The old Story of the Afs and the two Bundles of Hay, newly applied to the Author. The different Ways of Starving in Wits and Mifers; and the Opinion of the People confulted, in Imitation of our Betters, and followed; which is not in Imitation of them.

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VERY Reader must have heard or read of the Afs between two Bundles of Hay, which Situation had like to have ftarved him, in the midst of Plenty; and every Writer must have found himself in the fame Situation, mentally confidered; because Authors, tho' they are very often ftarved, yet are they very rarely famifh'd in the midft of Plenty, that Happiness has been referved for Mifers only: Providence, not chufing to grant every Bleffing to every Body, has ordained Authors to ftarve thro' want of Poffeffions, and Mifers to ftarve thro' want of a Heart to use them.

HOWEVER, the Allufion we defign of the Afs, is extremely oppofite to our prefent Situation, in not knowing to which Bundle to turn, the Excifeman or the Tragedian. If we confider the Importance of the Discovery that Mr. Popkins is come to deliver, undoubtedly we muft feem inclined to give him the Preference; and if we turn our Eye on the important Parts which Mr. Cook is to act, we are fufpended, like the Tomb of Mahomet, not able to move up or down: which, tho' not true, ferves very well for a Simile; or like the Afs, either able to take a Morfel on one Side or the other.

ON one Part, the national Good operates extremely ftrong in our Mind; on the other, the national Pleafure. And here, if we followed the Maxims of our Betters, we should not hesitate a Moment on which Side to turn, the Diverfions of the Town being entirely neglected, and the Kingdom in a moft admirable Posture of Defence; but as we humbly prefume that the Apprehenfions of a French War, and nati

onal

onal Welfare, are not Objects which ought to outweigh the Confiderations of Masquerades, Operas, and the Utility of broad Wheels, we cannot, without much Deliberation, precipitately prefer the Account of either Gentleman's Proceedings; we therefore take this Opportunity to print this Chapter, to know thoroughly the Senfe of the Nation, before we abfolutely determine upon a Matter of fo much Moment to a whole Kingdom, as preferring Mr. Popkins to Mr. Cook, or the Tragedian to the Excifeman.

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CHA P. XXXIV.

A decifive Letter, where the Truth may be gather'd from the Poftfcript. Mr. Popkins's civil Reception at his Confin Griffith's, civilly returned by that Gentleman.

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AVING then waited a due Time, to take the Senfe of the Nation upon the foregoing Subject, it is with Pleafure we can tell our Readers, that we have received Anfwers innumerable, entirely correfponding to what we wished would be the Senfe of all Men; but as we have received none fo fatisfactory as one Letter from a celebrated Prefbyterian Friend of ours, in the Weft, we chufe to give our Readers that, | Verbatim & Literatim, as it came to Hand,

6

То

SIR,

TH

*

HO' I very much admire your Modesty in propofing fo material an Enquiry, as that in your Chapter, to the public Decifion, I cannot avoid thinking, that you ought to have determined in Favour of Mr. Popkins, from your own Judgment; for notwithstanding we hear that Pleasures and Pafstimes make up a great Share of our Noblemen's Employment and Study, yet we cannot avoid thinking, tho' you have fhewn that Mr. Popkins was miftaken in

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his Object, that the Zeal for the Prefervation of our moft gracious Sn, fhould be prefer'd to all other Confiderations, particularly when there is no Danger.

THE very Idea of a Popish Pretender, though in fact no more than an Indian Prince, is a terrible Thing to every Proteftant, who has this happy Establishment at Heart.

WITH what parental Care does his My fuperintend, not only this Nation, but all Gy? 'Not confined, like his narrow-minded Ancestors, 'within the limited Confideration of his B Sub

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jects Welfare, he imitates his great Creator, which beholds with equal Favour the creeping Ant, and lofty-looking Briton; he superintends his little Gn Dominions, with a Care not inferior to those of this Realm, daring, even at this Time, with the Rifque of his precious Life, the Face of Danger, Seas and Tempefts, to fecure and fortify the Feeble; whilst he ⚫ leaves the Strong, at the Eve of War, to the Care ⚫ of Providence, and the Duke of ******

'WITH What Solicitude does he labour for the • Welfare of the GC Body, in giving them a King of the Romans?, Such is his difinterested Be haviour, he regards it with little lefs Attention than the Education of his own Succeffor; the poor and hungry Electors he charitably fupplies from his own Dominions; his tender Heart cannot bear to hear of Princes in Diftrefs, without relieving them.

