The following extract from a Letter of Sir RicHARD STEEL to his I ady, dated from London, April 10, 1717, abundantly illuftrate what is faid in page 187; and proves that he perfectly understood the Pro testant principle, and that he embraced it, not only to talk about, but t live upon: "You fay I am reputed a Tory. You know I have alway "an unfafbionable thing, called Confcience, in all matters of judicatur "or justice! There happened, a little while ago, a petition to be brough "into the House of Commons from the Roman-catholics, praying relie

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as to point of time, and the meani g of certain claufes which affected "them. When there was a question just ready to be put upon this, a "whether it should be rejected or not, I stood up and faid to this pur "pose: Mr. Speaker, 1 cannot but be of opinion, that to put severitie 86 upon men merely on account of Religion is a moft grievous and un "warrantable proceeding. But, indeed, the Roman-catholics hold tenet "which are inconfiftent with the being and fafety of a Proteftan " people; for this reason we are justified in laying upon them the pe"nalties which the Parliament has from time to time thought fit to in "flict: but, Sir, let us not purfue Roman-catholics with the spirit of "Roman-catholics; but act towards them with the temper of our own "Religion. If we de fo, we shall not expect them to do any thing in "less time than is neceffary to do it, or to conduct themselves by rules "which they do not understand,' &c. When I had adventured to fay "this, others fallowed; and there is a bill directed for the relief of the "petitioners. I suppose this gave an handle to the fame of my being a "Tory; but you may, perhaps, by this time, have heard that1 am turned “Presbyterian ; for the fame day, in a meeting of a hundred parli ament men, I laboured as much for the Proteftant Diffenters."

T had need be a pleasure to obey your com

mands, when you employ me in a way to which I am without thofe cominands naturally averse; and I must take the liberty to say, there is the utmost infolence of power in a fine woman's making a man do what he knows

The TowN-TALK was a Weekly Paper, printed originally in 4tó. and fold by R. Burleigh in Amen Corner, at the price of Three-pence each Number. It was afterwards fold by J. Roberts, near the Oxford Arms in Warwick-Lane; J. Graves in St. James's-Street; O. Lloyd near the Temple Church; and A. Dodd, at the Peacock without Temple-Bar; where Advertisements were taken in.

he of all things diflikes, meerly because the knows the motive of pleafing her is the only one in the world could make him undertake it. Sure you have not confidered enough, that the general order you have given me, to write to you every thing which paffes in town, will expofe you to hear many impertinencies, from which the greatnefs of your understanding, and perhaps the dignity of your virtue, ought to defend you *. I have indeed this comfort, that neither good fenfe nor real innocence are easily alarmed, but fit in a fecurity unknown to pretenders to either of thofe bleffings. But to write you conftantly once a week the news and the occurrences of the preceding feven days, is a tafk I must be forgiven if I fhould fometimes. omit. One of your letters fays, "Write any "thing, and every thing." From this licence

The Town-TALK, was probably a title given to a feries of genuine letters written by STELLE to his lady then in the country, and printed upon fome preffing exigence. On this fuppofition, the undated LETTERS to his Lady in STEELE'S" Epiftolary Correspondence," or fome of them at leaft, might have been referred not improperly to this period of time. See ut fupra, vol. I. passim.

There may be paffages and whole numbers in the TowN-TALK to which this fuppofition may not be thought applicable; but all fuch parts of the Paper might be pofterior additions to the original letters, inferted with various views, or merely to eke out the publication, and adapt the ft to its end, which was probably to relieve himself from the preffure of fome claim upon him, incurred by the vanity of his profufion, the imprudence of his generofity, or the peevishness and caprice

of his wife.

(if I do not wrong myfelf in calling it fuch, having your authority for it), I fhall begin my correfpondence with a ftory that now is all the TALK OF THE TOWN, and of which fome celebrated Fair-ones are the Heroines. Country-gentlewomen may perhaps think thefe vivacities incredible; for you are not in the fecret how to manage privacies by being very public in the manner of carrying them on, fo public as that no one would believe there was any thing that required fecrecy transacted with this kind of conduct. Houses for amorous entertainment in the moft frequented bufieft ftreets, is the improvement of Gallantry, as it is called, in thefe later, days.

I am just come home from a vifit, where I heard it related in a circle, by your coufin ARTHUR, who you know, never lets any circumftance revealed to him fuffer by his repetition of it. Mrs. SUSANNAH DEMPS-I think her name is SUSANNAH, but it is the fecond fifter I mean, who gave occafion to the hiftory-Mrs. SUSANNAH afked coufin ARTHUR, "how "he went on in his amour, and whether his "cruel Fair began to lend an ear or not?" Upon which, he caft an obferving eye upon her shape and faid, "Pray Madam, who makes your "petticoats? I am fure," continued he," you do B 2

"not

not buy where the lady you ask about bespeaks "hers, you are so very flender !" An answer to any enquiry after his mistress, with a question "where do you buy your cloaths?" put us all at a lofs for the coherence. "But what a "faring is here, as if none of you," said he, "had ever heard the Hiftory of The Blind Gal"lant, which is the prefent entertainment of "the whole Town!"

When we all had confirmed him in a belief that his flory would be entirely new, he seemed pleafed with the opportunity of entertaining us agreeably, and faid as follows, or to this purpofe; for I had rather give it you by recollecting as well as I can what he faid, than attempt to tell you in words of my own; befides that I hope fome parts of the ftory will be more eafily pardoned, when I affure you that it has been told already in company of which you would not have difdained to have made one.. Suppose then he had compofed himself, and recollected his thoughts by looking for an inftant ftedfastly at the fire, and then broke filence as follows.

"I obferve by your eagerness to hear me, that, you think I am going to gratify your ill-na"ture with fomething full of fcandal; and I fee "you you expect to hear abundance of your friends "and acquaintance torn to pieces by what I