THE LIBRARY 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 \ u \
 
 THREE DIALOGUES 
 
 AMUSEMENTS 
 
 CLERGYMEN.
 
 THREE DIALOGUES 
 
 ON THE 
 
 AMUSEMENTS 
 
 CLERGYM EN. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 Renounce tee world, the preacher cries. 
 We do - a multitude replies. 
 
 But one, 
 A fnug, a 
 Another c 
 Perceive n 
 Some lov 
 And othc 
 
 s innocent regards 
 d friendly game at cards, 
 n, whate'er you fay, 
 o mifchief in a play, 
 a concert, or a race, 
 ; fhooting, and the chafe. 
 
 Reviled, yet loved j renounced, yet followed, 
 Thus, bit by bit, the world is fwallowed. 
 Each thinks his neighbour makes too free; 
 Yet likes a nice as well as he. 
 
 COWPEI 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for T.C A DEL L,jun.and\V.DA VIES, 
 in the Strand.
 
 3V 
 
 O N TH E 
 
 AMUSEMENTS 
 
 O F 
 
 CLERGYMEN. 
 
 r. JoftahFrampton's libra- 
 ry was fold in London (in the year 
 1729 w 1730) his divinity books were 
 doffed in f even lots; one of which was 
 purchased by Dr. Edwards. The ca- 
 talogue of this lot mentioned a parcel of 
 MSS. Among thefe the DoRar found 
 one in Dr. Frampton's own hand- writ- 
 ing, On the Amufements of Clergy- 
 men. But the Doff or being afraid of 
 giving offence by printing if, it lay in 
 his jiudy till his death. It has now, 
 however, fallen, into hands , which are 
 lejsfcrupulcus', and the following exaft 
 copy of it is prefented to the Public, 
 B
 
 2. DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 September 231 1686. 
 I ALWAYS thought it one of 
 the mod fortunate circumftances of 
 my life (or rather the moft providen- 
 tial, as I ought to call it) that foon 
 after my leaving college, I" was led by 
 various, and fmgular accidents, to the 
 curacy of Wroxal in Warwickshire., 
 Here I met with many civilities from 
 the gentlemen of the country, parti- 
 cularly from Sir Roger Burgoin, who 
 was equally diftinguifhed for his piety, 
 and learning. At his houfe I fre- 
 quently faw that truly venerable man, 
 Dr. Edward Stillingfleet, afterwards 
 Bifhop ofWorcefter, but at that time 
 Dean; of Paul's. He had been 
 early connected with the Burgoin fa- 
 mily.
 
 AMUSEMENTS. 0? CLERGYMEN. | 
 
 mily, and ever preferved a great in*- 
 timacy with them; which he com- 
 monly renewed, every year, by a vi^ 
 fit of two or three weeks. 
 
 What Dr. Stillingfleet faw in me,, 
 I know not : but I thought myfelf 
 very unworthy of the civilities he 
 Ihewed me. I was certainly, at that 
 rime, a very incorrect young man. -I 
 had entered into the miniftry with 
 little attention to the duties, I had 
 taken on me to difcharge. I loved 
 fociety, and was fond of country di- 
 verfions : and though I was fond alfo 
 of my book, I would at any time have 
 left it for a day's diverfion with the 
 hounds a ramble in the woods with 
 B a my.
 
 4 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 my gun or a game of cards, and u 
 dance in the evening. Such as I was 
 however Dr. Stillingfleet was particu- 
 larly obliging to me ; and friendly 
 enough to give me a hint, now and 
 then, with regard to my conduct, 
 which, I hope I may with truth fay, 
 was not left upon me. An opportu- 
 nity however occurred, which ena- 
 bled me to receive more than cafual 
 advantage from his converfation. 
 
 During one of his annual vifita 
 to the Burgoin family, he was feized 
 with a violent fit of the gout, to which 
 his latter years were very fubjecl:. It 
 happened at this critical time, that Sir 
 Roger Burgoin and. his lady were 
 called into Worcefterihire to attend 
 
 their
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF LERGYAEN. 
 
 their mother, who lay at the point of 
 death: and as the Dean exprefTed a 
 defire for my company, in their ab- 
 ience, I gave him as much of it, as I 
 could ; following not more his de- 
 fire, than my own inclination. He 
 was at that time engaged in correct- 
 ing his Origines Sacr^e. * for a new edi- 
 tion; and had brought down with 
 him feveral Latin books to confult. 
 As I could read that language 
 
 * This very learned work was written, 
 when Stilling^eet was under thirty years of 
 age. A ftory is told, of his having been put 
 to the blufh by bifhcp Sanderfon, his diooe- 
 fan ; who feeing a young man at his vifita- 
 tion, of the name of Stillingfleet, and not 
 knowing his perfon, afked him, whether he 
 were related to the great Stillir.gfleet, who 
 he Qriglnes Sacra ? 
 
 B 3 .with
 
 6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 with accuracy enough, I was of Tome 
 little ufe to him. While I read, he 
 noted with his pen the pafiages he 
 wanted. The intervals were filled 
 with converfation. 
 
 We were fitting together, one 
 day, after dinner; and the Dean lay- 
 ing up his feet on a eufhion, and 
 being tolerably free from pain, began 
 to rally me a little on my attachment 
 to country diverfions a fubject he 
 had often before cafually introduced .j 
 and on which he knew I had a weak 
 fide. I had brought him two young 
 partridges that day "for his dinner; 
 and he began by exprefling his obli- 
 gations to me for my attention to 
 * him,;
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 7 
 
 him ; and then afked me fome quef- 
 tion, which led me to give him an 
 account of my day's exploits. I did 
 not fee his drift; and in the fpirit of 
 a fportfinan, told him, that the late 
 rainy feafon had made game very 
 fcarce that the two covies, from 
 which I had (hot the brace I had 
 brought to him, were the only birds 
 I had feen the whole day, though I 
 had been out from five in the morn- 
 ing till eleven at noon; and had 
 walked upwards of fifteen miles. 
 
 Well, faki the Dean, with an af- 
 fected gravity of countenance, I only 
 wifhed to know the extent of my 
 obligation to you; and I find your 
 B 4 philan-
 
 8 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 philanthropy has done more for me 
 in giving me fix hours of your time 
 to procure me a delicacy, than I could 
 have done (even were I as able to 
 walk as you are) for any man in 
 Chriflendom. 
 
 From being a little jocular, he 
 became, by degrees, ferious. I have 
 often thought, laid he, Mr. Framp- 
 ton, (and I know your candor will 
 exeufe me)' that the Clergy have ra- 
 ther injured the refpedability of 
 their characters by mixing too much 
 with the amufements of laymen. 
 They not only get into a trifling 
 way of (pending their time; but by 
 making themfelves cheap, they di- 
 
 minifli
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. <J 
 
 irunilhtheweightoftheirinftruclions; 
 and often give a fort of fanction by 
 their prefence to gaieties, and impro- 
 prieties, which were better checked. 
 It is a common fpeech in the mouths 
 of licentious people, that they muft 
 be right, becaufe they have gotten 
 the parfon along with them. Indeed 
 a clergyman cannot be too cautious 
 with regard to his character. It is a 
 matter of the greateft delicacy, and 
 tafily fullied. If he ad contrary 
 to it, he always has a confcioufhefs 
 about him, which .makes him jealous 
 of every eye- and if he become 
 hardened, he is among the mod con- 
 temptible of mankind. Befides, 
 amiifements in their own nature, have 
 a won-
 
 10 DIALOGUES ON f H I 
 
 a wonderful efFect on manners. In 
 young minds efpecially they foon 
 'form habits: -and habits as quickly 
 form characters*. I could point 
 out to you a young clergyman, 
 whom I believe you muft have feen 
 here, as he is unhappily related to 
 this worthy family, who came from 
 the univerfity every thing his friends 
 could wifh.: but unhappily, being 
 placed near fome of the joyous fra- 
 ternity of the horn, he became in a 
 little time a mere fox-hunter, and 
 has nothing of the clergyman now 
 about him, but a dark-coloured- 
 
 coat, 
 
 * Habits are foon afltimed; but when we drive 
 .To (trip them off, 'tis being flayed alive." 
 
 COWPEK,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. II 
 
 . coat, and hardly that. You will 
 eafily, however, underftand, that 
 when I reftridl the clergyman frorri 
 joining too freely with the amufe- 
 ments of the laity, Tarn equally hurt 
 with every appearance of haughti- 
 nefs, and morofenefs. -If the cha- 
 racter of the clergyman is net 
 marked with modefty, and humility, 
 it is bereft of its moft diflinguifhed 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, may not exam- 
 ple work the other way; and the pre- 
 fence of a grave clergyman be a 
 check upon licentioufnefs .? 
 
 Sometimes, replied the Dean, it 
 may:
 
 12 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 may: and when a clergyman mixes, 
 in improper company with this view n 
 ,and is confcious of his own powers 
 of control, he imitates that bright 
 example, which forced with publicans 
 and fmners. A very refpeftable 
 clergyman, a friend of mine, hav- 
 ing heard that a favourite youth 
 had been decoyed by bad com- 
 pany into a difreputable houfe, 
 went thither himfclf; and pretend- 
 ing bufmeis with the young man, 
 fat down on a flight invitation, among 
 a fct of debauchees, trufting his cha- 
 racter to its credit. He was a man 
 of fevere afpecl, firong fenfe, and 
 ready exprefiion ; and therefore well 
 fitted for ihe ofHce he undertook. 
 Awhile
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 1J 
 
 Awhile he overawed, by the fudden- 
 nefs of his appearance, the vice and 
 folly he was mixed with. But well 
 knowing, that in a little time the im- 
 preflion he made, would go off, and 
 he might be liable to affronts, he re- 
 tired, before the company could rally 
 their impudence; and carried off 
 with him his young friend; who 
 would frequently declare afterwards, 
 that he believed this very circumftance 
 brought him more to recollection, 
 than any event of his life; and per- 
 haps faved him from ruin. But now, 
 my dear Sir, though I have accommo- 
 dated your argument with an exam- 
 ple, I mud add, that I think the ac- 
 commodation gives it little fupport. 
 
 I fear
 
 14. DIALOGUES ON TH * 
 
 J fear the motive exemplified here, has 
 little weight in the common inter- 
 courie of amufements between the 
 clergy and laity. 
 
 But may not this intercourfe, faid 
 1^ Sir, though without any dire ft view 
 of leading out of immediate mijcbief y 
 ftill have itsufe ?. Even the prefence 
 of a refpectable clergyman, I fliould 
 think, might often be a happy je- 
 ftraint. 
 
 Why, yes, anfwered the Dean; but 
 then, my good friend, you will confi- 
 der, that zyoung clergyman can rarely 
 at this part. Years are neceflary to 
 give refpeclability to this mode of in- 
 ftrudivc
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 15 
 
 ilruftive intercourfe. Natural talents 
 too, which few people poflefs, are ne- 
 cefiary. A man of morofe character 
 may perhaps be of fervice with his 
 pen in his clofet, or by his difcourfes 
 in a pulpit; but, however pious, and 
 well-meaning,, he will hardly be of 
 much ufe in any of the fcenes of 
 common life. If again, we avoid 
 morofenefs by aim m ing the colour of 
 our company (which mud, in a de- 
 gree, always be done, when we wifli 
 to reform in this way), I fear, in- 
 ftead of doing good to others, we 
 ihali only injure ourfelvcs, 
 
 But it is a difficult matter, faid I, 
 Sir, efpecialJy for a young man, to 
 prefervc.
 
 l6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 preferve thofe exact bounds of in- 
 tercourfe, which his character may 
 require. When he enters firft into 
 the world, and is taken notice of by 
 thofe, who are in a ftation above 
 him, it is hardly poffible for him to 
 refift the importunities he meets with 
 to enter into various amufcments > 
 to drink his glafs freely i or make 
 one in parties, which in fact perhaps 
 he may not approve. 
 
 No doubt, faid the Dean, it may 
 be difficult. But do you believe, 
 that when God placed you in a ftate 
 of trial, he meant that you mould 
 live without difficulties ? The whole 
 of life is a conflict : and if we do not. 
 
 begin:
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 17 
 
 .-begin early to brace on our moral 
 armour, and accuftom ourfelves to 
 it, when are we to enter the field ? 
 I mould hope it is for want of 
 confideration, more than any thing 
 elfe, that fo many young clergymen 
 err in this matter. I could wifh 
 them to fix in their own minds cer- 
 tain bounds to their amufcinents, 
 and remember the poet's caution, 
 
 Qios ultra, citraytte, nequit confrere re&irn. 
 
 Aye, Sir, faid I, thefe certi fines 
 this narrow path between the ritra, 
 and the ultra^ I have often in vain 
 endeavoured to purfue. And if you 
 can give me any inflruction to guide 
 my footfteps better through the 
 c amufe-
 
 l8 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 amufements of life, than they have 
 hitherto been conducted, I fhall kind- 
 ly receive them, and lay them up in 
 a grateful memory. 
 
 It is very probable, my dear Sir, 
 replied the Dean, that my rules may 
 be ftrifter, than you would wilh to 
 comply with. I have thought often 
 on the fubje<5t lately for the fake of 
 a young clergyman, in whofe well- 
 doing I was much interefted : but I 
 had not all the fuccefs I hoped for. 
 
 I affured the Dean, I fhould endea- 
 vour to be a more obfervant difciple. 
 I did indeed fpend too much of my 
 time, I feared, in amufements of va- 
 rious
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. ig 
 
 rious kinds ; but I was hopeful, that 
 my errors proceeded more from in- 
 attention (the apology he was pleaf- 
 d to furnifh) than from any bad dif- 
 pofition. 
 
 The good Dean was pleafed to fay, 
 he believed me ; and added fome 
 other friendly expreflions, which not 
 being to our prefent purpofe, I omit. 
 He then alked me, what was my idea 
 of an amiifement't or how I fhould 
 define it ? 
 
 This was a puzzling queftion to 
 
 one, 'who had trefpafied ib much on 
 
 this head; and who having never 
 
 -thought much on the fubjec"r., feldom 
 
 c 2 had
 
 ,2O DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 had any end, but barely topleafe him- 
 felf. I could -have given him a defi- 
 nition of ariiufement ; but I was afraid 
 of bringing my own practice too 
 much within its cenfure. To gain 
 therefore a little time for reflection, I 
 afked, Whether he meant amufement 
 in general, or confined the queftion to 
 the amufement s of clergymen ? 
 
 I 
 
 Why, truly, faid the Dean, the 
 amufements of all people require re- 
 gulation enough. But my queftion., 
 at prefent, relates only to the amufe- 
 .ments of the clergy. 
 
 I anfwered, that I thought bodily 
 
 *xer cife was one end ; and as to the 
 
 amufement
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGY-MEN. 21 
 
 amujement of the mind, I thought its 
 only end was to relax, and fit it the 
 better for ftudy. 
 
 Your definition, faid the Dean, is 
 To far good : but it does not go far 
 enough. It confiders only the pur- 
 pofe of amufement :' whereas- it : 
 fhould alfo take in the quality. Yen 
 will allow, I fuppofe, that the clerical 
 amufeinent fhould be fuited to the els- 
 rical profejjion ? 
 
 I allowed it certainly. 
 
 Well, then, faid the Dean, we 
 
 have now, I think, obtained a 'full 
 
 definition of clerical amufemen!. Ir 
 
 c 3, ihould'
 
 22 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 fhould intend the exercife of tie body, 
 and the recreation of (be mind-, but it 
 fhould alfo be fuited to the genius of 
 the profeffion. As the firft member 
 however of this definition relates 
 to amufement in general > and 
 applies as well ad populum ) as ad 
 derum, we will, if you pleafe, pafs 
 it over at prefent. If we can efta- 
 blifh the fecond part, I hope there 
 will be no great danger of miftaking 
 the firft. I ihall only there f6re en- 
 deavour to fhew you, that all clerical 
 amufements mould be fuited to the 
 clerical profejjion. Now, in order to 
 throw the bell light on this fubject, I 
 fhould wifh to confider amufements 
 under the three heads of riotous and 
 
 cruel
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 23 
 
 cruel of trifling and feducing. and 
 laftly, of innosent and injir lift foe: for 
 I think it very poffible, that anamufe- 
 ment may be characterized with both 
 thefe latter epithets, though either 
 may be fufEcient. Are thefe heads, 
 added he, comprehenfive enough 
 to include all kinds of arnufement? 
 Or do yon recollect any other ? 
 
 I thought them fufficiently com- 
 prehenfive. 
 
 Well, then, faid the Dean, we will 
 begin with fuch amufements as arc 
 riotous j and cruel: and among thefe I 
 fhould be inclined to affign the firft 
 rank to hunting. It is an unfeeling 
 c 4 exec-
 
 24 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 exerciie, derived from our favage an- 
 ceftors, who hunted at firft for food, 
 and configned the barbarous practice 
 to their pofterity for pa/lime. Its 
 giving birth to foreft laws, and game 
 laws its injuring corn-lands, and 
 deftroying fences its fetting fquires-, 
 and their tenants; gentlemen, and 
 their neighbours, at variance its 
 confuming the forage of a country in 
 breeding deftrudlive, or ufelcfs ani- 
 mals in the room of fuch as ar-e really 
 ufeful the riotous uproar of the 
 chafe, fo oppofite to the mild fe- 
 renity, which fhould characterize 
 the clergyman and the noify, in- 
 temperate evening, to which it often 
 leads j add fuch an accumulation of 
 mifchief
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 25 
 
 mifchief to hunting, that I mould be 
 forry a-ny clergyman fhould give 
 his countenance to it. To this we 
 may add the cruelty exercifed both 
 on the animals, that purfue, and 
 the animals, that are purfued the 
 horfe pufhed to the laft extremity 
 the hound trained to the chafe with 
 iavage barbarity* and the wretched 
 fugitive agonizing in the extremity 
 of diftrefs. 
 
 But there is dill a greater mifchief, 
 which often attends thefe riotous 
 amufements. When the fquire hunts 
 with his neighbours, he introduces no 
 
 more 
 
 The fpaniel dying for fome venial fault, 
 Under diffe&ion of the knotted fcourge. 
 
 Cow PBS.
 
 26 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 more corruption into the parilh than 
 he found. But I have fometirries 
 known annual hunts eftablifhed in 
 fporting countries, which draw toge- 
 ther hundreds of profligate people 
 from different parts, who call them- 
 felves gentlemen, but are really^><?/?j of 
 the neighbourhood, to which they re- 
 fort j introducing new vices into the 
 villages, and every kind of debauch- 
 ery. Their fervants, who are com- 
 monly of the fame {lamp, fpread the 
 corruption among the peafants, and 
 fcrvant-girls, which their matters 
 fpread among the farmer's fons, and 
 daughters. The clergyman, who 
 mixes in fuch fcSnes, is far out of 
 
 fight
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 27 
 
 fight of the bare decency of his pro- 
 feffion. 
 
 But pray, Sir, faid I, may not fomc 
 little plea be offered in favour of 
 hunting ? Is it not a manly exercife? 
 Does it not furnifh our tables with 
 food j and rid the country of noxious 
 animals ? 
 
 I befeech you, replied the Dcan y 
 do not call in argument to defend a 
 paftime, which has no alliance with 
 reafon. Call it a wild paffion a 
 brutal propenfity or any thing that 
 indicates its nature. But to give it 
 any connection with reafon, is mak- 
 ing a union between black and 
 white.
 
 18 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 white. But it is manly forfooth to 
 hunt. Manliffcfs, I mould fuppofcj 
 implies fome mode of aftion, that 
 becomes a man. Hunting might for- 
 merly, for aught I know, have been 
 a manly exercife, when the country 
 was overrun with boars, and wolves, 
 and it was a -public fervice to extir- 
 pate them. But to honour with the 
 name of manlinefs, the cruel practice 
 of purfuing timid animals to put 
 them to death merely for amufement, 
 is, in my opinion, perverting the 
 meaning of words* There are many 
 ways furely of ufing manly exercife, 
 at leaft as healthful and far more 
 innocent, and lefs expenfive, and dan- 
 gerous, than galloping over hedges^ 
 
 gates,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF /CLERGYMEN. 29 
 
 gates, and ditches. If the manlimjs 
 of the adion lie m the rifk you run 
 of breaking your neck, for no end, 
 it would ftill be greater manlinefs to 
 jump down a precipice. The fox- 
 hunter, I doubt not, would ridicule 
 the man, who runs about with a 
 hand-net, hunting a butterfly: but 
 I proteft, I fee not for what reafon. 
 The exercife of the butterfly- hunter 
 is as good j and the pleafure of the 
 chafe is, to him at leaft, equal. 
 But you alledge, that hunting fup- 
 plies .the table with food. I dare 
 fay, Sir Roger's game-keeper will 
 tell you, he could fupply it better in 
 twenty other ways. I have certain- 
 Jy no objection to take the lives of 
 
 animals
 
 30 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 animals for food ; and grant, that if 
 they were fuffered to multiply, they 
 would become noxious. What I 
 mean is, that I cannot allow turning 
 the deftruftion of them into an amufe- 
 mentand leaft of all into a clerical 
 amuJement.*\ knew a gentleman, 
 who took great delight in knocking 
 down an oxj which he performed 
 with much dexterity: and it was his 
 common amujement to go among the 
 butchers on a flaughtering-day, and 
 give two df three of them a fhilling 
 a-piece, to let him be their fubfti- 
 tute m that operation. You call 
 fuch a man a brute : and he furely 
 was one. But yon would find it diffi- 
 cult to (hew, that the circumfhnce of 
 
 riding
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 31 
 
 riding on a horfe, and 'bawling after 
 a pack of dogs, makes the amufe- 
 ment lefs brutal. 
 
