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1768.

Beggars at Public Inns.

views and intereft-I know nothing
of his abilities for a fenator; but he
has discovered either his wifdom, or
his weaknels, in confenting to publish
his name in a list of 184. A lift, in
my opinion, no way to the credit of
any gentlemen named in it, except
the two candidates. Nor was I a little
furprized at seeing fo many gentlemen
of fortune, degenerated fo far from
the true principles of liberty, and the
noble fpirit of our ancestors; by fub-
mitting to be fo expofed. Though
indeed it is too common a thing, for
a few artful and defigning men by a
fudden propofal, to influence, and
draw others into a compliance with
that, which, upon due confideration
they difapprove. And if our new
candidate defires, and would obtain,
the votes, the intereft, and fupport of
true friends to liberty; I believe, him-
felf and his friends, mult first openly
renounce their connections with thofe
who have deserted the cause of liberty,
and not oppose but most frenuously en-
deavour to prevent their re-election:
to fhew, that he is confiftent with his
public declaration, that he will mot
Grenuously oppose all attempts upon the
liberty of the fubject and every other un-
conftitutional measure.

A true friend to liberty,
An impartial, and
INDEPENDANT ELECTOR.

To the AUTHOR of the LONDON
MAGAZINE.

SIR,

Congratulate my countrymen on the revival of that noble spirit of hofpitality lately demonftrated by a general avertion to the mean practice of giving what is called vails to their fervants, that bane of friendly entertainment. And when gentlemen arrive at a juft abhorrence of their own beggarly domefticks, they will entertain the fame ideas of them every where elfe. Beggars having been ever deemed nuifances, difgraceful to chriftianity, and even common fociety: And although at gentlemen's houfes their fervants do not actually beg, yet is their acceptance of a gratuity beggarly: And the person who offers it must be himfelf of a mean spirit, as he thereby offers a grofs affront to the mafter of the house. Thele beggars of the dumb clafs, although probably beggars bred, yet

37

fhould not be fuffered to bring their itch into a family. But they are the beggars of another tribe I am about to speak of, bred and licensed beggars, which you meet with at every inn, when no fooner the bill is called for, but thefe fetters prick up their ears, and fcamper to obftruct the avenues of retreat. A gentleman, or tradesman, chufes the inn where he may be as free as at his own houfe; you are fhewed a room, wherein to rest and refresh yourself, your horfe is taken to the ftable for his eafe and refreshment, you pay what is charged to you for all this, and when you are difpofed to remove, would like to go off with the fame ease as from home. But, alas! you find the cafe quite different, more like getting out of a fponginghoufe, where debita per boras are demanded for each of their myrmidons. The appearance, in the way to your horfe or carriage, of every one concerned to deliver what you have ordered, give fignificant intimations of their demands upon you, which, if you neglect, you will be fure to hear them bawl out with an infolent tone of petition, as, Pray remember the oftler, pray remember the waiter, pray remember the chambermaid, pray remember the bootcatcher, &c. And if you could infenfibly pass that gantlet, you must alfo pass that of their fcurrilous abufe, as, You are no gentleman, and probably a fcrub, or a fcoundrel, and all this while, perhaps, the landlord or landlady prefent, quite unconcerned, withing you a ve ry good journey. They have got their demands, and their fervants are at liberty to bully you for their wages. Such is the prefent fcandalous fituation at the inns in England, owing to the wretched ftate of their unprovided fervants, who frequently fuffer for their mafters ill ufage; unprovided, because the generality coming from the dunghill and sturdy beggars bred, are fuffered to continue so, through the mean greedinefs of their mafters, who thereby merit no better guests than gamblers. Now, finding by all the advertisements of new innkeepers, their offers of the best accommodation, and moft genteel treatment: I would put them in a certain method to perform thefe offers in the moft agreeable manner for their guests,

and

AN USEFUL SCHEME.

38 and most useful to themselves. For which purpose I propofe they should retain no beggars, but provide fuficiently for their fervants, without allowing them to accept any perquifites at all. Which would diftinguith the moft genteel treatment by obviating what is moft ungenteel. Now the question arifes, How muft the defired reformation be accomplished confiftent with reciprocal advantage? I answer, That allowing the eftablished custom of fome acknowledgment for attendance at inns, let the landlords pay their fervants fufficient wages, and at the bottom of the bill, write attendance, leaving a blank for the perfon to give what he pleafes; for every traveller would prefer the method of having only one perfon to pay. The landlord fupplies you with provifions, which are not chargeable till delivered, and whether himself, his wife, his children, or fervants, bring it in, is immaterial to you, if you are to pay for attendance: you will find it much eafier to make the landlord an allow ance for that purpose, than to cram the hungry jaws of his gaping cormorants, who are fo irregularly fed. A temperate man, an invalid, a lady, who perhaps cannot difpenfe with liquors fufficient to pay the house for trouble, are therefore prompted to give extraordinary to the fervants, whereby the mafter is a lofer: And if you leave fomething for the fervants in general, you will probably after that have the trouble to acquaint them all of it, and fo please none. A man at 51. a woman at 31. a boy at 408. and a girl at 30s. per annum, which including oftler, chambermaid, bootcatcher, and waiter, at a fmall inn, amounts to 141. or 161. per annum. But in confideration of their attendance, late and early, they perhaps merit double wages, which will be about 30l. Now Jet us fee how the landlord may fupport this additional expence, fuppofing he was not ufed before to give any wages at all. For baiting, as it is called, which is to ftop in the day time, and away again, I think no attendance thould be mentioned. As I believe we have need only to bring into account, thofe who Kay all night, at the low computation of Is. each, which at least they have been used to give. A mall inn, that lodges but

