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in vain to plead Custom for our Excufe, for this too is Robbery.

In fhort, all Lawyers who take Fees on both Sides, who knowingly defend an unjuft Caufe, or who let their Clients fuffer for Want of due Attendance, or exerting themselves in their Behalf, are Tranfgreffors of this Law. All Judges, who through Favour, or Refpect of Perfons, pronounce an unjuft Sentence, are thereby guilty of the fame Crime, and fometimes of Murder alfo. All thofe who are any ways acceffary to forging of Deeds, Notes, or any kind of Writings that may affect their Neighbour's Intereft, are included in the Number of Offenders against this Law: Nay, to go higher yet, all Monarchs who unjustly invade the Dominions of others, or load their own Subjects with exorbitant or needlefs Taxes; with all Ministers of State, who either advife, approve of, or neglect declaring againft fuch Meatures, are no better than Robbers. All Clergymen, however dignified or diftinguished, who being poffeffed of one Living, that affords a competent Subfiftence, accept of another, are guilty of downright Theft, and that of the worst Sort; nay, to aggravate their Sin the more, they are alfo thereby guilty of Adultery, we mean fpiritual Adultery. Neither is their Crime much lefs, who, being mindful only of the Loaves and Fishes, exact their Fees with the greateft Rigour, and yet leave their Parishioners to the Care of fome wretched Curate, to whom they fcarce allow Suftenance.

What we think of Translations, and more efpecially of Commendams, thofe pretty modern Appendages to Bishopricks, we do not fo much de. clare, for pretty obvious Reafons; but inftead of delivering our own Sentiments upon that Head, we will infert a fhort Quotation from St. Bernard, who,, fpeaking of the Maintenance due to the Clergy,

gives it as his Opinion; Quicquid præter neceffarium victum, ac fimplicem veftitum, de Altari retines, tuum non eft, rapina eft, facrilegium eft; which, for the fake of our unlearned Readers, we fhall give them in English, as follows: Whatever thou takeft from the Altar, more than is necessary for thy Subfiftence, and Cloathing, is not thine; it is Rapine, it is Sacrilege. Now, if Commendams are not included within this Cenfure, we cónfess we do not understand the Meaning of it.

We have faid nothing hitherto of false Weights and Measures, though too common in this populous City, because we believe every one will allow fuch as ufe them to be downright Thieves; neither have we taken Notice of Clippers and Coiners for the fame Reafon: But it would be unpardonable, to omit a very numerous and formidable Company, of fashionable, polite, and, as Times go, reputable Banditti, of all Ages and Sexes, and almoft of all Ranks and Conditions. We mean the worthy and honourable Society of Gamefters, who will every Soul of them find themselves included amongst the Tranfgreffors of this Law: For, as we believe, none of them play, but with the Hope of winning, that is, of becoming illegally poffeffed of another's Property, they are fo far Thieves, at leaft intentionally, and will confequently be condemned thereby.

But if every one, even the fair Gamefter, is hereby included, what fhall we fay to these worst of Pickpockets, (the hopeful Fraternity of Stockjob. bers not excepted) who play all the Game, or underftand the Fine, as it is modifhly called? And efpecially, what fhall we fay to those who play Booty Matches, and run fham Races, a Species of Roguery, which, as it is much more deftructive, is allo infinitely more criminal than actual ftealing; and that for this obvious Reafon : Because we may

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be upon our Guard against the one, but cannot againit the other. Let no one, therefore, who is guilty of thefe Practices, and would not fcruple to call a common Pickpocket, or Shoplifter, a Rogue, or Scoundrel, think himfelt hardly ufed, if he is diftinguished by the fame difagreeable Appellatione; fince were the former to be compared to him, they would be injured by the Comparison : And yet, forry are we to say it, fome of our Nobility have formerly been mean enough to stoop to fuch Practices.

