fages of the law.

The law is intended to take cognizance of all our actions; wherefore my pupil, who is fond of exerting his faculties in polite life, has already digefted almost all the grand leading points of the law into a journal of his tranfac. tions, which I fhall lay before my readers at large in my treatife, as the beft method for a common-place book. Thus, for instance, having been frequently employed, after leaving the Shakespeare, in what is called beating the rounds, it has happened to him to be taken into custody by the magiftrate of the night, and carried the next morning before a

juftice; by which means he has attained as full a knowledge of certain parts of the duty of a conftable and justice of peace, as could be collected from Dalton, Blackerby, r Burn. Certain impertinences of his taylor and other tradefmen have given him a clear notion of the laws of arrett, and been of as much fervice to him as the heft treatifes on bail and mainprize. Befides which, the feveral fums of money which he has taken up at different times, payable on his father's death, have opened to him fome difficult points in conveyancing, by teaching him the nature of bonds, deeds, &c. and have at the fame time fhewn him what Lord Coke calls the amiable and admirable fecrets of the common law,' by unravelling to him the intricate doctrines of reverfion and remainder, as well as the general nature of eftates. Thus he is continually improving; and whenever he shall happen to commit a rape or a genteel murder, it will ferve him for matter of inftruction, as well as any hiftory of the pleas of the crown, and give him an infight into the nature of the practice and extent of the jurifdiction of our courts of juftice.

By this plan of ftudy no time is loft; fo that, while other ftudents are idling away their vacation in the country, my pupil is daily improving there. As ha is a member of the affociation, he is very converfant in all the laws enacted for the prefervation of the game; and he picks up all the learning of the circust, by dancing at the balls at the affizes. As his father has a place, he is employed in canvafling for votes at the time of an election, which inftructs him in all the points of law touching those matters. He was principally concerned in difcovering the Customary Tenants, that new ipecies of freeholders unknown to Littleton, Coke, and all the lawyers of antiquity; and he is fo intimately acquainted with all the do&trine contained in the feveral claufes of the bribery act, that I propofe publishing in the body of my treauife,Les Readings del Mon Seignor RIOT Sur L'Eftatute de 2 Geo. II. &c.'

By this time, Mr. Town, you must perceive, that the ground of my scheme is, in fhort, no more than this, viz. that the student should regard his life as a kind of commentary on the law, as it is recommended to the clergy to be

come

come examples of the doctrine they teach. Or, to bring my illuftration more home to thefe gentlemen, let them learn the law by being occafionally interested in different parts of it; as they become in fome measure doctors of phyfic from frequent need of it, and can cure themselves in certain cafes, as well as Rock himself. Instead of poring over books, a gentleman need only obferve, how far the law and his actions tally with each other; and as it is faid by Lord Coke, that the knowledge of the law is like a deep well, out of which each • man draweth according to the ftrength of his understanding; fo, in purfuance of my plan, the ftudent will improve according to the eagerness with which he engages in his pleasures: and this, no doubt, was intended by Lord Coke, as it is the moft obvious interpretation of his words, when he concludes the comparison by faying, that when the profeffor of the law can dive into the depth, it is delightful, easy, and without any heavy burthen, fo long as he keeps himself in his own proper

• element.

What plan, Mr. Town, can be more

delightful, easy, and without any heavy burthen, than Inftitutes of this nature? I have indeed often looked with concern upon thofe unhappy gentlemen, who have impaired their health by the old method of study, and considered them as martyrs to huge volumes of reports and ftatutes at large: my pupils will be in no danger of thefe misfortunes. It is recorded of an eminent counsellor, of the North family, (who, being one of the ableft practitioners at the bar, was overloaded with bufinefs,) that fometimes chufing to retire a while from hurry and perplexity, he would fay to his clerk-Tell the people I do not practise this term. This proper relaxation I always recommend to my pupils, and have fome reason to think they are prudent enough to embrace it; for, as I am acquainted with several students on the new plan, and do not remember to have seen them doing any bufinefs in the courts for fome time, I fuppofe they had given notice to their clerks to tell the people that they did not practife in thofe terms.' I am, Sir, your humble fervant,

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No CXXXIV. THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1756.

