[...] LETTER from the Famous [...]ir Humphry Poleſworth, &c.

COuſin Richard and Brother Tom, let us fall into ſerious Conſultation: 'Tis in every one's Mouth, current [...] upon Change, that John Bull is reſolved ſhame⯑ [...] to compound the Law-Suit, which we have [...] on Succeſsfully for ſo many Years.

I ſuppoſe, Brother, you mean ſucceſsful⯑ [...] [...] the Frogs; poor John has ſmall Reaſon to [...] of the matter.

Thou art ſuch another Brother, there is the fellow of thee; ſtill repining at the Proſpe⯑ [...] of thy own Family.

I don't deſire my Family ſhould flouriſh [...]he Downfal of Honeſt Men, eſpecially Friends; [...] John Bull, once the opulent Clothier of the [...]rld, ſought to, and courted by all the eminent [...]yers of Weſtminſter-Hall, can ſcarce get Mony [...]ee a young hearing Counſel of a Years ſtanding: [...] come, and he can do nothing, unleſs he mort⯑ [...]e the ſmall Pittance remaining to him of a very [...]t Eſtate, and you are ſo unconſcionable to grutch [...] the keeping of That.

Rot your Conſcience! What's Con⯑ [...]nce to a Tradeſman? Had I ſtood upon Con⯑ [...]nce, old Lewis had ſtill enjoy'd thoſe glorious [...]nnors, and delicious Parks, which John ſpent his [...] Subſtance to get for me: I tell thee, Boy, Bull [...] be brought lower yet, even with the Ground, [...]fore the Frogs can hope for flouriſhing Days.

Well ſaid, old Nic. I'faith; we muſt [...] hear of a Compoſition till the Bubble be ſo en⯑ [...]ely fleeced, that he may give us no further Jea⯑louſie [4] of ever being able to interfere, either in [...] or Intereſt, with us.

If that be all, you may e'en ag [...] Morrow. Old Rowly, who has been our Spy [...] twenty Years, and never gave us falſe Intellige [...] ſays, He can't laſt another Term. What with [...] curing further time for, forfeited Bonds, and [...]gages; Procuration-money, paying Intereſt upo [...] [...]tereſt, Fees to Serjeants, Bailiffs, and Bum-Ba [...] to ward off Writs, Executions, Decrees, and [...] [...]wri [...]s, for the Debts already contracted; John [...] of all his great Income, has not five Shillings in [...] Pound left to go to Blackwell-Hall Market, [...] a Trade, and ſupport his numerous Family.

So much the better: We muſt not [...] him any Stock to Trade withal. I have though [...] a way to beggar him quite. He is very fond [...] his Wife and Children; cou'd never deny them [...] they asked: I know that conceited Minx (who [...]lues her ſelf upon having taken him out of my [...] and the whole brood of them, as well as John [...] ſelf, love all [...] of good Chear, even to a deg [...] of Gluttony: They can't live without their [...] and Sirloins of Beef, Chines of Mutton, and [...] not. Now, if we could but get in with old L— he, with his Ways and Means, might procure a ge [...]ral Exciſe to be laid upon all Fleſh, which w [...] quickly carry off the reſt of John's Subſtance, [...] make the fifteen Shillings, which you ſay he now [...] Twenty. Beſides, raiſing the price of Bullocks, wh [...] will make well for the Frogs, having ſuch num [...]rous Herds of Cattle to drive to Market; Jo [...] won't think of Ruin 'till it comes upon him; [...] and his Family will ne'er make two Wants of [...] they muſt cramb their Guts to Day, tho' they [...] ſure to ſtarve to Morrow.

That's undoing many for the ſake of on [...] Plague of your Conſcience; Han't we Taxes enou [...] [5] [...] twenty Kingdoms? But you muſt be contri⯑ [...] [...]ew, and inflicting a general Calamity, that [...]ay gain a particular Benefit? Hides are [...] already, as well as the Land on which they [...] What, would you out-do the French Task⯑ [...]? Even under his Government, the moſt Ty⯑ [...]al that we know of▪ Fleſh is not Taxed, ex⯑ [...]g only in ſome few rich Cities; and, if you [...] you'll find, in that very Country, ſeveral things [...]empt from Taxing, which are ſubject to them [...] Bull's way of Trade and Living.