Jan.

fourteen in a week, will thereby produce 361. 8 s. probably more, because no traveller will be deemed as fuch who offers lefs, and to show that, the landlord may return it as not worth his acceptance, which will infallibly anfwer the purpose. Where there are more attendants, more lodgers no doubt, confequently more perquilites. Which by thus fecuring and keeping an account of the produce, will enable the landlord to know nearly, what wages he can afford his fervants, who muit do very well, if they get double what they would be allowed in private families. Their money would come in at stated times to do them good, they would go on regularly with their bufinefs, with lefs tipling and gaming amongst them. Many landlords might, by thefe means, put fome hundreds a year in their pockets, and keep houfes like gentlemen. There being inns, who, for half the year, lodge every night from twenty to thirty, forty, and fifty people. Such a houfe would be called the Gentleman's Inn, and with propriety be fo diftinguifhed. I fubmit thefe as the outlines of a method, which I should be glad to fee improved. If a traveller has the humour further than this, to diftinguish any particular fervant, let it be accepted by the landlord, only on the terms of being spent in the house, in fuch liquor as that fervant may chu'e, at his or her leifure. Penalties on begging, or accepting perquifites, to he inflicted at the difcretion of the landlord.

The only objection to this method is, I can forefee, that you will fay perhaps, we hereby lay a foundation for an additional charge at our inns: The charge I look upon as already eftabiithed on difagreeable terms; but a peremptory charge, can never take place, if we make it a rule, upon finding attendance actually charged, to give nothing at all.

I fee no reafon why the habits of fervants at inns fhould not be uniform as well as at gentlemens houses; they would make a better apperance, and that affair is eafily ordered, by an agree ment at hiring to allow them cloaths of a certain value, after they have been a stated time.

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,1768.

I

MANUFACTURERS ADDRESSES.

39 To the AUTHOR of the LONDON guished virtues fo eminently merit. MAGAZINE.

[Signed by the Lord Mayor ; Sir SIR,

Robert Ladbroke, Sir Richard Glyn, your readers can, from experience, nufacturers and traders of the cities of reading or reasoning, give any account, London and Westminster.) why the eyes on going to sleep, re- The following address of the bay. volve upwards, which I have good liffs, wardens, affistants, and commoreason to believe is the case with all nalty of the trade, art, and mystery animals, though I do not remember of weavers, London, has been presentmeeting with any account thereof. ed to his majesty: which address his I am your constant reader, majesty was pleased to receive very

R. W. graciously.

: [In your Magazine for November, To the king's most excellent majesty. the recipe for a cancer is put in wrong Most gracious sovereign, characters, viz. 3 dram, which should WE your majelty's molt dutiful and have been 3 ounce, a wide difference! loyal subjects the bayliffs, wardens

W. W. affiftants, and commonalty of the trade,

art, and mystery of weavers, London, St. James's, January 9. in behalf of ourselves, and the filk "HE following address of the ma- manufacturers in and about Spital

fields, ties of London and Westminster, as Most humbly beg leave to embrace also those of Spital fields and parts ad- the firft opportunity, as in duty bound, jacent, has been presented to his ma- to return our most gratesul thanks to jesty: Which address his majesty was your majesty, for your majesty's late pleased to receive very gracioufly. most gracious declaration, that in comTo the king's most excellent majesty. passion to the number of manufactur

May it please your majelty, ers and traders, who have been great WE your majesty's most dutiful fufferers by the length of court mourn. . and loyal subjects, manufacturers' and ings, your inajesty hath been pleased traders of your cities of London and to give directions for shortening them Westminster, as allo those of Spital- in future. Such' tender feelings for fields and parts adjacent, humbly of- the subjects of a state could only in, fer our most grateful thanks, for the spire the royal breast of a prince, late instance of your majeity's paternal whofe virtues loudly proclaim the good tenderness and compassionate regard, of his people to be the first object of expressed in your royal declaration, his thoughts, and the ultimate end of that all future court mournings ihall

all his actions. be shortened. (See p. 651.)