 Surely, laid I, Sir, there is a differ- 
 ence between the pleafure of a pur- 
 fuit j and a pleafure, which confifts 
 merely in the act of inflicting death ? 
 
 Why, yes, anfwered the Dean, 
 there is a difference j but I know not, 
 on which fide of it the advantage lies. 
 If hunting be a more genteel fpecies 
 of butchery, it is certainly a more 
 cruel one. The ox receives its death 
 by an inftant ftroke; whereas the hare 
 is firft thrown into conyulfions of 
 terror, for four or five hours toge- 
 8
 
 32 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 ther; and then feized, in the mid ft 
 of its agony, and torn piece-meal by 
 a pack of ravenous blood-hounds*. 
 As to your laft argument, that hunt- 
 ing .rids the country of noxious ani- 
 mals, I apprehend you are miftaken 
 in the fact. I rather think it tends to 
 replenifh the country with them. As 
 
 one 
 
 -Detefted fporr, 
 
 That owes its pleafure to another's pain ! 
 That feeds upon the fobs, and dying fhrieks 
 
 Of harmlefs nature i 
 
 COWPER. 
 
 The favage foul of game is up at once: 
 The pack full opening, various : the (brill horn 
 Refoending from the hills: the neighing freed, 
 Wild for the chace; and the loud hunter's 
 
 fhout; 
 
 Q'er a weak, harmlefs, flying creature, all 
 .Mixed in mad tumult, and difcordant joy. 
 
 THOMPSON.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 33 
 
 one inftance at lead I can teftify, that I 
 offended a whole club of fporting 
 neighbours, in a manner that was 
 hardly ever to be gotten over, by 
 giving a man half-a-crown for 
 killing a fox, which had thinned my 
 poultry -yard. And I dare fay, 
 there is not a hunting fquire in the 
 country, who would not, at any 
 time, fuffer a dozen of his tenant's 
 lambs to be worried, to fave half the 
 number of foxes' cubs. Nay, I have 
 often known covers of confiderable 
 extent, left purpofely in fields, or per- 
 haps planted, merely to decoy foxes 
 into a neighbourhood by providing a 
 proper fhelter for them. But you 
 have provoked me to fay all this, by 
 aiming to eftablifli an alliance be- 
 o tvveen
 
 34 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 tween hunting and rationality. I 
 intended not to difturb the fquire 
 either in his riotous day, or his roar- 
 ing .night. I confider bis malady, as 
 a furgeon does a mortification, 
 which has feized the vitals beyond 
 all hope of recovery*. What I 
 mean, is only to admonilh the 
 clergyman not to follow his ex- 
 ample. 
 
 It is but juft however to fay, that 
 examples to warn him might alfo be 
 found in our own profeflion. I re- 
 member a clergyman in a neighbour- 
 hood, where I once lived, who had 
 
 two 
 
 * For tho' the fox he follows, may be tamed, 
 The .man fox-follower never is reclaimed. 
 
 COWPER..
 
 AMUSEMEKTS OF CLERGYMEN. 35 
 
 two benefices ; but he fpent little time 
 at either of them, becaufe neither 
 happened to be in a fporting country. 
 The hunting-feafon he always fpent 
 nearafquireinthe parifa next to mine, 
 whofe difciplined pack was famous. 
 With this gentleman, and his hounds, 
 he lived on terms of the greateft inti- 
 macy. Indeed both the fquire and 
 his dogs looked up to him, as their 
 ableft leader. Though he was a mi- 
 ferable preacher, he was uncommonly 
 mufical in the field ; and could cheer, 
 and animate his fonorous friends with 
 an eloquence beyond the huntfman 
 Jiimfelf, whcfe aiTociate he always was, 
 and whofe place, on any emergency, 
 he could amply fupply. He was 
 D 2 much
 
 36 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 much readier at finding a hare, than 
 a text of Scripture; and though he 
 was fcarce acquainted with the face of 
 one of his parifhioners, he knew ex- 
 actly the character of every hound in 
 the fquire's pack j and could run over 
 their names with much greater readi- 
 nefs, than thofe of the twelve apo- 
 ftles *. He had at length the misfor- 
 tune to break his neck at the end of 
 a fox chafe ; but not till he had firft 
 
 broken 
 
 * Oh laugh, or mourn with me, the rueful jeft, 
 A caflbck'd huptl'man I- 
 He takes the field, the matter of the pack, 
 Q-ies, Well done, Saint and claps him on the 
 
 back. 
 
 Is this the path of fanftity ? Is this 
 To Hand a way-mark in the road to blifs ? 
 
 COWPER.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 37 
 
 broken the heart of a very amiable 
 woman, who had unhappily connect- 
 ed herfelf with him. 
 
 Such a clergyman, faid I, is hardly 
 to be paralleled in a century. But in 
 an inferior degree, I fear, there are 
 many of our brethren, who allow 
 themfelves great indulgence. I re- 
 member a hunting- clergy man, who 
 received a very proper rebuke from 
 one of his brethren} and which I 
 have reafon to believe was of fervice 
 to him, as long as he lived. He had 
 been lamenting his unfortunate lot, 
 in being ftationed in a country where 
 there was' no hunting. The other 
 looking him full in the face, faid, with 
 D 3 great
 
 38 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 great gravity of countenance, aad in 
 a deliberate tone of voice; " At the 
 great day of accounts, the queftion . 
 \vill not be, where have you lived; 
 but how have you lived ?" All this 
 however is carrying amufement to 
 excefs. But fuppofe, Sir, when you 
 are riding out, you happen to hear the 
 hounds, is there any harm merely in- 
 taking a little exercife with them, if 
 you do not join in the riot of the 
 chafe? 
 
 I hate, faid the Dean, to fee a man 
 do any thing by halves. Is it right, 
 or is it wrong? If it be right, do it 
 boldly. If it be wrong, furn your 
 horfe another way, and take your ex- 
 ercife
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 39 
 
 ercife in a contrary direction. Never 
 go to the edge of a precipice. 
 ,You can hardly help going a little 
 farther than you intended. I re- 
 member a clergyman, who was 
 not remarkable for neglecting, at 
 lead the outward part of his duty ; 
 but once unhappily forgot it through 
 his love for hunting. He was eager- 
 ly engaged in a fox- chafe, when the 
 fox took to earthy as they call it : on 
 which he cried out, <f Gentlemen, I 
 " muft leave you: This puts me in 
 " mind, that I have a corpfe to bury 
 " at four o'clock this evening; and I 
 " fear I fhall be an hour too late." 
 Befides, continued the Dean, you 
 cannot well avoid, in this field of riot, 
 04 at
 
 40 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 at leaft if you are often feen in it, 
 making an acquaintance with feveral, 
 to whom, for your character's fake, 
 you would not wifh to be known. 
 But indeed, as I obferved, to mix, 
 in any degree, in thefe fcenes of 
 cruelty, and riotous exultation, is un- 
 becoming the clerical profeflion. 
 And (to clofe,my argument with 
 icripture) I Ihould wifh you to 
 confider, that as many good people, 
 as well as I,difapprove a clergyman's 
 mixing in thefe riotous amufements, 
 fo of courfe it will give offence to all 
 thefe good people. No man there- 
 fore, who has the honour of his pro- 
 feflion at heart, would give offence, 
 where the matter in queftion is of fo 
 * little
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 4! 
 
 little confequence as a mere amufe*. 
 merit. Let him confider how ftricl: 
 St. Paul was in matters of this kind. 
 St. Paul's example is certainly not 
 very fafhionable j but with a clergy- 
 man, I Ihould hope it might have 
 lome weight. He gives us many 
 hints, which come home to the point 
 we are now difcufiing. Hunting was 
 out of the queftion. He would not 
 certainly have permitted Timothy or 
 Titus to hunt, if they had been fo 
 difpofed. But he forbids us to give 
 offence in matters, that are of much 
 more concern than mere amufement. 
 If mext, fays he, make my brother to 
 offend, I will eat no fiejb wbile tbe 
 4 world
 
 42 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 world ftandetb, left I make my brother 
 to offer. 
 
 If you will give me leave, faid I, 
 Sir, I will juft mention one argu- 
 ment more. As the hound is en- 
 dowed with the fagacity of following 
 its game, it feems as if Providence 
 had intended it for hunting. 
 
 Aye, faid the Dean, that is true : 
 and in the fame way Providence en- 
 courages horfe-racing, by making 
 horfes fwifc > and cock : fighting, by 
 making cocks courageous. My 
 dear Mr. Frampton, I hope yo:i are 
 a better naturalift, than to pay any 
 attention to thefe flimfy apologies. 
 
 God
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 4,3 
 
 God Almighty has given various in- 
 llin-cts to his creatures all of them 
 for wife purpofes, though fome of 
 them are beyond our comprehenfion. 
 That thirft of blood in the rapacious 
 kind feems intended to preferve an 
 equilibrium among animals : and as 
 they all owe a death to nature, it is 
 of little confequence whether the de- 
 fencelefs tribe die in a natural way, 
 or by the jaws of a tiger. Among 
 the favage kind is the dog.- We 
 reclaim him from the foreft, and a 
 ufeful fervant he is. He guards 
 ourhoufes he protects our cattle- 
 he affifts us in deflroying noxious 
 animals. He was formerly of great 
 ufe in procuring food for our ancef- 
 
 tors;
 
 44 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 torsj and I know no objection to 
 his ftill taking wild animals for our 
 food, if they can be taken in no 
 eafier way. But if we make his 
 tractable difpofition an excufe for 
 our own cruelty, and fanguinary 
 amufements, we furely ufe him in a 
 way which God Almighty never in- 
 tended. 
 
 I told the good Dean, he had 
 filenced me. I was afraid my par- 
 tiality for the diverfion, had been 
 founded rather on inclination than 
 argument. But nobody again, I 
 hoped, mould ever take offence at my 
 following a pack of hounds. But 
 pray, faid I, Sir, do you allow {hoot- 
 ing?
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 45 
 
 ing ? It is a much lefs riotous amufe- 
 ment j nay, it may even be a folitary 
 one. 
 
 To fpeak plainly, replied the Dean, 
 I cordially allow no amufement to a 
 clergyman that has any thing to do 
 vtithj&aidijtg blood. Befides, I think 
 a peculiar cruelty attends this diver- 
 fion. You may wound, and maim, 
 as well as kill. My heart, I am fure, 
 would be flrongly aftecled indeed, 
 even my conffwtttlfl mould make 
 a poor animal miferable all the days 
 of its life, for the fake of giving my- 
 felf a momentary amufement. It. 
 was but the laft autumn, when riding 
 down a lane, I faw two poor miferable 
 partridges
 
 46 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 partridges both bleeding, and one 
 trailing a fhattered leg after it flut- 
 tering, and running before me. Poor 
 wretches, faid I, I wifh the perfon, 
 who put you into this miferable fitua- 
 tion, may never feel the diftrefs he 
 has occafioned ! I then ordered my 
 fervant to difmount, and run after 
 them. The lame one he caught; 
 the other crawled into a hedge, where 
 it probably lingered out its miferable 
 life a few days longer. 
 
 But the expert markfman, I told 
 the Dean, never fhoots among a co- 
 vey, but takes his aim at a fingle 
 b.ird. 
 
 And
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 47 
 
 And are all fhooters, faid he, ex- 
 pert markjmen ? And does the expert 
 markfman himfelf never maim the 
 bird he aims at, or the bird that is 
 near it ? Often, no doubt, he maims 
 both. To repel the attack of a 
 bird, or bead of prey, I have cer- 
 tainly no objection j nor to take the 
 life of an animal for food: though I 
 fliould not wifh to make a clergyman 
 the butcher, whether an ox or a par- 
 tridge is to be flaughtered. But to 
 take the life of an animal, except in 
 one or the other of thefe cafes, I hold 
 to be abfolutely immoral. And I 
 think equally fo to run the rifk of 
 maiming it, and making it miferable 
 for life. The mod humane way 
 therefore
 
 48 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 therefore of taking birds is with a 
 net, which allows you to difcharge 
 fuch as you wifh, and put to a 
 Ipeedy death thofe you take for 
 food. 
 
 But to take birds in a net, faid [, 
 Sir, is not at all in the fpirit of fportf- 
 men. Befides, there are fome fpe- 
 cies of game, as pheafants particu- 
 larly, which cannot be taken in 
 nets. 
 
 Do not tell me, replied the Dean, 
 -of the fpirit offpcrffmen. Though the 
 ties of humanity, no doubt, equally 
 bind them ; yet to fuch hopelefs 
 hearers I fhould no more attempt to 
 preach,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 49 
 
 preach, than I fhould to their fpa- 
 niels. Nor do I pretend to know, 
 what kind of game may be taken 
 in one way, and what in another: 
 though, I have no doubt, my friend 
 Robert * could inform me, how 
 pheafants might be taken without 
 {hooting them. But what I labour 
 at chiefly is to convince fuch fober- 
 minded clergymen, as I conceive you 
 to be, that every fpecies of bloody, 
 and cruel amufement is unfuitable to 
 the genius, and temper of a Chriftian 
 divine; and enters more by habit 
 into a charafter, than is commonly 
 fuppofed. It is under the idea of 
 tainting 
 
 * Sir Roger's gains-keeper. 
 E
 
 50 . , D I A L O.U E 3 ON THE 
 
 tainting a character with profcffional 
 habits, that the butcher is prohibited 
 from ferving on a jury. 
 
 For myfelf, Sir, I replied, I am 
 only alhamedj that from the dictates 
 of my own reaibn I have not fooner 
 acknowledged the truths you fet be- 
 fore me. I always had my doubts : 
 but not fuppofmg amuements of this 
 kind to bzjinful, and not .conceiving 
 them to be \iq$r<Q&r t from the eager- 
 nefs, with which numbers of my elder 
 brethren purfue them, I ftifled my 
 own fuggeftions. But in my prefenc 
 lentiments I believe I fhall never fire 
 a gun again for my diverfion, at any 
 ^kind of game.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 51 
 
 To affift yoijr good resolutions, 
 faid the Dean, I can fuggeft two, or 
 three other con fide rations, w.hich are 
 worth the attention of a clergyman. 
 He can fcarce be fett)ed in any place, 
 in which he will not find the fqj#rc 
 of his pariih attached violently to his 
 games ^y4 jealous of every nian, 
 who iaferferjes wjt|i Ijim in this great 
 poin,t. |rle js efpecially jealous of 
 jh.e clergyman, whom he ^confiders 
 as an interloper. I ha,ve known, 
 many clergymen get into fijjy 
 fquabbles pn this fcor.ej and by 
 making themfclvjes abnoxioiis to 
 tne fquire, render tfiemfelves much 
 lefs able to b,e of feryice in 
 E 2 their 
 
 I 
 
 a
 
 52 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 their parifhes. On many occa- 
 fions the fqu ire's countenance may 
 be of great ufe to the clergyman in 
 managing his parochial affairs: and 
 it is highly imprudent to lofe his 
 affiftance for a trifle. 
 
 I once, faid I, experienced this in- 
 convenience myfelf. But I had the 
 difcretion, when I found I hadraifed 
 a jealoufy, immediately to defift. At 
 prefent, I have free permifilon from 
 Sir Roger, and two or three other 
 gentlemen of the country, to range 
 their domains, when I pleafe: So 
 that I lay down my arms in the ple- 
 nitude of my power. 
 
 I mould
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 53 
 
 I fhould wilh dill farther to fugged 
 to you, continued the Dean, that if 
 any mifchance, in thefe violent exer- 
 cifes, (hould happen to a clergyman, 
 it tells much worfe, than when ic 
 happens to another perfon. How 
 oddly would it found, if the parifli 
 were told, on a Sunday, there could 
 be no fervice, becaufe the parfon 
 had put out his fhoulder, the day 
 before, at a fox-chafe ? If a clergy- 
 man lofe a hand, or an eye in fhooting, 
 as is fometimes the cafe, I have ge- 
 nerally found the commiferation of 
 people, mixed, with a certain degree 
 of contempt. If he had been about 
 his bufmefs, they would fay, it would 
 not have happened. The commif- 
 E fion
 
 54 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 fiorialfoof an accidental mifchief, in 
 
 fhefe unclerical amufements, will 
 
 always be more diftrefling, at lead it 
 
 etjght, to a clergyman, than to a 
 
 fey man. Poor Archbiftiop Abbot 
 
 fras a melancholy inftance. He 
 
 was exemplary in many points, but 
 
 unhappily indulged himfelf in the 
 
 imufement of fhooting ; and as he 
 
 was taking this exercife 'in a park 
 
 belonging to -Lord Zouch in Hamp- 
 
 ffcirc, he had the misfortune to fhoot 
 
 one of the kee'pers. After this" event, 
 
 he never recovered his cheerfulnefs;, 
 
 and party running high, it gave his 
 
 enemies a great handle againfl him. 
 
 It was brought as a queftion, whether 
 
 he could ever again officiate as an 
 
 . ' - : 
 
 arch-
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 5$ 
 
 archbifhop. After a long inquiry, it 
 was determined, that he muft be de- 
 graded, but that the king might again 
 reftore him j which was accordingly 
 done. I could point out a prelate of 
 thefe days *, who, though otherwife 
 a very refpe&able man, does his cha- 
 racter no fervice by being a fportfr 
 man. Formerly he kept a pack of 
 hounds; but has had the decency, 
 lince he obtained a mitre,, to difmifs 
 them. He is dill however his own 
 game- keeper j and is fo expert, that 
 he wants no afliftance in furnilhing 
 his table with every article of game. 
 Archbifhop Abbot's misfortune re* 
 
 minds 
 
 About the beginning of James II, 
 E 4,
 
 56 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 minds me of a fimilar accident, of 
 which this prelate had nearly been 
 the occafion. A young lady, who 
 lived near him, was riding quietly 
 along a clofe lane, when a gun went 
 off, on the other fide of the hedge, 
 clofe to her horfe's ear. The bead 
 took fright flarted violently afide 
 and threw her; though providential- 
 ly fhe was not hurt. While her fer- 
 vant was .following her horfe, flie 
 walked gently up the lane ; and 
 coming to an opening in the hedge, 
 the bifhop, in all his fhooting ac- 
 coutrements, prefented himfelf. He 
 made his apology, and hoped fhe was 
 not hurt. She thanked him for his 
 kind enquiry: but faid, fhe fhould 
 
 have
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 57 
 
 have been better pleafed, if it had 
 been needlefs. 
 
 I told the Dean, I remembered 
 fomething of the (lory, about, two 
 years ago, in the public prints. 
 
 Yes,faid the Dean, me was an arch 
 girl, and inferted it in a very Iqdi- 
 crous manner j making a laughable 
 contraft between the bimop's fporting 
 attire, and his lawn fleeves, and other 
 epifcopal habiliments *. 
 
 Well, 
 
 * Dr. Johnfon's profound reverence fcr 
 the hierarchy made him expedl from bifhops 
 the higheft degree of decorum. There arc 
 gradations, he faid, in conduct : there is mo- 
 rality decency propriety. None of thefc 
 
 ihould
 
 58 DIALOGUES ON T HE 
 
 Well, Sir, faid I, I hope thefe ex- 
 amples will prove fufficient cautions 
 
 to 
 
 ihould be violated by a bifhop. When a 
 bifhop places himfelf in a fituation, ivhere he 
 has no diftinft character, and is of no confe- 
 quence, he degrades the dignity of his order. 
 Nor was it only in the dignitaries of the 
 church that Dr. Johnfon required a particular 
 decorum, and delicacy of behaviour; he juftly 
 coniidered, that the clergy, as perfons fet 
 apart for the facred office of ferving at the 
 altar, and impreffing the minds of men with 
 the aweful concerns of a future ftate, fhould 
 fee fomewhat more ferious than the generality, 
 of mankind j and have a fuitable compofure 
 cf manners. A due fenfe of the dignity of 
 their profeflion, independent of higher mo- 
 tives, will ever prevent them from lofing 
 their diftinftion in an indifcriminate fociality : 
 and did fuch as affeft this, know how much 
 it leflens them in the eyes of thofe,\vho they 
 thirtk to pleafe by it, they would feel them- 
 felvcs much mortified. 
 
