Hart was boy or apprentice to Robinson, at the play. house in Black Friars, where he acted women's parts. When the civil wars broke out, and the stage was put down, many, indeed most of the players went into the roval army, and lost or exposed their lives for the king.pany of players, procured next a lease of Drury-Jane

night before, disguised in magnificence; door- | riddance, we desire a further power from your
keepers came out clad like cardinals, and scene- worship, to take up such deceased as shall not
drawers like heathen gods. Divito himself was have complied with your first orders, wherever
wrapped up in one of his black clouds, and left we meet them; and if after that there shall be
to the enemy nothing but an empty stage, full of complaints of any persons so offending, let them
trap-doors, known only to himself and his ad- lie at our doors. We are, your worship's until
herents.
death,
The master and company of Upholders.

From my own Apartment, November 25.

I have already taken great pains to inspire notions of honour and virtue into the people of this kingdom, and used all gentle methods imaginable, to bring those who are dead in idleness, folly, and pleasure, into life, by applying themselves to learning, wisdom, and industry. But, since fair means are ineffectual, I must proceed to extremities, and shall give my good friends, the company of upholders, full power to bury all such dead as they meet with, who are within my former descriptions of deceased persons. In the mean time the following remonstrance of that corporation I take to be very just.

From our office near Hay-market, November 23. 'WORTHY SIR,-Upon reading your Tatler on Saturday last, by which we received the agreeable news of so many deaths, we immediately ordered in a considerable quantity of blacks; and our servants have wrought night and day ever since, to furnish out the necessaries for these deceased. But so it is, sir, that of this vast number of dead bodies that go putrifying up and down the streets, not one of them has come to us to be buried. Though we should be loath to be any hindrance to our good friends the physicians, yet we cannot but take notice what infection her majesty's subjects are liable to from the horrible stench of so many corses. Sir, we will not detain you; our case in short is this: here are we embarked in this undertaking for the public good: now, if people should be suffered to go unburied at this rate, there is an end of the usefullest manufactures and handicrafts of the kingdom; for where will be your sextons, coffin-makers, and plumbers? what will become of your embalmers, epitaphmongers, and chief mourners? We are loath to drive this matter any farther, though we tremble at the consequences of it; for if it shall be left to every dead man's discretion not to be buried until he sees his time, no man can say where that will end; but thus much we will take upon us to affirm, that such a toleration will be intolerable.

'What would make us ensy in this matter is no more, but that your worship would be pleased to issue out your orders to ditto Dead to repair forthwith to our office, in order to their interment; where constant attendance shall be given to treat with all persons according to their quality, and the poor to be buried for nothing; and for the convenience of such persons as are willing enough to be dead, but that they are afraid their friends and relations should know it, we have a back door into Warwick-street, from whence they may be interred with all secrecy imaginable, and without loss of time, or hindrance of business. But in case of obstinacy, for we would gladly make a thorough

'P. S. We are ready to give in our printed proposals at large; and if your worship approves of our undertaking, we desire the following advertisement may be inserted in your next paper:

་

Whereas a commission of interment has been awarded against doctor John Partridge, philomath, professor of physic and astrology; and whereas the said Partridge hath not surrendered himself, nor shown cause to the contrary; these are to certify, that the company of upholders will proceed to bury him from Cordwainers-hall, on Tuesday the twenty-ninth instant, where any six of his surviving friends, who still believe him to be alive, are desired to come prepared to hold up the pall.

'Note. We shall light away at six in the evening, there being to be a sermon.'

Sheer-lane, November 38.

I was last week taking a solitary walk in the garden of Lincoln's-Inn (a favour that is indulged me by several of the benchers, who are my intimate friends, and grown old with me in this neighbourhood) when according to the nature of men in years, who have made but little progress in the advancement of their fortune or their fame, I was repining at the sudden rise of many persons who are my juniors, and in. deed, at the unequal distribution of wealth, honour, and all other blessings of life. I was lost in this thought, when the night came upon me, and drew my mind into a far more agreeable contemplation. The heaven above me appeared in all its glories, and presented me with such a hemisphere of stars as made the most agreeable prospect imaginable to one who delights in the study of nature. It happened to be a freezing night, which had purified the whole body of air into such a bright transparent æther, as made every constellation visible; and at the same time, gave such a particular glowing to the stars, that I thought it the richest sky I had ever seen. I could not behold a scene so wonderfully adorned and lighted up, if I may be allowed that expression, without suitable meditations on the author of such illustrious and amazing objects: for, on these occasions, philosophy suggests motives to religion, and religion adds pleasure to philosophy.

