As an Inftance of the Chearfulness in our fair Fellow-Subjects, to oppofe the Defigns of the Pretender, I did but fuggeft in one of my former Papers, That the Fan might be made ufe of with good Succefs against Popery, by exhibiting the Corruptions of the Church of Rome in various Figures; when immediately they took the Hint, and have fince had frequent Confultations upon feveral Ways and Methods to make the Fan useful. They have unanimously agreed upon the following Refolutions, which are indeed very suitable to Ladies who are at the fame time the most Beautiful and the moft Loyal of their Sex. To hide their Faces behind the Fan, when they obferve a Tory gazing upon 'em. Never to peep thro' it, but in order to pick out Men, whose Principles make them worth the Conqueft. To return no other Answer to a Tory's Addreffes, than by counting the Sticks of it all the while he is talking to them. To avoid dropping it in the Neighbourhood of a Malecontent, that he may not have an Opportunity of taking it up. To fhew their Disbelief of any Jacobite Story by a Flirt of it. To fall a Fanning themselves, when a Tory comes into one of their Affemblies, as being diforder'd at the Sight of him.

These are the Ufes by which every Fan may in the Hands of a fine Woman become serviceable to the Publick. But they have at present under Confideration certain Fans of a Protestant Make, that they may have a more extenfive Influence, and raife an Abhorrence of Popery in a whole Crowd of Beholders: For they intend to let the World fee what Party they are of, by Figures and Defigns upon thefe Fans; as the Knights-Errant us'd to diftinguish themfelves by Devices on their Shields.

There

There are feveral Sketches of Pictures which have been already prefented to the Ladies for their Approbation, and out of which feveral have made their Choice. A pretty young Lady will very foon appear with a Fan, which has on it a Nunnery of lively black-ey'd Veftals, who are endeavouring to creep out at the Grates. Another has a Fan mounted with a fine Paper, on which is represented a Groupe of People upon their Knees very devoutly worshipping an old Ten-penny Nail. A certain Lady of great Learning has chofen for her Device the Council of Trent; and another, who has a good Satirical Turn, has filled her Fan with the Figure of a huge taudry Woman, reprefenting the Whore of Babylon; which fhe is refolved to fpread full in the Face of any Sifter-Difputant, whofe Arguments have a Tendency to Popery. The following Defigns are already executed on feveral Mountings. The Ceremony of the Holy Pontiff opening the Mouth of a Cardinal in a full Confiftory. An old Gentleman with a Triple Crown upon his Head, and big with Child, being the Portrait of Pope Joan. Bifhop Bonner purchating great Quantities of Faggots and Brufh-wood, for the Converfion of Hereticks. A Figure reaching at a Scepter with one Hand, and holding a Chaplet of Beads in the other: With a distant View of Smithfield.

When our Ladies make their Zeal thus visible upon their Fans, and, every time they open them, display an Error of the Church of Rome, it cannot but have a good Effect, by fhewing the Enemies of our prefent Establishment the Folly of what they are contending for. At leaft, every one must allow that Fans are much more innocent Engines for propagating the Proteftant Religion, than Racks, Wheels, Gibbets, and the like Machines,

which are made ufe of for the Advancement of the Roman Catholick. Befides, as every Lady will of courfe ftudy her Fan, fhe will be a perfect Mistress of the Controverfy at least in one Point of Popery, and as her Curiofity will put her upon the Perufal of every other Fan that is fashionable, I doubt not but in a very little time there will scarce be a Woman of Quality in Great-Britain, who wou'd not be an Over-Match for an Irish Priest.

The beautiful Part of this Ifland, whom I am proud to number amongst the moft candid of my Readers, will likewife do well to reflect, that our Difpute at prefent concerns our Civil as well as Religious Rights. I fhall therefore only offer it to their Thoughts as a Point that highly deferves their Confideration, Whether the Fan may not alfo be made ufe of with regard to our Political Conftitution. As a Free-Holder, I would not have them confine their Cares for us as we are Proteftants, but at the fame time have an Eye to our Happiness as we are Britons. In this cafe they wou'd give a new turn to the Minds of their Countrymen, if they would exhibit on their Fans the feveral Grievances of a Tyrannical Government. Why might not an Audience of Muley Ifhmael, or a Turk dropping his Handkerchief in his Seraglio, be proper Subjects to exprefs their Abhorrence both of Defpotick Power, and of Male Tyranny? Or if they have a Fancy for Burlesk, what wou'd they think of a French Cobler cutting Shoes for feveral of his FellowSubjects out of an old Apple-tree? On the contrary, a fine Woman, who wou'd maintain the Dignity of her Sex, might bear a String of GalleySlaves, dragging their Chains the whole breadth of her Fan, and at the fame time, to celebrate her

own

own Triumphs, might order every Slave to be drawn with the Face of one of her Admirers.

I only propofe these as Hints to my gentle Readers, which they may alter or improve as they fhall think fit: But cannot conclude without congratulating our Country upon this Difpofition among the most amiable of its Inhabitants, to confider in their Ornaments the Advantage of the Publick as well as of their Perfons. It was with the fame Spirit, tho' not with the fame Politeness, that the ancient British Women had the Figures of Monsters painted on their naked Bodies, in order (as our Historians tell us) to make themselves beautiful in the Eyes of their Country. men, and terrible to their Enemies. If this Project goes on, we may boaft, that our Sifter Whigs have the finest Fans, as well as the most beautiful Faces, of any Ladies in the World. At least, wę may venture to foretel, that the Figures in their Fans will leffen the Tory Intereft, much more than those in the Oxford Almanacks will advance it.

Monday,

N° 16 Monday, February 13.

Itaque quod plerumque in atroci negotio folet, Senatus decrevit, darent Operam Confules ne quid Refpublica Detrimenti caperet. Ea poteftas per Senatum More Romano Magiftratui maxuma permittitur, exercitum parare, bellum gerere, coercere omnibus modis Socios atque Cives, domi militiæque Imperium atque Judicium fummum habere. Aliter, fine Populi juffu nulli earum Rerum Confuli Jus eft.

Saluft. Bell. Catil. 29.

The Senate therefore made a Decree as usual, when they bave Matters before them of fa horrid a Nature, That the Confuls should take care the Commonwealth did not fuffer any Prejudice. By virtue of this very great Power which the Senate allows to the Magifrate, according to the Ancient Customs of Rome, He may raife an Army, wage War, make use of all kinds of Methods to restrain the Affociates and Citizens of Rome, and exercife the Supreme Authority both at Home and Abroad in Matters Civil and Military; whereas other wife the Conful is not invefted with any of thefe Powers without the express Command of the People.

T being the Defign of these Papers to reconcile Men to their own Happiness by removing those wrong Notions and Prejudices which hinder them from feeing the Advantage of themselves and their Pofterity in the prefent Eftablishment, I cannot but take notice of every thing that by the Artifice