WITH what joyful Eyes muft he be beheld by his Subjects, who is ever propagating Arts and Sciences, and rewarding, encouraging, and prefering Men of Learning and Genius, from his own pri⚫vate Munificence; whilft the Kings of Pruffia, France, and Spain, are depreffing Merit, wherever it dares to fhew its Head?

How does this Nation thrive from that pa⚫ rental Fondnefs? How are the other Kingdoms declining from the Inattention of their Sovereigns and • Minifters ?

THERE

THEREFORE, let me intreat you to let Mr. Popkins be firft brought forward, and Mr. Cook only take the fecond Place.

• I am,

Your most bumble Servant,

THO. FLATTERWOOD.

P. S. OUR Lives and Fortunes are all ready at a 'Moment's Warning. Your Thoughts on an Invafion would be agreeable at this Time, if the Pretender's Son is like to come over; and what would be the Event, for the Sake of our Government in Stocks, - and other Matters of that Nature; whether it would not be beft to fell out, and conceal our Money thro' Fear of fuch Accident, till Matters are fettled one " way or the other.'

THIS Letter, then, fpeaking entirely our Sentiments, we have given it, as a Thing which muft effectually bear down all Party-oppofition in Favour of Mr. Cook.

MR. Popkins then, being arrived at his Coufin's Houfe, was civilly received; and, as it was late, and his Friend's Master, the Parliament Man, not to be fpoken with that Evening, he contented himself with the good Cheer which his Cousin gave him for Hofpitality is the undeviating Characteristic of a Welch

man.

THE Evening paffing on, Mr. Popkins, the Londoner, enquired what was the Cause of his Coufin's Journey to Town. The Exciseman being warmed with his cordial Reception, added to fome Tankards of Porter which he had fwallowed, told him, that he was come to receive Thirty Thousand Pounds, which he believed within two Days he should have in his Pocket: Then asking how many Children his Coufin had, and being anfwered fix, he faid, he would provide for them all. Taak no Care, taak no Care, Griffey,' fays he, if you chufe it, you shall hafe ' either a creat Place at Court, or keep a creat Hinn upon the Roat, Cofin, which you fhall pe fure of;

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put hafk hur no Questions, you shall hear more To-morrow.

THIS Speech, indeed, ran very much in the Londoner's Head, he could not reconcile this Power and Riches of his Coufin with his prefent Appearance; but as he had a great Inclination to believe what his Coufin had faid, he doubled his Civilities, as did his Wife alfo.

THE Evening was spent merrily on all Sides, till the fleepy Dews of Porter had defcended on the Eye-lids of the Company; when all retiring to Reft, we follow their Example, and withdraw from our Readers.

CHAP. XXXV.

Mr. Popkins waits on a Member of Parliament. A Dijcovery of an Invafion by the Pretender's Son, a Scotch Surgeon, Irish Lieutenant, and Welch Parson, almofi as dreadful as B-w's Rag-plot. The great Man confults another greater Man, and a Decifion on that Head; which may make both Whigs and Tories, whi are not in the Secret, ftare a little. A M great Diftrefs, relieved from not quite, yet almof g bis Bs.

I

-rin

T was agreed this Evening, that the Member of Parliament's Servant fhould wait on Mr. Popkins next Morning, and attend him to his Master, who was to conduct him to the great Man.

THIS being done, he waited on

** Efq; to whom he faid he had the moft important Bufinefs with the great Man, which was as much as all England was worth, and defired he would introduce him.

THIS the Member agreed to tranfact, first knowing the Bufinefs; and the Excifeman refused the Discovery, till it was first reveal'd to the great Man. Indeed he would have offered him a Thousand Pounds for his 'Trouble; but as he knew Members of Parliament never take Bribes, and are actuated only by their Coun

try's