*From this being mentioned as a favour from the the gardens of the inns of court was not generally albenchers,' it should seem that the liberty of walking in lowed, as it has been of late years.

any other form of conveyance; and as the goddess moved the mirror of truth which she held in her hand, so that the light which flowed from it fell upon the multitude, they examined the several instruments by the beams of it. The rays of this mirror had a particular quality of setting fire to all forgery and falsehood. The blaze of papers, the melting of seals, and crackling of parchments, made a very odd scene. The fire very often ran through two or three lines only, and then stopped. Though I could not but observe that the flames chiefly broke out among the interlineations and codicils; the light of the mirror, as it was turned up and down, pierced into all the dark corners and recesses of the universe, and by that means detected many writings and records which had been hidden or buried by time, chance, or design. This occasioned a wonderful revolution among the people. At the same time, the spoils of extortion, fraud, and robbery, with all the fruits of bribery and corruption, were thrown together in a prodigious pile, that almost reached to the clouds, and was called, "The Mount of Restitution;' to which all injured persons were invited, to receive what belonged to them.

As soon as I had recovered my usual temper | the earth held up the instruments of their and serenity of soul, I retired to my lodgings, tenure, whether in parchment, paper, wax, or with the satisfaction of having passed away a few hours in the proper employments of a reasonable creature; and promising myself that my slumbers would be sweet, I no sooner fell into them, but I dreamed a dream, or saw a vision, for I know not which to call it, that seemed to rise out of my evening meditation, and had something in it so solemn and serious, that I cannot forbear communicating it; though I must confess, the wildness of imagination, which, in a dream is always loose and irregular, discovers itself too much in several parts of it. Methought I saw the same azure sky diversified with the same glorious luminaries which had entertained me a little before I fell asleep. I was looking very attentively on that sign in the heavens which is called by the name of the Balance, when, on a sudden, there appeared in it an extraordinary light, as if the sun should rise at midnight. By its increasing in breadth and lustre, I soon found that it approached towards the earth; and at length could discern something like a shadow hovering in the midst of a great glory, which, in a little time after, I distinctly perceived to be the figure of a woman. I fancied at first, it might have been the angel, or intelligence that guided the constellation from which it descended; but, upon a nearer view, I saw about her, all the emblems with which the goddess of justice is usually described. Her countenance was unspeakably awful and majestic, but exquisitely beautiful to those whose eyes were strong enough to behold it; her smiles transported with rapture, her frowns terrified to despair. She held in her hand a mirror, endowed with the same qualities as that which the painters put into the hand of truth.

One might see crowds of people in tattered garments come up, and change clothes with others that were dressed with lace and embroidery. Several who were Plums, or very near it, became men of moderate fortunes; and many others, who were overgrown in wealth and possessions, had no more left than what they usually spent. What moved my concern most was, to see a certain street of the greatest credit in Europe,* from one end to the other, become bankrupt.

There streamed from it a light, which dis- The next command was, for the whole body tinguished itself from all the splendours that of mankind to separate themselves into their surrounded her, more than a flash of lightning proper families; which was no sooner done, but shines in the midst of day-light. As she moved an edict was issued out, requiring all children it in her hand, it brightened the heavens, the 'to repair to their true and natural fathers.' air, or the earth. When she had descended so This put a great part of the assembly in motion; low as to be seen and heard by mortals, to for, as the mirror was moved over them, it inmake the pomp of her appearance more sup-spired every one with such a natural instinct, portable, she threw darkness and clouds about as directed them to their real parents. It was her, that tempered the light into a thousand a very melancholy spectacle to see the fathers beautiful shades and colours, and multiplied that lustre, which was before too strong and dazzling, into a variety of milder glories.

In the mean time, the world was in an alarm, and all the inhabitants of it gathered together npon a spacious plain; so that I seemed to have the whole species before my eyes. A voice was heard from the clouds, declaring the intention of this visit, which was to restore and appropriate to every one living what was his due. The fear and hope, joy and sorrow, which appeared in that great assembly, after this solemn declaration, are not to be expressed. The first edict was then pronounced, That all titles and claims to riches and estates, or to any part of them, should be immediately vested in the rightful owner.' Upon this, the inhabitants of

Libra, or the Balance, is next the sign Virgo, into which Astræa, the goddess of justice, was translated, when she could no longer stay on earth.

of very large families become childless, and bachelors undone by a charge of sons and daughters. You might see a presumptive-heir of a great estate ask blessing of his coachman, and a celebrated toast paying her duty to a valet de chambre. Many, under vows of celibacy, appeared surrounded with a numerous issue. This change of parentage would have caused great lamentation, but that the calamity was pretty common; and that generally those who lost their children, had the satisfaction of seeing them put into the hands of their dearest friends. Men were no sooner settled in their right to their possessions and their progeny, but there was a third order proclaimed, That all the posts of dignity and honour in the universe should be conferred on persons of the greatest