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THE TOTT'RING TOW'R AND MOULD RING WALLS REPAIR,
AND FILL WITH DECENCY THE HOUSE OF PRAY'R;

QUICK TO THE NEEDY CURATE BRING RELIEF,

AND DECK THE PARISH-CHURCH WITHOUT A BRIEF.

MR. VILLAGE TO MR. TOWN.

DEAR COUSIN,

THE

HE country at prefent, no lefs than the metropolis, abounding with politicians of every kind, I begun to despair of picking up any intelligence that might poffibly be entertaining to your readers. However, I have lately vifited fome of the most diftant parts of the kingdom with a clergyman of my acquaintance: I fhall not trouble you with an account of the improvements that have been made in the feats we faw according to the modern tafte, but proceed to give you fome reflections, which eccurred to us on obferving feveral

country churches, and the behaviour of their congregations.

The ruinous condition of fome of thefe edifices gave me great offence; and I could not help withing, that the honeft vicar, inftead of indulging his genius for improvements, by inclofing his goofeberry-bufhes within a Chinese rail, and converting half an acre of his glebe-land into a bowling-green, would have applied part of his income to the more laudable purpofe of fheltering his parishioners from the weather, during their attendance on divine fervice. It is no uncommon thing to fee the parfonage-houfe well thatched, and in exceeding good repair, while the church

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perhaps

perhaps has fcarce any other roof than the ivy that grows over it. The noife of owls, bats, and magpies, makes the principal part of the church-mufic in many of these ancient edifices; and the walls, like a large map, feem to be por tioned out into capes, feas, and promontories, by the various colours by which the damps have stained them. Sometimes, the foundation being too weak to fupport the steeple any longer, it has been expedient to pull down that part of the building, and to hang the bells under a wooden fhed on the ground befide it. This is the cafe in a parish in Norfolk, through which I lately paffed, and where the clerk and the fexton, like the two figures at St. Dunstan's, ferve the bells in capacity of clappers, by triking them alternately with an

haminer.

In other churches I have obferved, that nothing unfeemly or ruinous is to be found, except in the clergyman, and the appendages of his perfon. The fquire of the parish, or his ancestors perhaps, to teftify their devotion, and leave a lasting monument of their magnificence, have adorned the altar-piece with the richett crimfon velvet, embroidered with vine-leaves and ears of wheat; and have dreffed up the pulpit with the fame fplendor and expence; while the gentleman, who fills it, is exalted, in the midst of all this finery, with a furplice as dirty as a farmer's frock, and a periwig that feems to have transferred it's faculty of curling to the band, which appears in full buckle beneath it.

But if I was concerned to fee feveral diftrefled paltors, as well as many of our country churches in a tottering condition, I was more offended with the indecency of worship in others. I could with that the clergy would inform their congregations, that there is no occation to fcream themselves hoarse in making the refponfes; that the town crier is not the only perfon qualified to pray with due devotion; and that he who bawls the loudest may, neverthelets, be the wickedeit fellow in the parish. The old women too in the aile might be told, that their time would be better employed in attending to the fermon, than in fumbling over their tattered teftaments till they have found the text; by which time the difcourfe is near drawing to a conclufion: while a word or two of inBruction might not be thrown away

upon the younger part of the congrega tion, to teach them that making polies in fummer time, and cracking nuts in autumn, is no part of the religious ceremony.

The good old practice of pfalm-finging is, indeed, wonderfully improved in many country churches fince the days of Sternhold and Hopkins; and there is fcarce a parish clerk, who has fo little tatte as not to pick his ftaves out of the New Verfion. This has occafioned great complaints in fome places, where the clerk has been forced to bawl by himfelf, because the rest of the congregation cannot find the pfalm at the end of their prayer-books; while others are highly difgufted at the innovation, and stick as obitinately to the Old Verfion as to the Old Stile. The tunes themselves have also been new-fet to jiggith mea fures; and the fober drawl, which ufed to accompany the two first flaves of the hundredth pfalm, with the gloria patri, is now fplit into as many quavers as an Italian air. For this purpose there is in every county an itinerant band of vocal musicians, who make it their bufinefs to goround to all the churches in their turns, and, after a prelude with the pitch-pipe, aftonifh the audience with hymns fet to the new Winchefter measure, and anthems of their own compofing. As thefe new-fashioned pfalmodifts are neceffari ly made up of young men and maids, we may naturally fuppofe, that there is a perfect concord and fymphony between them; and, indeed, I have known it happen, that these sweet fingers have more than once been brought into dif grace, by too clofe an unifon between the thorough-bafs and the treble.