 Bofwdl'fLiftofJobnfan, vol. Hi. p. 32.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 59 
 
 to me, though I am forry to receive 
 them from fach exalted characters. 
 I mould wifh you however to believe, 
 that I am an enemy to cruelty in all 
 fhapes j and do not remember, that 
 I ever wantonly took the life of the 
 meaneft reptile. 
 
 We certainly, faid the Dean, have 
 no right. When a fpider takes pof- 
 ieffion of my houfe, or a fnail of my 
 garden, I make no fcruple to deftroy j 
 them. They are im 7 aders. But if 
 I meet with either of them in the 
 fields, I fhould think myfelf the in- 
 vader, if I difturbed them. If a 
 wolf attempt to feize a lamb, which 
 is my property, and under my pro- 
 tection,,
 
 6O DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 lection, I think his life fhould pay 
 the forfeit. But if he can feize an 
 antelope, or any other wild animal, 
 with which I have no concern, I 
 have no authority to interfere. He 
 has the fame deed of gift to alledge 
 for feizing the antelope, which I 
 have for the beef or mutton I buy in 
 the market. And yet I know not, 
 whether 1 fhould not put him to. 
 death, wherever I found him, as a 
 profcribed villain ; as always adling 
 under at leafl a tacit declaration of 
 war againfl me. If I were not well 
 afiiired, he would attack me, or mine, 
 whenever he could, I am perfuaded, 
 I fhould never moleft him. Man 
 regulates his actions towards his /<?/- 
 
 low-
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLEPGYMEN. 6 1 
 
 low-men, by laws and cujloms. But 
 certainly there are laws alfo to be 
 obferved between man and bead", 
 which are equally coercive, though 
 the injured party has no power of 
 appeal. 
 
 1 fully accede, faicl I, Sir, to your 
 code of criminal law between man, 
 and beaft. It is certainly power, not 
 right, that we appeal to, in wantonly 
 difpofing of the lives of animals. 
 And what furprifes me the more, is, 
 we often" fee this wanton breach of 
 natural law in men of humanity. An 
 acquaintance of mine, who is as rea- 
 dy as any man to do a good-natured 
 action, will ftand whole mornings by 
 
 the
 
 62 DIALOGUES O tf THE 
 
 the fide of a bridge, (hooting fwal- 
 lows, as they thread the arch, and flit 
 pad him. He is however no clergy- 
 man. 
 
 Let him be what he will, laid tfyc 
 Dean, his profeflion has been mif- 
 jt.aken, and he ought to have been 
 bred a butcher. I can have no con- 
 ception of the Jiumaaity of a man, 
 who can fincj his arriufemeat in de- 
 ftroying the happinefs of a number .of 
 JUtk innocent creatures, iporring 
 rfiemieives, during -their fhort fum- 
 mer, in fkimming about the air; 
 ^nd without doing injury of any kind, 
 purfuing only their own little happy 
 
 ^xcurfions, and .catching the food, 
 I which
 
 AMUSEMEKTS OF CLERGYMEN'. 63 
 
 which Providence has allotted them. 
 But I have feen inftances enough of 
 this kind of cruelty to remove all 
 furpnfe. More offence from fuch 
 defpotifm I never remember to have 
 taken, than, about five or fix years 
 ago, in a little voyage I made into 
 the Irifh fea. A nephew of mine, 
 the captain .of a cruizer, whom you 
 may remembef tp have feen here 
 laft rummer, was then lying at Mil- 
 fbrd-l?aveii ; and, being about to 
 take the voyage I have mentioned, 
 was defirous so carry me with him, as 
 I had expreffed an inclination to fee 
 the wonderful rocky barrier, which 
 nature had formed againft the ocean,: 
 along many ,of the coafts of -Wales. 
 
 As
 
 64 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 As we drew near a promontory, 
 where the rocks were lofty, we 
 found them inhabited by thoufands 
 of fea-fowl of different kinds, which 
 at that leafon frequent them. I 
 was greatly amufed with feeing 
 the variety of their bufy actions, 
 and different modes of flight j and 
 with hearing the harlh notes of 
 each, when Jingle; and their varied 
 tones, changed into a fort of wild 
 harmony, by the clangor of all toge- 
 ther. One fhould have thought a 
 colony, like this, might have been 
 fafe from all annoy. They are ufe- 
 lefs when dead and harmlefs when 
 alive We fa w however, as we pro- 
 ceeded, two or three boats anchoring 
 
 at
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. -6.$ 
 
 at different ditlances, in which were 
 cenamfavagfi I can call them by 
 no other name diverting themfelves 
 with (hooting at thefe poor birds, as 
 they flew from their nefts, or returned 
 to them with food from the Tea; de- 
 ftroying not only the parent-birds, 
 but leaving the helplefs progeny to 
 clamour in vain for food, and die of 
 hunger. This mode of taking life 
 for no end, is a ipecies of cruelty, 
 \vhich I {houki wifn to brand with 
 the fevered name -, andfhould aimofl 
 deteft a clergyman, who fliould find 
 his amufemen't in it. 
 
 I mufl allow, faid I, Sir, that what 
 
 you have faid againfl hunting, and 
 
 {hooting,
 
 66 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 ihooting, hath entirely convinced me 
 of the impropriety of both, as cleri- 
 cal amufements. You have laid 
 nothing however againft fifhing. Do 
 you allow me to fuppofe, this amufe- 
 ment to be a clerical one ? 1 1 is filent, 
 quiet, and may be contemplative. 
 
 I am, afraid, replied the Dean, I 
 fhall be thought too rigid if I abridge 
 a clergyman of this amufement: 
 and yet ! I cannot bring mylelf to 
 allow him any amufement, which 
 ar ifes from dejlroy'mg life. To Bill- 
 ing is annexed a peculiar cruelty. 
 An impaled worm writhing upon a 
 hook; or the convulfions of a filh 
 under the operation of having a 
 x . barbed
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 67 
 
 barbed hook extracted from its 
 bowels i are ideas which greatly hurt 
 rny feelings. Catch your fifli with 
 ~a net, and you have my free leave. 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, the trout, and I 
 believe other filh, inhabit fuch little 
 -rapid rivulets, as are accefiible only 
 .to a fly. Nets are accommodated 
 chiefly to iarge rivers ; and they re- 
 quire a boat, and other apparatus, 
 which a clergyman cannot always 
 command. Befides, the ufe of nets 
 is commonly forbidden as too de- 
 rftruclive. But the angling rod is ge- 
 nerally allowed, and eafily procured : 
 and many a clergyman, who lives 
 near a trout-ftream, may find it con- 
 F 2 venient
 
 68 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 venient to bring a dim of fifh, which 
 cofts him nothing, now and then, to 
 his family. 
 
 There is fome force, no doubt, 
 aniwercd the Dean, in what you fay: 
 and if the ftfli can be caught in no 
 other manner, I know not how to 
 object. Only frill, if I were the 
 clergyman, I mould leave other peo- 
 ple to catch them. 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, many of our great 
 churchmen have indulged themfelves 
 in this amufement. That fkilful ca- 
 fuift, and able divine, Dr. Donne, I 
 have heard, was once an able an- 
 gler j your worthy predeceflbr, Dr. 
 Nowel,
 
 A<V*USEMEN ? TS OF CLERGYMEN. 6e) 
 
 Nowel, was like wife a great profi- 
 cient in angling. Our prefent wor- 
 thy primate * alfo I have been told, 
 was inferior to neither of them in 
 his love for angling. And good 
 Mr. Walton f, whofe lives I have 
 heard you fpeak of as models of 
 eafy writing and good fenfe, wrote 
 a book (chough it never perhaps 
 caught your attention) intitled, The 
 Ccmpleat Angler; or, The Contempla- 
 tive Marts Recrtation. 
 
 Indeed, 
 
 * Archbifhop Sheldon. 
 
 f Jfaac Walton, a Hamburgh- merchant, 
 who retired from bufmefs in the latter pare 
 of his life ; and was much efteemed by all the 
 fcholars of his time. A: this period, he had 
 written feveral lives ; to which he afterward* 
 added the life of Eifhop Sanderfon. 
 
 * 3
 
 70 DIALOGUE SON THE 
 
 Indeed, faid the Dean, you have 
 drawn up againil me a very formi^ 
 dable body of evidence : but will 
 you give me leave to challenge 
 them ? Donne, you know, was ef- 
 teemed in the early part of his life, 
 an incorrett man : and I fuppofe you 
 are not much acquainted with his 
 opinion on this fubjefr, after he be- 
 came a pious divine. For my pre- 
 deceflbr, Dean Nowel, I have a 
 high reverence ; and I have heard, 
 as you have, that he was an able an- 
 gler. But I have heard alfo, that he 
 made it a rule to give all his fifh to 
 the poor j which looks as if the good 
 man was not quite eafy in his bufi- 
 nefs; but thought Ibme kind of ex- 
 piation
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. Jt 
 
 piation necefiary. As to our wor* 
 thy primate, I have eaten fifii with 
 him many times at his own table, 
 and the tables of our common 
 friends i and I never heard a fy liable 
 faid, either by himfelf, or others, 
 alluding to his (kill in angling; fo 
 that I fuppofe that (kill, whatever it 
 was, has been long ago forgotten 
 among the inaccuracies of his youth. 
 After all, however, I cannot allow 
 the example of any man living to be 
 a teft of right and wrong. It is not 
 the example which makes the action 
 good j but the goodnefs of the action 
 which gives force to the example. 
 If you could affure me, that Dean 
 Nowcl, or Dr. Donne (who was flill 
 F 4 an
 
 72 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 an acuter man) had ever confidered : 
 the art of angling with any attention 
 in a moral light,. their opinions at leaft 
 might have had fome weight; but 
 when we confider them as addicted 
 only to a favourite amufernent (and 
 we all know the force of prejudice 
 in fuch cafes) their example appears 
 to me of little value. As to my 
 friend Walton (whom I much ef- 
 leem) though I allow him to be a 
 pleafing writer, I doubt whether he 
 is a deep reafoner. How angling 
 can be called the contemplative Man's 
 Recreation, I cannot fee. That the 
 contemplative man may lav his an- 
 gling rod on the bank, and take out 
 his book, or meditate on a fubjeft, I 
 
 can-
 
 AMUSEMENTS CF CLERGYMEN,. 73 
 
 can eafily conceive. But what has 
 that to do with angling? While he 
 is following his profefiion, and attend- 
 ing to the friPKing of his fly, I fhould 
 not give much for the produce of 
 his contemplation.. 
 
 Well, Sir, faid I, if human exam- 
 ples have no weight with you, let 
 me urge you with fcriptural autho- 
 rity. Many of the apoftles were 
 nfhermen ; . and our Saviour him- 
 felf bids Peter caft his book into the 
 fa. 
 
 Why yes, an fwe red the Dean; but 
 I doubt whether you will get more 
 from thefe authorities, than from 
 
 the-
 
 74 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 the other. Fifhing, you know, 
 was the occupation of feveral of the 
 apoftles: they fiftied with nets for a 
 livelihood: and St. Peter, you will 
 remember, did not caft his hook into 
 thejea for his amujement. However, 
 you find 1 am not very rigid on this 
 head. To be ingenuous with you, 
 I am withheld from faying all I could 
 wifh to fay on this fubject, by a fort 
 of pious prejudice. My father was 
 one of the moil benevolent of men; 
 and one of the moll fkilful of anglers. 
 Nobody dreffed a fly more naturally. 
 Many a time, when I was a boy, 
 have I been delighted with looking 
 into his flihing apparatus; and feeing 
 his different flies fome plain, and 
 
 grey-
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN'. J$ 
 
 grey-coated fome fhining with 
 glofTy green and others brilliant 
 with fpots of burnifhed gold yet all 
 fo natural, that I think they might 
 have impofed en the moft expe- 
 rienced fifh. Each of thefe he ufed 
 in its proper feafon ; and could 
 make it frilk on the furface of the 
 water, with the very acYion of life. 
 All the rivers of the country, and . 
 their characters, lie well knew; and 
 would fometimes ride a dozen miles 
 for a good day's fifhing. In refpect 
 to the memory cf this excellent per- 
 fon (who was as good a man as any 
 you have mentioned, and felt for every 
 creature alive except a fifh) I would 
 not be too harfh in my cenfurc of 
 
 this
 
 f6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 this amufement. I cannot however, 
 all prejudice apart, forbear faying, 
 that, in general, we have no right to 
 take the lives of animals except for 
 food, or to get rid of a nuifance and 
 that when we are obliged to take life, 
 we mould always take it in the eafieft 
 manner, and never as an amufement. 
 All this appears to me fo much the 
 dictate of nature, and truth, that no 
 man can controvert it in reafon y 
 whatever he may do in practice. But 
 the clergyman is under the ftill 
 ftricter ties of decency, and refpect 
 to his character. 
 
 But have not you, faid I, Sir, con- 
 fined within too ftrid a limit the 
 
 power
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 77 
 
 power of man over the lives of ani- 
 mals ? Are there not other reafons, 
 be fides obtaining food, and the re- 
 moval of a nuiun ice, "which may make 
 the exercifc of that power lawful ? 
 May we not take the whale for his 
 oil, and the beaver for his fur ? 
 
 I allow it; faid the Dean. Where 
 the ufes of m&n preponderate, his 
 right over the animal feems juft. But 
 perhaps greater liberty may be com- 
 monly taken in this matter, than my 
 code will allow. If the life be trivial, 
 the claim is imperfect. Though I 
 ihould permit you to take the whale 
 for his oil -, I hould not readily grant 
 
 you
 
 78 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 you leave to deftroy the elephant for 
 his tooth. 
 
 ' I told theDean, I faw the difference 
 very plainly. But, faid I, Sir, do you 
 allow the philofopher to take life in 
 
 -making his refearches into nature? In 
 examining the wonders of the micro- 
 
 -fcope ; in tracing the circulation of 
 the blood; in difcoveringthe proper- 
 ties of air; and in other things, which 
 tend to advance human knowledge, 
 
 -and often fcrve fome great end of 
 utility? 
 
 This queftion, faid the Dean, is 
 
 rather- more difficult. What pro- 
 
 - motes human knowledge,, or ferves 
 
 -any
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 79 
 
 any efiential purpofe of utility, is cer- 
 tainly of more confequence, than the 
 life of an animal: and I give you li- 
 berty to take it, when you are fure 
 you are on good ground. But 1 
 fhould interdict this, privilege to mere 
 curiofity. We may believe, on the 
 credit of others, that the blood cir- 
 culates j or that an animal will die 
 in. an exhaufted receiver. 
 
 I then afked the Dean, if he did 
 not think, on the other hand, that we 
 might carry our tendernefs in taking 
 life too far? I have frequently, faid 
 :I, deferted a path I wifhed to walk 
 in, becaufe I have found it pre-cc- 
 cupied by a train of ants, which it 
 
 hurt
 
 Ho DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 hurt me to crufh. And yet I 
 have fometimes thought my caution 
 unnecefTary. 
 
 N-o doubt, replied the Dean, every 
 virtue has its extremes its ultra (as 
 we juft cbferved) as well as its citra. 
 I have ofcen feen this tendernefs in 
 taking life carried to a ridiculous 
 length, if we .can call any thing ridi- 
 -culous, that is founded on an amiable 
 principle. I knew a humane man, 
 who would not fuffer a moufe to be 
 taken in a fnap-trap. He allowed it 
 to be taken alive , but he took care 
 to have it carried to a diftance into 
 the fields, and there fet at liberty. 
 He would not deflroy a fpider, though
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 8 1 
 
 he made no fcruple to fweep away 
 its web. My dear Sir, I once faid to 
 him, your tender mercies are cruel. 
 It would certainly be more merciful 
 to difpatch thefe poor animals at 
 once, than to make them mifera- 
 ble by turning them adrift, or leav- 
 ing them to a languiPning death, 
 by taking from them their means 
 of fubfiftence. All this therefore 
 feems to me abfurd. It is making 
 the lives of animals of more con- 
 iequence than they fhould be. It is 
 making a man miferable for the fake 
 of a mite. For if we carry this ten- 
 dernefs as far as it will fairly go, we 
 ought neither to eat a plum, nor tafte 
 a drop of vinegar. It is not fize, 
 c which
 
 Sfc DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 which gives value to life. The infeiSr, 
 that forms the blue of a plum, or 
 that frifks in a drop of vinegar, has 
 certainly the fame claim to exift, as a 
 Ipider, or a moufe. And how far 
 life extends, we know notj fo that 
 our tendernefs in this refpeft, if 
 indulged to excefs, migh: be endlefs. 
 Like Indian Bramins, we fhould not 
 dare to lie down, or fet a foot to the 
 ground, without examining every 
 footftep with microfcopical exadlnefs. 
 But as thefe little f warms of nature 
 interfere thus with all the concerns 
 of men, it is plain that Providence 
 does not lay much ftrefs on their 
 lives. All therefore that feems re- 
 quired, in thefe cafes, is to abftain 
 
 from
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 8j 
 
 from wanton injury. I would not 
 however have you always take 
 the meafure of a man's virtue by 
 the extraordinary tendernefs of his 
 feelings. I knew a gentleman, fb 
 extremely tender towards the lives 
 of animals, that when an earwig crept" 
 out of a log of wood, which had been 
 laid on his fire, he forbade any more 
 logs to be taken from that pile, and 
 left -it to rot. Yet this very man, 
 v/ith alUhefe nice feelings about him, 
 lived avowedly in a ftate of adultery. 
 Such tendernefs therefore may, or 
 may not, be allied to virtue cer- 
 tainly not necerTarily fo allied. It is 
 founded merely in nature. But when 
 any one affection of the mind is re- 
 G 2 gulated
 
 84 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 gulated by a religious principle, there 
 is in that mind a controlling power, 
 which regulates other affections. 
 Thus if we abftain from cruelty on 
 a religious principle, we may depend 
 on that principle on other occafions. 
 As to thefe delicate feelings, they 
 feldom reach beyond their immediate 
 
 objefl. Here the Dean made a 
 
 paufe, and after a little recoiled ion, 
 faid, he thought they had now run 
 over all the riotous, and cruel amufe- 
 ments, which he could recollect. 
 As for cock-fighting, and hcrfe racing, 
 he faid, they are fuch gambling di- 
 verfions, that I conceive no clergy- 
 man would even be prefent at the 
 former; or enter into the fpirit of 
 
 the
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN". 85 
 
 the latter. The race-ground is a 
 wide field, and if he ever enter it for 
 curiofity, he will not only avoid the 
 deep concerns, and commerce of the 
 place, if I may fo phrafe irj but will 
 alfo keep entirely aloof from the 
 noife y and buflle, and clamour of the 
 fcene. A friend of mine lived on the 
 confines of a celebrated race- ground. 
 He was fond of horfes, merely as 
 beautiful objects , and liked to fee 
 their various motions. And as peo- 
 ple are generally well mounted at 
 a race, and much agitated, he ufed 
 to gratify his curiofity by walking 
 out in an evening, about the time 
 the race was over; and would gee 
 behind forne hedge, where unfeen 
 G 3 he
 
 86 DIALOGUES QN THE 
 
 he had a good view of the company 
 returning from their fport over a fair 
 plain. This was to him the only 
 amuiement of a race j. ami he would 
 fay, he believed he had more pleasure 
 from the ibber enjoyment of this 
 moving picture,, than any one could 
 feel,, who entered into the wild joy, 
 and jollity of the fcene. 
 
 This put me in mind of a ftory,. 
 which I could not help telling the 
 Dean, of a clergyman in a. neigh^ 
 bourhood where I once lived. He 
 had prayers in his church every 
 Wednefday and Friday. But one 
 Sunday, as he was putting, on his 
 furplice in the veftry, Matthew, faid 
 he to his clerk, I fhall be at the races 
 on Wednefday, fo you muft give no- 
 tice,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. ' 87 
 
 tice, there will be no prayers. Poor 
 Matthew, who had not been fully 
 inftruted, and did not himfelf enter 
 into the decorum of things, made all 
 the congregation (tare, by giving no- 
 tice in a very audible voice, that there 
 would be no prefers on Wednefday, bz~ 
 cauje the parfon was going to the races. 
 The good Dean received my (lory 
 with a forced laugh ; for I perceived 
 his feet grew rather painful to him. 
 He rang foon after for his fervant 
 to change his pofture j and I think- 
 ing myfelf in the way, wifhed him a 
 good night. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST DIALOGUE.
 
