A NEW BILL,

Drawn up by a Committee of Grievances, In Reply to the Ladies and Batchelors Petition and Remonstrances, &c. Quarto, containing Four Pages.

VIRGINS and batchelors, or rather ladies and gentlemen, for that is your safer name, and so we would advise you to title yourselves, we have received both your addresses, and both your suits lie before us. We confess that, to do you equal right, you both plead strongly, and pray heartily: however, the fervour of the suppliant does not always argue the honesty of the petition. The most unreasonable, most unjust things in the world, may be as vigo. rously prayed for as the best. A man, in his angry moments, may as zealously wish to see his honest neighbour hanged, as he ever wished in a fit of sickness to be saved. The same tradesman's wife, that at morning service could think of nothing but Abraham's bosom, before night, perhaps, has altered her note, and prayed with greater vehemence to meet her gallant.

The merit, therefore, and not the oratory of the plea, is the business of our examination. But, before we descend to particulars, we must so far join with you, to own your cause (that we may use your own phrase) a matter of the greatest consequence that ever came within our walls. For hymen and love, generation and progeny,, the fulfilling of the great first commandment, increase and multiply,' is indeed an importance so high, that not only the present race of mankind, the now occupants of the world, but even the yet unborn, are concerned in it.

Having therefore duly weighed the whole controversy between the petitioners and remonstrancers, we must declare our ready tenderness, and, without partiality, favourable inclinations both to the complaints, and complainants, the aggrieved petitioners: for having considered, that long customs, out of the memory of man, are, by the British constitution, equivalent to the most binding laws; we find upon search, that England has been always the heaven of women, and also, by another customary female claim, that a woman never loses her honour; and, consequently, that the practised deference and complaisance to the sex is an unalienable right. Upon the said premises duly considered, as we sit here not to destroy fundamentals, but to support them, we must allow a great many unquestioned prerogatives, as their just and natural right; a fair Magua Charta on the soft sex's side.

Nevertheless, not to come to any conclusive determination, Causa inaudita, we think it highly concurrent with our own honour and justice, to discuss the main points in dispute between the ladies and batchelors, before we come to any final decision on either side.

First then, we cannot but take notice that the batchelors very unjustly charge the petitioners with difficult courtship: the pretend

ed servitude of tedious Jacob-prenticeships, &c. being in the whole a most notoriously false and malicious suggestion. For how can any man in his right wits believe that ten thousand green sickness maidens, subscribers to the petition, can be those hard-hearted Rachel mistresses, as if life, health, and love were so little dear to them, that they would rather die martyrs to oatmeal, loam, and chalk, than accept such able doctors and such pleasant physick for their recoveries, in that only Elixir Vitæ, man and matrimony.

Nay, do not the whole body of petitioners most frankly and generously avow, both for their majesties' and the nation's service, their ready inclinations and desires of recruiting the yearly Flandrian mortality, by an immediate consummation and propagation. Is not the fair Festival-sheet hung out, with all the heartiest bridal compliment, of 'Wake, sleepers, rise and eat?' And can the ungrateful batchelors talk of seven years courtship, after such endearing invitations! But, however, if by chance, once in an age, they meet with a thick-shelled bitter almond, must the generality of the sex, the tender pistachoes, requiring not half the cracking labour, and with ten times the sweeter kernel, be falsly reproached and reviled ?

And whereas the batchelors ridiculously object their fear and dread of entering into the matrimonial state, from the suggested frailty and brittleness of the weaker vessels: to obviate the folly of that fear, and the shallowness of that argument, we declare, Nemine contradicente, the fair sex, not to diminish their value, to be true precious porcelane, and it lies only in the gentle usage and tenderness of the handling, to preserve them.

And we farther declare this petition of the longing ladies, notwithstanding the scurrilous batchelors ridiculing and censorious reflexions, to be as honest a supplication, as a prayer for daily bread; for every thing would live.

