the Court, and infifted on her antient Privileges with fuch admirable Strength of Argument, and fuch a becoming Mixture of Modesty and Refolution, that it drew Tears from the Eyes of all the Spectators, except her favage Judges and Profecutors, who feem'd inexorably combined against Her, and determined on her Ruin. They infifted very peremptorily on her Pleading; which She continuing to refuse, with the fame intrepid Conftancy of Spirit, They threaten'd to proceed to farther Violence, and were going to give the neceffary Orders; but, juft at that Inftant, the whole Room was alarm'd with the chearful Sound of Bells in all Parts of the City, and loud Conclamations of Joy in the Streets. The Court was immediately crouded with another Body of Men, drefs'd in plain Habits, with the Figures of Looms, Plough-fhares and Anchors embofs'd on their Breafts. One of Them advanced before the reft, with a little Scroll in his Hand, which appear'd to be a Decree of the Senate. Having read this Paper aloud, the pretended Judges and their little Officers were ftruck with a fudden Confternation, and fneak'd out of the Room, one after another, with vifible Marks of Shame and Confufion. The Gentleman then approach'd the captive Matron, with a chearful Gravity of Countenance; and, making a low Obeyfance, took Her by the Hand, and led Her from this Bar of Mock-Juftice. As foon as She got without the Gates of the Court, She was received by a vaft Concourse of People, who faluted Her with repeated Shouts of Congratulation, and conducted Her in Triumph to her old Manfion, the Temple of Liberty, fituated on the Banks of the neighbouring River. Methoughts, I made one in this glorious Cavalcade, and felt an inexpreffible Satisfaction of Mind, upon obferving fo grateful a Concern of the People for the Deliverance of their antient Patronefs. Having taken our Leave of the good old Lady, with a thousand Wishes for her Profperity, We return'd into the City; where We found one

general

general Scene of Mirth; the Rejoicings of the Night being equal to the Bleffings of the Day. The Streets blazed with huge Piles of Faggots; and the Houses were illuminated with an infinite Profufion of Tapers, which difpell'd the Darkness of the Night, and made it appear like Noon-Day. Our Eyes were feafted, on every Side, with a numerous Affemblage of joyful Countenances, and our Ears with various Kinds of Mufick. The Windows and Balconies were throng'd with Perfons of higher Rank; and the Populace below express'd their Joy, in their ufual Manner, by burning the Effigies of Thofe, whom They look'd upon as their Enemies. Yet notwithstanding the Height of their Provocation, as well as the ftrong Sense of their Deliverance, the whole Scene appear'd to be conducted with great Decency, and as little Outrage as could poffibly be expected from an exafperated Multitude, on fo important an Occafion.

D.

N° 357. SATURDAY, May 5, 1733.

SIR,

Ineft fua Gratia parvis.

To CALEB D'ANVERS, -Efq;

麗】

HE English Language hath been often charged with an Objection, which, though fpecious enough, I cannot think juft. It is faid that we have too many Monofyllables. Some of the greateit Criticks have, indeed, frequently indulged their Spleen against them; and it is grown a common Reproach in the Mouth of moft Foreigners. Nay,

our

our own best Poets have not been filent on this Head; fo that I begin to fear a dangerous Confpiracy is form'd against this little Fraternity; and I know not how foon they may be doom'd to Banifhment, unless they meet with fome charitable and timely Vindication.

the

For my Part, I cannot help confidering thefe little Bodies as the nobleft and moft fenfible Part of our Language, which give us a material Advantage over moft other living Languages. Methinks, they breathe very Genius of the British Nation; and however, like That, they may be too often infulted; yet I must obferve that they are not, like many other Words, blustering only and empty, pitiful and effeminate; but in Reality and on moft Occafions, like our own Nation, ftrong, bold, good and great.

I may, perhaps, fome Time or other, treat this Argument thoroughly; and demonttrate the Importance and Neceffity not only of retaining, but even of enlarging the Number. This only I fhall premise at prefent, as to my future Defign; that I propofe to write it (tho' it will be an Effay of no fmall Extent) wholly in Monofyllables; whereas, I believe, I may defy the moft voluble, long-winded, long worded Orator to put together two or three tolerable Sentences without any Monojyllables at all.