 88 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 SECOND DIALOGUE 
 
 I T was two days before I had an op- 
 portunity of renewing my converfa- 
 tion with the good Dean; which I 
 was not forry for a as it gave me time 
 to put on paper what had already 
 pafled. He had divided amufements 
 into three kinds, and we had yet 
 eonfidered only fuch as were noify 
 and cruel. I took the firft oppor- 
 tunity to remind him, that he had 
 left me ftill in pofieflion of fuch 
 amufements,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 89. 
 
 amufements, as he called trifling and 
 feducing. 
 
 I mean not however, faid he, to be 
 more complaifant to you on this head, 
 than I have already been. I am 
 afraid too many of our fafhionable 
 amufements will fall under my cen- 
 fure. What do you think, for in- 
 ftance, of cards ? 
 
 I anfwered, I did indeed fuppofe 
 he would point one of his firft bat- 
 teries againft them. 
 
 It was plain then, he told me 3 that 
 I thought they deferved to be af- 
 faulted. 
 
 I know
 
 90 DIALOGUES ON THF 
 
 I know not, faid I, Sir, whether 
 I thought quite fo ill of them. I have 
 always been accuftomedto think, that 
 moderately ufed, they were an inno- 
 cent amufement even for a clergy- 
 man. 
 
 But pray, faid the Dean, in exa- 
 mining the propriety or impropriety, 
 the innocence or guilt, of an action, 
 are you to confider how it affects 
 yourfelf alone ; or how it affects the 
 public in general ? 
 
 No doubt, I replied, a public - 
 fpirited man will confider his actions 
 in reference to the public. 
 
 He
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. yi 
 
 He certainly ought, faid the 
 Dean; and this being allowed, do 
 you not confider the prefent rage 
 for card -playing, through all ranks of 
 people, as a public evil ? 
 
 I replied, it was, no doubt, aa 
 amufcment much abufed: but the 
 abufe, I thought, lay only at the 
 door of the abufer. Meat and drink 
 were abufed drefswas abufed the 
 Bible itfelf was abufed: but wemuft 
 have thefe things notwithftanding. 
 
 Aye, there, returned the Dean, 
 you point out the true diftindion. 
 You anfwer yourfelf. We muff have 
 the onej but need not have the other. 
 
 Does
 
 9-2 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 Does it follow, becaufe wew(/?have 
 meat and drink, though they are 
 abufed, that we muft necefiarily have 
 cards alib? If then cards be al- 
 lowed to be a public evil ; and we are, 
 at the ia me time, under no necejjity 
 to have them, every confcientious 
 man would give up a thing fo trifling 
 (as an amufement is at bed,) to 
 avert that evil: and by refraining, 
 he certainly does avert it, as far 
 as his own influence and example 
 reach. 
 
 You do not mean, faid I, Sir, that 
 cards are in themfelves eflentially 
 bad? 
 
 Why,
 
 'AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN'. 93 
 
 Why, no, faid he. Cards in them- 
 fehes may afford as innocent amufe- 
 ment as any thing elfe. And yet I 
 know not whether this conceffion is 
 not too much. I have been ufed 
 myfelf to confider amufements under 
 the head of fuch as are ftriclly focial ; 
 and of fuch as contain in them a 
 principle adverfe to fociety. Many 
 amufements are of the former kind; 
 but cards, and fome other games, in 
 which one party mufr be victorious, 
 and the other fubdued, encourage a 
 kind of principle fomewhat oppofite 
 to the focial temper: and the many 
 little fquabbJes, even among friends, 
 at fuch games, prove the truth of my 
 remark. However, if we could 
 
 play
 
 94 DIALOGUES ON THK 
 
 play with fuch moderation, as occa- 
 fioned no heart-burning, I fhould 
 be inclined to wave ibis objection-, 
 and confide r chiefly the excefs. It is 
 this indeed which creates the great 
 mifchief ; and the example fp reads it. 
 If cards are played at in the parlour, 
 they defcend to the kitchen: and 
 from your parlour and kitchen, to 
 thofe of your neighbour, and fo on. 
 The luft of card-playing is now 
 become fo flagitious, that every fe- 
 rious man, I affirm, ought to with- 
 draw -his own example from io 
 general, and pernicious a practice. 
 The clergyman, in particular, fhould 
 dread to fanction, what lias certainly 
 
 m-
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 95 
 
 fo bad an effed on the manners of 
 the people. 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, my example is of 
 fo little weight, that it cannot make 
 things either better or worfe. 
 
 ' :' '. 
 
 There is not, replied the Deao; 
 with fome warmth, in the whole mar- 
 gazine of falfe reafoning, a more dq- 
 ftru&ive mode of it, than this. I 
 will not fet a good example, becaufe 
 I know another will not follow it. 
 So nobody will fet a good example. 
 We have better ruJfsfurely, to dire6t. 
 us, than the practice of other people. 
 When a man thus puts his own prac- 
 tice and example into the hands of 
 
 others,
 
 96 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 others, and depends upon his neigh- 
 bour's conduct to regulate his own, 
 what reformation can we expect ? If 
 we are right, under fuch circum- 
 flances, it is by chance. Every man's 
 example has its influence, more or 
 lefs, which he fhould endeavour, for 
 the fake of good order, to make as 
 inftructive as he can, without trou- 
 bling himfelf with the example of 
 others. In families, where cards are 
 never introduced in the parlour, I dare 
 take upon me to fay they are rarely 
 feen in the kitchen ; except perhaps 
 where fervants have already learned 
 their leflbn in card-playing families. 
 And if the obligation to avoid fet- 
 ting a bad example, in this inftance,' 
 
 be
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 97 
 
 be general, it binds the ecclefiaftic 
 with double force. He ftiould cer- 
 tainly be the Jalt of the earth ; and 
 endeavour to keep every thing, as 
 far as he can, from corruption. Con- 
 iider what a change even that might 
 effeft. There are perhaps twenty 
 or thirty thoufand ecclefiaftics of 
 different denominations, fcattered 
 about the various parts of England. 
 If each of thefe influence a dozen, 
 which (including their own families) 
 is no extraordinary calculation, con- 
 fider what a party would be gained' 
 over. Each of thefe again, we may 
 fuppofe, might have fome influence ; 
 and if we may adopt our Saviour's 
 allufion, we might hope to fee it work 
 H like
 
 .g DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 like leaven, through the whole mafs.. 
 At leaft, v/e might hope to fee cards 
 confined within the gloomy walls of 
 gaming-houfes, and night- cellars. 
 
 But mould we not, faid I, Sir, be* 
 gin our reformation at thefe places.? 
 If we could get rid of gaming.- 
 houfes, and night-cellars, which the 
 high, and low vulgar frequent, cards 
 might perhaps be left to us ibber 
 people as an innocent amufement. 
 
 Not fo entirely, my good friend, 
 anfwered the Dean. It is not only 
 when cards are carried to this per- 
 nicious height, that I except' againft 
 them. Indeed, when a man has taken 
 
 his
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN*. 99 
 
 ills degrees at a gaming table, I have 
 done wirfi him. He is beyond re- 
 ceiving inftrudtion from me. I mult 
 therefore inform you, that I do not 
 confine the gaming-table to what is 
 called fo (as they fay) xar' tfaxw. I 
 rank under that head all thofe fcenes 
 of profligacy, fcattered, not only 
 through the metropolis, but through 
 every part of the country, where high 
 flakes are pledged, and well-drefTed. 
 people meet, not fo much with a view 
 of amufement, as- with a purppfe to 
 pillage one another. Thcfe how- 
 ever are only the excejjes of card- 
 playing; but for various other rea- 
 fons the very practice itfelf fhould 
 be difcouraged. In the -beft light, I 
 H 2 think,
 
 IOO DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 think, cards afford only a frivolous, 
 and fcducing arrrufement; efpecially 
 tt> & clergyman. They often lead 
 him into more expence, ftill fhort of 
 what may be called gaming, than may 
 be prudent for him to incur. Once 
 engaged in the habit of playing, or 
 lifted^ if I may fo phrafe it, into the 
 corps of card-players, he cannot 
 fometimes avoid venturing higher 
 flakes than he could wifh. But fup- 
 pofe he keep the fcales of lofs and 
 gain pretty even, (as I have fome- 
 times heard the moderate card-player 
 boaft) what fhall we fay for the ex- 
 pence of time ? Here comes in a 
 very feducing part. Evening af- 
 ter evening is loft. The afternoon
 
 AMUSEMENTS F CLERGYMEN. IOI 
 
 is often added. Habits are formed. 
 Play and comfort are connected j 
 and the day ends in joylefs vacan- 
 cy, that does not conclude with 
 trards. Befides, you give yourfelf 
 into the hands of others. It is un- 
 focial to break up a party. You arc 
 not therefore mafter of yourfelf. 
 Then again, confider, you cannot 
 choofe your company. You are a, 
 known card-player; you cannot (land 
 out, when a hand is wanted, and 
 mud often contort with thofe you 
 difefteem. Perhaps you yourfelf be- 
 come a corrupter. The card-player 
 mud have company. He cannot 
 follow his occupation alone: and 
 when he gets old in his habits, he_ 
 H 3 feduces,
 
 IC2 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 feduces, where feduftion is neceflaty, 
 every one, over whom he has in- 
 fluence, to join him in his idle em- 
 ployment. Above all, young peo- 
 ple mould confider, how ealily, where 
 amufements are concerned, the mind 
 glides into habits of indulgence. In 
 thefe journies of pleafure,fiep follows 
 ftep mechanically. I knew a young 
 lady thus debauched into a card- 
 player, though fhe was once among 
 the moft amiable of her fex domef- 
 tic ingenious fond of books full 
 of refources, and never at a lofs for 
 the employment of her time. Family 
 amufements were all thepleafures fhe 
 fought. Her father and mother were 
 excellent people j and brought her
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 10$ 
 
 t:p, an only daughter, in, what I may 
 juftly call, the cheerful reftraints of 
 religion. But during a fhort vific at 
 a relation's, to which her father re- 
 Juftantly confented,fhe unhappily got 
 a tafte for card-playing j and, when 
 ihe^ returned home, did not much en- 
 joy thofe innocent domeftic circles, 
 in which, before, fhe had given, and 
 received, fo much pleafure. In fliori, 
 fhe had loft her heart to this vile 
 amufement. Soon afterwards Ihe 
 married a young gentleman of for- 
 tune fober, virtuous, and modeft ; 
 but of talents very inferior to thofe 
 ef his wife. With difcretion fhe 
 might have modelled her family, as 
 fiie had pleafcd ; and had an excel- 
 x H 4 Irnt
 
 J04 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 knt example before her, in her fa- 
 ther's : but fhe chofe rather to cor- 
 rupt her hufband, and turn his man- 
 fion into a gaming-houfe. I men- 
 tion this inftance as one among a 
 hundred I have feen in my life, to 
 Ihew the rapid progrefs of pleafur- 
 able habits, and thofe of cards be- 
 yond all others ; to which I think 
 particularly belongs that excellent 
 adage, Prindpiis obfta. 
 
 But fmce, faid I, Sir, we are often 
 obliged to confortwith thofe, whom 
 we difefteem, or with thofe, whofe 
 minds are too unfurnifhed to bear a 
 part in converfation, is it not ufeful, 
 and often necefiary, to introduce 
 
 # fomething,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 10$ 
 
 fomething, that removes, for the 
 time at leaft, all difguft fomething 
 that may level thofe, who have not 
 fenfe, with thofe who have; and en- 
 able them to pafs their time together 
 in mutual civility, without labouring 
 to fupport a converfation, which moil 
 probably more than half of them are 
 utterly unable to fupport ? 
 
 This is the firft time, faid the Dean 
 fmiling, I ever heard cards mentioned 
 as a bond of benevolence. As the 
 caufe of ill -humour, and diflfenfion, 
 I have often heard them taxed. But 
 I fuppofe you do not hold the argu- 
 ment ferioufly. You cannot imagine 
 cards to be more effectual to this 
 
 end,
 
 106 'DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 end, than even thofe modes of gene- 
 ral civility, which commonly reign 
 among polite people; and check, 
 during the intercourfe, all appear- 
 ance of fuch little hoftilities, as may- 
 rankle within. At deaft you muft 
 allow, that card -play ing is not 
 quite a clerical mode of incul- 
 cating benevolence. And as to your 
 fblicitude to lower the man of wit 
 and fenfe to a level with his neigh- 
 bours, and bring converfation to an 
 equilibrium, I think it ill-judged. If 
 the man of fenfe have any good-na- 
 ture in his compofition, he will not 
 be much hurt at beftowing on his 
 weaker neighbour a pittance of his 
 information, and wifdorn. At 
 * .lead,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLEPGYMEN. 10? 
 
 leaft, it is not well done in you to 
 furnifh him with an apology to 
 withhold it. How is the poor 
 man to improve, if on his coming 
 into company, an immediate flop 
 is put to all converfation by calling 
 for cards? However, I confider 
 this argument only as a muffle. 
 Any converfation is furely better, 
 than the dull monotony of a card- 
 table. He who can bear the con- 
 verfation of a card player^ fliould 
 not affecl being out of humour with 
 any other converfation. For myfelf, 
 I proteft I fhould make better com- 
 pany of a parrot. 
 
 I cannot, faid I, truly fay much"- for 
 
 the
 
 108 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 the converfation of a card-table, ex- 
 cept that it is innocent, and may keep 
 converfation from taking a worfc 
 turn. 
 
 Why, yes, faid the Dean, and fo it 
 would, if you fhould clap a gag into 
 every body's mouth, when he went 
 into company. At the fame time I 
 mould lay but little ftrefs either on 
 one expedient, or the other. A mort 
 reftraint affords no amendment. Bring 
 the axe to the root of the tree cor- 
 rect the heart and you do fome- 
 thing. But till that be done, the 
 propenfity to fcandal may be checked, 
 but will find its opportunity to break 
 tut, whether you are a card player, 
 
 or
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 10$ 
 
 or not. Perhaps, like fermenting 
 liquor, it may burft out with more 
 violence from having been con- 
 fined. 
 
 But, faid I r Sir,, is it not worth 
 confideration, whether people may 
 not employ their vacant time worfe, 
 if they do not employ it on cards B 
 
 I know not how they can employ 
 it worfe, anfwered the Dean, if you 
 refpeft their amufements only. And 
 if you think cards will keep a young 
 fellow from the flews or a debauch, 
 when he is inclined to either, I fear 
 you attribute much more to them, 
 than they deferve, If a man be 
 
 fond
 
 JIG DIALOGUES ON THkT 
 
 fond of two games, both are amufe- 
 ments j and ib far as there is a fimili- 
 tude between them, the love of one 
 may perhaps overpower an attach- 
 ment to the other. But when a man 
 is fond of a game, arid addicted to a 
 vice, as there is no fimilitude be- 
 tween the objects, you have no more 
 ground for expecting the former will 
 drive out the latter, than for fup- 
 pofing a man's dancing a minuet 
 fhould prevent his admiring- a pic- 
 ture. 
 
 You force me, faidl, Sir, out 'of all 
 
 my flrong holds : but you muft give 
 me leave to make one obfervation 
 more. I have heard fickly people 
 
 fpeak
 
 AMUSEMENTS OP CLERGYMEN. Ill' 
 
 fpeak of cards as a great relief in 
 painj when the mind is incapable of 
 any other attention. And if exciting 
 this frivolous attention will draw it 
 from attending to its malady, cards* 
 I think, are an opium, and may often 
 be called. a blefilng. 
 
 Aye, aye, replied the Dean, I 
 
 have certainly no objection to their 
 
 being ufed medicinally. But then I 
 
 fhould wifh to have them fold only at 
 
 the apothecary's Ihop, and the doctor 
 
 to prefcribe the ufe of them. I fhould 
 
 fear, if the patient prefcribe for him> 
 
 felf, he may be apt to take too large 
 
 a dofe,,as he often does of laudanum, 
 
 and other anodyne drugs. I once 
 
 knew
 
 112 BIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 knew an old lady, who had loft the 
 ufe of her fpeech, and of both her 
 hands, by two or three paralytic 
 flrokesi and every evening took the 
 remedy you have been prefcribing. 
 She was a lady of large fortune gave 
 good fuppers and had generally a 
 number of humble friends about her, 
 one of whom always, after fvipper, 
 dealt, forted, and held her cards, and 
 pointing to this, or that, the old lady 
 nodded at the card fhe wiflhed to have 
 her friend play. But it fometimes 
 happened, that the paralytic (hake of 
 the head was miftaken for the nod 
 of approbation, and unfortunately a 
 wrong card was played j which threw 
 the old lady (whole whole heart was 
 
 in
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 113 
 
 in the remedy fhe was taking) into 
 fuch violent fits of paffion, that peo- 
 ple thought ihe received more in- 
 jury from thefe irritations, than be- 
 nefit from the prefcription. 
 
 I fear, faid I, Sir, from all this ri- 
 dicule, you thought what I advanced, 
 rather impertinent. 
 
 My ridicule, replied the Dean, was 
 
 not furely directed at you; but at 
 
 thofe poor melancholy objects, who 
 
 cannot, even at the clofe of life, be 
 
 happy without their cards. I have 
 
 heard of many fuchj and' have 
 
 known fome. I once called en a 
 
 neighbouring clergyman (it is now 
 
 i many
 
 114 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 many years ago) whom I found, not 
 indeed abfolutely dying ; but fo ill, 
 that it was thought he never could 
 recover. I was then in hafle ; but 
 finding him defirous of my company, 
 I promifed to drink tea with him in 
 the afternoon. When I came, I 
 found he had invited two other 
 clergymen to meet us. As I knew 
 them both to be men of fenfe and 
 learning, I expected to ipend a very 
 pleafant evening. But how great 
 was my furprize, when the tea-table 
 being removed, the card-table was 
 introduced } to which they fat down 
 as to a thing of courfe. I was the 
 only young man among them, hav- 
 ing only juft taken orders : but I 
 
 was
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN". 1 15 
 
 was fo ftruck with this mode of ad- 
 miniflering confolation to a dying 
 man, and wkh the ftrange indecorum 
 of drav;ing a young clergyman into 
 fuch improprieties, that I knew not 
 what to do. I hefitated: but the 
 text came into my head, rebuke not 
 an elder-, and not having time, in 
 the moment:, to confider circurn- 
 ftances, I fat down. But the thing 
 made fuch an impreflion on me, 
 that from that day to this, I have 
 cbftinately perfifted in never touch- 
 ing a card. At a time, when fe- 
 rious thought and meditation are the 
 moft becoming, it is pitiable, in the 
 lafl degree, to fee the dregs of life 
 running -off in fo wretched a man- 
 r 2 ner.
 
 Il6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 ner. If there is any thing in hu- 
 man nature, which unites contempt, 
 and commiferation, faid a friend of 
 mine (coming from a fight of this 
 kind) it is the fpedacle of a man 
 going down to the grave with a pack 
 of cards in his hand ! 
 
 Indeed, faid I, Sir, thefe frightful 
 examples are of themfelves fufficient 
 warnings But I have done. I was 
 willing to fay what I could for an 
 amufement, in which I fear I have 
 had too great an intereft. But 
 I hope, Sir, I (hall not be the 
 worfe either for your ridicule, or 
 your inftruction. After all however 
 it muft be confefied, that we young 
 .-clergymen
 
 . AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 117 
 
 clergymen have a difficult part to 
 a'fb. The prevalence of cuftom is 
 a vehement tide, which we find ic 
 very hard toftem. 
 
 I mould therefore, faid the Dean, 
 wifh you to keep out of it; which 
 every man may, if he pleafe. Be 
 rcfolute at firfl in refilling importu- 
 nity, and importunity will prefently 
 ceafe. You will foon be confidered 
 as one who has a will of his own. 
 The clergy, I think, may be divided 
 into two great bodies. One clafs 
 are fuch as enter into the miniftry 
 only to make their fortunes. Thefe 
 are a kind of amphibious ani- 
 mals. I cannot call them clergymen. 
 .1 3 They
 
 Il8 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 They are traders in ecclefiaflical 
 goods. With them my arguments 
 have nothing to do. They have no 
 fcruples j and \v\\\ comply of courfe 
 \vithevery thing that will recommend 
 them to the world. In the other 
 clafs are many, no doubt,, who have 
 the end and honour of their profeffion 
 at hearr: and wifti only to be con- 
 vinced of the propriety or impro- 
 priety of a thing, to do it, or leave it 
 undone. But there are numbers, I 
 fear, in this clafs, well-meaning, on 
 the whole, and fcrious men, who are 
 yet ready to make the cuftoms of the. 
 world an apology fora variety of im- 
 proper practices; and flide into a 
 number cf corrupt habits, without: 
 ccr.f "
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. I Lg 
 
 confidering that to oppofe the fe- 
 ducing cuftoms of the world is die 
 very eflence of a flate of trial; and 
 that it is the very bufinefs of a good 
 paftor to fet up his own example as a 
 way-mark againft them. 
 
 To all this I fully affented. 
 