John muſt be Exhauſted, that's Poz. [...] further Incumbrances can we lay upon him? —Let me ſee!—All gone but his Manour [...]locks-Hatch; Why then he muſt and ſhall Mort⯑ [...] that.

A Mortgage won't do, Man: Here are [...] from thoſe honeſt Fellows you formerly re⯑ [...]ended to be his Servants; they are diligent [...] for us; John Harpy, John Pettifoger, and [...]he Jew, they adviſe, That if John Bull can [...]ought immediately to ſell his whole Patrimony [...], together with the Equity of Redemption of [...] paſt Mortgages. why then, truly, he may [...] able to Law it on one Year longer.

Ay, marry, this is talking to the Pur⯑ [...] this will do, and bring John under, with [...]ſpiring Houſewife Madam Bull (as ſhe would [...]ave Eſq South call her:) Ah, if his firſt Wife [...]ed! I ſay no more; but the Buſineſs had [...] over, and John a Bankrupt ſome Terms ago.

But if he wont ſell his Patrimony, how [...]

Suppoſe we play booty, and by under⯑ [...] conſent with old Lewis's Attorney, ſuffer him [...] a Verdict this Term, we'll order the Matter [...] John Bull ſhall believe, all the Blame lies at [...]afe's door, Sir, Roger, and the new Attornies. [6] If he have but as much Gall as a Pigeon, [...] bring him to take old Hocus again, and then, [...] Lads, the Day muſt be our own.

I hear the Compoſition is in ſuch [...] wardneſs, that there will be nothing done this [...] The Lawyers may go whiſtle, or blow their [...]gers in the cold Hall, for any more Money the [...] like to get of John, unleſs we can puzle the [...] Yet I think he can ſcarce bring it to bear, [...] my conſent: By Vertue of that Deed he ſigned [...] he was Drunk, I have power to Look into [...] Family-Affairs: I am made Executor to his laſt [...] and Teſtament, and Guardian to his Children muſt find ſome way to keep him under, that he [...] dare to take a Servant without my Recommend [...].

If we could but get the Flirt his [...] out of the way, and that Miſer Sir Roger, we [...] make John Drunk again; I'll raiſe the Devil, [...] throw thoſe two Imps of his out of John's [...] There are was abroad, of ruining a Family Nights time; Can't a man ſell his Wife and [...] as they do in China? We muſt ask Hocus. [...]ther it will ſtand good in Law? In that Cou [...] man may Play away himſelf and his Progeny [...] Game of Cards.

We muſt find ſome Trick to [...] John Bull's Poſterity from giving us, the Frog [...] moleſtation in our Trade and Poſſeſſions. [...] way for Hocus, and Honeſt Counſellor Double's we wa [...] [...] Advice; If we could but once John ſell his whole Patrimony, when the Mon [...] gone, [...] ſhould quickly bring his Family Contribution.

A good thought: Is there any Dif [...] between publick and private Power? Con [...] as well Enſlave one Man to another, as it Subject to his Prince: If a Perſon makes over [7] [...], he has in himſelf to me by an irrevocable de [...]d [...] way more binding, that the Law can deviſe, [...] after That, as much his Sovereign, as if [...] born ſo; ſome ſuch means muſt be thought on [...]bdue John. He has done as prepoſterous things, as wonderful too: He hath ſeveral Sons that are [...] Fellows, and have got ſtrong Hands to work [...], let every one of them pay two Shillings a [...] out of his Labour: Have they not alſo Eyes [...] Feet, and Heads? In a late Reign, all the [...] was taxed for their Heads; we'll have John [...] Family Taxed to the utmoſt; they ſhall pay every Limb: nay, if we once get the Power, [...] Tax them to their very Skin.

And then, Couſin Dick, you shall ſee [...] love to John himſelf; Out of my abundant [...] (and which Tom here, will ſcarce believe, [...] ſees it) I mean to ſecure him a Conveniency [...] Common-ſide of the Queen's Bench, or the [...]-Priſon; he shall take his Choice, and a share [...] Basket, which in Charitable times have been [...] Sixteen or Twenty Pound per Man; where [...]eſt John, thanks to the care of his true loving [...], may live upon free Coſt, for the reſt of Life.