Nay, if my Design meets with a favourable Reception, I may be arrogant enough to make an humble Propofal, that all but true, ftaunch Monofyllables fhall be utterly discarded; and I flatter myself that in this Attempt I fhall have the Concurrence of moft People; fince I perceive that the Generality of our Writers, for near an Age paft, contract their Words as much as They can; and, as ftrange as it may feem, have been clipping the Coin, to make it the more current.

Of all the Writers, that Antiquity has left us, Saluft and Thucydides are the shortest and as fuch, I own that I reverence Them. The latter of These (as we have his Character by the inoft copious Orator in the

World}

But

World) feems to have more Sentences than Words. future Writers, according to my Plan, may exceed Him a Bar's Length. They may have, perhaps, as many Sentences as Syllables.

Indeed, I am the more inclined to this Project, because the closer we follow all Languages to their Fountain-Head, the more we fhall find them fimple, clear and unmixt. The Languages of the East, from whence all others flow, have the shortest Words. The Chinefe is faid to be infinitely the moft copious; and yet we are inform'd that it confifts almoft intirely of fingle Syllables. In Imitation of that great and virtuous People, I declare against all Sorts of unnatural Alliances; against all Sorts of compounding.

But to proceed to my Project.- I am fenfible that, in this Undertaking, I fhall raise many Enemies, and I fee new Objections starting up every Day. Yet, at the fame Time, I make no Doubt, that when my Scheme is fully open'd to the World, I shall have Mul titudes to join Me by Degrees.

One great national Advantage will evidently arife from my Project; for which I may reasonably expect a publick Reward. We all know, by full Experience, that Treaties and Negotiations take up a great deal of Time in Tranfaction, and are too often inveighed against as tedious. Now, if Minifters would but introduce my bort Language into all Congreffes, Preliminaries, Memorials and Commiffions for adjufting Difputes; what a Length of Time, what a Profufion of Words, and confequently of Expence, would be faved by it? This might be easily brought about by the dexterous Management of Thoje, who are confeffedly Mafters of the most engaging Arts of Pacification, and have long fince rival'd the greatest Politicians in their happy Knack of perfuafive Inftructions.

It hath, indeed, been generally thought that a great Man ought to be Master of many Words; but I would leffen his Trouble, and am fully convinced that if He

hath

hath but two little, fnug Monofyllables intirely at Command, He may do his Bufinefs effectually. By the Help of These, and a magick Wand, He may perhaps fee his Charm laft, till a noble Fortune is raised. But it fometimes happens that He may over-exert Himself; and then, with all his Art, He will never be able to lay (what was raised at the fame Time) the Spirit of the People.

I have already the Satisfaction to behold one of the most important Affemblies in the World giving a Sanction to my Scheme, and I glory in the Honour of it. We fee the whole Wisdom of the Nation frequently employ'd with the utmost Vehemence, and to the greatest Length of Debate, whether AYE, or NO shall carry their Point. So little a Thing is it as two, or three Letters, that hath often engaged us in an honourable War, or a glorious Peace, and fometimes kept us, like Mahomet's Tomb, is an odd State of Sufpence between both. Old hath been the Enmity and frequent the Skirmishes between these two Particles; though it is obfervable that the AYE's have commonly got the better, being always fupported by a large Body of powerful and wealthy Auxiliaries. But, on the other Side, the NO's have frequently difcover'd an undaunted Spirit, amidst all their Difadvantages, and not long ago obrain'd a very fignal and compleat Victory. To Them it is intirely owing that a Scheme, for importing wooden Shoes into this Kingdom, hath been lately defeated; and the Publick hath Reason to expect fome farther Benefits from the honeft, vigilant and induftrious Service of these little Patriots.

All the Nations in the World are divided into two great Bodies of Monofyllables, of near Affinity to the AYE's and the N O's, who are ufually diftinguish'd by the Names of the INs and the Ours. The INS are always the richest and most confiderable Party; but, if I may fpeak my private Opinion, the Ours are commonly the honestest Men, and pay the greatest Re

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