 Aye, Mr. Frampton, continued 
 
 the Dean, with much earneftnefs 
 
 in his manner, thefe are ferious 
 
 * truths. The cuftoms of the world 
 
 put a glofs upon many improper 
 
 things among which I confider 
 
 cards and miflead numbers, who 
 
 are glad perhaps to mifmterpret the 
 
 apoftle, and ttll you, that if they 
 
 i 4 do
 
 120 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 do them not, they muft altogether go 
 out of the world. But whatever liber- 
 ties the layman takes (and yet I know 
 not what gives him any exclufive li- 
 berty) the clergyman ought to be 
 particularly guarded againft the in- 
 dulgence of any amufement, which is 
 fraught with fo much mifchief, both 
 public and private j which fo eafily 
 gains ground by the force of habit; 
 and in the defence of which, you fee, 
 fo little can be laid. Many bad ha- 
 bits fubfide in age. Nature cannot 
 hold out. But here is a mifchievous 
 propenfity, which cleaves often to our 
 very laft fand. It is pofiible, I may 
 yet live to fee people fo barefaced, as 
 to make no diftindion of days, and 
 
 play
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 121 
 
 play at cards on Sundays. It is 
 practifed, I am informed, in France, 
 from which we derive too many of 
 our faihions. 
 
 I told the Dean, that, as I believed 
 I was better acquainted with the hif- 
 tory of card playing, than he was, I 
 was afraid that vile pra6tice, though- 
 not frequent, had gotten at leaft ibme 
 footing among us. One inftance I 
 knew. I had, not long ago, the ho- 
 nour to be admitted, in a dearth of 
 better company, to the card-table 
 of a lady of faihion. Soon after I 
 found me played on Sundays ; when, 
 fearing left I mould be involved in 
 the imputation of that practice, I ne- 
 8 ver
 
 122 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 ver would touch another card at her 
 houfe. On her calling me to account 
 for deferring ray poll, I plainly told 
 her the reafon. This led to a fhort 
 debate. She faid, after the duties of 
 the day were over (for (he was a con- 
 fiant church-woman) fhe thought a 
 little recreation in the evening was 
 very allowable. I talked of the great 
 impropriety at leaft of breaking down 
 fencesy and laying the practice open 
 to the common people, even though 
 fhe would not allow any profanation 
 of the day. She thought the fault 
 lay in the cattle, that went through the 
 broken fence. At length however fhe 
 allowed that cards on a Sunday were 
 very improper among the lower peo*
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. IZ> 
 
 pie and farther, that, when carried 
 to the height of gaining, they were a 
 very improper Sunday-amufement 
 to any one. I begged fhe would 
 fuffer me to fhew her, merely on 
 theje two concejjions of her own, the 
 mifchief of introducing cards at all 
 on a Sunday. And, that fhe might 
 fee it in the ftronger light, I offered 
 to put my arguments on paper. But 
 I could never obtain leave. She al- 
 ways flopped my mouth with faying, 
 Ihe had made up her mind, and 1 
 wifhed to hear no more on the fub- 
 
 I honour you, faid the Dean, as I 
 
 fhould every young clergyman, who 
 
 could
 
 1-24 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 could make fo proper a (land againft 
 a vicious fafhion. I did not indeed 
 know, and am much hurt to hear, 
 that this vile practice has at all got- 
 ten footing amongft us, I thought 
 the Sabbath, though not obferved 
 as it ought to be, had never been 
 proftituted in this fhamelefs manner. 
 The Sabbath is certainly the great 
 mean of keeping alive the little re- 
 ligion we have j and much have they 
 to anfwer for, who contribute at all, 
 but efpecially in this flagrant man- 
 ner, to deftroy its reverence among 
 the people. 
 
 I think fo truly, faid I, Sir ; and 
 the rather as I believe the common 
 
 people
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CI ERGYMEN. 12$ 
 
 people yet hold fuch profligacy in 
 deteftation. A genteel family took 
 a fummer-lodging, not long ago, in 
 a country-town, where I happened 
 then to refide : and I remember one 
 Sunday (the day being hot) the 
 windows were thrown open, and ex- 
 hibited them fitting round a card- 
 table. But the mob, provoked at 
 fuch impudence, gathered about the 
 houfe, and in very intelligible lan- 
 guage, gave them to underftand, 
 that if the card- table was not im- 
 mediately removed,, they would take 
 their own method to remove it. 
 
 .1 am no friend; faid the Dean, to 
 
 the
 
 J26 DIALOG U'ES ON THE 
 
 the jurifdiction of a mob; but in 
 this cafe, I could fay with the poet, 
 
 Interdum vulgus re&um videt 
 
 In return for your account of this 
 very impudent piece of effrontery, I 
 will tell you a ftory of genuine fim- 
 plicity. A friend of mine had a 
 curate, recommended from Cam- 
 bridge, an excellent young man, 
 who had never been in a fcrape du- 
 ring the whole time he had been at 
 the univerfity. He was addicted to 
 no improper amufementi and cards 
 in particular he difliked. It hap- 
 pened, however, on fome fmgular 
 occafion (I believe on that of a young 
 lady's coming of age) he was in- 
 vited among feveral other young 
 
 folks
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 11J 
 
 folks .to fpend an evening, where 
 cards made a part of .the entertain- 
 ment. He flood out ftrenuoufly, 
 as wholly ignorant of every game. 
 At lad fonie general game * ( L know- 
 not what they call it) being propofed, 
 and fome of the company (as cor- 
 rupters are always at hand) inftruft- 
 ing him in what he could not but 
 feel he had powers of mind to com- 
 prehend, he was drawn in, and fat 
 down, though little attentive to the 
 bufinefs in which he was engaged. 
 
 * We have among us at prefcnt a kind of 
 game, which is called a round game, from the 
 company's fitting round a table. The Dean 
 probably alludes to Tome fuch game as this, 
 which might be in ufe in his time. 
 
 ' ' '-' ' At
 
 128 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 At the end of the game, when the 
 accounts of profit and lo's were 
 fettled, his companions gave him 
 four {hillings, to his great furprife, 
 for certain little ivory fiih, which he 
 had received in the courfe of the 
 game. The next morning, when 
 he told the ftory, he faid, it was for- 
 tunate he had been fuccefsful; for 
 if he had loft four (hillings, inftead 
 -of winning them, he fhould certainly 
 have gone off without paying his 
 debt; as he had not the leaft con- 
 ception, that the ivory fifh he had 
 received, reprefented any thing but 
 v-themfelves. 
 
 I am convinced, faid J, Sir, there 
 
 is
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. I2f 
 
 Is great force in every thing you 
 have faid,; and I fhall always confi- 
 der cards as a very dangerous, and 
 enfnaring amufement. But dill, I 
 think, your arguments regard chiefly 
 the excejs. Many occafions may oc- 
 cur, on which a man would wifh to 
 break through a general rule. There 
 are few rules, however right on the 
 whole, which do not admit excep- 
 tions. An .habitual card-flayer dc- 
 ferves every rebuke you can give 
 him. But perhaps you will not be 
 fo fevere with a prudent cccafional 
 one, though he fhould even be a 
 clergyman. 
 
 I am forry, my young friend, re- 
 K plied
 
 130 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 plied the Dean with a ferious air, 
 you have fo foon forgotten the grand 
 argument I ufed againft a clergy- 
 man's having any concern at all with 
 cards as an amufement. I endea- 
 voured to fhew you, that, as cards 
 were become fo general an evil, the 
 clergy, who (hould confider them- 
 felves as the fait of the earth, fhould 
 endeavour to purify this mafs, in- 
 ftead of mixing with it. If they en- 
 courage the practice of card-playing 
 by their own example, they certainly 
 hold the public good very cheap, 
 when they cannot give up fo trifling 
 a thing as an amufement, to promote 
 it. They certainly ought, were it 
 merely for the chance of promoting 
 
 it.
 
 -AMUSE J.1ENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 131 
 
 it. As for your being an advocate, 
 added the Dean, for occafional play- 
 ing, though every thing I have faid 
 fhould go for nothing, I think fuch 
 qualifying is of little ufe. You can- 
 not well play occafionally. You muft 
 either refblve never to play, or be at 
 every body's beck. If you are 
 known occaficnally to play, you will 
 be thought & furly fellow, if you ever 
 refufe, becaufe it depends entirely 
 on your own inclination j and a good- 
 natured man will always be ready to 
 give up his own inclination to pleafe 
 others. But If you are known never 
 to play, nobody can take offence. So 
 that, in fact, there feems to be no 
 medium between playing, whenever 
 K 2 you
 
 132 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 you are afked, and never flaying At 
 all 
 
 I felt fo much afhamed at having 
 fo foon forgotten the good Dean's 
 grand argument, with regard to the 
 public, that'I was too much abafhed 
 to make any immediate reply. 
 
 He obferved my confufion : but 
 without talcing notice of it, after a 
 little paufe, he obligingly continued 
 his difcourfe. Well, faid he, Mr. 
 Frampton, having thus difpatched 
 the card-table, let us go next to the 
 -play-houfe. What a noble inftitu- 
 tion have we here, if it were pro- 
 perly regulated! I know of no- 
 thing
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 133 
 
 thing that is better calculated for 
 moral inftruction nothing that 
 holds the glafs more forcibly to the 
 follies and vices of mankind. I would 
 have it go, hand in hand, with the 
 pulpit. It has nothing indeed to do 
 with Chriftian doctrines. The pa- 
 geants, as, I think, they were called, 
 of the lafl century, uled to reprefent 
 fcripture-ftories, which were very im- 
 properly introduced, and much bet- 
 ter handled in the pulpit. But it is 
 impoilible for the pulpit to reprefent 
 vice and folly in fo ftrong a light as 
 the ftage. One addrefles our reafon, 
 the other our imagination -, and we 
 know which receives commonly the 
 more forcible irnprefTion. There 
 K 3 fliould
 
 J$4 DIALOGUES ON TKZ 
 
 Ihould always however be a little 
 dam of the caricature to give a zeft 
 to cbarafter. But nature and proba- 
 bility fhould be ftridly obferved. I 
 remember it is now, I believe, thirty 
 years ago feeing a play acted, in 
 which an old fellow is reprefented 
 dallying with a coq.uettifli girl. 
 It was an admirable pidure from 
 nature. The fprightly actions of 
 youth imitated by the ridiculous 
 gefticulations of age, ftruck my 
 fancy fo forcibly, that the picture is 
 yet as fre(h > as if it had been painted 
 yefterday. As moral re$rejentatiims> 
 I cannot fay, I think Shakefpear's 
 plays are models. There is a fund 
 of nature in them vaft invention 
 
 antf
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN, itf 
 
 and a variety of paflions admi- 
 rably coloured. I wifli I could for- 
 get the loofe fancy, which wantons 
 through moil of them, and is ex- 
 tremely difagreeable to a chafte ear. 
 But what I chiefly remark, is, that I 
 do not commonly find in them (what 
 I mould wifh to find in every play) 
 fome virtue, or good quality, fet in an 
 amiable light; or fome vice, or folly, 
 fet in a deteftable one ; and made, as 
 it were, the burden of the whole. 
 I call the icenes of Falftaff admirable 
 copies from nature; but I know not 
 what inftruiStion they give. Now I 
 fhould wifli to turn the play-houfe 
 into a mode of amufing inftruftionj 
 and to fuffer no theatrical perform- 
 K. 4 ance,
 
 1J& DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 ance, which did not eminently con- 
 duce to this end. Young men, for 
 inftance, are apt to be led away by 
 vicious pleafures; and to fupply their 
 profligacy, are often carried from one 
 degree of wickednefs to another. A 
 pjay on fuch a fubjec~b * might per- 
 haps deter many a young man in the 
 beginning of his career. Or a good 
 effect might be produced by placing 
 fome virtue in oppofition to its 
 contrary vice ; as contrafts generally 
 have more force, than ftmple exhibi- 
 tions. 
 
 * There was afterwards a play formed on 
 this very plan, int'uled, George Barnwell; the 
 moral of which is good, though the execution 
 is far from being faultlefs. 
 
 I alked
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 137" 
 
 I afked the Dean, if he meant to 
 exclude comedy from his theatre ? 
 
 By no means, faid he: I mould 
 rather encourage it more than tra- 
 gedy; inafmuch as I Ihould have 
 more hope of curing fuch vices, and 
 follies, as require the lam, than fuch 
 as require the gibbet. My ftage-au- 
 thors mould deal much in ridicule, 
 which, well conducted, not thrown 
 on individuals, but cad broadly 
 on vice, and folly, I conceive to be 
 an admirable engine. But I mould 
 not ridicule a fquinting eye a ftam- 
 mering voice a provincial dialect 
 the peculiarities of a profeflion or 
 
 indeed
 
 138 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 indeed any oddity, or deformity, that 
 was not ftriftly immoral. 
 
 I am afraid, faid I, Sir, you will 
 cut off much of our modern wit by 
 this feverity : for thefe oddities are, 
 in general, a great fource of it. The 
 broken Englifii of a Frenchman 
 the blunders of an Irifhman or the 
 broad dialect of a Scotfman, are what 
 our modern theatres are taught to 
 believe very witty. I mall however 
 (to fpeak for one) think myfelf much 
 obliged to you for ridding the ftage 
 o'f all this trumpery of falfe wit and 
 humour i and bringing only fuch 
 ridiculous characters forward, as can ^ 
 Juppcrt themfehes> if J may fo fpeak, 
 2 by 

 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 139 
 
 by their follies. But there is one 
 thing, which,. I fear, will incapacitate 
 the ftage from being of much ufe 
 in the reformation cf manners. The 
 fcenery, the dreffes, the mufick, and 
 other appendages of the theatre, 
 make the expence fo great, that 
 it can never be brought to a level 
 with the pockets of the multitude. 
 
 That is well urged, faid the Dean, 
 I thank you for the hint, and will im- 
 mediately model my dramatic repre- 
 fentations in conformity to it. We 
 have one church for rich r and poor,. 
 All pay equal homage to one God 
 Mall are equally his creatures and it 
 is fit we mould all worfliip him in- 
 one
 
 140 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 one place. But though we have only 
 one church, there is no neceffity to 
 have only one theatre. In my 
 Utopia, therefore, I mean to eftabliffi 
 two one for the higher the other 
 for the lower orders of the community. 
 In the firft, of courfe, there will be 
 more elegance, and more expence; 
 and the drama muft be fuited to the 
 audience by the reprefentation of fuch 
 vices, and follies, as are found chiefly 
 among the great. The other theatre 
 Hi all be equally fuited to the lower 
 orders. And to enable them the 
 better to partake of the moral amufe- 
 ment provided for them, I mean to 
 abolilh all tumbling dancing 
 bear-baiting, and every thing elfe, 
 
 that
 
 AMUSEflENTS OF CLERGYMEN, 14! 
 
 that tends only to encourage merriment 
 without inftruftion. 
 
 - 
 
 You have now, faici I, Sir, per- 
 fectly fatisfied me. I fhall heartily 
 rejoice in the erection of your two 
 theatres. And it gives me great 
 delight to hear you fpeak fo favour- 
 ably of the drama. I own, if 
 there is any one amufement, which 
 appears to me fuperior. to all 
 others, it is to fee a good play, well 
 acted. 
 
 But hold, faid the Dean : you un- 
 
 derftand, I hope, that I give this 
 
 commendation only to theatres of my 
 
 own regulating j not to fuch as at 
 
 prefent
 
 142 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 prefent exift. With a few excep- 
 tions, I think I may defcribe the 
 drama of the prefent age * 3 as having 
 nothing lefs in its view, than good 
 morals. Amorous fcenes vicious 
 principles the mod indelicate lan- 
 guagedebauched characters fet off 
 in agreeable colours feoffs thrown 
 out againft religion, and morals 
 with light muric tending to foften the 
 mind, and make it ftill more fufcep- 
 tible ofthofe vile incentives, that had 
 already been excited, are too much, 
 
 * It muft be obferved, that the drama of 
 that age was exceedingly corrupt. Charles 
 the Second had introduced great licence into 
 the theatre. Bad as the ilage ftill is in this 
 refpecl,it is much charter than it was then. 
 
 I fear,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 143 
 
 I fear, the ingredients of our theatri- 
 cal amufements. At beft, our plays 
 exhibit in general, very falfe repre- 
 fentations of life. So oppofite to all 
 its real walks, that the imaginations of 
 young people efpecialiy, are carried' 
 beyond their proper fpherej and are 
 am u fed, and prepofle fifed with ro- 
 mantic ideas of fituations, in which 
 they never can be placed. And even, 
 if the play were good, and tended to 
 give the thoughts any virtuous im- 
 preffion,? the light farce, coming af- 
 ter, would throw the whole at once 
 out of the mind. All farces I 
 fhould recommend to my lower thea- 
 tre. The ftyle of all its com- 
 pofitions
 
 144 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 pofitions fhould be fomewhat in this 
 way. But they fhould all certainly 
 have a moral tendency. The farce, 
 as at prefect ufed, is a mod abfurd 
 excrefcence; and I fuppofc intended 
 merely to plcafe the vulgar. As 
 there is an upper gallery, the people 
 there muft be pleafed, as well as thofe 
 in the boxes. But my two theatres 
 will render this double mode of re- 
 prefentation unnecefiary. In Ihorr, 
 if the ftage were regulated as I could 
 \vHh it, even clergymen almoft might 
 be adtors upon it. As it is now ma- 
 naged, they cannot well, I think, be 
 innocent fpectators. Tacitus, I re- 
 member, fomcwhere fpeaking of the 
 of the German ladies, attri- 
 butes
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 145 
 
 -butes it in a great meafure to their 
 jiot being fufFered to attend public 
 <liverficn3*. I mould wifh only to 
 make one improvement on this Ger- 
 -man fafhion, which is, neither to pcr- 
 mit gentlemen nor ladies to attend 
 them, till they are better regulated. 
 The hiftorian might have reference to 
 the publick amufements of his own 
 country j with which he thought ic 
 happy, the German ladies had no 
 opportunists of being corrupted. 
 Whatever 
 
 ft The words of the original to which the 
 
 Dean alludes, are, Septa pudicitia agunt, nitl- 
 lisJpcffeK*larum illecelris, nullis coavivlofum 
 in itat:o;ribus nrvuptt?. 
 
 De Ivlor. German. 
 
 Edit. Gronov. p 401.
 
 746 D I AX O CUES ON THE 
 
 Whatever his precife meaning was, 
 it fhevvs his general opinion of fuch 
 amufements: and, I fuppofe, you 
 will allow Tacitus, though not an 
 apoftle, to be a very good judge of 
 men, and manners. Beftdes, added 
 the Dean, the very profeflion of a 
 player is rendered fo difreputable, 
 that nobody ought to encourage it. 
 Take the matter home with you. 
 "Would you wifh either your fon or 
 daughter to feek a livelihood on the 
 ftage? If not, do you think it Ihews 
 much moral rectitude to encourage 
 in other people's children, what, on 
 virtuous principles, you would fluid- 
 der at in your own ? 
 
 I told
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 147 
 
 I told the Dean, I durft not take 
 upon me to anfwer his invefbive 
 
 ^either againft the ftage, or irs pro- 
 feflbrs. I feared there was more 
 truth in 'what he had faid, than I 
 wifhed to find. A clergyman, I 
 
 ebferved, muft often be in the way 
 cf hearing, and feeing improprieties - 3 
 
 -which he cannot avoid. But I 
 allowed it certainly to be a different 
 cafe, when he went 'voluntarily into 
 
 the way of thefe things. 1 then 
 
 afked the Dean, what he thought 
 
 of dancing-ajfemblies, and cheerful 
 meetings of other kinds-? 
 
 As they are at prefent managed, 
 
 <faid the Dean, fo far as I am ac- 
 
 A 2 quainted
 
 148 DIALOGUES ON TH'E 
 
 quainted with them, I fhould hardly 
 allow a clergyman to attend any of 
 them. Put them under my regula- 
 tion, and he may attend them all. 
 
 For the fake of truth, I replied, I 
 muft fay, that I have attended the 
 affemblies at our county-town, not 
 conflantly, indeed, but very fre- 
 quently* and I do not remember ever 
 feeing (except perhaps once, or twice) 
 what the moft exab perfon would 
 call the leaft breach of decorum, or 
 good manners. 
 