Alluding without doubt, to the bankers in Lombardstreet. The prediction of Bickerstaff, in this particular, was ill-founded.

merit, abilities, and perfection.' The handsome, the strong, and the wealthy, immediately pressed forward; but, not being able to bear the splendour of the mirror, which played upon their faces, they immediately fell back among the crowd: but as the goddess tried the multitude by her glass, as the eagle does its young ones by the lustre of the sun, it was remarkable, that every one turned away his face from it, who had not distinguished himself either by virtue, knowledge, or capacity in business, either military or civil. This select assembly was drawn up in the centre of a prodigous multitude, which was diffused on all sides, and stood observing them, as idle people use to gather about a regiment that are exercising their arms. They were drawn up in three bodies: in the first, were the men of virtue; in the second, men of knowledge; and in the third, the men of business. It is impossible to look at the first column without a secret veneration, their aspects were so sweetened with humanity, raised with contemplation, emboldened with resolution, and adorned with the most agreeable airs, which are those that proceed from secret habits of virtue. I could not but take notice, that there were many faces among them which were unknown, not only to the multitude, but even to several of their own body.

['who were left, and were endowed only with one of them, had their suitable posts. When this was over, there remained many places of trust and profit unfilled, for which there were fresh draughts made out of the surrounding multitude, who had any appearance of these excellences, or were recommended by those who possessed them in reality.

All were surprised to see so many new faces in the most eminent dignities; and, for my own part, I was very well pleased to see that all my friends either kept their present posts, or were advanced to higher.

Having filled my paper with those particulars of my vision which concern the male part of mankind, I must reserve for another occasion the sequel of it, which relates to the fair sex.

From my own Apartment, November 30.

In the second column, consisting of the men of knowledge, there had been great disputes before they fell into the ranks, which they did not do at last without the positive command of what happened when justice visited mortals, is THE progress of my intended account of the goddess who presided over the assembly. She had so ordered it, that men of the greatest at present interrupted by the observation and genius and strongest sense were placed at the sense of an injustice against which there is no head of the column. Behind these were such remedy, even in a kingdom more happy in the as had formed their minds very much on the care taken of the liberty and property of the thoughts and writings of others. In the rear subject, than any other nation upon earth. of the column were men who had more wit This iniquity is committed by a most impreg than sense, or more learning than understand-nable set of mortals, men who are rogues within ing. All living authors of any value were ranged in one of these classes; but, I must confess, I was very much surprised to see a great body of editors, critics, commentators, and grammarians, meet with so very ill a reception. They had formed themselves into a body, and, with a great deal of arrogance, demanded the first station in the column of knowledge; but the goddess, instead of complying with their request, clapped them all into liveries, and bid them know themselves for no other but lackeys of the learned.

The third column were men of business, and

the law; and, in the very commission of what they are guilty of, professedly own that they forbear no injury, but from the terror of being punished for it. These miscreants are a set of wretches we authors call pirates, who print any the world, in a smaller volume; and sell it, as book, poem, or sermon, as soon as it appears in all other thieves do stolen goods, at a cheaper rate. I was in my rage calling them rascals, plunderers, robbers, highwaymen. But they acknowledge all that, and are pleased with those, as well as any other titles; nay, will print them themselves, to turn the penny.*

consisting of persons in military and civil capacities. The former marched out from the such open enemies, who have not shame enough I am extremely at a loss how to act against rest, and placed themselves in the front; at which the others shook their heads at them, to be touched with our reproaches, and are as but did not think fit to dispute the post with well defended against what we can say, as what them. I could not but make several observa- we can do. Railing, therefore, we must turn tions upon this last column of people; but I have certain private reasons why I do not think fit to communicate them to the public. In order to fill up all the posts of honour, dignity, and profit, there was a draught made out of each column of men, who were masters of all three qualifications in some degree, and were preferred to stations of the first rank. The second draught was made out of such as were possessed of any two of the qualifications, who were dis-rated edition of the Lucubrations, which came out *This paper seems to have been occasioned by a piposed of in stations of a second dignity. Those just at this time.

into complaint, which I cannot forbear making, when I consider that all the labours of my long life may be disappointed by the first man that pleases to rob me. I had flattered myself that my stock of learning was worth a hundred and fifty pounds per annum, which would very handsomely maintain me and my little family, who are so happy, or so wise, as to want only neces

saries. Before men had come up to this bare- | up to letters. A learned education, passing
faced impudence, it was an estate to have a
competency of understanding.