The Petition of E. H. Efq; humbly fheweth, THAT your Petitioner's Father's Brother's Uncle, Colonel W. H. loft the Third Finger of his Left • Hand at Edge-hill Fight. THAT your Petitioner, notwithstanding the Smallnefs of his Fortune (he being a younger Brother) always kept Hospitality, and drank Confufion to the Roundheads in half a Score Bumpers every Sunday in the Year, as feveral honest Gentlemen (whofe Names are underwritten) are ready to teftify. THAT your Petitioner is remarkable in his Country for having dared to treat Sir P. P. a curfed Sequeftrator, and three Members of the Affembly of Divines, with Brawn and Minced Pies upon New-Year's Day. THAT your faid humble Petitioner hath been five times imprisoned in five several County-Goals, for having been a Ring-leader in five different Riots; into which his Zeal for the Royal Cause hurried him, when Men of greater Eftates had not the Courage to rife. • THAT he the faid E. H. hath had fix Duels and ⚫ four and twenty Boxing-Matches in Defence of his Majefty's Title; and that he received fuch a Blow upon the Head at a Bonfire in Stratford upon Avon, as he ⚫ hath been never the better for from that Day to this. ་ 6 THAT your Petitioner hath been fo far from improving his Fortune, in the late damnable Times, that he verily believes, and hath good Reafon to imagine, that if he had been Mafter of an Eitate, he had infallibly been plundered and fequeftred. 'YOUR Petitioner, in Confideration of his faid Merits and Sufferings, humbly requests that he may have the Place of Receiver of the Taxes, Collector of the Cuftoms, Clerk of the Peace, Deputy-Lieutenant, or whatfoever else he fhall be thought qualified for. And your Petitioner fall ever pray, &c. Wednesday, N° 630. Wednesday, December 8. H ters. 6 Favete linguis Hor. AVING no fpare Time to write any thing of my own, or to correct what is fent me by others, I have thought fit to publish the following Let SIR, Oxford, Novemb. 22. IF you would be fo kind to me, as to fufpend that Satisfaction, which the Learned World must receive in reading one of your Speculations, by publifhing this Endeavour, you will very much oblige ⚫ and improve one, who has the Boldnefs to hope, that he may be admitted into the Number of your Correspondents. I have often wondered to hear Men of good Senfe ⚫ and good Nature profess a Diflike to Mufick, when at the fame time, they do not fcruple to own, that it has the most agreeable and improving Influences over their Minds: It feems to me an unhappy Contradic←tion, that those Perfons should have an Indifference for an Art, which raises in them fuch a Variety of sublime Pleasures. 6. 6 HOWEVER, though fome few, by their own or the unreasonable Prejudices of others, may be led into a Diftafte for thofe Mufical Societies, which are erected meerly for Entertainment; yet fure I may venture to fay, that no one can have the leaft Reafon for Difaffection to that folemn kind of Melody which confifts of the Praises of our Creator. YOU have, I prefume, already prevented me in an Argument upon this Occafion (which fome Di. vines have fuccefsfully advanced upon a much greater) that that Mufical Sacrifice and Adoration has claimed a Place • in the Laws and Customs of the most different Na'tions; as the Grecians and Romans of the Profane, the Jews and Chriftians of the Sacred World did as unanimoufly agree in this, as they difagreed in all other • Parts of their OEconomy. 6 I know there are not wanting fome who are of Opinion that the pompous kind of Mufick which is in Ufe in foreign Churches is the most excellent, as it most affects our Senfes. But I am fwayed by my Judgment to the Modefty which is obferved in the mufical Part of our Devotions. Methinks there is fomething very laudable in the Cuftom of a Volun tary before the firft Leffon; by this we are fuppofed to be prepared for the Admiffion of thofe Divine Truths, which we are fhorttly to receive. We are then to caft all worldly Regards from off our Hearts, all Tumults within are then becalmed, and there fhould ' be nothing near the Soul but Peace and Tranquillity. So that in this fhort Office of Praise, the Man is raised above himself, and is almoft loft already amidst the Joys of Futurity. 