The Theater (1720) | Page 6

Thumb at them, which is a Disgrace to them if
they bear it._
Abra. _Do you bite your Thumb at Us, Sir?_
Samp. _I do bite my Thumb, Sir._
Abra. _Do you bite your Thumb at Us, Sir?_
Samp. _Is the Law on our Side, if I say, Ay?_

Greg. _No._
Samp. _No, Sir; I do not bite my Thumb at you, Sir; but I bite my
Thumb, Sir._
The most beneficial Things to a Commonwealth will have some of its
Members who will think them a Grievance. I have just now receiv'd the
following Letter from a _Fencing-Master_, who is very apprehensive of
Business falling off, if the Act against Duelling should take place.
"Sir,
"As you are both a Knight and a Gentleman (which now-a-days don't
always meet in one Man) I will make bold to Expostulate with you
upon a Bill depending in the House of Commons, I mean that against
Duelling. Every good Subject has a right of dissenting to any Bill
propos'd, either by petition, or Pamphlet, before it passes into a Law;
and this concerns the Honour of all Orders of Men from the Prince to
the private Gentleman. I make free to tell you in a Word, if this passes,
there's an End of good Manhood in the King's Dominions. How must
all the Important Quarrels, which happen in Life, among men of
Honour, be decided? Must a heedless sawcy Coxcomb frown, or tread
upon a Gentleman's Toes with Impunity? No, I suppose, the great
Cause of Honour must be determined by the womanish Revenge of
Scolding; and when two Peers or Gentlemen have had some manly
Difference, they must chuse their Seconds from Billingsgate or the
_Bar_--Consider, Sir, how many brave Gentleman have comfortably
kept good Company, and had their Reckoning always paid, only by
shewing a broad Blade, and cherishing a fierce Pair of Whiskers. Good
Manners must certainly die with Chivalry; for what keeps all the pert
Puppies about Town in Awe, but the Fear of being call'd to Account?
Don't you know that there are a Set of impertinent Wretches, who are
always disturbing publick Assemblies with Riots and Quarrels, only
upon a presumption of being hinder'd from fighting, by the Crowd?
There will be no end of such Grievances, if this Law takes Place.
Besides, Sir, I hope it will be consider'd, what will become of us
Brothers of the Blade; the Art we profess will grow of no Use to
Mankind; and, of Consequence, we shall be expos'd to Poverty and

Disgrace. Consider, Sir, how many bright Qualifications must go to the
finishing one of us; we require Parts as elegant, generous, and manly,
as any Profession whatsoever; therefore, I hope, that some publick
Spirit in the House of Commons, who is a Lover of his Country, and a
Friend to Arts and Sciences, will start up and distinguish himself
against this Bill. You know that our Profession is justly call'd the Noble
Science of Defence, and makes a considerable Branch of the
_Mathematicks_; if the Ignorant should gain this Point against us, they
won't stop here; no doubt, their Design is to attack all Arts and Sciences,
and beat them one by one quite out of the Nation; the Assault, 'tis true,
seems only made against us; but wise Men foresee that all Learning is
in Danger. Our Adversaries are upon the Longe with their Swords just
at our Breasts, I desire therefore your Advice and Assistance, in what
Guard we must stand to parry this fatal Thrust. Yours,
"FLANKANADE."
* * * * *
Printed for W. BOREHAM, at the Angel in _Pater-Noster-Row_, where
Advertisements and Letters from Correspondents are taken in.

Numb. XVIII.
THE
THEATRE.
By Sir JOHN FALSTAFFE.
To be Continued every Tuesday and Saturday.
Price Two-pence.
_Totum hominem Deus adsumit, quia totus ab ipsô est; Et totum
redimit quem sumpserat, omne reducens Quicquid homo est, istud
Tumulis, ast istud Abyssô._
Prudent.
[Greek: Phthenxomai hois themis osti, thuras d' epithesthe bebêlois.]

Orpheus.
Saturday, _April 16. 1720._
The Person, who confines himself to the Task of writing a Paper of
Entertainment, is not thereby obliged to be continually ludicrous in his
Composition, or to expect that his Readers should always be upon the
broad Grin. The rational, as well as risible, Faculties are to be
exercised; and if I think fit to be too precisely serious to Day, my
good-natur'd Customers will give me an Indulgence, and believe that I
will make it up to them with Mirth on Tuesday.
As I devoted the spare Hours of yesterday to Meditation, I could not
help reflecting, what little Notion we have at this Time of Prodigies
and Phenomena, that are not in the common Course of Nature. We are
grown Epicureans in our Principles, and force our