Proposes to the Legislature, to enact some Laws to discountenance Celebacy, particularly one to disqualify unmarried Men from holding any Post of Honour, Trust, or Profit, or sitting in either House of Parliament, but in every Parish be oblig'd to serve the Offices of Scavenger and Constable, and nightly keep Watch and Ward about the Houses of married People: That every single Man of the Age of 25, or upwards, on or before the first day of May next, fix his choice on some Woman to be his Wife, on the forfeiture of 10l. then, and 10l. for every year he continues so; exempts those who have not a yearly income of 100l. entire in Estate or Business; and likewise such who can produce Certificates of their inability, or of having suffer'd a refusal from their Mistresses for the space of one whole Year before. That the privilege of Courtship be indulg'd to both Sexes; and that the Man declining to marry the Woman so making known her inclination, unless he be under some prior Engagement, or Inability, shall be deem'd a Batchelor convict, and be fined 10l. That half of the Money so raised, be given as a Reward to such who have the most numerous Offspring, and the other half be apply'd for the support of those who marry purely for Love, and are unprovided of a sufficient Maintenance. [In Answer to this Journal came out the Batchelor's Recantation, &c. Pr. 6 d.
The Craftsman, Saturday, Feb. 13. No. 21.
Contains a Letter from John Freshman, an Oxford Scholar, just arriv'd in town, who wonders that Mr. D'anvers should take the trouble of answering such a stupid old Novice as Mr. Osborne, or such an impertinent young Jackanapes as Mr. Walsingham, and in a formal way advises him to leave these trifling Adversaries to the correction of their equals; so takes up the Cudgels himself: But this Discourse consisting more of Invectives than Argument, we imagin'd our readers would not be pleas'd with such personal altercations.
The Weekly Register, February, 13. No. 44.
DEclares his surprize at the abuses some Gentlemen have met with from reforming Constables. Says, 'tis something like destroying Hereticks for the sake of Religion, and dragooning Men out of their Peace in this World for the sake of their Happiness in another; and adds, that they execute their small power in such a manner as wou'd puzzle a Jury to distinguish it from the insolence of an Highwayman, or the malice of an Assassin.
Agrees, that 'tis the indispensible duty of every Man to conform to the Laws of the Country, yet don't understand that our Constitution allows a set of Ruffians to break into private Companies, and hurry Gentlemen before a Magistrate on a bare suspicion of being criminal; to be committed to Prison over Night, at discretion, only to be discharg'd in the Morning. Grants, that Power is necessary for the Peace of the Community; but no pretence will excuse the least deviation from right and justice.
Observes, that all penal Institutions are intended to remedy a greater Evil; but if the ill consequences are stronger than the Benefits they occasion, they are void of course. Such is the case here; the Design of it was good, but has been perverted to bad uses, of which he enumerates many. Says, a Magistrate is the Mouth of the Law, and if he wilfully errs, is as liable to be prosecuted as the Wretch he condemns, Does not intend to affront the good Magistrate, who, on the contrary, will rejoice to see the Liberties of Mankind asserted, and be ready to engage in the same Cause.
The
