only to themselves, and of themselves) this orator was not so extravagant a man as perhaps another would have thought him: but I took part in his success, and was very glad to find he had in his favour judgment and costs, without any manner of opposition.

The effects of pride and vanity are of consequence only to the proud and vain; and tend to no further ill than what is personal to themselves, in preventing their progress in any thing that is worthy and laudable, and creating envy instead of emulation of superior virtue. These ill qualities are to be found only in such as have so little minds, as to circumscribe their thoughts and designs within what properly relates to the value, which they think due to their dear and amiable selves: but ambition, which is the third great impediment to honour and virtue, is a fault of such as think themselves born for moving in an higher orb, and prefer being powerful and mischievous to being virtuous and obscure. The parent of this mischief in life, so far as to regulate it into schemes, and make it possess a man's whole heart without his believing himself a dæmon, was Machiavel. He first taught, that a man must necessarily appear weak, to be honest. Hence it gains upon the imagination, that a great is not so despicable as a little villain; and men are insensibly led to a belief, that the aggravation of crimes is the diminution of them. Hence the impiety of thinking one thing, and speaking another. In pursuance of this empty and unsatisfying dream, to betray, to undermine, to kill in themselves all natural sentiments of love to friends or country, is the willing practice of such as are thirsty of power for any other reason, than that of being useful and acceptable to man kind.

ADVERTISEMENT.

*** Whereas Mr. Bickerstaff has lately received a letter out of Ireland, dated June the ninth, importing, that he is grown very dull, for the postage of which Mr. Morphew charges one shilling; and another without date of place or time, for which he, the said Morphew, charges two-pence: it is desired, that for the future, his courteous and uncourteous readers will go a little further in expressing their good and ill-will, and pay for the carriage of their letters; otherwise the intended pleasure or pain, which is designed for Mr. Bickerstaff, will be wholly disappointed.

N° 187. TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1710.

PASQUIN of Rome to ISAAC BICKERSTAFF of
London.

"His Holiness is gone to Castel Gandolpho, much discomposed at some late accounts from the missiona ries in your island: for a committee of cardinals,

6

which lately sat for the reviving the force of some obsolete doctrines, and drawing up amendments to certain points of faith, have represented the church of Rome to be in great danger, from a treatise written by a learned Englishman; which carries spiritual power much higher than we could have dared to have attempted even here. His book is called, An Epistolary Discourse, proving from the Scriptures, and the first Fathers, that the soul is a principle naturally mortal. Wherein is proved, that none have the power of giving this divine immortalizing spirit, since the apostles, but the bishops. By Henry Dodwell, M. A.' The assertion appeared to our Literati so short and effectual a method of subjecting the laity, that it is feared auricular confession and absolution will not be capable of keeping the clergy of Rome in any degree of greatness, in competition with such teachers, whose flocks shall receive this opinion. What gives the greater jealousy here is, that in the catalogue of treatises which have been lately burnt within the British territories, there is no mention made of this learned work; which circumstance is a sort of implication, "that the tenet is not held erroneous, but that the doctrine is received among you as orthodox. The youth of this place are very much divided in opinion, whether a very memorable quotation which the author repeats out of Tertullian, be not rather of the style and manner of Meursius? In illo ipso voluptatis ultimæ æstu, quo genitale virus expellitur, nonne aliquid de animâ quoque sentimus exire, atque adeo marcescimus et dirigescimus cum lucis detrimento? This piece of Latin goes no farther than to tell us how our fathers begot us; so that we are still at a loss how we afterwards commence eternal; for, creando infunditur, & infundendo creatur, which is mentioned soon after, may allude only to flesh and blood, as well as the former. Your

readers in this city, some of whom have very much approved the warmth with which you have attacked free-thinkers, atheists, and other enemies to religion and virtue, are very much disturbed, that you have given them no account of this remarkable dissertation. I am employed by them to desire you would, with all possible expedition, send me over the ceremony of the creation of souls, as well as a list of all the mortal and immortal men within the dominions of Great-Britain. When you have done me this favour, I must trouble you for other tokens of your kindness; and particularly I desire you would let me have the religious handkerchief*, which is of late so much worn in England, for I have promised to make a present of it to a courtezan of a French minister.

"Letters from the frontiers of France inform us, that a young gentleman †, who was to have been created a cardinal on the next promotion, has put off his design of coming to Rome so soon as was intended; having, as it is said, received letters from Great-Britain, wherein several virtuosi of that island have desired him to suspend his resolutions towards a monastic life, until the British grammarians shall publish their explication of the words indefeazuble and revolution. According as these two hard terms are made to fit the mouths of the people, this gentleman takes his measures for his journey thither.

"Your New Bedlam has been read and considered by some of your countrymen among us; and one gentleman, who is now here a traveller, says, your design is impracticable; for that there can be

• Handkerchiefs printed with representations of Dr. Sacheverell.

The Pretender,

no place large enough to contain the number of your lunatics. He advises you therefore to name the ambient sea for the boundary of your hospital. If what he says be true, I do not see how you can think of any other inclosure: for, according to his discourse, the whole people are taken with a vertigo; great and proper actions are received with coldness and discontent; ill-news hoped for with impatience; heroes in your service are treated with calumny, while criminals pass through your towns with acclamations*.

"This Englishman went on to say, you seemed at present to flag under a satiety of success, as if you wanted misfortune as a necessary vicissitude. Yet, alas! though men have but a cold relish of prosperity, quick is the anguish of the contrary fortune. He proceeded to make comparisons of times, seasons, and great incidents. After which he grew too learned for my understanding, and talked of Hanno the Carthaginian, and his irreconcileable hatred to the glorious commander Hannibal. Hannibal, said he, was able to march to Rome itself, and brought that ambitious people, who designed no less than the empire of the world, to sue for peace in the most abject and servile manner; when faction at home detracted from the glory of his actions, and, after many artifices, at last prevailed with the senate to recal him from the midst of his victories, in the very instant when he was to reap the benefit of all his toils, by reducing the then common enemy of all nations which had liberty, to reason. When Hannibal heard the

* Dr. Sacheverell, whilst under the sentence that suspended him from preaching, made a sort of triumphal journey, and was received into some towns with ringing of bells, and other demonstrations of welcome and approbation.