6 I have heard fome nice Obfervers frequently commend the Policy of our Church in this Particular, that it leads us on by fuch eafy and regular Methods, that we are perfectly deceived into Piety. When the Spirits begin to languifh (as they too often do) with a conftant Series of Petitions, fhe takes care to allow them a pious Refpite, and relieves them with the Raptures of an Anthem. Nor can we doubt that the fublimeft Poetry, foftened in the moft moving Strains * of Mufick, can ever fail of humbling or exalting the Soul to any Pitch of Devotion. Who can hear the * Terrors of the Lord of Hofts defcribed in the moft expreffive Melody, without being awed into a Veneration Or who can hear the kind and endearing Attributes of a merciful Father, and not be foftned into Love to•wards him! AS the rifing and finking of the Paffions, the casting foft or noble Hints into the Soul, is the natural Privilege of Mufick in general, fo more particu larly 277 larly of that kind which is employed at the Altar. Thofe Impreffions which it leaves upon the Spirits are more deep and lafting, as the Grounds from which it receives its Authority are founded more upon Rea• fon.. It diffufes a Calmness all around us, it makes us drop all thofe vain or immodeft Thoughts which 'would be an hindrance to us in the Performance of that great Duty of Thanksgiving, which, as we are informed by our Almighty Benefactor, is the most acceptable Return which can be made for those infi'nite Stores of Bleffings which he daily condescends 6 to pour down upon his Creatures. When we make ufe of this pathetical Method of addreffing our felves to him, we can scarce contain from Raptures! The Heart is warmed with a Sublimity of Goodness! We are all Piety and all Love! HOW do the Bleffed Spirits rejoice and wonder to behold unthinking Man proftrating his Soul to his dread Sovereign in fuch a Warmth of Piety as they themselves might not be afhamed of! I fhall clofe these Reflexions with a Paffage taken out of the Third Book of Milton's Paradife Loft, • where thofe harmonious Beings are thus nobly de• fcribed. Then Crown'd again, their Golden Harps they took, Mr. SPECTATOR, T HE Town cannot be unacquainted, that in di vers Parts of it there are vociferous Sets of Men who are called Rattling Clubs; but what fhocks me moft is, they have now the Front to invade the • Church and inftitute these Societies there, as a Clan of them have in late times done, to fuch a degree ⚫ of Infolence, as has given the Partition where they • refide: refide in a Church near one of the City Gates, the • Denomination of the Rattling Pew. Thefe gay Fellows from humble Lay Profeffions, fet up for Criticks without any Tincture of Letters or Reading, and have the Vanity to think they can lay hold of fomething from the Parfon, which may be formed into Ridicule. 6 • IT is needless to observe, that the Gentlemen who every Sunday have the hard Province of Inftructing thefe Wretches in a way they are in no present Difpofition to take, have a fixt Character for Learning and Eloquence, not to be tainted by the weak Efforts of this Contemptible Part of their Audiences. Whether the Pulpit is taken by these Gentlemen, or any Strangers their Friends, the way of the Club is this: If any Sentiments are delivered too Sublime for their Conception; if any uncommon Topick is entered on, or one in use new modified with the finest Judgment ⚫ and Dexterity; or any controverted Point be never fo elegantly handled; In fhort whatever surpasses the narrow Limits of their Theology, or is not fuited to their Tafte, they are all immediately upon their Watch, fixing their Eyes upon each other, with as much • Warmth as our Gladiators of Hockley in the Hole, and ⚫ waiting like them for a Hit; if one touches, all take Fire, and their Noddles inftantly meet in the Centre ' of the Pew; then, as by beat of Drum, with exact Difcipline, they rear up into a full length of Stature, and with odd Looks and Gefticulations confer together in fo loud and clamorous a 'manner, continued to the close of the Discourse, and during the After• Pfalm, as is not to be filenced but by the Bells. Nor • does this fuffice them, without aiming to propagate their Noife through all the Church, by Signals given to the adjoining Seats, where others defigned for this Fraternity are fometimes placed upon Trial to receive • them. THE Folly as well as Rudeness of this Practice is in nothing more confpicious than this, that all that follows in the Sermon is loft; for whenever our Sparks take alarm, they blaze out and grow fo Tu⚫ multuous I |