with the line of march, though loaded with bantlings and other baggage.

There is fcarcely a street in this metropolis without one or more viragos, who difcipline their hufbands and domineer over the whole neighbourhood. Many months are not elapfed fince I was witnefs to a pitched battle between two athletic females, who fought with equal fkill and fury until one of them gave out, after having fuftained feven falls on the hard ftones. They were both ftripped to the underpetticoat; their breafts were carefully fwathed with handkerchiefs, and as no veftiges of features were to be feen in either when I came up, I imagined the combatants were of the other fex, until a bystander affured me of the contrary, giving me to understand, that the conqueror had lain-in about five weeks of twin-baftards, begot by her fecond, who was an Irish chairman. When I fee the avenues of the Strand befet every night with troops of fierce Amazons, who, with dreadful imprecations, ftop and beat and plunder paffengers, I cannot help withing, that fuch martial talents were converted to the benefit of the public; and that those who are so loaded with temporal fire, and fo little afraid of eternal fire, fhould, instead of ruining the fouls and bodies of their fellow-citizens, be put in a way of turning their deftructive qualities against the enemies of the nation.

Having thus demonftrated that the fair fex are not deficient in ftrength and refolution, I would humbly propofe, that as there is an excefs on their fide in quantity to the amount of one hundred thousand, part of that number may be employed in recruiting the army, as well as in raifing thirty new Amazonian regiments, to be commanded by females, and ferve in regimentais adapted to their fex. The Amazons of old appeared with the left breaft bare, an open jacket

and

and trowsers, that defcended no farther than the knee; the right breaft was deftroyed, that it might not impede them in bending the bow, or darting the javelin; but there is no occafion for this cruel excifion in the prefent difcipline, as we have feen instances of women who handle the mufquet, without finding any inconvenience from that protuberance.

As the fex love gaiety, they may be cloathed in vefts of pink fatin and open drawers of the fame, with bufkins on their feet and legs, their hair tied behind and floating on their fhoulders, and their hats adorned with white feathers: they may be armed with light carbines and long bayonets, without the incumbrance of fwords or fhoulder-belts. I make no doubt but many young ladies of figure and fashion will undertake to raise companies at their own expence, provided they like their colonels; but I muft infift upon it, if this fcheme fhould be embraced, that Mr. Henriquez's feven bleffed daughters may be provided with commiffions, as the project is in fome measure owing to the hints of that venerable patriot. I moreover give it as my opinion, that Mrs. Kitty Fisher* fhall have the command of a battalion, and the nomination of her own officers, provided she will warrant them all found, and be con tent to wear proper badges of diftinction.

A female brigade, properly difciplined and accoutred, would not, I am perfuaded, be afraid to charge a numerous body of the enemy, over whom they would have a manifest advantage; for if the barbarous Scythians were afhamed to fight with the Amazons who invaded them, furely the French, who pique themselves on their fenfibility and devotion to the fair fex, would not act upon the offenfive against a band of female warriors, arrayed in all the charms of youth and beauty.

* A celebrated Courtezan of that time.

ESSAY

A s

ESSAY XI.

S I am one of that fauntering tribe of mortals, who spend the greateft part of their time in taverns, coffee-houses, and other places of public refort, I have thereby an opportunity of observing an infinite variety of characters, which, to a perfon of a contemplative turn, is a much higher entertainment than a view of all the curiofities of art or nature. In one of these my late rambles, I accidentally fell into the company of half a dozen gentlemen, who were engaged in a warm difpute about fome political affair; the decifion of which, as they were equally divided in their fentiments, they thought proper to refer to me, which naturally drew me in for a fhare of the converfation.

Amongst a multiplicity of other topics, we took occafion to talk of the different characters of the feveral nations of Europe; when one of the gentlemen, cocking his hat, and affuming fuch an air of importance as if he had poffeffed all the merit of the English nation in his own perfon, declared that the Dutch were a parcel of avaricious wretches; the French a fet of flattering fycophants; that the Germans were drunken fots, and beaftly gluttons; and the Spaniards proud, haughty, and furly tyrants; but that in bravery, generofity, clemency, and in every other virtue, the English excelled all the reft of the world.

This very learned and judicious remark was received with a general fimile of approbation by all the company-all, I mean, but your Humble Servant; who, endeavouring to keep my gravity as well as I could, and reclining my head upon my arm, con

tinued for fome time in a posture of affected thoughtfulness, as if I had been mufing on fomething elfe, and did not feem to attend to the fubject of converfation; hoping by these means to avoid the disagreeable neceffity of explaining myfelf, and thereby depriving the gentleman of his imaginary happiness.

But my pfeudo-patriot had no mind to let me efcape fo eafily. Not fatisfied that his opinion fhould pafs without contradiction, he was determined to have it ratified by the fuffrage of every one in the company; for which purpose, addreffing himself to me with an air of inexpreffible confidence, he asked me if I was not of the fame way of thinking. As I am never forward in giving my opinion, efpecially when I have reason to believe that it will not be agreeable; fo, when I am obliged to give it, I always hold it for a maxim to speak my real fentiments. I therefore told him, that for my own part, I should not have ventured to talk in fuch a peremptory ftrain, unless I had made the tour of Europe, and examined the manners of these several nations with great care and accuracy: that perhaps a more impartial judge would not fcruple to affirm, that the Dutch were more frugal and industrious, the French more temperate and polite, the Germans more hardy and patient of labour and fatigue, and the Spaniards more ftaid and fedate, than the English; who, though undoubtedly brave and generous, were at the fame time rafh, headstrong, and impetuous; too apt to be elated with profperity, and to defpond in adverfity.

I could eafily perceive, that all the company began to regard me with a jealous eye before I had finished my answer, which I had no fooner done, than the patriotic gentleman obferved, with a contemptuous fneer, that he was greatly furprized how fome people could have the confcience to live in a country, which VOL. IV.

B B

they

they did not love, and to enjoy the protection of a government, to which in their hearts they were inveterate enemies. Finding that by this modeft declaration of my fentiments I had forfeited the good opinion of my companions, and given them occafion to call my political principles in question, and well knowing that it was in vain to argue with men, who were fo very full of themselves, I threw down my reckoning, and retired to my own lodgings, reflecting on the abfurd and ridiculous nature of national prejudice and prepoffeffion.

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Among all the famous fayings of antiquity, there is none that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleasure to the reader (at least if he be a perfon of a generous and benevolent heart) than that of the philofopher, who, being afked what countryman he was," replied that he was "a citizen of the world." How few are there to be found in modern times who can say the fame, or whose conduct is confiftent with fuch a profeffion! We are now become fo much Englifhmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Spaniards, or Germans, that we are no longer citizens of the world; fo much the natives of one particular spot, or members of one petty fociety, that we no longer confider ourselves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand fociety which comprehends the whole human kind.

Did these prejudices prevail only among the meaneft and loweft of the people, perhaps they might be excufed, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, travelling, or converfing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct, even of our gentlemen; of thofe, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which however in my opinion ought to be regarded as the characteristical

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