When this happy Temper of Mind is fully eftablifhed among them, we may justly hope to fee the largest Share of His Majefty's Favours fall upon that Univerfity, which is the Greateft, and upon all Accounts the moft Confiderable not only in his Dominions but in all Europe.

1 fhall conclude this Paper with a Quotation out of Cambden's Hiftory of Queen Elizabeth, who, after having defcribed that Queen's Reception at Oxford, gives an Account of the Speech which fhe made to them at her Departure; concluding with a Piece of Advice to that Univerfity. Her Counfel was, That they would firft ferve God, not after the Curiofity of fome, but according to the Laws of God and the Land; that they would not go before the Laws, but follow them; nor difpute whether better might be prefcribed, but keep thofe prescribed already; obeying their Superiors; and laftly, embrace one another in brotherly Piety and Concord.

N° 34

Monday, April 16.

-fævus apertam

In rabiem cæpit verti jocus

Hor. Epift. 1. 1. 2. v. 148.

Triumphant Malice rag'd thro' private Life.

IT

T is very juftly, as well as frequently observed, that if our Nation be ever ruined, it must be by itself. The Parties and Divifions which reign among us may feveral ways bring Destruction

upon

upon our Country, at the fame time that our united Force would be fufficient to fecure us against all the Attempts of a foreign Enemy. Whatever Expedients therefore can be found to allay thofe Heats and Animofities, which break us into different Factions and Interests, cannot but be useful to the Publick, and highly tend to its Safety, Strength, and Reputation.

This dangerous Diffenfion among us discovers itself in all the moft indifferent Circumstances of Life. We keep it up, and cherish it with as much Pains, as if it were a kind of National Bleffing. It infinuates itself into all our Difcourfes, mixes in our Parties of Pleasure, has a Share in our Diverfions, and is an Ingredient in most of our publick Entertainments.

I was not long ago at the Play call'd Sir Courtly Nice, where, to the eternal Reproach of Good fenfe, I found the whole Audience had very gravely ranged themfelves into two Parties, under Hot-head and Teftimony. Hot-head was the applauded Hero of the Tories, and Teftimony no lefs the Favourite of the Whigs. Each Party followed their Champion. It was wonderful to fee fo polite an Affembly distinguishing them felves by fuch extraordinary Representatives, and avowing their Principles as comformable either to the Zeal of Hot-head, or the Moderation of Teftimony. Thus the two Parts, which were defigned to expofe the Faults of both Sides, and were accordingly received by our Ancestors in King Charles the Second's Reign, meet with a kind of Sanction from the Applaufes which are refpectively beftowed on them by their wife Pofterity. We seem to imagine, that they were written as Patterns for Imitation, not as Objects of Ridicule.

This Humour runs fo far, that most of our late Comedies owe their Succefs to it. The Audience liftens after nothing else. I have feen little Dicky place himself with great Approbation at the Head of the Tories for five Acts together, and Pinky efpoufe the Interest of the Whigs with no lefs Succefs. I do not find that either Party has yet thrown themselves under the Patronage of Scaramouch, or that Harlequin has violated that Neutrality, which, upon his late Arrival in Great-Britain, he profeffed to both Parties, and which it is thought he will punctually obferve, being allowed on all Sides to be a Man of Honour. It is true, that, upon his firft Appearance, a violent Whig Tradesman in the Pit begun to compliment him with a Clap, as overjoyed to fee him mount a Ladder, and fancying him to be drest in a Highland Plad.

I queftion not but my Readers will be furprifed to find me animadverting on a Practice that has been always favourable to the Caufe which now prevails. The British Theatre was Whig even in the worst of Times; and in the last Reign did not fcruple to teftify its Zeal for the Good of our Country, by many magnanimous Claps in its lower Regions, anfwered with loud Huzzas from the upper Gallery. This good Dif pofition is fo much heighten'd of late, that the whole Neighbourhood of the Drury-Lane Theatre very often shakes with the Loyalty of the Audience. It is faid, that a young Author, who very much relies on this prevailing Humour, is now writing a Farce to be called, A Match out of Newgate, in Allufion to the Title of a Comedy called, A Match in Newgate; and that his chief Perfon is a round-fhoulder'd Man with a pretty

a pretty large Nofe and a wide Mouth, making his Addreffes to a lovely black Woman that paffes for a Peerefs of Great-Britain. In fhort, the whole Play is built upon the late Escape of General Forefter, who is fuppofed upon the Road to fall in Love with my Lord Nithfdale, whom the ingenious Author imagines to be ftill in his Riding-hood.

But notwithstanding the good Principles of a British Audience in this one particular, it were to be wished, that every thing fhould be barished the Stage which has a Tendency to exafperate Mens Minds, and inflame that Party Rage which makes us fuch a miferable and divided People. And that in the first place, because fuch a Proceeding as this difappoints the very Design of all publick Diverfions and Entertainments. The Inftitution of Sports and Shews was intended by all Governments, to turn off the Thoughts of the People from bufying themselves in Matters of State, which did not belong to them; to reconcile them to one another by the common Participations of Mirth and Pleafure; and to wear out of their Minds that Rancour which they might have contracted by the interfering Views of Interest and Ambition. It would therefore be for the Benefit of every Society, that is difturbed by contending Factions, to encourage fuch innocent Amusements as may thus difembitter the Minds of Men, and make them mutually rejoice in the fame agreeable Satisfactions. When People are accustomed to fit together with Pleasure, it is a Step towards Reconciliation: But as we manage Matters, our politeft Affemblies are like boisterous Clubs, that meet over a Glafs of Wine, and, before they have done, throw Bottles at one another's Heads. Inftead of mul

tiplying

tiplying thofe defirable Opportunities where we may agree in Points that are indifferent, we let the Spirit of Contention into thofe very Methods that are not only foreign to it, but should in their Nature difpofe us to be Friends. This our Anger in our Mirth is like Poifon in a Perfume, which taints the Spirits inftead of chearing and refreshing them.

Another manifeft Inconvenience which arifes from this Abufe of publick Entertainments, iş, that it naturally deftroys the Tafte of an Au dience. I do not deny, but that feveral Performances have been juftly applauded for their Wit, which have been written with an Eye to this predominant Humour of the Town: But it is vifible even in these, that it is not the Excellence, but the Application of the Sentiment, that has raised Applaufe. An Author is very much difappointed to find the beft Parts of his Produc tions received with Indifference, and to fee the Audience difcovering Beauties which he never intended. The Actors, in the midst of an innocent old Play, are often startled with unexpected Claps or Hiffes; and do not know whether they have been talking like good Subjects, or have spoken Treafon. In fhort, we feem to have fuch a Relifh for Faction, as to have loft that of Wit; and are fo ufed to the Bitterness of Party. Rage, that we cannot be gratified with the higheft Entertainment that has not this kind of Seafoning in it. But as no Work muft expect to live long, which draws all its Beauty from the Colour of the Times; fo neither can that Pleasure be of greater Continuance, which arifes from the Prejudice or Malice of its Hearers.

To conclude: Since the prefent Hatred and Violence of Parties is fo unfpeakably pernicious

to