It is a difficult matter to decide, which is looked upon as the greatest man in a country church, the parton or his clerk. The latter is most certainly held in higher veneration, where the former happens to be only a poor curate, who rides post every Sabbath from village to village, and mounts and difmounts at the church-door. The clerk's office is not only to tag the prayers with an Amen, or ufher in the fermon with a flave; but he is alfo the univerfal father to give away the brides, and the standing godfather to all the new-born bantings. But in many places there is a still greater man belonging to the church, than either the parfon or the clerk himself. The perfon I mean is the Squire; who,

like the King, may be ftiled Head of the Church in his own parish. If the benefice be in his own gift, the vicar is his creature, and of confequence entirely at his devotion: or, if the care of the church be left to a curate, the Sunday fees of roast beef and plumb pudding, and a liberty to fhoot in the manor, will bring him as much under the Squire's command as his dogs and horfes. For this reason the bell is often kept tolling, and the people waiting in the church-yard, an hour longer than the ufual time; nor muft the fervice begin till the Squire has itrutted up the aile, and feated himself in the great pew in the chancel. The length of the fermon is alfo measured by the will of the Squire, as formerly by the hour-glafs: and I know one parish where the preacher has always the complaifance to conclude his difcourfe, however abruptly, the minute that the Squire gives the fignal, by rifing up after his nap.

In a village church, the Squire's lady or the vicar's wife are perhaps the only females that are ftared at for their finery: but in the larger cities and towns, where the newest fashions are brought down weekly by the ftage-coach or waggon, all the wives and daughters of the most topping tradefmen vie with each other every Sunday in the elegance of their apparel. I could even trace their gradations in their drefs, according to the opulence, the extent, and the diftance of the place from London. I was at church in a populous city in the North, where the mace-bearer cleared the way for Mrs. Mayorefs, who came fidling after him in an enormous fan

hoop, of a pattern which had never been feen before in those parts. At another church, in a corporation town, I faw feveral Negligees, with furbelowed aprons, which had long difputed the prize of fuperiority: but thefe were most woefully eclipfed by a burgefs's daughter, just come from Londen, who appeared in a Trolloppe or Slammerkin, with treble ruffles to the cuffs, pinked and gymped, and the fides of the petticoat drawn up in feftoons. In fome leffer borough towns, the contest, I found, lay between three or four black and green bibs and aprons: at one, a grocer's wife attracted our eyes, by a new fashioned cap, called a Joan; and, at another, they were wholly taken up by a mercer's daughter in a Nun's Hood.

I need not fay any thing of the beha -viour of the congregations in these more polite places of religious refort; as the fame genteel ceremonies are practifed there, as at the most fashionable churches in town. The ladies, immediately on their entrance, breathe a pious ejacu lation through their fan-flicks, and the beaux very gravely addrefs themselves to the Haberdashers Bills, glewed upon the linings of their hats. This pious duty is no fooner performed, than the exercife of bowing and curtfeying fucceeds: the locking and unlocking of the pews drowns the reader's voice at the beginning of the fervice; and the ruftling of filks, added to the whispering and tittering of fo much good company, renders him totally unintelligible to the very end of it.

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I am, dear Coufin, yours, &c.

No CXXXV. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1756.

VOS SAPERE, ET SOLOS AIO BENE VIVERE, QUORUM
CONSPICITUR NITIDIS FUNDATA PECUNIA VILLIS.

O CIT THRICE HAPPY, THAT CANST RANGE

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TO BOW OR CLAPHAM FROM THE CHANGE;
IN WHOSE SPRUCE VILLA IS DISPLAY'D
THE PLUMB, THOU HAST ACQUIR'D BY TRADE!

