lence and Ill-breeding of fome Perfons who travelled lately with me in a Stage-Coach out of Effex to London. I am fure, when you have heard what I have to fay, you will think there are Perfons under the Character of Gentlemen that are fit to be no where else but in the • Coach-box. Sir, I am a young Woman of a fober and religious Education, and have preferved_that Character; but on Monday was Fortnight it was my Misfortune to come to London. I was no fooner clapt in the Coach, but, to my great Surprize, two Perfons in the Habit of Gentlemen attacked me with fuch indecent Difcourfe as I cannot re6 peat to you, fo you may conclude < not fit for me to hear. I had no relief but the Hopes of a fpeedy end of my fhort Journey. Sir, form to your felf what a Perfecution this muft needs be to a virtuous and chafte Mind; and in order to your proper handling fuch a Subject, fancy your Wife or Daughter, if you had any, in fuch Circumftances, and what Treatment you would think then due to fuch Dragoons. One

• of

of them was called a Captain, and entertained us with nothing but filthy ftupid Questions, or lewd Songs, all the way. Ready to burst with 'Shame and Indignation, I repined that Nature had not allowed us as cafily < to fhut our Ears as our Eyes. But was not this a kind of Rape? Why. 'fhould there be Acceffaries in Ra

'vishment any more
any more than Murder?
Why should not every Contributor
to the Abufe of Chastity fuffer
Death? I am fure these fhameless
'Hell-hounds deferved it highly. Can
you exert your felf better than on
fuch an Occafion? If you do not
do it effectually, I'll read no more
of your Papers. Has every imper-
tinent Fellow a Privilege to tor
ment me, who pay my Coach-hire
as well as he? Sir, pray confider us
in this respect as the weakest Sex,
and have nothing to defend

• felves;

Our

and I think it is as Gentleman-like to challenge a Woman to fight, as to talk obfcenely in her Company, especially when he has not power to ftir. Pray let me tell you a Story which you can make fit for publick View. I knew a

Gen

Gentleman, who having a very good Opinion of the Gentlemen of the C Army, invited ten or twelve of them to fup with him; and at the same time invited two or three Friends, who were very fevere against the Manners and Morals of Gentlemen of that Profeffion. It happened one of them brought two Captains of his Regiment newly come into the Army, who at first Onfet engaged the Company with very lewd Healths and fuitable Difcourfe. You may eafily imagine the Confufion of the Entertainer, who finding fome of his Friends very uneafy, defired to tell them a Story of a great Man, 'one Mr. Locke, (whom I find you frequently mention) that being invited to dine with the then Lords Hallifax, Anglefey, and Shaftsbury; immediately after Dinner, inftead of Converfation, the Cards were called for, where the bad or good Succefs produced the ufual Paffions of Gaming. Mr. Lecke retiring to a Window, and writing, my Lord Anglefey defired to know what he was writing: Why, my Lords, answered he, I could not fleep laft Night for

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C

the

the Pleasure and Improvement I expected from the Converfation of the greatest Men of the Age. This fo fenfibly ftung them, that they gladly compounded to throw their Cards in the Fire if he would his Paper, and fo a Converfation enfued fit for 'fuch Perfons. This Story prest so hard upon the young Captains, together with the Concurrence of their fuperior Officers, that the young Fellows left the Company in Confufion.Sir, I know you hate long things; but if you like it, you may contract it, or how you will; but I think it ' has a Moral in it.

“

BUT, Sir, I am told you are a 'famous Mechanick as well as a Looker-on, and therefore humbly propofe you would invent fome Padlock, with full Power under your Hand and Seal, for all modest Persons, either Men or Women, to clap upon the Mouths of all fuch impertinent impudent Fellows: And I wish you would publish a Proclamation, that no modeft Perfon who has a Value 'for her Countenance, and confequently would not be put out of it, prefume to travel after fuch a Day with

cout

C out one of them in their Pockets. I fancy a fmart Spectator upon this Subject would ferve for fuch a Pad-' lock; and that publick Notice may' be given in your Paper where they C may be had, with Directions, Price 2d. and that part of the Directions may be, when any Perfon prefumes to be guilty of the above-mentioned Crimes, the Party aggrieved may produce it to his Face, with a Requeft to read it to the Company. He must be very much hardened that • could outface that Rebuke; and his • further Punishment I leave you to • prescribe.

T

Your bumble Servant,

Penance Cruel.

Wednesday,