And whereas one great bar to matrimony are the common pretensions of good husbandry, in chusing rather to buy at Hackney, than keep a milcher of their own; as thereby endeavouring to avoid the expensive concomitants of wedlock. Now, as these unthinking remonstrancers never consider the dangerous risques of their own Latitudinarian principles and practices, in incurring the hazard of coming to Sassapiralla and Guiacum, and the rest of the dry drugs, infinitely more expensive than the objected matrimonial sweetmeats and caudles, gossipings and christenings, &c. the confectioners a much easier than the apothecaries bill, and one Dr. Wall a heavier incident charge than two Chamberlains.

We therefore think fit to lay before their eyes the too common too threatening malevolence of those malignant ascendants, viz. Venus in the lower house, and Mercury in the upper one; and withal advise them to reflect, that the nursery of a whole fire-side is not half the expence of rearing of galloping runners into standing gouts. We could likewise further convince them, that the universal havock of all the maims and cripples, from French chainshot and splinters got betwixt wind and water, is much the vaster hospital rent-charge, than the pensions of Chelsea and Chatham.

However, if no counsel nor precept can reduce them from their infamous reprobation to the honourable state, we hereby enact this punishment of their apostasy, that they live in their sins, and die in their shame; and, as the last publick brand, be utterly debarred even that common civility of bribing the searchers, and softening the bill of mortality, by slurring a shame-faced consumption upon a scandalous rot.

But to begin our examination into the petitioners greatest and loudest-tongued grievance, the multitude of misses; and all the fatal influences from those reigning ascendants; that not only, as the petitioners modestly complain, divert, but, as we may safely add, poison those wholesome streams which would otherwise run in the regular channel of matrimony; we shall here subjoin our power and authority for accomplishing a thorough reformation in this particular; with the following inflictions and punishment for the discouragement and suppression of the said notorious vice and enormity.

Whereas therefore, to the scandal of the age, it has been often experienced, that a witty and beautiful spouse has been abandoned for a hard-favoured dowdy miss; under no other shadow of excuse, than the pretended discovery of having found a fiddle abroad, and therefore slighting the unmusical instrument at home. Now, in utter detestation of such abominable pretences, and such unnatural conjugal abdication, together with the manifest justice of Lex Talionis, we do hereby license and authorise the aforesaid fair abandoned, as well for the alleviation of doleful widowed nights, and virgin sheets, as for the support of the family, possibly in no small danger from such neglect and desertion, to borrow the assistance of some dignified younger brother, to raise heirs, &c. without incurring the pramunire of elopement; or, upon non-readiness and failure of such honourable supply, to have free leave to take up with some coarser domestick menial, though but to the homely tune of Drive on, Coachman.

And, in like manner, it is resolved and ordered, that all those ramblers and strays under that misleading ignis fatuus, the sweet sin of variety, that shall therefore grasp at out-lying pluralities, though, possibly, naturally so weak-gifted, as to be scarce suffici ently qualified for due incumbence at home, shall, for the said wilful offence of non-residence, incur the penalty of sequestration, to be supplied by a curate, from the choice of the parish.

And whereas the fair complainants too loudly inveigh against their powerful rival, wine, and the present too spreading idolatry of the bottle, and the dangerous concomitants thereof: which the batchelors endeavour to soften and sweeten, by insinuating the juice of the grape no ill-meaning enemy to the God of Love's subjects. For adjustment of the dispute, be it resolved, that wine be no farther encouraged than as amorum famulus, a good servant but a bad master; to be indulged and cherished as a moderate grace-cup; to make love chirp, but not sleep; and be used for sauce and relish, not for souse and pickle. Be it therefore enacted, that, for due

punishment of those violent claret-hunters, that, by abuse of this lawful and limited indulgence, do outrun all bounds, to the making á toil of a pleasure, and a tedious tiresome fox-chace of it; it may and shall be lawful for the sweet neglected Venus, like the old modest Diana, to punish all such capital offenders with the front of an Acteon; it being the opinion of this committee, that the wilful neglect of family duty, and all false measures of due benevolence, fall as justly under parliamentary censure and lash as the false packing of butter.

