vince of all the precepts of the law: they shared with him in all his labours, and, by their joint endeavours, they all four procured a fubfiftence adequate to their defires. Aboucaf, when he was dying, called bis three fons to his bedfide, and addreffed them in the following terms: "My fons, live in conftant union, and cultivate with care the farm which I leave you: it will abundantly supply you with all the neceffaries of life. Let the book of Glory be the chief study and delight of your fouls, and the chief object of your attention: in all the various cafualties of life depend upon it alone. My life draws near its end I already behold the angel of death approach.-Farewel: remember the advice I have given :-adore the great Creator of the universe, and revere Mahomet his prophet." Having uttered these words, he expired; and his fons buried him with true filial piety.

:

For fome time they followed the wife advice which he had given them but one day, as they were at work in their farm, a question was agitated amongst them, which gave occafion to all the misfortunes that afterwards befel them. The dispute was concerning what was moft defirable, and what should be the firft with of each. Almoraddin, as he was of an afpiring temper, declared that power was the chief object of his defires: Dogandar, who was of a more fordid turn of mind, owned that his wishes concentered in the poffeffion of wealth; and Hanif fighed for the enjoyment of beauty. No fooner were thefe different wifhes uttered, but a genie appeared to them, and addrefied them as folTows: Sons of Aboucat, your

wishes are heard: I am a genie that prefides over fortune, and will engage to procure you the accomplishment of your defires, if you do not chufe to retract them, as mortals often with for what, in the end, proves the cause of their destruction." The three brothers perfevering in their wishes, the genie prefented to each of them a talisman, whereon were engraved certain magic characters, and bid them repair to Bagdad.

Almoraddin had not long refided there, till, by virtue of the talifman he had received from the genie, he attracted the notice of the caliph Haroun-Alrafchid, and was by him fent to govern a distant province, which being attacked by the Tartars, he defended it bravely, and repulfed them with great flaughter. This railed the jealousy of the vizir, who afterwards found means to perfuade the caliph, that the intention of Almoraddin was to make himself a party, and shake off the yoke of obedience. Hereupon Haroun-Alrafchid, who was extremely jealous of his authority, fent for him to Bagdad, and, without hearing him fpeak in his own defence, caufed him to be beheaded.

Dogandar, after having acquired great riches by commerce, at last perifhed in a voyage which he made in queft of new gain.

The fate of Hanif was, perhaps, more wretched than that of either of his brothers. He married the beauteons Roufchen, and for fome time their felicity was mutual and extreme. But the fiend jealousy, which fo often changes the happinefs of lovers into bitterness, at last put an end to their blifs.

One of the chief perfons of the court of Bagdad, named Oglouf

Kan,

Kan, having feen Roufchen, and being enchanted with her beauty, found means, by corrupting the flaves of Hanif, to procure feveral interviews with his wife, who, dazzled by his elevated ftation, forgot her fidelity to her husband. Hanif, having one day feen Oglouf-Kan re

tire from his wife, fell upon her in a transport of rage, plunged a dagger in her breaft, and immediately after ftabbed himself in despair.

Thus did thefe three brothers owe their ruin to the completion of their wishes.

W

of

GENTLEMEN, Hatever rifque I may run being thought a fool, a vifionary, or fomething worfe, in communicating the following hints, I am contented to hazard my character with the public, for the small chance of being able to do fome good in my day and generation. I have often reflected, with that concern which a humane being must feel for the miferies of his fellowcreatures, upon the havock which hath been, and daily is, made among the race of men, by that peftilential curfe upon unlawful pleasure, diftinguished by the name of the venereal diftemper. One would be apt to imagine, that it flowed from the immediate vengeance of heaven, denounced against the fons and daughters of vice, riot, and debauchery, if we did not know that more vitious times, and more profligate nations than any now existing on the face of the earth, were wholly exempted from this baleful disease; and that its fatal confequences are extended to the innocent as well as to the guilty. Indeed, if its effects were confined to the incorrigible