We believe, by this Time, our Readers may become fenfible the Tranfgreffors of this Law are much more numerous than they imagined, and will not be fo very certain they are themfelves clear from fo being: In effect, where is the Perfon who has always walked fo uprightly, to fay he never offended in any Particular? Very few, we fear, all the Clergy, we fee, cannot: The Afs loaded withFrefer ments, every one knows is a fevere Sarcafm upon one of that Order, who, with little or no Merit, has ingroffed more than would fuffice for the Maintenance of twenty of his more deferving Bre thren.

But, to go through all Orders and Degrees, where is the Shopkeeper, or Merchant, who has never knowingly either put off bad Ware, or made two Prices for the fame Commodities? Where is the Counsellor, Attorney, or Sollicitor, who has never been acceffary to defending a bad Caufe? Where is the Clerk in any of the public Offices, who has never taken an unlawful Perquifite? Where is the Phyfician who never prefcribed unneceffary Slops to curry Favour with the Apothecary? Or where is the Apothecary who never called in a Phyfician, without any Neceffity, to his Affiftance; or who never made an unconscionable Bill? Where is the Perfon who has never beat

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down the Price of Goods when going to buy, though he knew them worth the Money; or who never over-rated any thing of his own if he wanted to fell it? Or where is the Lodger, or Tenant, who never, through Negligence, or wilfully, endamaged his Neighbour in his Goods, or Eftate, without making Reparation for the fame? How many of the Nobility, and Members of Parliament, will find themselves included, for running in Debt without I fign to pay, and pleading their Privilege? How many more will be included under the Head of Gaming, though upon the fquare, when the Superiority has been on their own Side? How many, though perhaps inadvertently, or through Favour or Affection, have been acceffary to promoting heavy and unreasonable Impofts, witnefs the former Gin A&t, and will find themselves condemned upon that Head? How many have been acceffary in skreening overgrown Criminals, and have thereby incurred the fame Guilt? How many have prevented Enquiries into Frauds, and fo made themfelves Patrons thereof, and shared in the Sin?

We will not ask how many have fuffered them. felves to be bribed, uuder the foft Name of a Place or Penfion, Ribbon, or Title? Because we will not fo much as fuggeft that fuch Things have been, though many Afperfions of that kind have been thrown out: But we will venture to ask one Thing, How many have been guilty of forfeiting, or perverting a Truft, and are thereby become Tranf greffors? This Queftion may perhaps greatly affront them, but this we cannot help; let us come to the Teft: They are the Guardians of the Liberties and Properties of the People; have they never fuffered them to be infringed, invaded, or incroached upon, in any manner, upon plaufible Pretences? Or, if they have any ways been over-reached thereby, have they, as foon as poffible made Compenfation, and restored them thereto again? The RiotN 4

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Act, it is acknowledged by all, was obtained only on a Promife that it should be temporary, and repealed, when the Tumultuoufnefs of the Times was over; is it done yet? The Septennial Act likewife, was another Law obtained on the like Pretence, and in fuch a manner, that the Legality of it has been often queftioned; but after about thirty Years is it yet fet afide? We fear then, all those who voted for them, will find it hard to vindicate themfelves from having perverted and betrayed their Truft: In fhort, how few are there who will not find themselves included under one of the foregoing Articles?

Having thus fhewn the great Latitude of this Law, and that the Name of Robber and Thief, as fcandalous as it is, and juftly too, belongs to many more than at first we should be apt to imagine, and even to many who are far from thinking themselves included in that Number, we fhould think it altogether fuperfluous to produce any Examples of the fatal Confequences of tranfgreffing it, fince every Seffions affords us but too many melancholly Inftances thereof; however, as we are but too apt to forget these, foon after they are out of our Sight, and as far the greatest Part of the People never fee, or trouble their Heads about them at all, we shall fubjoin fome few of the most remarkable, to remind every one of the dangerous Effects of fuch Practices.

And here, we think, the Example of the wretch ed Achan, would juftly demand the firft Place, if that of Ananias and Sapphira may not rather claim the Preference. Of these three unfortunate Perfons, the first only took a Babylonifh Garment, with two hundred Shekels of Silver, and a Wedge of Gold of fifty Shekels Weight, the Spoils of the Enemy, and referved them for himself. How apt fhould many of us have been to have done the fame? It is true, the Gold and Silver were to have been confe

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