We beg leave moft humbly to alWe have the deeper sense of this sure your majesty, that this your mamark of your majesty's gracious condes- jesty's benevolent resolution will greatcension, as it was unsolicited ; a reso. ly promote the filk manufactures of lution which at once promotes trade, this kingdom, give great spirit to the invigorates industry, and can never be trade, tend to the improvement of it, forgotten in the annals of your majel. in many branches, and be the means ty's reign.

of giving constant employment to our The example fo replete with love to workmen ; many of whom, owing to your subjects in general, and com- the late mournings, have been out of passion to the poor manufacturers in employ, and in want of bread. particular, inspires us with the warm- At the same time that we offer up est and most reipeelful gratitude: and our tribute of thanks to your maje!ty, will ever engage our prayers to Di. we should think ourlelves very unvine Providence, that your inajesty grateful to your majesty's royal conmay long continue to reign in the out, if we did not humbly express hearts of your grateful people; to our sense of the great obligations we Mare the bleffings of domestic felicity lie under to her majesty, for her genewith your illettrious confort, and rons patronage and encouragement of royal iliue ; and to experience the our filk manufacture; and we are happy rewards your majetty's ditin- bound to inake the samne acknow

lu

Of the double Horns of the Rhinoceros.

40
ledgment to the reft of the royal family,
for the diftinguished preference they
give to the wrought filks of this king-

dom.

That your majefty's reign may be happy, long, and glorious, will be the conftant prayer of us, your majefty's moft faithful fubjects. Weavers-Hall, 4th Jan. 1768.

Eb. Briggs, Clerk.

A Letter from James Parfons, M. D. F. R. S. to the Right Honourable the Earl of Morton, Prefident of the Royal Society; on the double Horns of

the Rhinoceros.

[Read before the R. S. Feb. 27, 1766.] My Lord,

W

HENI had the honour of laying my natural hiftory of the Rhinoceros before this learned fociety in 1743, which is printed in number 470, page 523, of the Transactions, I had not an opportunity of fhewing a double horn to the members; I have, therefore, taken this firft occafion to entertain the prefent members with a fight of a noble fpecimen of the horns of an African Rhinoceros, brought from the Cape of Good Hope, by my curious and worthy friend William Maguire, Efq; among many other cu. riofities; prefuming that few of the fociety have ever seen a pair of the like kind. But what renders this fubject the more particular, and worthy of obfervation, is that, by means of knowing there is a fpecies of this animal, having always a double horn upon the nofe, in Africa, Martial's reading is fupported against the criticism of Bochart, who changed the true text of that poet, in an epigram upon the ftrength of this animal; for when Domitian ordered an exhibition of wild beafts, as it was the cuftom of feveral emperors, the poet fays: The Rhinoceros toffed up a heavy bear with his double horn:

Namque gravem gemino cornu fic extulit
urjum.

and as Bochart knew nothing of a
double horn, he changed this line both
in reading and fenfe, thus:
Namque gravi geminum cornu fic extulit

eurum.

as if two wild bulls were toffed up into the air, by the ftrong horn of the Rhinoceros.

Mr. Maittaire adopted the notion

Jan.

of a fingle horn, but was of opinion that the geminum earum of Bochart ought to have been plural, geminos euros, as being more elegant; and he was followed by Doctors Mead and Douglas, with this difference, that thefe changed the euros for arfos, as imagining they were rather bears than bulls, that were thrown up by this noble animal.

Our then worthy president Martin Folkes, Efq; had feen my account of this fubject, at the end of which, I endeavoured, however prefumptuously, to defend Martial's reading against Bochart and the other eminent perfons mentioned; and defired I would let it be read and printed, which I very readily agreed to, as his request did me much honour.

Before my paper was printed, Mr. Maittaire and Doctor Douglas died; and the learned Doctor Mead was the furviving critic, upon this line, of the three. Upon this occafion, therefore, I have a double pleasure; first in amufing the prefent gentlemen with a moft curious fpecimen in natural hiftory; and, fecondly, in remembring, in this place, the nice candor and generofity of Doctor Mead upon that fubject. For, about four months after the paper was printed, he received a prefent of feveral curious fhells, feeds, &c. and with them the bones of the face of a young Rhinoceros, with two horns infitu, all intire, by a captain, of an African trader, who brought them from Angola.

As foon as he saw the horns, he fent to invite me to breakfast, and there, in company, ingenuouly gave up his past opinion, and declared for Martial; and, indeed, I must add to the praife of that great man, that, as I was happy in being frequently at his houfe, I was witness to many fuch inftances of the most difinterested candor and generosity, where any part of fcience was the topic, among his felect friends.

This anecdote I thought proper to mention upon the prefent occasion; nor can too much be faid to his honour, among all lovers of philofophical learning. I am,

Your lordship's
moft obedient servant,
JAMES PARSONS.
P. S. The figure of the double

horn

The Double Horn of an African Rhinoceros, brought from the Cape of Good Hope by William M. Guire Esq.

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