Ne fi fortè fuas repetitum venerit olim SIR, A HOR. S I look upon your Paper to be written with a View of correcting the Vices of Mankind, and reforming their Manners; I hope you will not think it impertinent in me, tho an illiterate Man, to addrefs you in behalf of myself, and the generality of Traders within this City, who fuffer very much by a Maxim fupported no where fo much as here, That it is beneath a Man of Quality to pay his Debts as foon as he receives Money, and to anVOL. II. ⚫fwer B swer fubmiffively the Call of every inferior fcoundrel Dun, as they are pleased to express it.' I AM, indeed, one of a low Rank, and therefore think it no way derogating from my Quality to attend the Service of the Church on Sundays and Holidays, and to read every Evening a Chapter in the Bible, from which I might pick out a great number of Paffages, to arraign that fashionable Practice of neglecting to pay just Debts: But the Persons whom I mention being generally profeffed Enemies to, or utterly ignorant of the Contents of those facred Oracles; I fhould think it to as little purpofe to argue from thence against them, as to dispute with them out of the Acts of fome Popish Council, the very Name of which they abhor, or the Laws of the Empire of China, which they are unacquainted with. Therefore, all that I propose by this Paper (if you will vouchfafe it a Place in yours) is to reprefent to them, how contrary their Behaviour is to Honour, to common Justice and Charity, and to the Welfare of that Nation, wherein they endeavour to make a Figure, and in which fome of them have even the affurance to fet up for mighty Patriots! First then, I beg leave to observe, tho the Remark is of antient date, That a great part of Mankind err very much in their Notions of HONOUR; as you may be convinc'd from the Character and Behaviour of Lord Modifh: His Lordship has fo much Mettle, Mettle, that he would cut any Man's throat, who fhould but prefume to look him in the face, with a Cock of Defiance in his Hat; and would make the Sun fhine thro' any one's Body, who durft deny him the Title of Right Honourable: He is fo generous, that he feldom fuffers any of his Company to club with him for a Reckoning; and he has to much good Nature, that I dare fay he would run the rifque of his Life, to steal away a young Heirels for any one to whom he profeffeth himself a Friend: All which Qualifications make him fanfy that he has the Reputation of a gallant Peer, and a Man of strictest Honour. But I believe he would be very much furprized and humbled, if he heard the Difcourfes of the trading Part of the City, concerning bis Lordship; most of them making it ferve as an Excufe to their respective Creditors, that they cannot pay them for want of large Sums due to them from Lord Modifh. Thus he is proclaimed a bad Paymaster at all ends of the Town, even sometimes without truth, by Persons who fhelter themselves from paying, under his Illuftrious Fame; and he makes himself the common Topick of Difcourse over every Counter, and at the publick Exchange. SQUIRE Fopling is next to him in that vitious Folly, in proportion to his Quality and Fortune: He dreffes elegantly, attacks a Mask at the Play with a good deal of Wit, moves a Minuet with great Applause at the B 2 Caftle Caftle, and has had two or three Rencounters in which he behaved like a Man of Spirit: From this he infers that he paffes for an accomplished Gentleman, and à Person of untainted Honour. But whenever he walks thro' Cafile-street, the Shoemaker comes out of his Shop to gaze after him, and curfes his Feet for being fo well fitted with Shoes which are not paid for: When he goes along Dame's-ftreet, the Woollen-Draper shakes his Head, and tells all who are in his Shop, that the Squire ought at least to have made him a Bow, confidering how fpruce he is at his Expence: And by the time he comes to College-Green, the Wigmaker points at him, and affures his Hair-Merchant that the Beau who ftruts by his Window, is the Person who hinders him from clearing his Accounts. So that after all his Dreams of Reputation and Honour, he is looked upon as a publick Nufance, not to say a publick Robber; and the poor Journeyman or Labourer who punctually pays the Ale-wife every Saturday Evening, when his little Salary comes into his hands, is esteemed the better Customer, and the more honourable Perfon of the two. As great as my Refentment is against fuch falfe Pretenders to Honour, I would not be fo fevere as to give my Voice for introducing among us an old Roman Law, which I once heard my Son read in one of his Schoolbooks; which put it in the power of Creditors, after a certain prefixed time, to fell their Debtor |