1

wencher and abandoned prostitute, the wifer and better part of mankind would perhaps think the fubject of little confequence to the commonwealth: yet, even in that cafe, on a fair fcrutiny, the punishment might be found too fevere for the offence; but when we look round this metropolis, and contemplate the miserable objects that inherit incurable ailments, both of body and of mind, from parents whofe conftitutions were fhattered by pox and falivation; when we fee fo many noble and opulent families reprefented by a fet of wheezing, fniveling, waddling, limping, pale, difeafed, dejected, puny wretches, that feem to have been cobbled by Nature's worst journeymen; when we reflect upon the progeny that muft be produced by these valetudinarians, additionally debilitated by the confequences of their own debauchery, and behold with what eagernefs even the inferior claffes of mankind adopt the diffolute manners of their fuperiors; we cannot help fearing, that, in a few generations, pofterity will degenerate into a fpecies of animals for which there

is now no name, and of which the moft creative fancy can form no diftin&t idea.

Were it poffible for a man to reach the fabled age of Neftor, he might meet with fome of his own defcendants in the fhapes of moving wens, and warts, and polypuffes, and fee the boasted masters of the globe deprived of every lineament which now helps to conftitute the human face divine. Who can forefee this calamitous degeneracy, without feeling an emotion of tendernefs and pity; without conceiving a wifh, that fome effectual method might be taken for the prevention of fuch evils, that feem to threaten even the total extinction of the fpecies ?

I have often thought that the ravages made by the venereal diftemper might be, in a great meafure, prevented by fubjecting the ftews to proper regulations, eftablished by the legislature, as they were formerly in this, and ftill are in many other civilized countries. Even without fuch authority, I conceive, the master or mistress of a brothel might acquire a great fortune, and at the fame time remarkably conduce to the welfare of the community, by exercising their occupation in an intelligent and confcientious manner. Let him, for example, entertain in his house a certain number of agreeable curtezans, of whofe health and fobriety he is affured. Let every voluptuary, who defires to have commerce with one of these creatures, pay for his pleasure a price fufficient to indemnify her master for a fubfequent vacation, during which he may be certain whether or not he has received an injury from her gallant. Upon the

first appearance of infection, let her be fecluded from her fellows, and put under the direction of an able` and honeft furgeon, who will do her juftice. As a further check upon both parties in this traffick, let the procurer infure his cuftomer's conftitution under a certain penalty, to be payed on the oath of the fufferer; and the gallant pay for the cure of the difeafe which he has communicated, on being convicted by the evidence of the procurer and furgeon.

This expedient is at beft but a palliative, and may be condemned as a fcandalous connivance at vice and debauchery, which I would by no means be thought to encourage, though it might be easily proved, that fuch connivance is a neceffary evil. I fhall therefore propofe another scheme, which, though apparently gigantic, is, I apprehend, not impracticable, for the total and final expulfion of this plague from the islands of Great Britain and Ireland : a fcheme which, though it may excite the mirth and ridicule of little wits, will one day, I hope, attract the notice and engage the attention of the legislature. Let the parliament enact a law, that, after a certain day, every person found infected with the venereal distemper fhall be deemed guilty of felony, without benefit of clergy, unless the cafe falls within the following exceptions: That no perfon may plead poverty as an excufe, let hofpitals be opened at the expence of the public for the reception and cure of paupers, whofe private circumstances cannot afford proper medicines and attendance: Let officers of health be established at all the fea-ports, under the direction of furgeons,

who

who fhall examine all perfons that arrive from abroad in any part of Great Britain or Ireland, who fhall receive certificates of health, if free from the diftemper; or, if other wife, be confined until they are cured, if in good circumftances, at their own expence; if poor, at the public charge. Those who have run any rifque of contracting the diftemper abroad, though perhaps it may not have appeared at their first arrival in England, will, for their own fakes, abftain from any venereal commerce for a certain length of time, that they may be certain of their being uninfected: but, fhould any fymptoms appear during this recefs, they fhall apply to the officers of health, make affidavit of the cafe, and put themfelves immediately under the proper regimen; and, upon a certificate of the cafe and cure, be deemed exempted from all penalty. The fame exemption may be pleaded in favour of thofe who, after having undergone the regimen prefcribed by law, fhall be found incurable; provided they never attempt to communicate the difeafe in the fequel. The like indulgence fhould be fhewn to thofe who can prove that the diforder has lurked in their conftitutions longer than the time of vacation prefcribed, provided

they give notice, upon oath, to the magiftrates appointed to take cognizance of fuch affairs, and forthwith fubject themselves to a regular courfe of medicine, so as to obtain a certificate of health.

