from touching, tasting, or handling any thing that belongs to us, or so much as visiting our cantons; and they are so firmly attached to his government, that it is with the greatest difficulty, now and then, we get one of them down into our mines. But when such a thing does happen, my subjects have a good day of feasting and mirth; send gifts to one another of such things as they have, and the shouts of joy," So we would have it," may be heard in all the cantons of our dominions.

For instance, it happened once that Noah, who was in the main an utter enemy to our government, was induced to make a visit to the drunkards' country, which caused much gladness through all the land. The triumphal flag was displayed upon the tents of Ham, wherever the news were spread, and every man reported to his neighbour, saying, "Behold he is become like one of us." At the same time, the confederates of Shem covered themselves with sackcloth, put ashes on their heads, exchanged their pleasant songs for lamentations, mourning and woe; till the patriarch was safely returned to his own country again.

It happened also on a certain time, that I was happy enough to inveigle David the great, within the borders of the adulterers' canton; who, to cover the infamy of such an expedition, rushed with violent precipitation into the very heart of the canton of murderers. The monarch's arrival was soon proclaimed among all the murderers and adulterers, who made a grand entertainment on the occasion, and invited the blasphemers to partake with them. Oh! Infidelis, if you were there, certainly you would have tired your sides with laughing, to see how they footed the treble dance, whilst the music played, "The best of them are as bad as ourselves." And all joined together in this chorus, "What we do in public, they do in private, "The difference is only in shew."

Then they clapped their hands, and shouted, "So, ho! brave boys. Now we are all on one side. The man after God's own heart hath joined our communion. The psalmist of Israel is now one of ourselves. Hypocrites altogether, who pretend to more religion than others." Thus, sire, from the fall of one, our people concluded that all were bad.

The like fell out in the case of Peter, the apostle, who, on a very dark night, missing his way, was first trapped in the liars' snare, and then in the swearers' gin, so that he denied the Lord who bought him, and cursed and swore, that he did not so much as know Jesus of Nazareth. I can tell you, when such a thing does happen, that we entrap one of the Nazarenes, it greatly increaseth the industry of my subjects, and bends them more than ever under my yoke. Indeed, as there is no other way to Zion but what lies, directly through the very heart of my dominions,

there is now and then one of them tumbles into our mines, especially in the dark and long nights of winter.

INFID. Now and then, child! I thought you had often companies of them at once in your dominions.

IMP. No, sir, I cannot say so. I'll tell you how the mistake happens. We frequently have companies of those who are called Nazarenes, it is true; but then the name, and the nature are two different things, all the world over. In order to bring true Christianity into disgrace, the great and wise Belzebub stirs up some of our country people to put on the outward habit of the Nazarenes, join their company, and travel with them, almost to the borders of the kingdom of Prophanity, but not one of them can be persuaded to set a foot out of their own country. As those people pass along the road in their own country, it is not much to be wondered at if they do occasionally try their hands at their old employments. But as for the real Nazarenes, I assure you, I very seldom meet with one who has curiosity so much as to view our land as he passes through it. Even when our subtile emissaries do entrap one, let me and my chivalry do what we can, we never detain him beyond a certain time; when some powerful messenger is dispatched from the skies, to deliver aim out of our tenacious hands. But we have the satisfaction f often procuring them an hearty drubbing, so that many of them afterwards go halting to their graves. I myself have seen Immanuel meet them, in the very midst of our kingdom, seize, bind, and chastise them, till with blurred faces they humbly submitted to kiss the rod, and heartily blessed God that ever the birch tree was planted.

INFID. Aye, child, they are made to kiss the rod, that is the plague of it; for then they bid farewell to the pleasures of Prophanity. Oh! were it but possible, by any means to harden them against the rod; what advantages might we reap from it! Or indeed could we, as I have often strove to do, make them faint under it; it would answer the same end: but, beyond all our power to hinder, Immanuel does somehow, along with the stroke, convey sustaining strength. Yea, sometimes, even makes the rod itself in some respects pleasant, and at all times profitable to them. Ah! my son, we shall never be able to rob him of one of his own, for when he chastiseth them with a visible hand, he sustaineth and comforteth them with an hand invisible.

But let us not be discouraged, nor yield the contest. Let us destroy whom we can, and let us disturb and distract the minds of those whom we cannot destroy. Let us think of the great Belzebub, what achievements he is daily performing, notwithstanding he groans in the yoke of eternal despair! And for your encouragement, my dear Impiator, let me tell you, such is your care to maintain a despotic sway over your subjects, and such is their attachment to your person and government, that both you

and they may be assured of warm lodgings in the palace of great Belzebub, as soon as this world ceaseth to be the stage of action.

IMP. Yes, sir. Such is the flourishing state of my kingdom at present; but I have many shocks at one time and another; it is but a few years since I was terribly afraid lest I should have lost my British subjects.

INFID. Lost your British subjects, my son! Who, or what is he, who dared to attempt any thing against the great Prophanity?

IMP. Ah, sire! A powerful enemy, no less a person than George the Third. He was an enemy to my powerful sway when he was only prince of Wales, and as soon as he ascended the throne, he more openly shewed his dislike to me: publishing an edict for banishing me from his dominions, enjoined his officers to apprehend me wherever I was to be found and under the penalty of his displeasure, prohibited his subjects from entertaining me at any time, especially upon the sabbath day; a day on which I am used to get above double business done for Belzebub. Had I not been well befriended by the British nobility, as well as by the commons of the land, bad days had come upon me, for what will not precept enforced by example be able to accomplish?

