Neighbour. Every Seffions-paper fhews you with what Contempt and Detestation thofe poor Dogs are treated for stealing three Silver Spoons, the Property of G. W. Inholder, Value one Pound ten Shillings; a Pair of Breeches, and two Shirts, the Property of L. C. Labourer, Value fix Shillings; four Sheep, the Property of M. C. Efq; Value three Pounds fixteen Shillings; not to mention the Heroes of this Clafs, the Horfe-ftealers, who are tucked up every Affizes without Mercy or Pity. But this can by no means be thought to extend to the numberless Arts and · Branches of Industry and Policy, by which People of Rank and Diftinction increase their Fortunes, and fupport their State and Figure in the World; this would be an effectual way of cutting all the Nerves of Industry at one Stroke, a fatal Check to all the Myfteries of Trade and Commerce, and an abfolute Difcouragement to all forts of Jobbers, Gamefters, Fortune-hunters, and Jockeys, who are the Directors and Managers of all our Parties of Business and Diverfion; and would be an insufferable Reflection upon the Memory of fome of the greatest Men in all Ages, whofe Names are tranfmitted to Pofterity under the glorious Titles of illuftrious Conquerors, able Minifters, cunning Statefmen, and confummate Poli ticians.

The Ninth Commandment I think as little liable to Exception as any of them; but yet I cannot think it amifs if it were a little qualified by two or three Exceptions in favour of public Minifters, Courts of Juftice, and Tea-tables. There are many weighty and political Reasons for indulging public Minifters in certain Deviations from Truth, which however cri

minal they may appear in private Perfons, are, in thofe public Stations, expedient and neceffary. Sir Harry Wotton, who was himself a foreign Ambaffador, has long ago declared, that lying dextrously and cunningly, and with a good Intention, is the chief Bufinefs of fuch Minifters: And therefore has given us the Definition of an Ambaffador in thefe Terms, Legatus eft vir bonus, peregrè miffus ad mentiendum rein publicæ caufâ, i. e. An Ambassador is an honest Man, fent to lye abroad for the Good of his Country. And what ́ever Reasons can be offered in Vindication of Ambaffadors for lying abroad, may, with equal Juftice, be pleaded for those Minifters who are lying at home for the fame good and laudable Purposes.

So alfo the tedious Delays of Justice, especially in Chancery Suits, are so notorious to the whole Nation, that it has often been found, that, by the long Continuance of the Suit, he that gets a Decree in his Favour, is often undone before he can obtain it. Now where would be the Hurt, if fome good-natured Perfon, in mere Compaffion to both the Suitors, fhould, by an officious Falfhood, determine the Iffue of the Caufe, and fhorten the Suit, to the manifest Advantage of them both? Never tell me that the Action is in itself unjust and finful. I deny it. The Action is not malum in fe; any more than giving a Coup de grace to a dying Criminal, which puts him out of his Pain, And though the giving fuch a mortal Stroke to an innocent uncondemned Perfon would be highly cruel, barbarous, and wicked; yet it is an Act of Mercy and Charity to the expiring Malefactor.

And as to our Tea-tables, it is well known that Scandal, which is one Species of falfe Witness, is the

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Life

Life of thofe little polite Affemblies; and if they were confined to utter nothing but ftrict Truth, there would be an End of all Converfation, and the prettieft Orators in the Circle would grow as dull as a WatchLight, and as infipid as an old Almanack; and, after all, where is the Huft of making an ingenious Story, or an embroidering and embellishing a real Fact, where the Design is only to divert and inftruct the Company? Inventers of Fables have always been ranked among the wife Men and Philofophers of antient Times, nor has it ever been objected to any of the wife Antients or Moderns, that they have made Beasts and Birds, Trees and Flowers, talk like Men of Senfe, for the Correction and Inftruction of their Betters,

The Tenth Commandment, after all that has been faid about the reft, feems perfectly needlefs and fuperfluous, and commands direct Impoffibilities. For shew me the Man that is tied for Life to an ill-natured, four, proud, difagreeable Rib, who would not wifh to make an Exchange for the chearful, good-natured, agreeable Spouse of his Neighbour? Who would not wifh to change his own old, inconvenient, ruinous House, for a new and convenient one of his Neighbour's? So that a Prohibition of this kind is a direct Contradiction to the very Law and Light of Nature, which muft, in all Cafes, be confulted and obeyed, as the infallible Rule of our moral and religious Conduct.

The Premifes tenderly confidered, we cannot but hope that care will be taken fo to explain, amend, or repeal thefe obfolete Statutes, that they may no longer give Offence to People of Rank, Diftinction,

and

and Figure, in Purfuit of their Intereft or Pleasures. But if it shall be thought fit, by the Wisdom of our Superiors, to continue them ftill in Force, it may be with fuch Restrictions and Limitations, as not to extend to any but the low uneducated Part of Mankind, who have neither Senfe, nor Reason, nor Politeness enough to govern and conduct themselves. And, if I may be allowed the further Liberty of giv ing my Opinion and Advice in the prefent Cafe, I beg leave to propose certain Heads of a Bill to be offered to the House upon a proper Occafion, as follows:

THAT

HAT whereas a certain immemorial fuperftitious Practice has prevailed in these Nations, for certain old Women of both Sexes, fuch as Grandmothers, Nurses, Maiden Aunts, School-dames, and Parfons, to teach and inftruct the Children even of Proteftant Parents in certain antient Jewish Laws, commonly called The Ten Commandments; which said fuperftitious Practice, notwithstanding the many Attempts which, from time to time, have been made by certain judicious and well-meaning Perfons towards a thorough Reformation, still subsists among us, in Defance of all the natural and religious Rights and Privileges of a free Proteftant People; it has been long thought, by all true Lovers of Liberty, to be almost an infupportable Burden, who therefore wifh and hope to be relieved from it by a proper Authority. But whereas the said Jewish Laws and Precepts have been, by the Ignorance and Superftition of our Forefathers, unhappily incorporated in the Laws of our Country, and made a Part of our legal Conftitution,

and

and cannot, without the Appearance of Difficulty and Danger, be intirely repealed; it is therefore thought proper foto limit and explain their Meaning and Obligation, as in a great measure to prevent the several Hardships and Inconveniences arifing from the mistaken Notions and Prejudices about them. And whereas it is now univerfally agreed and confessed, that the Good of Society, and the civil Interefts of Mankind, are the fole Foundation, Rule, and Measure of all religious Inftitutions, and that nothing ought to be deemed to be of religious Obligation, but fo far as it contributes to that important End. And whereas it appears from the concurrent Teftimony of all Ages, that there have been great Princes, mighty Conquerors, able Ministers, cunning Politicians, gallant Commanders, eminent Lawyers, wife Magiftrates, fkilful Physicians, and eloquent Preachers, who had either never received, or utterly renounced, these popular Superftitions, and acted with an apparent Contempt of all Obligations vulgarly fuppofed to arife from them; we are thence induced to believe, that the following Explanation and Limitations of the faid Precepts will be of fingular Ufe and Benefit to the Subjects of this Realm, the Eafe of tender Confciences, and the natural and religious Liberties of all his Majesty's loving Subjects.

The First Commandment is a manifest Impofition upon the natural Rights and Liberties of Mankind. It is confeffed on all hands, that every true free-born Protestant has a Right to judge freely of all Articles of Religion that shall be proposed for his Belief or Practice, and to determine according to the Kind or Degree of Evidence that fhall be offered him; but if a Man

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