And whereas the crying shame of the daily scandalous rhimes, the licentious scurrilous pamphlets, doggrel and play-house farces upon the holy state of matrimony, is no small grievance of the petitioners: this honourable committee, as fully impowered to search papers and records, have found the said libels to be wholly matter of malice and calumny, the generality of the authors being either some scribbling, aspiring, slighted pretenders to some fair disdainful Celia; and therefore, in pure spight and revenge, pelted and persecuted with satire and lampoon, for no other sin but her being deaf and invincible to ditty and sonnet; and thereupon the whole honourable state of wedlock maliciously vilified, with the outcry of dry meat, for no other reason, but that themselves are thrown out of the chace, and excluded the game: or otherwise, if such wedlock railing be the venom and gall of any married author, we conclude it the product of some very hard bargain, as possibly some old tapped leaky broach at home, and thereupon his palate wholly depraved and sowred with this nauseous draught of lees. Nevertheless, all the said villainous ribaldry and libels, as hatched and contrived for sowing sedition, and fomenting schism within the peaceable and united ecclesiastical provinces of hymen and love, we do hereby adjudge and sentence to the old doom of hæretico comburendo.

And whereas our fair petitioners enforce their suit, from our condescension to the humble debates of cutting the rivers Lug and Wye, &c. Be it therefore resolved and ordered accordingly, that the present Virgin Shallows, hitherto of no farther use than the driving a poor water-mill, &c. be dug into deeps and channels, and made navigable for traders and voyagers, and so rendered useful to the publick for the serviceable bearing of bulk and burthen.

Provided still, that all the fair bridal pretenders shall bring their whole loaf to the spousal board, and not have any of the kissing crust pared off by any hungry sharper for breakfast, before the good man in black has said grace for the nuptial night supper, with the rest of the usual ceremonies of Fall to in God's name.'

But if, by any frail mischance, an unhappy falling fair, under prétence of a pure untouched domestic utensil, shall bring a crazed pipkin into play, she shall be obliged, by a true and thorough reformation, and engagement of her future more steady uprightness, to give security that a cracked maidenhead, like a broken bone, shan be the strongest where it is set again, or otherwise to forfeit all right and benefit of our favour and protection.

Lastly, Be it ordered, in favour to the petitioners proposed supply towards recruiting the human dearth and scarcity made by the hungry devourer, War, that a clause be inserted to root out of all the female physick-gardens, and indeed from out the whole commonwealth, those dangerous plants called Cover-Shame, alias Savin, and other anti-conceptive weeds and poisons, those notorious restor atives of slender shapes, and tender reputations, to the loud and crying shame of love lost, and a good thing thrown away.'

As for what relates to the chaplains, we are willing to allow them plenty of meat, drink, and tobacco, the most zealous part of their supplication, nay, to sit down at table with their patrons, provided they do not take upon them to censure the management of the family. But, whereas they petition to be freed from any obligation to marry the chamber-maid, we can by no means assent to it; the Abigail, by immemorial custom, being a Deodand, and belonging to holy church.

We thank the poets for their good-will to the government, as ap pears by their proposal to raise a fund of six-hundred thousand pounds for the support of it; but do not think it convenient to raise any money either out of them, or the ribbon-weavers. The only tax we lay upon them, is to canonise all our heroes that die in Flanders, and to record their victories in verse. And this will be no burdensome employment for them.

And, lastly, as for the widows, provided they will engage never to talk bawdy, and quote the sayings, or praise the valour of their dead husbands, we will grant all and every clause in their petition, viz. The old widows shall have their gums rubbed with coral. The rich shall be indulged a twelve-months rest. The poor shall have the forfeitures they beg for; and the young receive full satisfaction in their three articles.

THE VINDICATION

OF THAT HERO OF POLITICAL LEARNING,
NICHOLAS MACHIAVEL,

The second Tacitus. MS.

VICHOLAS Machiavel is cried down a villain, though many

NICH

think he deserves a better title.

Who intends to express a dishonest man, calls him a Machiavilian; they might as well say, he was a Straffordian, or a Marlborian; thus men embrace the first apparitions of virtue and vice, and let the substance pass by untouched.

He was not only an Italian, but a courtier.

He was secretary to the state of Florence, of which he wrote an excellent and impartial history.

He lived in the days of Pope Alexander the Sixth, being familiar with his son Cæsar, and what those princes were, is sufficiently