Am forry to have provoked the refentment of many of our prefent poets by rejecting their compofitions; which, as they abounded ng flown metaphors and compound epitncts, were, I feared, too fublime for my humble

province of plain profe. I have found, that the fame poetical genius, which could foar to an Ode, can be whetted to a molt cutting Satire against me and my works and one in particular has poured forth his whole wrath upon me z Pa

in

in an Acroftic. But I need not offer any apology for laying the following verfes before the public, which may be confidered as a fupplement to a former paper on the like fubject. The eafy elegance which runs through the whole, will readily diftinguish them to come from the fame hand that has more than once obliged us in the course of this undertaking.

THE wealthy Cit, grown old in trade,
Now wishes for the rural fhade,
And buckles to his one-horse chair,
Old Dobbin, or the founder'd mare;
While wedg'd in closely by his fide
Sits Madam, his unwieldy bride,
With Jacky on a ftool before 'em;
And out they jog in due decorum.
Scarce paft the turnpike half a mile,
How all the country feems to smile!
And as they flowly jog together,
The Cit commends the road and weather;
While Madam doats upon the trees,
And longs for every house the fees;
Admires it's views, it's fituation;
And thus fhe opens her oration.

What fignify the loads of wealth,
Without that richeft jewel, health?
Excufe the fondness of a wife,
Who doats upon your precious life!
Such ceafelefs toils, fuch constant care,
Is more than human ftrength can bear:
One may obferve it in your face-
I deed. my dear, you break apace:
And nothing can your health repair,
But exercife and country air.
Sir Tamck has an houfe, you know,
About a mile from Cheney Row:
Hes a good man, indeed, 'tis true;
But not fo warm, my dear, as you:
And folks are always apt to fneer-
One would not be outdone, my dear."
Sir Traffick's name, fo well apply'd,
Awak'd his brother-merchant's pride:
And Thrifty, who had all his ite
Paid utmost def'rence to is wife,
Confefs'd her arguments had reafon;
And, by th' approaching summer season,
Draws a few hundreds from the stocks,
And purchases his Country Box.

Some three or four mile out of town,
(An hour's ride will bring you down)
He fixes on his choice abode,
Not half a furi ng from the road :
And fo convenient does it lay,
The ftages pafs it ev'ry day:
And the fo frug, fo mighty pretty,
To have an houfe fo near the city!
Take but your places at the Boar,
You're fet down at the very door.

Well then, fuppose them fix'd at last, White-washing, painting, ferubbing past ; Hugging themselves in eafe and clover, With all the fuss of moving over: Lo! a new heap of whims are bred, And wanton in my lady's head. Well! to be fure, it must be own'd, It is a charming (pot of ground: So sweet a diftance for a ride, And all about f› countryfy d! 'Twould come but to a trifling price, To make it quite a paradife. I cannot bear those nafty rails, Thofe ugly, broken, mouldy pales: Suppofe, my dear, inftead of these, We build a railing all Chinese. Although one hates to be expos'd, "Tis difmal to be thus inclos'd! One hardly any object fees

I wish you'd fell thofe odious trees. • Objects continual paffing by • Were fomething to amufe the eye: But to be pent within the wallsOne might as well be at St. Paul's. Our house beholders would adore, Was there a level lawn before; Nothing it's views to incommode, But quite laid open to the road: While ev'ry trav'ler, in amaze, Should on our little manfion gaze, And, pointing to the choice retreat, Cry "That's Sir Thrifty sCountry Seat." No doubt, her arguments prevail; For Madam's TASTE can never fail.

Bleft age! when all men may procure The title of a Connoisseur; When noble and ignoble herd Are govern'd by a fingle word; Though, like the royal German dames, It bears an hundred Chriftian names; As Genius, Fancy, Judgment, Goût, Whim, Caprice, Je-ne-fcai-quoi, Virtà: Which appellations all describe TASTE, and the modern taßeful tribe.

Now bricklayers, carpenters. and joiners, With Chinefe artifs and defigners, Produce their fchemes of alteration, To work this wond'rous reformation. The useful dome, which fecret stood Embofom'd in the yew tree's wood, The trav'ler with amazement fees A temple, Gothic or Chinese, With many a bell and tawdry rag on, And creffed with a fprawling dragon. A wooden arch is bent aftride A ditch of water four feet wide; With angle, curves, and zigzag lines, From Halfpenny's exact defigns. In front a level lawn is feen, Without a fhrub upon the green; Where Tafte would want it s first great law, But for the fkulking fly Ha-ba;

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