T

HE World fhall be inform'd in due time of the Hiftory of PETER the Wild Gentleman: Let it fuffice at prefent for

them to know, that he is the Son of a great Philofopher, who altho' unknown himself, has made no fmall Figure in the Commonwealth of Learning by his Writings. This great Man, from a deep Senfe of the Miferies brought upon Mankind by being civiliz'd, condefcended to dedicate his only Son to an Experiment, by which he did not doubt but he should convince the World, how much a nobler Creature a Wild Man was than a Tame one. A Curfe (quoth he) on all thofe whimfical Coxcombs, who by Fiddling, Singing, Drinking and Dancing, have erected Governments, built Cities, and fpoil'd the nobleft Animal of the Creation.

It has happened to poor Men in all Ages to be drawn into ill Courfes by drinking of ftrong Waters, a Country Dance, and a Fiddle. Ofiris or Bacch is firft began this Ballum Rankum, and debafed the Faculties,

Faculties, and corrupted the Morals of this generous and innocent Creature, rendring him flavish, intemperate, treacherous, cruel and rapacious.

Having exprefs'd himself to this Purpose, from the Height of Tenderness to the Child, as well as Love to Mankind, he turned out his Son into a defert Foreft. Fortune has fo far favour'd his Defign, that the Boy is preferv'd, but the Girl, who was turned out with him at the fame time, is miffing. In order to repair this Lofs, and to preferve the Race as well as the Individual, I confider'd myself as firft Minister to a Minor Prince; and having the Misfortune to be bred Tame, I was obliged to perufe fuch grave Authors, as might inftruct me how to behave myself in my fingular and high Station. One Day by chance I turn'd up that Paffage of Livy, where fpeaking of the Wild Men of Rome being unprovided with Females, he breaks out into this grave Reflection, Res unius ætatis populus virorum; by which I was immediately admonifh'd of my Duty: for, faid I, if a Nation of many Males be but a thing of fhort Continuance, what must a Race be which confifts but of one Individual; and fhall there be fuch Pains taken by Minifters to preferve the Race of Princes, whom it may be faid, Uno avulfo non deficit alter, and I be lefs careful of my Charge, which contains a whole Species in one Individual Perfon ?

Therefore to fulfil the Duty of my important Truft, and to fecond the pious Designs of his learned Ancestor, being furnish'd with full Powers, I have refolved to dispose of my Minor Princes as foon as poffible.

K NOW all Men by thefe Prefents, That We

Lord PETER, by the Advice of our underwritten firft Minifter, have thought fit to issue forth this Manifefte.

To all Miftreffes of Boarding-Schools, Governants, Waiting-Women, Poor Coufins, Match-makers, and all other Couplers, bowfoever denominated or diftinguif'd, Greeting,

W

HEREAS we were once refolved to fend for a Confort to the Deferts of Arabia, amonft the Inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope, or the wild Americans, that we might not degrade the Dignity of our Race by marrying any Tame Woman; yet being inform'd that the Country where we now fojourn, abounds with Females of those noble Qualities, which render them proper for our Royal Turf, we have fufpended our faid Refolution; and being under no Neceffity of taking the difhonourable Way of the Wild Men of Rome, are willing to enter into a Matrimonial Treaty with any Lady, Spinfter, or Widow, qualify'd as after mention'd; not derogating from our Rank and Condition, as an Independent Prince; in which State all the World muft acknowledge we are at prefent; no Potentatate upon Earth having any juft Title or Claim to our Allegiance, by any Right or Property in our Perfon: For as the Place of our Nativity is utterly unknown to ourselves, as well as to them, all Princes and Potentates must have an equal Jurildiction over us: confequently none at all. Nor can any Prince or Potentate found any fuch Claim on account of Protection, we having by our own Induftry miniftred unto our own Neceffities, and therefore like all other Creatures feræ naturæ, not appertaining to any particular Proprietor, it is manifeft we are in a ftate of Nature and Independency, with Regard to all Earthly Potentates. And whereas, it may be ob jected, that we are at this time Prifoner of War of a great Prince; to that is anfwered, that the forefaid

Prince never fet up any fuch Pretence, that there never was War proclaimed in due Form against us, which according to the Cuftom of Tame Princes ought to be done by Trumpets and Heralds, not by Dogs and Hunting Horns; therefore we cannot be wanting to ourselves, fo far as not to affert our just Title to all fuch Portions of this habitable Earth, as we can acquire either by Purchase or Conqueft. Thus having afcertained our future Confort of the high Dignity that he is to be raised to, at our happy Reftoration, we proceed to enumerate the Qualifications requifite in this our faid Spoufe; which are,

1. That he have strong and found Teeth; our private Table and Way of Living demanding fuch, as abfolutely and indifpenfably neceffary.

2. That the have a Loud and Shrill Voice for the Comfort of mutual Converfation, which now and then may happen to be at fome Distance.

3. That the be active, found, and strong in her Limbs: All fat, flabby, puffy, fhort-breath'd, rickety Girls, being by thefe Prefents for ever excluded from our Royal Turf.

4. One who has never been thwarted in her Humour, but treated with the utmoft Tenderness by fome indulgent Mother, untam'd, and left to her own generous Paffions and Inclinations, and who has given early Proofs of her Impatience of Subjection to any Sort of Government whatsoever.

5. One who always ftrongly refifted every Thing that favour'd of what is commonly called Politenefs; who never fuffered willingly her Face to be wafh'd, her Nails pared, her Nofe wiped, or her Head comb'd.

6. One who applied herself always unwillingly to any Sort of Manufacture of Tame-Women, nor

fcarce

scarce ever got beyond the first Letter of her Samp ler.

7. One who takes great Delight in Conversation with Beafts and Birds, as Cats, Dogs, Monkeys, &c. And we require it as an indifpenfible Condition, that she has sometime or other kept a great Dog, a fqualing Parrot, cr a Black Boy.

8. One who has upon every juft Occafion exercised her natural Weapons, Teeth, Nails, and Fingers, by biting, scratching, and pinching her Maids, Nurfes, and Play-fellows; therefore we except a gainst all Gentlewomen who bite their Nails.

9. One who so far fhews a Contempt for human Ornaments, as to fully and tear her Cloaths, Linen, and Lace immoderately: And who has a strong Inclination to difcover Nudities, confequently wears fhort Petticoats, and low-cut Stays.

10. Tho' Dancing be the Diversion of Silvans, our Royal Confort must be fuch as would never suffer her natural wild Motions to be form'd and reftrained by the impertinent Inftructions of a Danc ing-Master; one who rather frisks like a Satyr, than dances like a Tame Gentlewoman.

II. And tho' we are obliged to dispense with fome Rudiments of Education, which may have cor rupted the Simplicity of Nature, yet we would defire to have this, in as fmall a degree as poffible; if fhe fpeaks it muft be infignificantly, fo as to open her Mouth and fay nothing. She muft read indif tinctly, fpell falfe, and fcraul Pot-hooks rather than write Letters.

12. One who has always fhewed a ftrong Appetite for Fruit, as well green as ripe, and who has upon Occasion fhew'd her Agility in climbing a Tree to pluck them, and never took any Sort of Phyfick, except when poured down with a Horn.

13. One