pours, and did not know what they would be at: was prodigiouly carefs'd at Court, the Royal Fa mily (as in all other polite Arts and Sciences) being not only Lovers, but perfect Judges of Mufick; but more particularly the divine Princess Urania, who condefcended to be my Scholar, and made that Proficiency, as feemed almoft miraculous to me her Mafter; nay to that exquifite Degree, that the Amusement only carried it to as great a Height in her, as in the moft Ingenious, who made it their Profeffion: This Favour fo far from diminish. ing, created me fresh Foes, who generally sprouted up from Stocks and Stones, like the new Race after Ovid's Deluge: Upon which the fplenetick Tribe of fine Gentlemen and very fine Ladies, (quite out of Patience that I gave them no Mufick to find Fault with) determin'd to oppofe my Scheme, and have an Oa of their own, where they were fure to have as much bad Mufick as their Hearts could defire: They lifted Compofers, who never dar'd to fhew their Heads in Moon-land as fuch, but under their Banners; and then taking into Pay fome caft-off Performers, who had appeared in under Parts in my O-as, and fome Strollers, who fung Ballads about the Streets, with an old noted Gelderino at their Head (who was almoft paft his Bufinefs, and had befides a great Hole quite thro' his Lungs, fo that more of his Breath broke out downwards than upwards) with this Ragamuffin Troop they pretended to fet up against me, having hired a large Booth for that Purpofe, where there had been formerly Puppetfhows, and Rope-dancing; they made a vaft Subfcription to carry on this grand Defign, drawing in moft of the young Fellows of their Acquaintance, by great Promifes, and notorious Fal-ds, but who foon became fick of the Project, and would have

C4

parted

parted with their Billets at a very great Discount: The most violent (and who headed their Party) were the D-c de Buffalo, the D-c de Trincalo, the M-qui Sanfterre, Cte Spend-All, C-te Fathead, Bn Sad-dog, and the Chr Squatt: Nay, they went fo far as to give out, that they received fome Encouragement from Monfeig neur, the K-g's eldest Son, who only laugh'd at them in his Sleeve.

I had then in Pay a perfect Set of Performers, particularly Angelo Carrioli, and Coelefte Vocale; the Unprejudic'd were amaz'd at the Vaftness of their Judgment and Juftice as well as Beauty of their Execution. My Opponents were obliged to make use of all their Intereft and Induftry, not only to get Company to their Houfe, but to keep those who could not suffer their low Entertain ments from coming to mine; nor did they fpare entering into the most indirect Means to ruin me; having not only decoy'd a noted Performer from me, after having for a Term formally bound himfelf to ferve me, but by fome underhand Slight, they fpirited away two very remarkable Monsters, the firft Night of a new O-a, who had for a confiderable Time been trained up to the Stage; but by good Luck I had fome more Monsters in another Den, tho' not fo expert at their Business.

They open'd their Mufical Droll the first Night to a crouded Audience, Numbers being drawn thither by Curiofity, and by the Boldness or Stupidity of the Attempt; their Succefs confifted in a full Houfe that Night, but Applaufe no Night; their Company dropped off at once, and then they had recourfe to the moft unfair and ungentlemanlike Behaviour, that ever was known upon fuch an Occafion, to make an Audience; even ufing

F-ce

F-ce rudely, to fuch as would not comply; and b-ing or hiring others, to vifit their Houfe.

For fome Time I played gently with these charming Gudgeons, and, maugre all their pitiful Efforts, kept my Head above Water; but at laft I came flap-dash upon them with a new Oa of my own Compofition; which anfwer'd to my Profit, and the Pleasure of the Town; their Weakness was made manifeft, they were defeated, and I triumph'd. Indeed they made another small Push, in bringing upon the Stage one of the moft execrable, low Entertainments that ever was heard; it was receiv'd according to its Merit, which enhanc'd the Value of mine the more.

I might now have ruled, undifturb'd, the whole Empire of Harmony in the Moon, it being reckoned the higheft Prefumption, or Rashness, to oppofe me in a Dominion fo lawfully gain'd, and fo equitably fupported.

But being fir'd with a juft Indignation at the unworthy Treatment I met with from a People I fo long honour'd and charm'd with my Performances, and for whom I had inceffantly laboured for above twenty Years, I refolved to quit the Country: Accordingly, as foon as my Contract for that Seafon was expir'd, I hired a large Palanquin, and carried off the Principal of my Voices and Performers inftrumental to the Kingdom of the Sun ; where I was carefs'd to the higheft Degree, not opprefs'd by the Great, nor chagrin'd by the impotent Attempts of any jealous Rival in the Art. There I remain'd feveral Years, honour'd and beloved, loaded with Riches and Reputation; yet my kind Reception could never ftife my innate Love for my own Country; where being happily arrived, I hope to spend the Remainder of my Days in that Quiet of Mind and reasonable Enjoy

ment

ment of Fortune, which none of my mean-fpirited Oppofers ever can taste.

Now, Sir,

What think you of my Tale? Or how like you my Jaunt to the World in the Moon? If in this fmall Sketch of fome Part of my Life, you find any Rules for your future Conduct, in obferving them, you may make me your Friend, and fhew yourself a wife Man.

But to return to the Subject of the former Part of my Letter; I think I have made it very plainly appear, that you or fomebody elfe is damnably in the Wrong; and I believe moft People will allow (even the most warm Partizans of both Sides of the Queftion) that it is abfolutely neceffary, for the better Entertainment of the Court, Nobility, and Gentry, to contrive fome Method of gently blowing into the Air, one O- -a-Hfe, and all

concerned in it.

As you have fome Reafon to dread this Propofal, yet you cannot plead Ignorance, or not having timely Warning given you by,

From my Apartment Wonderful SIR!

in Moor-fields-Pa

lace, February 12,

1733.

Yours, as you merit it,

Hurlothrumbo Johnson.

The

The Hiftory of JOHN BULL.

PART III.

CONTAINING

Among many other Curious Particulars, A Faithful Narrative of the most Secret and Important Transactions of the WorShipful and Antient Family of the BULLS, from Aug. 1, 1714, to June 11, 1727. Publifb'd from the Manufcripts of that Learned and Celebrated Biographer, the late Sir Humphry Polefworth, Author of the First and Second Parts of this Work, publifh'd in 1712.

By NATHAN POLESWORTH,

Sir Humphry's Nephew, and fole Executor.

The PR E FAC E.

TH

PHE Editor of this curious and inftructive Hiftory, affumes no other Merit to himself than that of collecting the Work from his learned Uncle's Manufcripts with the utmost Caution and Fidelity: For tho' he pretends not to that Great Man's Erudition, he won't allow him or any Man to outstrip him in Candour and Truth. Thefe, as he inherits them from a long Line of upright Ancestors, he proposes to convey down unimpeach'd and unimpair'd, along