 I know not, faid the Dean, what 
 you precifely mean by the leaft breach 
 of decorum: but before 1 Ihould give 
 
 my
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 149 
 
 my fanction to the afieinblies at your 
 county-town, I fhould wifli to afk a 
 few questions. Is all company, that 
 are well dreiTed, promifcuoufiy ad- 
 mitted? or admitted on the iutro- 
 d'jftion of nobody can tell who? Is 
 there no vying in drefs, and orna- 
 ir.enr, and fafhion? Are no card- 
 tables introduced? Arefuppers,and 
 drinking, and late hours excluded? 
 While you are dancing, or carding, 
 or drinking above flairs, is any care 
 taken of your poor fervants be- 
 low? Are they left to faunter about 
 inn-yards and tap-houfes, to get into 
 bad company or, not knowing 
 what to do with themfelves, to 
 debauch one another? Unlefs you 
 L 3 can
 
 J50 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 can anfwer me rationally on all thefe 
 heads, I fhall never fuffer any clergy- 
 man, over whom I have influence, 
 to attend any of thefe meetings. It 
 may be difficult perhaps to prevent 
 the layman from filling the heads of 
 his fons and daughters with drefs, . 
 and vanity, and folly, and intrigue, . 
 and all the impertinence that attends 
 fuch prom lie nous,, ill- regulated af- 
 lemblies we muft leave him, if 
 he pleafe, to fet them an example 
 himfelf, and go before them in ail 
 thefe fcenes of diflipation we mull; 
 leave him alib to take no more care 
 of the morals of his fervants, than 
 if they were his cattle 3 and to pay 
 
 no
 
 AMUSEMENTS ftF CLERGYMEN. 151 
 
 no attention to the difficulties, into 
 which he leads them. If he will 
 run into thefe exceffes, (I have 
 no better word in rny dictionary 
 to explain my meaning) I can- 
 not prevent it: but certainly I 
 Ihould wifli the clergyman to be 
 very cautious how he gives any en- 
 couragement to flich afiemblies by 
 his example. The world may laugh 
 at him : but he mud learn to bear 
 the ridicule of ihe world ; and I hope 
 in return he will meet approbation 
 elfewhere. 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, I have often heard, 
 
 that prudent fathers and mothers con- 
 
 fider thefe meetings, as places where 
 
 k 4 their
 
 152 DIALOGUES OM THE 
 
 their daughters are feen to moll' ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 Aye,, replied the Dean, I have 
 lately heard that argument main* 
 t; : ined, in a'l the plenitude of its folly, 
 by one of thofe prudent mothers j.' 
 to whom I was weak enough to 
 give my advice on this head, for the 
 lake of an amiable god-daughter of 
 mine. I hate the idea of carrying- 
 young women, like colts, to a fair. 
 It is indelicate : it is below their dig- 
 nity. They mould not feck ; but be 
 fought after. Few happy marriages, 
 I believe, are founded on thefe hafly 
 impreffions. I mail not, however,, 
 fay more on this point, as 1 am not 
 inftructing
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMfN. 1/53 
 
 inftrufling the world at large j but 
 only giving advice to ray brethren 
 of the dergy. Let the beau fuit him- 
 felf vvich a belie, and choofe a wife 
 from the made-up young ladies, who 
 are taught to fay fmart things, and 
 fhine at afifemblies; and whofe heads 
 are fuller of fafhions, than of fuch 
 knowledge as moft becomes them; 
 But when the clergyman thinks it 
 prudent to change his condition, let 
 him look for a wife in feme domef- 
 tic family; and endeavour to choofe 
 one, whom he hears fober people 
 commend for her private virtues. 
 And if me happen to be known in 
 any polite circle, and dignified by 
 the name of ajifelefs) inanimate thing-, 
 
 he
 
 DIALOGUES ON THET 
 
 he has ftill the better chance for hap- 
 
 pinefs. 
 
 As I was always fond of dancing,, 
 I did not care to let the argument 
 wholly drop; and told the Dean, I 
 hoped he had no diflike to dancing ia 
 ttfdfi but only when it was impro- 
 perly circumftanced. It appeared to 
 me a very innocent winter-evening, 
 amufemenk 
 
 It appears fo to me,. {aid the Dean* 
 I have already told you, that if you 
 will fi jffcr me to regulate your danc- 
 ings, and other evening-meetings, I 
 will freely indulge you in them. 
 Summon an afiembly, when you 
 
 pleafiv
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 155. 
 
 pleafe, at forne private houfe. Public 
 houfes always lead to promifcuous 
 company, and intemperance. Let 
 the meeting confift of well-educated,, 
 and well-difpofed young people of 
 bath fexes; and when the mufic 
 llrikes up, and the dance begins, fend 
 for mej and I will hobble away, as 
 taft as my gouty feet will allow j and; 
 if I may be permitted quietly to oc- 
 cupy a corner of the room in an 
 elbow-chair, I fhall enjoy the fcene 
 as much as any of you. To fee 
 youth and innocence made happy 
 amidft fuch amufements, as are fuit- 
 able to them, always gives a new joy 
 to my philanthropy j which is as^ 
 fiiddenly damped, when I fee them 
 entangled
 
 J5& DIALOGUES CN THE 
 
 entangled in pleafures, which I can- 
 not but look on, as fecret fnares for 
 their innocence. And yet I cannot 
 iliy I fhould wifh to fee a clergyman, 
 except perhaps a very young one, 
 more than a fpe&ator of thefe amufe- 
 ments. To fee him to-day failing 
 about in a minuet ftep, and to-mor- 
 row preaching in a pulpit, might 
 make a contraft perhaps too ftrong^ 
 forfomeofhis hearers. I do not, 
 however, wifh to determine precifeiy. 
 The amufement is certainly inno- 
 cent. With regard to the other 
 
 meetings you mention, if you 'put 
 them under the lame rational re- 
 (fount, I have no objection to any 
 cf them. I Ihould be pleafed to meet 
 
 afet
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 157 
 
 a fet of virtuous, well-bred young 
 men, or a mixed company, at dinner, 
 or fuppcr; and if their chief end 
 were e ther converfatbn,or innocent 
 amufement, I mould do the belt in 
 my power to amufe, and enliven 
 them. Nor mould I expeft them all 
 to be men of agreeable manners, in- 
 genuity, and information. I ihould 
 only indulge the hope of their having 
 the fame diflike, that I had, to tranf- 
 grefs the rules of decency and pro- 
 priety. But as for clubs met toge- 
 ther on fet purpofe to be joyous to 
 drink, and to rattle to fing fongs, 
 .and catches to roar, and ftagger, 
 as the evening gets late, I hold them 
 
 ia
 
 :J5^ DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 :in abhorrence. 'No clergyman * 
 fhculd ever join in fuch orgies j and 
 I fhould think very mearily of hirni 
 if he fhould frequent a company, 
 that had the leaft tendency to that 
 riotous mirth, which produces thefe 
 :- improprieties of behaviour. 
 
 You feemed to mention 3 faid I, 
 Sir, with a mark of dilapprobation, 
 
 fongs, 
 
 * Johnfon and his friend Beauclerk were 
 in company with feveral clergymen, who 
 thought they flioutd appear to advantage by 
 aflunring the lax jollity of men of the world. 
 Johnfon, who, they expe&ed, would be enter- 
 tained, fat grave, and filent for forae time. 
 At laft, turning to Beauclerk, he faid, by no 
 means in a whifper, " The merriment of thefe 
 .parfons is mighty offenfive." 
 
 Bof. Lift, vo!, iii. p. 328
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 15^ 
 
 fongs, and catches. Do you fee any 
 thing particularly inifchievous in 
 them? 
 
 By no means, replied the Dean, 
 when they are not found in bad com- 
 pany j and when the words are fuch 
 as neither countenance vice, nor 
 violate decorum. If the felect af- 
 fembly we juft left dancing, choofe 
 to amufe themfelves after their dance, 
 or after fupper, with fmging, I mould 
 not only approve it, but beg leave to 
 Men to them. Even the clergyman 
 I will allow to fing in fuch an afiem- 
 blyj though I mould warmly re- 
 prove him, if he mould fing for the 
 entertainment of a mixed company, 
 
 or
 
 360 B I ALOG-U E S ' ON : THE 
 
 cr at a public meeting. If I fhould 
 not be choujht precife, or puritani- 
 cal, I fhould, now and then, recom- 
 mend a pfalm-tune, efpecially on a 
 Sunday evening. We have fcveral 
 pfohii- tunes, whi<~h are very fine j 
 and when fling in .parts by fwect fe- 
 male voices, are, in my ear, more 
 harmonious, than any other fpecies 
 cf mufic ; and in the language of our 
 great, but unfafnionable poet *, 
 
 Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to 
 heaven. 
 
 At the fame time, I cannot fay, I 
 am a friend to inftrumental mufic on 
 
 * At that day Milton, on the account of 
 his political principles, was not in general 
 eiteem. 
 
 a Sun-
 
 OP -Ct^GYMBN. l6l 
 
 a Sunday-evening; from no objec- 
 tion to the thbg itfelf, (though, in- 
 deed, I think harmonious voices 
 fweeter, when unaccompanied) but 
 I fhould fear its being mifconftruedby 
 undiitinguilhing people, to whom we 
 lliould always be careful not to give 
 offence. Pfalms are fung in churches, 
 and can lead into no miftake: bot 
 -fiddles, and flutes, and harpfichords 
 ,are merry inflruments, and, in fomc 
 people's opinion, can never be ac- 
 commodated to purpofes of devo- 
 tion *. As to catcbe^ I knov/ litde 
 
 of 
 
 - * Occidous w a paftor of renown. 
 -When he has prayed, and preached the fab- 
 bu'.h down, 
 
 M With
 
 1.62 DIALOGUES ON THE . 
 
 of them : but from what I do know,, 
 they make no attempt either at fcnfe, 
 or fentiment. The harmony may 
 : be good; and if the words, though 
 fenfelefs, have no ill-meaning, I fhall 
 not reprobate, though I cannot com- 
 mend them. 
 
 Having 
 
 With wire, and catgut he concludes the day, 
 Quav'ring and femiquav'nng thought away. 
 The full concerto fwells upon your ear; 
 
 All elbows fhake 
 
 Will not the ficklieft Iheep of every flock 
 Refort tothis example? 
 If apoftolic gravity be free 
 To play the fool on Sundays, why not we? 
 If he the tinkling harpfichord regards 
 As inoffenfive, what offence in cards? 
 Strike up the fiddles, let us all be gay : 
 JLaymen have leave to dance, if parfons play. 
 CCWJPEJU
 
 OF CLERGYMEN. 163 
 
 Having difpatched, faid the Dean, 
 all our riotous, and cruel amufements, 
 and like wife fuch as are trifling, and 
 f educing, (though they often, as in 
 fome inftances juft obferved, inter- 
 mingle with each other) I fliould 
 now introduce you to fuch amufe- 
 ments, as I .think prqper.for a clergy- 
 man: but as the evening grows late, 
 we will take an earlier hour, if you 
 .pleafe, to-morrow, to difcufs them. 
 
 END OF THE SECOND DIALOGUE. 
 
 M
 
 DIALOGUES OK THE 
 
 THIRD DIALOGUE. 
 
 4 
 
 THE next day was Sunday, when I 
 happened to be wholly engaged. 
 But on Monday I waited on the good 
 Dean foon after dinner. 
 
 I am impatient, faid I, Sir, to have 
 another converfation with you. YQU 
 have taken away my gun, and dog. 
 You have prohibited my playing 
 at cards, and have refufed me leave 
 to go to an afiembly, or to meet my 
 
 friend
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 165 
 
 friend at a tavern; and I cannot 
 but be felicitous to know, what 
 amufement you will at length allow 
 me. 
 
 But are not you, replied the Dean, 
 rather unreafonable ? I have indeed 
 taken your gun. But as to your 
 dog, you may keep him, if you 
 plcafe, for a companion. I have no 
 objection. Have I not at lead con- 
 nived alfo at your fifhing, though I 
 cannot recommend it I Have I noz 
 introduced you to many agreeable 
 focieties? Have I not given you 
 leave to fmg and to dance ? And 
 does not all this fatisfy you ?. How- 
 ever, I mean fiill to do more. I 
 M. 3 wifh.
 
 l66 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 wifh only to make your amufemencs 
 your habits- your company 
 your drefs and your profefiion, all 
 agree. By the way, I am ntit a little 
 felicitous about the drefs of a clergy- 
 man j which I think a matter of 
 more confequence, than the ge- 
 nerality of people will perhaps allow. 
 I think it an argument cf. great 
 lightnefs- in a clergyman to en- 
 deavour, as far as he can, to adopt 
 the lay- habit. He mews he has 
 embraced his own profefficn only, 
 for reafons of convenience; and in 
 his heart diflikes its reftraints. I 
 jfhould wifli to have every clergy- 
 man, elpecially when in full orders y 
 obliged
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGy^lJEN. 167 
 
 obliged to appear always in a fhort 
 cafibck, under his coat. He could 
 not then fo eafily adopt improprie- 
 ties in his drefs, and might be more 
 upon his guard alfo againft impro- 
 prieties in his behaviour. His cle- 
 rical habit would be a continual 
 call upon him for decorum at leaft, 
 as he durft not, in that garb, do 
 many things, which, dreffed like a 
 layman, he might be tempted to do/ 
 Befides, it might tend to keep luch 
 young men out of the church, as,. 
 when in it, are a difgrace both to it, 
 and to themfelves. Cloathing was 
 originally intended for the fake of de- 
 cency, and warmth. In civilized fo^ 
 sj it became afterwards of ufe to 
 M 4 dif-
 
 l8 DIALOGUES OH TK 
 
 diftinguifh ranks r. and if in this in- 
 fiance the diftin&ion were a little 
 more enforced, it would, I am per- 
 fuadcd, have a good effect. 
 
 I hope, Sir, faid I, that my ward- 
 robe, if it were all produced before- 
 yoUjWouldgive you no offence. No- 
 thing would be found there, but what 
 is ftrictly clerical. Indeed I myfelf 
 have been often highly offended at 
 the improper drefs of many of my 
 younger brethren. I wonder not r 
 therefore, at your being offended. 
 
 So far then, anfwered the Dean, I 
 tnay prefume upon you> as a hopeful 
 difciple i and that, as you are cleri- 
 x caL
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. l6$ 
 
 cal in your drefsjyou will be clerical 
 alfo in your amufements. Now as 
 exercife y on which health fo much de- 
 pends, is one great end of amufe- 
 ment, and as the clerical life may iiv 
 general be called a fedentary one, he 
 who provides amufements for a 
 clergyman, ihould have an efpecial 
 view to exercife. But though I 
 forbade the clergyman to gallop af- 
 ter hounds, I have no objection to 
 his mounting his horfe, and riding 
 a dozen miles, in a. morning, for ex^ 
 ercife. 
 
 But without fome end in view, 1 
 obferved, few people were fond of a. 
 fblhary ride.. 
 
 Solkary
 
 IJO DIALOGUES ON-THE' 
 
 Solitary ride ! exclaimed the Dean, 
 Have you forgotten the philofopher's 
 noble adage, Nunquam minus Jolus, 
 quam cum-folus? I fhould allow a~ 
 man brought up in bufmefs to urge 
 fuch a pretence: but in a fcholar I: 
 cannot admit it. The very trot of a 
 horfe is friendly to thought. It 
 beats time, as it were, to a mind en- 
 gaged in deep fpeculation. An old 
 acquaintance of mine ufed to find its 
 effect, fo ftrong, that he valued his 
 horfe for being a little given to- 
 Humbling. I know not how far, he> 
 would fay, I might carry my con- 
 templation, and totally forget my- 
 fclf, if my honeft bead did not, now 
 and then, by a falfe ftep,- jog me ouc 
 
 of
 
 AMUSEMENTS Of CLERGYMEN. Ifl' 
 
 of my reverie j and let me know, 
 that I had not yet gotten above a 
 mile or two out. of my road *.. 
 
 But every fcholar, faid.I, Sir, has 
 not the art of keeping his thoughts 
 fo collected. The trotting of a 
 honfe, even without Mumbling, may 
 be enough to diffipate his bed medi- 
 tations,. 
 
 If he cannot think in one way, an* 
 fwered the Dean, let him think in 
 another. If he cannot lay premifes 
 
 and 
 
 * This ftory was" afterwards told of Dr. 
 Young not the author of the Night, 
 thoughts; but another chrgyman of that 
 rame, remarkable for fimplicitv of character, 
 scd abfence of mine?*-
 
 172 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 and conclufions together, and make 
 a fermon ; let him confider feme 
 letter he has to write or fome con- 
 ference with a neighbour to manage. 
 He muft be a veiy though tlefs fel- 
 low, if he have not fome ufeful topic 
 to engage his thoughts. Or perhaps 
 he may have fome friend to call 
 iipon. At word, he may amuie 
 himfelf with looking at the country 
 around him. It is a pleafure to fee 
 how differently the corn, or the grafs 
 grows in different parifhes - y and to 
 mark its progrefs in different foils, 
 and different expofures. Every fea- 
 fon furnifhes fome new,, and agree- 
 able fcene. He fees the woods sfr 
 fume one appearance in the fpring - 
 another
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. J/j 
 
 another in fummer a third in au- 
 tumnand a fourth in winter. And 
 as nature is never at a (land, he fees 
 a continual variation in her fcenes. 
 So that, if he have no refources in 
 himfelf, he may ftill find them in the 
 
 beauties of nature. 
 
 
 
 But perhaps, I objected, he is not 
 fond of riding; or he may not be 
 able to keep a horfeu 
 
 Let him walk then, faid the Dean. 
 I Ihould recommend walking to him, 
 as every way a preferable exercife. 
 Over the horieman he will enjoy 
 many advantages. He is inftantly 
 equipped. He has only to take his 
 
 hat,
 
 <Z74 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 'hat, and flick, and call his dog. Bc- 
 iides, he need not keep the highway, 
 like the horfeman. He goes over 
 the ftile he gets 'into the devious 
 path he wanders by the fide of the 
 river, or through the mead and if 
 thefe fequeftered fcenes do not make 
 him think, I know not what can. 
 Befides, he may-ufe as much exercife 
 in half the time, which is of confe- 
 -quence to a fc'holar and I fhould 
 jfuppofe as wbolefome exercife. Buc 
 above all things,! Ihould with him to 
 get a habit of thinking methodically 
 as he walks. It will loon become as 
 eafy to think in the fields, as at his 
 defk: and he will enjoy at once thd 
 double advantage of ftudy and exer- 
 cife.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 17$ 
 
 cife. Here again, he has an advan- 
 tage over the horfeman. He has 
 his hands at liberty to manage his 
 memorandum-book, and his black- 
 lead pencil ; which with the incum- 
 brances of a whip, and a bridle, is 
 more difficult. To think methodi- 
 cally on hcrfeback is the work rather 
 of a ftrong head, which can purfue 
 an argument digeft it in the mind 
 and remember the feveral parts 
 and dependences of it. On foot, the 
 memorandum-book eafes the head 
 of all this trouble, by fixing the ar- 
 gument, as it proceeds. For myfcl 
 the exercife of walking with a me- 
 morandum-book in my hand, hath 
 ever been among the firft pleafures 
 
 of
 
 *7& DIALOGUES ON THK 
 
 of my life. When I was a yoiKig 
 rnan, and could go among my poor 
 neighbours, I had three employments 
 at the fame- tune.: vifiting my pariib 
 ftudying and ufmg exercile. 1 
 have made in thefe excurfions many 
 -a fermon. The greateft part of this 
 'book * was fir-ft rudely compofed m 
 .the fields, and when I came home, I 
 always digefled what had occurred in 
 my walk confulted my authorities, 
 and wrote all fair over. And even 
 fmce I grew old, when itpleafes God 
 to allow me the ufe of my feet, I 
 ftili continue the fame exercife : Only 
 .inftead of being able, as I was then,. 
 
 * The Or/gives Sacra; which the Pfao 
 had juft been corred ing.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYR-fEN.. 1/7 
 
 c take a fatiguing excurfion, with- 
 out paying much attention to roads 
 or weather, I am obliged now 
 to Ihorten my walk to reil a little, 
 and divide it into portions to creep 
 along eafy paths in garden-walks, 
 or under fheltering hedges. 
 
 Much do I wim, faid I, Sir, that 
 you could continue with more eafe 
 your ufeful walks, in which the world 
 hath fo much partaken, and will long 
 partake. For myfelf, I {hall cer- 
 tainly endeavour to imitate an ex- 
 ample, which I am convinced is fo 
 profitable. I will immediately get 
 a memorandum- book; and hope in 
 time to find more pleafurc in bringing 
 j* home
 
 IJJ* DIALOGUES ON 
 
 home the head of a fermon, than I 
 have often done in bringing horne a 
 pheafant, or a partridge. But ftill, 
 Sir, there are many pious, and good 
 clergymen, who may be great blel- 
 fings to their parifhes, and yet were 
 never able to compofe a fermon 
 themfelves; and cannot pe.-haps, by 
 any means, induce a habit of think- 
 ing methodically What are they to 
 do? 
 