Many objections may, no doubt, be ftarted to thefe crude hints, which I propofe only as the outlines of a plan to be properly and maturely digefted: but where is the fcheme, against which plausible objections may not be offered? Per haps fuch a scheme as I have been fketching, might not answer the purpofe in its full extent; neverthelefs, it would certainly reduce the Hydra to fuch a languishing ftate, that the breed of men would be confiderably mended, before it could retrieve ftrength enough to do much mischief. Nay, I am fully convinced in my own mind, that the venereal diftemper, if not totally extinguished by the vigorous execution of fuch a law, might be fo far fubdued, confidering the advantage of our infular fituation, detached from all our neighbours, and this worst plague of Pandora's box might be always kept in such a state of subjection and debility, that it would never afterwards have any hereditary effect upon the rifing generation of Britons.

HA

GENTLEMEN, TASTY and precipitate judgments have often been prodective of the greatest misfortunes: from them has frequently fprung

difcord in families, misunderstandings amongst friends, and miscarriages in œconomy and the management of domestic affairs. The truth of this affertion will appear abun

dantly

dantly from the foilowing hiftory, which is founded on tact, and which too many will, from their own experience, allow to be probable.

A gentleman, who in perfon and accomplishments had but few equals, paid his addreffes to a young lady of great beauty, and a confiderable fortune, named Afpafia; who was by an indulgent father left to her own difcretion in the choice of a husband, after he had vainly exerted all his eloquence to perfuade her to marry Mr. Richmore, an elderly gentleman, who had no other claim to the preference but that of being poffeffed of a much more ample fortune than his rival. Philander, whofe paffion for Afpafia was fincere, was diftinguished by her in a manner equal to his merits; and the completion of their happiness seemed to draw nigh, when an unforeseen accident interrupted it.

Philander's father being at the point of death, he was obliged to quit his miftrefs, and go to a remote part of the kingdom. Nothing could be more tender than their parting: they both swore eternal love, and their proteftations were equally fincere on both fides. But lovers are never in a state of fecurity, till Hymen has united them by an indiffoluble union. The father of Afpafia, who did not care openly to thwart the inclinations of his daughter, had recourfe to fraud and artifice to alienate her affections from Philander. He found means to intercept all her lover's letters but the firft; and when he perceived the anxiety which this occafioned in his daughter, he artfully infinuated that Philander was prone to inconftancy, like most young men; and that ab. fence, and perhaps a new miltrefs,

had moft probably obliterated his former paffion. We are generally inclined to believe what we fear, as well as what we with. This dif courfe made a deep impreffion upon the mind of Afpafia, and fhe could not help entertaining fome fufpicion of the fidelity of her lover. She, however, endeavoured to account for his negligence the best she could, imputing it to his grief, or fome perplexity arifing from his affairs ; and when her father made new application in behalf of Mr. Richmore, the rejected it with the greatest conftancy and refolution.

It is time for us now to return to Philander, who, after having closed the eyes of his dying father, and received his benediction, took poft for London, impatient to rejoin his dear Afpafia. In his way he was stopped by an unforeseen accident: a young lady, who was travelling that road, being attacked by a highwayman, he flew to rescue her, and took particular care of her at the inn to which they repaired. Afpafia, whose anxiety was grown infupportable, took a refolution to go in quest of her lover; and departed from her father's houfe, accompanied only by her waiting-woman. They happened to lodge that night at the same houfe with Philander and the young lady abovementioned. Afpafia, having feen Philander conduct her to a room, conceived the strongest fufpicions of his fidelity; and upon making inquiry of the maid, who attended her, concerning the perfons that he had feen, the ignorant girl told her, that it was a gentleman and his lady; and that the believed they had travelled a great way, for they feemed to be very much fatigued. This intelligence was suf

ficient