Had he, like many princes before him, only enacted laws against me, and still continued to correspond with me himself, I should have had little to fear; but, would you think it, sir, he actually attempted to clear the court of me; will suffer no swearing in his presence, nor gaming on the sabbath evenings in his palace, and even discourageth drunkenness and debauchery Indeed, sir, if inferior magistrates had all been of the same dis position with their king, poor Impiator had been obliged to quit the realm, and live in exile, like the devil Crudelis.

INFID. That the king of England is a sober and virtuous prince, will admit of no dispute; but the case of Impiator can never be desperate, whilst you and I are in such high esteem with so many magistrates and placemen. We shall be regarded much sooner than he. So long as inferior magistrates can be kept in subjection to us, there is no fear of our interest, let the prince be ever so virtuous. I, as an old stander in the world, have seen much of mankind, and out of my consummate experience shall offer some things for your encouragement.

A good king may enact good laws, but it is impossible he should execute them without the assistance of his subjects; therefore your kingdom, my son, can never suffer, till a law be made, which shall render all common drunkards, swearers, sabbath-breakers, whoremongers, extortioners, &c. incapable of the office of a magistrate. Whilst magistrates can suffer buying and selling on the sabbath-day; whoredom, drunkenness, and

swearing, tɔ abound in the streets with impunity, what hath Impiator to fear? Doth it not demonstratively prove, that such magistrates are firmly attached to the devil Impiator? No danger, my son! no danger at all. Let the king and queen both abhor you ever so much, unless they can get men of virtuous dispositions established in places of trust, the devil Impiator shall reign in spite of all they can do to prevent it.

Do you think that a magistrate, who is himself a drunkard, will ever strive to suppress the beastly sin of drunkenness in others? Or that he who is a prophane swearer, and tolerates the practice of swearing in his own household, will ever exert his power to suppress it in others? Can it be thought, that a man who keeps his woman instead of his wife, will be very assiduous to suppress the reigning sin of whoredom? Or, that he who can without conscience grind the faces of the poor, will ever be a promoter of piety? Never fear it Impiator. All you have to do, is to debauch the minds of as many magistrates as you can, then you will have the vulgar of course, when they see vice reign with impunity.*

IMP. After all, sir, I think there is reason for some fear, when we consider the power of example. You remember how, according to tradition, it turned the heads of all the Macedonian army to the one shoulder, in the days of Alexander, and how it raised a hump upon most of the genteel backs in England, in the days of king Richard the Third, of bloody memory. Now, sir, if example were to have the like effect at present, Impiator could not live in England.

INFID, I am sensible, son, that a virtuous example is not without its proper influence; but this I have always seen, people are more easily drawn by example, into vice, or even into things indifferent, than into virtue. Assure yourself it will require a stronger power than the example of the best and wisest of inen, to draw a vicious person to the love of virtue.

Should the virtuous example of a prince have any influence upon others, you must take care to nick-name them, get them pointed and hissed at, and despised, and all will go on very quietly.

Let us go now in quest of our kindred, my son, I expected to have seen some of them here this morning.

This second-sighted devil, scems to have judged rightly of the case, for prophaneuess of every kind has made most awful advances in the present reign, notwithstanding the virtue of the sovereign. Divorces consequent upon conjugal infidelity, were never so rife, since England became a nation. Masquerades and routs, which received but little countenance in some former reigns, in this meet with all that the vainest heart can wish for. That this is the case let Cornely's, the pantheon. and the female cotery bear witness.

DIALOGUE VIII.

INFIDELIS, AVARO, FASTOSUS, IMPIATOR, AND
DISCORDANS.

INFIDELIS and Impiator had but just done talking together, and were about departing, when Fastosus, Avaro, and Discordans came up the valley, and saluted each his kindred, in which salutation Infidelis thus began:

INFID. Honour and renown to the great Fastosus! Furious contentions to restless Discordans! and heaps of glittering wealth to the careful Avaro! To which infernal salutation

FASTOSUS replied, Darkness and confusion surround my brother Infidelis! Lewdness and debauchery, attend my cousin Impiator! I am glad to see so many of our family in the valley

at once.

INFID. I pray you, cousin Discordans, how do you do? these many weeks have passed since I saw you.

Dis. Even jaded out of breath, uncle. How do you do, most reverent sir? And how do you, my worthy cousin?

INFID. Having with great care, caused our influences to rest upon our subjects, we came hither to the valley, to regale ourselves with a dish of sweet conversation, which we hope will now be more agreeable, on the arrival of so many celebrated worthies. But I would know, cousin, where you have been so long.

Dis. Been, uncle! I have been busy, wandering to and fro, on the face of the earth as usual, promoting the interests of great Belzebub. So diligent have I been, that I have had no time, since I saw you last, so much as to take a nap. But as you observed just now, having left my influences upon mankind, I hope to enjoy the pleasure of my uncle's company for a

season.

INFID. HOW, cousin? Are you so close at it? I thought your affairs had been urgent only upon certain occasions.

Dis. Indeed, sir, mankind are fond of me, almost to distrac tion. I believe I have as much business now a-days, as any devil of the club, and I manage my affairs with as much dexterity

too.

INFID. What is that staff you have in your hand, cousin? And what is that looking-glass that hangs by your side? By your looks you are too vigorous to need a staff to lean upon; and to judge by the appearance of your person and dress, I should have thought you had as little need of a looking-glass.

Dis. You are pleased to banter a little, sir: but that which is well received, is never ill delivered. This which you call a staff,