 Why they muft endeavour, faid the 
 Dean, as I advifed the horfeman in 
 the fame circumftances, to find em- 
 ployment for their thoughts, as they 
 are able. If they are vifiting a poor 
 neighbour in ficknefs, or diftrefs, 
 * they
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN*. 179 
 
 they may think what to fay on the 
 occafion. The duties of his parifh 
 will always be a call to exercife, and 
 engage a worthy clergyman to be 
 frequently abroad, efpecially if his 
 parifh be extenfive. He may alfo 
 take a book, and read at intervals, 
 which will always furnifh employ- 
 ment for his thoughts. I have 
 heard Sir Roger Ipeak of the mode 
 of exercife ufed by his late friend 
 Dr. Bret. He would generally, during 
 two hours every day, fally out into 
 the fields, with his fpud in his hand ; 
 and cut up all the weeds he could 
 meet with. A field of thirties was 
 to him a fpprting country : and he 
 ufed to fay, good man! when he 
 x 2 was
 
 l8o DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 was inclined to boaft a little of his 
 benevolent exercife, that he believed, 
 he did not fave his parifliioners lefs 
 than a dozen pounds every year in 
 weeding. But if walking, after all, 
 except when forne end, or parifh- 
 duty is in view, cannot be made plea- 
 fant to a clergyman, let him feek 
 other exercife. Does he love a 
 garden? There cannot be a more 
 clerical amufement, than the culti- 
 vation of it. The flower-garden 
 the fruit-garden or the kitchen- 
 garden may all afford him great 
 amufement, and are perfectly con- 
 fident with his character. I mould 
 think it no difcredit to a clergy- 
 man to have his vines, and his fruit- 
 trees
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. l&I 
 
 trees better trained by his own hands, 
 than thofe of any profeffed gardener 
 in the country : and even his peafe, 
 and beans, and cabbages, to be in a 
 more flourifhing condition the 
 great philofopher Defcartes, I have 
 heard, was one of the greareft florifts of 
 his time. He aflbrted the ftars in the 
 morning, and his flowers in the after- 
 noon. But if the clergyman wifii 
 
 for dill flronger exercife, than the 
 nicer parts of gardening afford, let 
 him roll his walks, or dig his ground 
 ufque ad Judorem. This will be of 
 great ufe to him;, for befides the ad- 
 vantage of it, it will enable him to 
 take as much exercife in a couple of 
 hours, as will ferve him for the 
 N 3 day.
 
 l8z DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 day. It is a wife prcvifion in the 
 ftatutes of fome monafcic houfes, to 
 oblige their members to employ 
 themfelves in manual labour during 
 fo many hours in the four-and- 
 twenty,. Nothing can contribute 
 more to give them fpirits,. and rid 
 them of the fplcen. I have heard,, 
 that the founder of the famous con- 
 vent of La Trappe, in prefcribing 
 this kind of difcipiine > ufed to fay, 
 that as labour was originally laid 
 on man, as a punifhment for fin, \ve 
 may be afiured> it is one of the . bed 
 means of keeping him out of it. 
 
 I admire his wifdom, faid I, in 
 making the rules of his convent an. 
 antidote
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN*. 183 
 
 antidote to the natural indolence of a 
 cloifter. And I think our church, in 
 giving the clergyman a glebe, hath- 
 had fomething of this kind in its eye. 
 I fuppofe you have no objection to 
 his making the culture of it his, 
 amufemem? 
 
 None, replied the Dean,.if the fell- 
 ing of his corn, andhay,.do not lead 
 him to bargain among low people at 
 markets. I; have no objection to any 
 innocent rural employment. For 
 myfelfj.when I lived in the country, 
 I had great pleafure in all thefe things. 
 I ufed often to fee rny horfes, and 
 cows foddered 3 would vifit them in 
 their paftures, and fed my poultry. 
 N 4 myfelf..
 
 184 DIALOGUES' O7J THE 
 
 myfelf. But there are few circum-. 
 fiances, in which J fhould advife.al 
 clergyman to gather his own tidier 
 It is an odious bufmtfs. 
 
 I aiked the Dean, if he had any 
 objection to botany > as an inducement 
 to draw us abroad I 
 
 Not the lead, faid he, if it be an. 
 inducement to me it would be 
 none: though it is certainly very 
 innocent; and, if I fhould judge 
 from the numbers who ftudy it, very 
 interefting alib. To examine the 
 beauty and conftruction of plants 
 their infinite variety and their feve- 
 ral uics, I can eafily conceive, might 
 
 furnifli
 
 .AMUSEMJENTS OF CLERGYMEN. i?5 
 
 furnifh much . rational amufement* 
 But merely to give them hard names,, 
 when they already have eafy ones; 
 and to clafs them botanic ally, which 
 is in fact to clafs them Ib, that 
 nobody, but a botanift can find 
 them out, appears to me fomethin 
 like writing an Englifn grammar 
 in Hebrew. You explain a thing 
 by making it unintelligible. I muft 
 fpeak however with caution on a 
 fubjecl:,. of which I know fo little*. 
 
 I then afked the Dean, what he 
 thought 
 
 * This cenfure of botany feems to refpeft 
 Mr. Ray, who was contemporary with Dr. 
 Siiliingfleet, and the only botanift of note, I 
 believe, at that time.
 
 lS6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 thought of bowls, tennisy and cricket,., 
 as clerical amufements ? 
 
 Wkh regard to bowls, faid he, I 
 am a party concerned, and therefore 
 i-mproperly called upon ekher as an 
 advocate, or an* evidence. I always 
 liked'agame at bowls, and thought it 
 good exercile in a fummer-evening. 
 It is juft exercife enough to give the 
 body a gentle breathing, without be- 
 ing too violent. With regard to. 
 tennis, and cricket, I mud be frlent 
 for another reafon.. I know nothing 
 of either of them. To none of thefe 
 exercifes however I have any objec- 
 tion, if the party, which joins you 
 
 in.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 187 
 
 in them, be well chofen. It is this, 
 which makes them innocent, or fe- 
 ducing *. 
 
 I think> faid I, Sir, we have now 
 exhaufted all fuch amufements, as go- 
 under the name of exercife-, and I 
 cannot but acknowledge, you have 
 been more liberal on this fubjecT:,than 
 1 expected. If you will be as indul- 
 gent to us in our dome/tic amufements,, 
 we (hall have no reafon to com- 
 plain. What gratification, Sir, on 
 
 this 
 
 * The Dean did not perhaps know, that 
 there are few tennis-courts, which are not 
 places of public refort. Every amufemenr, 
 fo circumftanced, he would certainly.have in- 
 terdicted.
 
 l88 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 this head, are you difpofed to allow 
 us? 
 
 All that is necefiary, replied the 
 Dean. For my own part, I know 
 not what mental amuicment men of 
 fcience and information want, after a 
 fludious day, except that of converf- 
 ing with each other. Nothing gives 
 the mind a more pleafmg relaxation. 
 You need not talk much yourfelf, if 
 you are indifpofedi and liftening to 
 good fenfe, is no fatigue. N or does 
 any thing excite genius ib much, as 
 this collifion among learned men. 
 
 We are equally plealed with feeling 
 
 . 
 our own fentiments corrected, (as it 
 
 is done in a manner by curfelves) and 
 
 
 with
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 189 
 
 with correcting the fentiments of 
 others. Thefe meetings among 
 learned men, may be called the Fair 
 of learning. They purchafe commo- 
 dities of each other. One man ex- 
 changes his wit for another's know- 
 ledge ; and each probably gains what 
 he wants, at the expence of fome- 
 thing in which he abounds. From 
 this kind of communication too we 
 get a variety of hints, which we may 
 afterwards turn to ufe; and that with- 
 out the fatigue of thinking j as other 
 people think for us. I knew an in- 
 genious man, who read little himfelf, 
 but kept much good company j and 
 had the art of picking up, ?.nd turn- 
 ing to account, every thing he heard.
 
 190 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 By expanding thefe hints, and throw- 
 ing beautiful lights, and images upon 
 them, with the help of a good ima- 
 gination, he would write a fermon, 
 or an efifay, which might be called 
 entirely his own ; though his friends, 
 who lived much in the fame com- 
 pany with him, could now and then 
 difcover the clue of his leading 
 ideas. I ihould not however advifc 
 any young man to feek his know- 
 ledge in this vague way. It is a 
 hundred to one, he is not qualified 
 for it. Befides, it is an indolent 
 way, when you reft folely upon it. 
 -In your books you will always meet 
 -with inftruction. 
 
 If
 
 AMUSEMENTS Of CLERGYMEN, igi 
 
 If the pleafure, faid I, Sir, arifing 
 from the company of learned men 
 -could be enjoyed in its full purity, it 
 would indeed be a relaxation beyond 
 all others. Where tempers are well 
 harmonized, I can conceive nothing 
 more delightful. But as in chemical 
 mixtures one fingle heterogeneous 
 ingredient often puts' the whole mafs 
 into a ferment j ib in thefe learned 
 focieties, one man, who talks incef- 
 fantly, or diiputes eagerly, deftroys all 
 the pleafure of the meeting ; and 
 makes us think our time might have 
 been employed more happily on out- 
 own folitary meditations. For myfelC 
 indeed I have feldom mixed freely 
 .with any one fet of people, among 
 
 whom
 
 I2 DIALOGUES ON THfi 
 
 whom fome or other has not been 
 of this troublefome defcription. At 
 college I remember feveral fuch in- 
 truders on the focial pleafures of an 
 evening. 
 
 It is very true, anfwered the Dean, 
 noify talking, and eager difputing, are 
 two great evils in converfation j and 
 are often found, more or lefs, in the 
 meetings even of learned and inge- 
 nious men. And it is a miferable 
 thing, when a man's ielf is the only 
 perfon pleafed with hearing his own 
 converfation. Nay, I will go far- 
 ther, and allow that this is not the 
 only evil which infefts thefe focie- 
 iies. There are other things which 
 
 often
 
 AMU3-EMF.NTS OF CLERGYMEN. 193 
 
 >ofren render -them difagreeable. A 
 friend of mine told me lately, that 
 .in a capital town in England he was 
 ,a member of a very reputable fociety, 
 confiding of feverai men of tafte and 
 fcience. He was delighted with their 
 converfation, and thought his time 
 -very profitably fpent. He foon, how- 
 ever, found, that one or two of the 
 members of this fociety had a deifti- 
 cal turn. This might have been en- 
 -dured, if they would have kept their 
 ientiments to themfelves, and dif- 
 cuffed only points -of literature. But 
 chey were forward, on all occafions, 
 to move queftions on religious fub- 
 jefbs ; and would difcufs them with 
 .very offenfive licence. My friend 
 o therefore
 
 194 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 therefore feeing no remedy, left his 
 company, and conforted no more 
 with a fociety, where he could not 
 receive pleafure without a great 
 mixture of pain. And indeed I 
 muft allow with you, there are fo 
 many things, which make thefe ge- 
 neral meetings of literati difagree- 
 able, that I know not whether, as 
 far as mere relaxation is concerned, 
 one has not a better chance for ir in 
 the mixed company of well-bred 
 people of both fexes. I mould at 
 leaft wifh for no more than three or 
 four, in a fociety of feled friends, to 
 make it agreeable. 
 
 But, faid I, Sir, there are many of 
 
 us
 
 . AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 195 
 
 us poor curates, who have few oppor- 
 tunities of getting into company of 
 any kind ; who live in lonely places ; 
 and fee few, hefides the peafants of 
 our own parifnes : What refourccs 
 have you for us ? 
 
 Why, in the firfl place, anfwered 
 The I^ean, the peafants of your parifh 
 are, in many refpeds, the propereft 
 company you can keep. You will 
 not mingle with their pleafures and 
 diverfions. But the good pallor 
 will often find leifure to enter their 
 houfes and cottages, and fee and 
 hear what they are about: and in 
 this duty he will find his amufement. 
 On this head, however, I need not 
 o 2 inilrudt
 
 196 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 inftruft you. Befides, added he, we 
 are rather going from the queftion. 
 We are not confidering amuiement 
 as united with duty ; but as a relax - 
 .ation from it. Are you mufical? I 
 know no amufement fo adapted to 
 the clerical life as mufic. And in- 
 deed not only as an amufement; 
 but as a mean often, as Saul ufed 
 it, to drive away the evil fpirit. 
 Sedentary men are fubject to 
 nervous complaints j and I have 
 known many a man, who could, at 
 any time, fiddle away a fit of the 
 /pleen. 
 
 I am myfelf, faid I, mufical 
 enough, to have fometimes felt the 
 
 relief
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 197 
 
 relief you mention, though I can, on 
 no inftrumeHt, charm any ears but 
 my own. 
 
 And what other ears, replied the' 
 Dean, do you wifh to charm-? To 
 tell you the truth, I fhould think 
 excellence rather a difad vantage. "I 
 have known feveral clergymen, who 
 were m afters of mufick, get into dif- 
 agreeable connections by -being call- 
 ed on frequently to.afiift in concerts 
 with people, whom it would have 
 been more prudent to avoid. We 
 are willing indeed to fuppofe, that 
 mufick makes a part of our heavenly 
 enjoyments : but on earth, I am per- 
 fuaded, it is fome times found among 
 o 3 very
 
 198 DIALO-GU-ES ON THE 
 
 very unharmonized fouls. It may- 
 drive away a fie of the fpleen, or 
 moderate fome momentary paftion; 
 but I fear it has not often much 
 effecT: in meliorating the heart by 
 fubduing inordinate affe&ions. If] 
 therefore, continued the Dean, you 
 can fiddle fo as to amufe yourfelf, I 
 ihould defire no more. 
 
 I hope then, faid I,. Sir, my ac- 
 quirements in this art will not dif- 
 pleafe you; for they are very far 
 from the point of excellence. But 
 I am chiefly folicitous to have your 
 opinion on a flill more favourite 
 amufe ment, which is drawing. It 
 
 has
 
 AMUSEMENTS CF CLERGYMEN*. 199 
 
 has given agreeable employment to 
 many a folitary hour in my life, and 
 I mould be forry to be debarred the 
 exercife of it. 
 
 I have no intention, faid the Dean, 
 to debar you from it. But 1 muft 
 give you one piece of advice. As 
 you are fond both of mufick and 
 drawing, I mould not wifh you to 
 pradlife both. One of thefe dome/tic 
 amufements, I mould think, might 
 find fufficient employment for your 
 leifure. This piece of advice is 
 from myfelf. But I am not unqua- 
 lified to give you other infirufHon. 
 I have no knowledge of the art my- 
 felf, but I remember heariflg an ex- 
 o 4 cellent
 
 2OO DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 cellent judge give inftruclion to a: 
 young man, who had a profefiion, as 
 you have, and wilhed to follow draw- 
 ing only as an amufement. In ths 
 firft place, I remember, he advifed 
 his young friend againfl colouring, 
 
 which all dabblers are fond of. To 
 
 t 
 
 underftand the harmony of colours, 
 he faid, required great experience j 
 and without it, colouring was daubing. 
 He advifed him alfo, I recollect, 
 againft attempting hiftory, or portrait, 
 or animal life, or any other branch, 
 in which accurate dellneatim was re- 
 quired. Landfcape he recommended 
 as the eaficfl, and moft pleafmg 
 branch, which might have the farther 
 advantage of decoying him into the 
 
 forefl,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMAN. 2C1 
 
 foreft, or the field, to examine, o? 
 copy nature. 
 
 I gave the Dean- my bed thanks 
 for his advice. Of the utility of that 
 part, which came from himfelf, I was 
 already convinced by experience : 
 and had determined to drop one of 
 my amufements, as I found I could 
 not, without too great an expence of 
 time, follow both. With regard to 
 the other part of his advice, I la- 
 mented, that it had never been given 
 me before. I owned I was a dab- 
 bler, and had daubed over many a 
 iheet of paper. But if I continue, 
 faid I, to praclife drawing, I lhall en- 
 tirely lay afide my colours; and prac- 
 
 tife
 
 202 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 tife my art, fuch as it is, in a way, 
 that may give me more fatisfaction: 
 though perhaps, Sir, I fhall pleafe 
 you better, by not aiming at any ex- 
 cellence at all. 
 
 If you allude, replied the Dean, 
 to what I faid about mufick, you 
 miftake my meaning. My great 
 objection to your obtaining excel- 
 lence in mufick, is, left it mould 
 miflead you into improper company. 
 Its fitter art is of a more folitary na- 
 ture, and is not liable to that incon- 
 venience. Except for this reafon, 
 and the fear of too much expence of 
 time, I have no objection to your ob- 
 taining excellence in either art. But 
 though
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 203 
 
 though you fhouid not be able to 
 pleafe yourfelf with your own profi- 
 ciency in drawing; yet, if you have 
 a tafte for the art, you may be greatly 
 amufed with the works of others. A 
 clergyman near me, who is now dead* 
 had a fmall collection of prints and 
 drawings; and when he was fatigued 
 with iludy (as he was a very ftudious 
 man) could, at any time, amufe. 
 himfelf with a few of his prints. 
 
 But all this, fkid I, Sir, requires 
 tafte; and if a clergyman have na 
 tafte for thefe arnufements, I hope 
 you have no objection to indulge him 
 in fome amufement, which does not 
 require it in a game at chefs, for 
 2 inftance,
 
 204 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 mftance, with a neighbouring vi- 
 car j or at back-gammon with the 
 fquire ?" 
 
 In my opinion, faid the Dean, chefs 
 is fo far from being a relaxation, as 
 all amufements mould be, that if you 
 are fairly matched, it is a fevere ftudy. 
 It is a game, in which a great variety 
 of different movements create double 
 the variety of different circumftances; 
 on each of which circumftances, fo 
 numerous a train of confequences 
 again depend, that to provide for all 
 the contingences that arife from your 
 own moves, and may arife from the 
 probable moves of your antagonifr, 
 requires a mind intenfely occupied i& 
 
 the
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 205 
 
 the purfuit before it, and vacant from 
 every other. In ihort, a {kill in this 
 game, like mathematical knowledge, 
 maybe continually advancing to per- 
 fection. When I was Fellow of St. 
 John's, I played much at chefs ; and 
 being fond of it, I attained, as I 
 thought, fome degree of excellence ; 
 till at length, from beating all the 
 young men at Cambridge who play- 
 ed with me, I began to think my- 
 felf the beft chefs-player in England. 
 It happened, on a vifit to a friend in 
 London, that an old German officer 
 made one of the party. After din- 
 ner we went to different amufemcnts, 
 and it was propofed, that he and I 
 fjiould play a game at chefs, as we 
 
 were
 
 ,206 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 -were both known to be chefs-players, 
 I modeftly threw my glove; but my 
 heart beat with a full affurance of 
 triumph. I foon, however, perceived, 
 that my antngonift opened his game 
 in a manner, to which I had not been 
 accuftomed. This roufed all my 
 attention. But while I was defending 
 myfelf in one quarter (for I quickly- 
 found I had to aft only on the defen- 
 five) I received a fevere blow on an- 
 other. And while I was endeavour- 
 ing to recover my difordered affairs, 
 the enemy broke in upon me, and 
 fhamcfully defeated me, without giv- 
 ing me an -opportunity of difplaying 
 one inftance of my prowefs. I was 
 convinced, however, that all this mif- 
 
 chief
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN'. 2OJ 
 
 chief had befallen me from too great 
 confidence, and an incautious man- 
 ner of opening my game. I beg- 
 ged another trial: but it ended in 
 the fame difgrace. My amagonift, 
 by this time, was fully apprized what 
 a hero he had to deal with; and ex- 
 ulting in his fuccefs, defired me to fix 
 upon any chamber on the board I 
 pleafed, and ufe all my ftrength merely 
 to defend that fingle pod: he en- 
 gaged to attack no other. But in 
 fpite of all my endeavours, he gave 
 me check-mate upon that very fpot. 
 Nay, he did it repeatedly ; for my 
 fhame was now turned into admira- 
 tion. I fat down therefore content- 
 ed; and endeavoured to confole my- 
 
 felf
 
 ,208 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 .felf by forming the difgrace I had 
 fuffered into a leflbn againft pre- 
 fumption. 
 
 I cannot, in return, Jaid I, Sir, tell 
 .you a (lory of my proweis at chefs ; 
 out, if you will give me leave, I will 
 tell you one of my perfeverance. 
 I played a game with a gentleman at 
 my own lodgings, and was victo- 
 rious. You have taken me, faid 
 he, rather inopportunely to-day ; but 
 if you will be vacant on Thurfday, 
 I fliall be this way, and will demand 
 fatisfac~bion. Accordingly on Thurf- 
 day he came about eleven o'clock} 
 and by the time we, had played three 
 games, two of which I had won, his 
 
 .horfes
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 2C9 
 
 horfes came to the door. I can- 
 not leave the matter thus, faid he ; 
 if you can fet any little matter be- 
 fore mei we will go on. Two games 
 more were played, when in the midft 
 of the third, a bit of roafted mutton 
 appeared ; and by the time it was 
 eold, I had defeated him again. I 
 was now four or five games before 
 him. Our intercourfe therefore with 
 the mutton was mort ; and we went 
 to work again. I was -ftill victo- 
 rious, when the horfes returned at 
 fix. This 'is provoking, faid he, I 
 cannot leave the matter thus. Can 
 I have a bed at the inn ? His orders 
 to his fervant now were, not to bring 
 the horfes till they were fent for. 
 p This
 
 2IO DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 This was a melancholy note to me, 
 fatigued, as I was already, beyond 
 meafure. However, as I was under 
 fome obligations to the gentleman, 
 and in my own lodgings, I had no 
 choice. The night ended late, and 
 the morning began early. Breakfaft 
 came the barber came dinner 
 came all was negligently treated, 
 except the main point. I fighed 
 inwardly, and hoped this vifitation 
 would now foon have an end. It 
 lafted, however, all that day j and I 
 was flill two games before my anta- 
 gonift ; though I had played as care- 
 lefsly as I could, without difcovering 
 my indifference. As the evening 
 drew on, and I expected every mo- 
 ment
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN*. 21 1 
 
 mcnt to hear a mefiage fent for the 
 horfes, I was fhocked with his telling 
 me we could not part on thefe un- 
 equal terms. As the next day was 
 Saturday, and he muft of necefilty, 
 he faid, then finifh, he would try his 
 fortune once more. So we con- 
 tinued nailed to our board, till a late 
 hour on Friday night; and began 
 again before breakfaft, on Saturday 
 morning. Towards the clofe of the 
 day, our accounts differed in one 
 game. But I was too complaifant 
 to difpute the matter; fo the horfes 
 were fent for, and I was delivered 
 from fuch a trial of my patience, as 
 I never before experienced. 
 
 p 2 Scarce
 
 212 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 Scarce any mifchief happens to us, 
 .faid the Dean, but we have the com- 
 .fort of thinking it might have been 
 worfe: and you were happy that 
 your friend did not come to you on 
 Monday, inftead of Thurfday. As 
 it appears, however, from my ftory, 
 how much time and pains are necef- 
 fary to obtain excellence in this game, 
 and from your ftory, how fafcinating 
 a game it is it is worth while to 
 confider how far it may be a proper 
 amufement for a clergyman and 
 whether it really anfwers the end of 
 an amufement by unbending the 
 mind. If it only fubftitute one fe- 
 vere ftudy for another, it cannot cer-r 
 tainly take the name of an amufe- 
 
 .ment.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 213 
 
 ment *. Let every one however 
 judge for himfelf. I found it too 
 interefting to be amufing to me, and 
 therefore in early life I left it off. 
 It is certainly, however, a noble 
 game. It gives us an idea of war 
 without its guilt. It gives us a juft 
 idea too of common life of the 
 happy effects of prudent, and cautious 
 
 fteps 
 
 * Cowper, with his ufual descriptive ta- 
 lents, admirably portrays the ardour of a. 
 chefs-player.. 
 
 Who then 
 
 Would wafte attention at the chequer'd board, 
 His hoft of wooden warriors to and fro 
 Marching, ana ceunter-marching, with an eye 
 As fixed as marble, with a forehead ridg'd 
 And furrowed into ftorms, and with a hand 1 
 Trembling, as if. eternity were hung 
 In balance on his conduct of a pin ?
 
 214 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 fteps on one hand ; and of the fatal 
 mifchief, which often attends even 
 one falfe ftep on the other. 
 
 I know not, fhid I, Sir, whether 
 fuch games > as are made up of/H//, 
 and chance together, are not clofer 
 imitations of life. Our mod prudent 
 plans are often defeated by events, 
 which do not depend on ourfelves> 
 but arife from what we call chance? 
 while an ill-digefted plan fometimes 
 fucceeds without any aid from our 
 own prudence* Games, therefore, 
 confiding partly of Jkitt> and partly 
 ^Lcbance y feem more to refemble the 
 courfe of events in human life, than 
 games ot mere Jkill, like chefs. 
 
 t Certainly,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 215 
 
 Certainly, replied the Dean, fuch 
 games afford a jufter picture of the 
 circMH/tarifesoflifei but 1 am fpeak- 
 ing of the conduct of it. Sometimes, 
 it is true, we are ruined by unavoid- 
 able calamity; but more often by 
 our own mifcondud: and it is this 
 latter view of life, which chefs fo 
 juftly refembles. 
 
 Well, faid I, Sir, as you repudiate 
 chefs from the lift of your clerical 
 amufements, becaule of its intricacy, 
 I hope, you will take back-gam- 
 mon into favour, becaufe of its 
 fimplicity. 
 
 Not into my favour truly, an- 
 
 fwered the Dean. I know too little 
 
 p 4 of
 
 2l6 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 of it to make it a favourite. I have 
 no objection, however, to it, but its 
 ftupidity. Let thofe play at it, who 
 like it. It feems to me a noify, 
 rattling game, fit rather to conclude; 
 an evening after a fox -chafe, than 
 fuited to the tafte of men of letters, 
 and refinement. But indeed I have 
 a fort of prejudice againft back-gam* 
 mon, as it contributed to ruin the 
 fortunes of an excellent young man,, 
 with whom, in early life, I was in- 
 timate at college. He was related 
 to a rich, old admiral -, and was fup- 
 pofed to be his intended heir; which, 
 he probably might have been, had 
 not this flupid game intervened. 
 Back-gammon was the admiral's 
 delight.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 217 
 
 delight. He had no refources in 
 himfelf. As to books, he hardly 
 knew the top of a page from the bot- 
 tom. Back-gammon was level to 
 his genius. All his powers were cen- 
 tered in this game. Three, or four 
 hours after dinner i and half that time 
 after fupper, he never failed:to play; 
 and aJl day long, if the weather did 
 not permit him to go abroad. As 
 the admiral was not a very pleafmg 
 man, and befides rather penurious in 
 his houfe- keeping,, his company was 
 little fought after.; and it fell to 
 the unhappy lot of my friend to be 
 his almoft conftant antagonift. Day- 
 after day it was weary work. I re- 
 member well his coming to me, one 
 evening,
 
 2l8 DIALOGUES OK THE 
 
 evening, much out of humour: " I 
 have been playing with him, faid he, 
 at this ftupid game, from four this 
 afternoon, till eight; and he had the 
 confcience, towards the clofe of this 
 heavy bufmefs, to look me full in the 
 face, and cry, Coufin, you play as if 
 you were tired." Jn fhort,my friend 
 could not bear this mifcrable trefpafs 
 upon his time, and began to make 
 conditions. The admiral was not 
 ufed to controul, took the huff, blot- 
 ted him out of his will, and chofe a 
 puppy for his heir, who was fit for 
 nothing but to play at back-gam- 
 mon. 
 
 A liberal minded man, faid I, Sir, 
 
 is
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 2lg 
 
 is much to be pitied, when his inte- 
 reft, and his fentiments are thus at 
 variance. Young as I am in life, I 
 have feen feveral inftances of itj 
 but I have feldom known, as on this 
 occafion, fentiment prevail. Upon 
 the whole however, Sir, I think you 
 are too har(h in your cenfure of 
 back-gammon. It is not furely a 
 game of deep contrivance; yet I 
 think ic pofieffcs variety enough to 
 be amufing even to an enlightened 
 mind, which wilhes, during a fhort 
 interval, to fufpend its faculties, and 
 enjoy the refrefhment of a little 
 privation of fentiment. What has 
 hurt this poor, harmlefs game, I 
 believe, more than any thing elfe, 
 
 is*
 
 220 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 is, its connection with thofe wicked 
 little cubes, called dice, which are 
 employed in fo many villainous 
 purpofes, that every communication 
 with them is fufpected.. One of our 
 good bifhops, I have heard, is fond 
 of a game at back-gammon, when he 
 \can get fnug to it with his chaplain. 
 But he ftands much in awe of his own. 
 fervants, left in pafllng to and fro, 
 they fliould hear their matter rattling 
 dice. So he plays always on a table, 
 lined with green baize, and throws 
 his dice from lined boxes *; 
 
 If 
 
 * This ftory is told of Bifhop Gibfon of 
 London; but as he lived after Dr. Stilling- 
 fleet's time, I fuppofe the fame device has 
 been prattifed by o k her bifhops.
 
 -AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. '221 
 
 If it had been my cafe, faid the 
 Dean, I fhould have played openly 
 Thefe concealments never are 
 concealed. They only (hew, that 
 we have not refolution to forbear 
 doing, what, on fome account, we 
 <io not think perfectly right. For 
 myfelf, I fee no reafon why >the bi- 
 Ihop may not indulge himfelf in a 
 game at back-gammon, without 
 fcruple, if he like it. As for the ill- 
 repute it lies under, on the account 
 of its connection with dke, I fee no 
 more reafon for it, than that knives 
 and forks mould be objected to, be- 
 .caufe they may become the inftru- 
 ments of gluttony. It is another 
 .connection, which occafions the mif- 
 
 chief.
 
 422 DIALOGUES ON THfi 
 
 chief. If thefe little wicked cubes, as 
 you call them, were not connected 
 with certain little wicked circles call- 
 ed money, they would be perfectly 
 harmlefs. Thefe little circles are, in 
 fact, the wicked companions which 
 debauch the cubes $ and are indeed 
 fuch mifchievous companions as 
 feldom fail to turn all amufements 
 into vice. In my Utopia therefore 
 money lhall in no degree be connect- 
 ed with amufement. Its proper place 
 is the market, and there only it has 
 concern. 
 
 Gaming, faid I, Sir, no doubt, is a 
 very ftrange perverfion of amufe- 
 ment : but is there any objection to 
 a trifling
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 22J 
 
 a trifling flake, which is never felt, 
 whether we win or lofe, and is in 
 fad no objeft ? 
 
 What end then, faid the Dean, does 
 it anfwer ? 
 
 Merely, I replied, to keep the at- 
 tention a little awake. 
 
 You muft allow then, anfwered 
 the Dean, that as far as it does keep 
 the attention awake, fo far it is an ob- 
 jeft. The amufemcnt itfelf, it feems, 
 cannot keep the attention awake ; but 
 wants a ftimulative, the love of mo- 
 ney, which makes you play with 
 that care and caution, which the 
 amufement
 
 224 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 amufement itfelf could not do. And 
 is this any thing elfe, my good friend 
 (twift and analyfe it as you pleafe) 
 but the fpirit of avarice? One man's 
 attention cannot be kept awake, as you 
 phrafe it, without playing for a (hil- 
 ling. Another man muft keep his 
 attention awake with a pound. A 
 third muft be enlivened by a ftake of 
 ten times as much j and fo on, till 
 the attention of fome people muft 
 be kept awake by flaking a patrimo- 
 ny. You fee then plainly, that if 
 the ftake be fo trifling, as to be no 
 ebjeft, it can be no incentive-, and if 
 it be an objeft, it can only be fo, by 
 your attachment to a fum of mo- 
 ney i and what will you call that 
 attachment.
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 225 
 
 attachment, unlefs you refolve it, 
 with me, into the ipirit of ava- 
 rice ? 
 
 But though in theory, faid I, Sir, 
 you may be able to lead it up to this 
 fburce, it feems, in fafb, to be fo tri- 
 ,fling, as not to come within any 
 moral calculation. 
 
 I know the mathematician, re- 
 plied the Dean, divides matter with 
 fuch nicety, as to bring it to an in- 
 vifible point. But I do not like to 
 fee morals fo treated. Is the excefs 
 wrong? If it be, the approach can- 
 not be ,right. If your mind be at 
 all infe&ed with the Ipirit of avarice, 
 Q and
 
 426 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 and the defire of profiting by your 
 neighbour's lofs, it is fo far an 
 approach: There are different de- 
 grees of vice, no doubt; but we are 
 cautioned agair.ft breaking one of 
 the haft commandments, as well as 
 the greateft. The good Chriftian en- 
 deavours to preferve his mind from 
 the fmalleft taint; and the Chriftian 
 minifter thinks himlelf particularly 
 bound to abftain from every appear- 
 ance of evil. In fine, I will not cavil 
 with you, whether playing for money 
 arifes from avarice; but certainly the 
 amufement ccafes, when it cannot itfelf 
 produce its end; and what does pro- 
 duce the end> becomes the leading 
 principle. So that the point iflues 
 
 here:
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMAN. 22; 
 
 here: if you choofe fuch feeble 
 amufements, as are really no amufe- 
 ments, without the aid of vicious fti- 
 mulatives it becomes you to lay 
 them afidej and feek for fuch amufe- 
 ments, as are fimply fuch. 
 
 To be candid, I replied, I have 
 nothing farther, Sir, to oppofe. Vi- 
 cious cuflom, I fear, hath modified 
 all our amufemenrs, as well as every 
 thing elfe; and hath driven them 
 from their natural fimplicity; con- 
 necting things with them, that have 
 no relation to them. I cannot but 
 allow with you, th^t amufements 
 fhould be fimply fuch; and that if 
 they conned themfelves with money, 
 .Q^.a they
 
 228 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 they mould aflume another name. 
 I then put the Dean in mind, that he 
 had yet furnifhed us with no dome/lie 
 amufement, that came under the name 
 of exercife. Rainy weather, I ob- 
 ferved, might continue fo long, as 
 to make a little motion necefiary 
 to a fedentary man. Do you obje<5t 
 to billiards? 
 
 Why no, faid the Dean, not much. 
 My own method, when I could not 
 take exercife abroad, was to throw 
 two or three doors open, and walk 
 from one chamber to another, with a 
 book, or fcrap of paper in my hand, 
 as I ufed to do in the fields. But I 
 do not prescribe my own example to 
 others.
 
 AMUSEMENT'S OF CLERGYMEN. 22g 
 
 others. As to billiards, they are fo 
 unhappily connected with gaming, 
 and bad company, that I have no 
 great refpecl; for the amufement at 
 leaft as a clerical one. However, as 
 the influence of this game, from its 
 expenfive apparatus, cannot be fo ex- 
 tended as cards, I fhould not object 
 to a clergyman's playing at it in a 
 private family, and under the ufual 
 reftriftion of playing only with good 
 company, and for no (lake. 
 
 I am obliged to you, faid I, Sir, 
 
 for the liberty you have given me of 
 
 indulging an amufement, which is 
 
 a favourite one with mej and in 
 
 Q_ 3 which
 
 23O DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 which I am fuppofed to have feme- 
 (kill. 
 
 Nay then, replied the Dean, I 
 know not whether I ft all not revoke 
 the liberty I have given you. I am 
 not fond of a clergyman's pcjfejfing 
 Jkill in any game. Skill always im- 
 plies a confumption of time ; and an 
 eagernefs after an amufement, whick 
 I cannot approve. 
 
 But you have now, faid I, Sir, 
 given me fo much good inftruclion,. 
 that, whatever I may have done, I 
 hope never again either to employ 
 my time in improving my fkillj or 
 to ufe my fldll in mifpending my 
 2 time. 

 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 23! 
 
 time. I then afked the Dean, if he 
 had ever heard of the game of 
 fhuttlecock? or if he would laugh 
 at me for mentioning it to him as 
 good dcmeftic exercife ? 
 
 Laugh at you! faid the Deanj I 
 know no game, that I value more. 
 It has all the chambers of the amufe- 
 raent, we want. It gives us good 
 exercife it makes us cheerful and 
 has no connection with our pockets: 
 and if I may whifper another truth ia 
 your ear, it does not require much 
 Jkill to learn. When my legs w'ere 
 in better order, I have fpent many a 
 rainy half-hour with Sir Roger, at 
 fhuttlecock in his hall. The word 
 0.4 of
 
 23* DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 of it is, few parfonage houfes have 
 a room large enough for itj though 
 perhaps the tithe-barn, if it be not 
 better employed, may furnilri'one. 
 I could fay more in favour of fhuttle- 
 cock. You may play at it alone. It 
 is alfo an exercife too violent to lad 
 long. We need not fear, as at bil- 
 liards, to mifpend a morning at it. 
 Laugh at you ! fo far from it, that 
 I refpect the man, who invented 
 fhuttlecock. 
 
 I afked the Dean next, if he had 
 any objection to fome little handi- 
 craft bufmefs, as domejlic exercife for a 
 clergyman? And I particularifed 
 that of a carpenter, or a turner; both 
 
 which,
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 233 
 
 which, I faid, were very well fitted to 
 put the blood in motion. 
 
 Aye, aye, replied the Dean, I like 
 them .both. I have known very 
 worthy clergymen good carpenters, 
 and turners. I knew one, who had a 
 fhop in his houfe, and made his own 
 tables and chairs. They were fub- 
 ftantial,and not ill-made j and though 
 he did not think them neat enough for 
 his parlour, they did very well for his 
 chambers, and ftudy. 1 knew ano- 
 ther clergyman, added the Dean, and 
 an exemplary man he was, who was 
 an excellent turner. He ufed to work 
 in box, ebony, and ivory; and made 
 a number of little, pretty conve- 
 niences
 
 234 DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 niences both for himfelf, and his 
 friends. In the coldeft weather, I 
 have heard him fay, he could put his 
 whole frame in a glow by working 
 his lathe. Did not you fee in the 
 prints, that Monf. Pafcal, who died 
 the other day, had retired, a few 
 years ago, to the learned feminary of 
 Port-Royal, where he, and other 
 eminent men made it a rule to 
 intermix their ftudies with manual 
 labour* ? 
 
 I told 
 
 * The Society of Port-Royal (ib called 
 from a place near Paris, where they affo- 
 ciuted) confifted offome of the moil religious 
 teen, the greatell wits, and befl fcholars, 
 that France ever produced; they lived toge- 
 ther in a happy intercourfe, without any 
 monaitic rule; and under no reilraint, but 
 
 what
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN. 235 
 
 I told the Dean I had feen it; and 
 that I rather wondered at the choice, 
 which Pafcal had made of his own 
 employment, which was that of 
 making wooden fhoes. 
 
 Aye, good man, faid the Dean, he 
 made them for the poor peafants in 
 his neighbourhood ; and I mould be 
 glad to give more than double their 
 value for a pair of them to keep for 
 his fake. 
 
 I then' 
 
 what religion, and good fenfe prefcribed. 
 Their chief employ ment was to form ihe minds 
 and Itudies of ingenious young men; and by 
 their works to improve their country,, both m 
 religion, and fcience. In ftiort, they were a 
 fet of philofophers diredly oppofitc to thofe, 
 from whom the French nation hath lately 
 taken inftru&ion.
 
 2JQ DIALOGUES ON THE 
 
 I then mentioned book-binding to 
 the Dean, as a clerical art. 
 
 Why, yes, faid he, I think it is: 
 but we fhould have introduced it ear- 
 lier in our converfation, under the 
 head of domejtic amufement; it will 
 hardly come under that of domeftic 
 exercife. Well, have you any thing 
 more to offer ? You fee, I am dif- 
 pofed to allow my brethren every 
 mode of amufement, and exercife, 
 that is confident with innocence, and 
 propriety of manners j and I hope 
 the range which may be taken within 
 thefc bounds, will be thought fully 
 fufficient. If I have omitted any 
 
 thing ;
 
 AMUSEMENTS OF CLERGYMEN 237 
 
 thing; or if you have any thing far- 
 ther to propofe, lee me know. 
 
 I recoiled nothing, faid I, Sir, at 
 preterit j and have only left to exprefs 
 my grateful obligations to you for 
 what is paft. If any thing farther 
 fliould occur, I fhall take the liberty, 
 on fome future occafion, to propofe 
 it. In the mean time, I am per- 
 fectly fadsfied myfelf with the in- 
 dulgence you have given me j 
 and fliould think any of my bre- 
 thren unreafonable, who fliould de- 
 fire more. 
 
 END OF THE DIALOGUES.
 
 THIS is thefubftanceofwhatpajfed 
 between the Dean of Paul's, and me, on 
 the fubjeff of clerical arnufements. 
 As our conversation lofted three even- 
 ings, I had the more leifure to commit 
 It to writing. The force of many cfthc 
 Dean's expreffions, I fear, is injured in 
 an account, which defended Jo much on 
 memory : but I dare take upon me 
 to Jay, the Jentiments are invariably 
 his. 
 
 As this converfation gave a new turn 
 to all my own amufements, it enabled 
 me alfo to be of fome fcrvice in giving 
 cccajional advice to fever al of my younger 
 brethren : and if my executors faeuld 
 fndthefe papers, and think them worth 
 communicating to the public, I jhould
 
 [ 239 ] 
 
 bope they might be of uje alfo to others. 
 Such clergymen, indeed^ as have firmed 
 fettled habits, efpecially of card-playing y 
 will not ecfily, I fear, give them up ; 
 but will probably defend them aga'mft 
 the gocd Dean's arguments, as they are 
 able. But among the young confcientious 
 clergy, I hope, there may be many, who 
 may fndfomething in what hath been 
 faid that deferves their attention. 'To 
 them particularly I recommend the good 
 Dean's advice. 
 
 JOS. FR AMI TON. 
 
 THE END.
 
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