The POLICE. 85 doning London, that delightful fpot, "ple fortune can furnish, by placing which prejudice, derived from bad ex- « herself under the protection of a ample, has taught them to prefer to "gentleman of honour; who, in reall the world befides. The barrier of "turn for the pleasure he may receive virtue is but feeble, however fome may "from her company and conversation, prefume on the fuperior ftrength of "will, by his tenderness, convince her their pious care and attention to their "of his follicitude to render life at children, when opposed to the scenes" once comfortable and happy to her." of triumphant vice daily exhibited in high ftations. When love and opportunity unite, we all know their power, and what fhall we fay when accurfed folly and apoftate fashion have confpired to exalt the loofeft characters, to the nobleft honours in female life. A fmall income for a large family, adds to my horror, as I am obliged to deny my girls a number of perfonal ornaments, and fome gratifications, which their age, and a moderate compliance with the external parade of the times, render partly neceffary. A refufal to honourable. The addrefs to this, and another advertisement of the fame tenour, which I found in a different paper, were directed to noted coffee-houfes at the weft-end of the town; and I am forry to acquaint the Public, that I took meafures to convince myself that they were feriously meant, and not inferted, as many pretend, by idle young fellows to fet girls to writing letters never intended to be anfwered, but were the premeditated propofals of men, falsely appropriating to themfelves the term comply with an expenfive request, fome. Such advertisements need no comdays fince, produced a vifible alteration in the behaviour of my eldest daughter, whofe natural difpofition is rather perverfe and untoward: I obferved the gloom of disappointment, and the frown of difcontent, feated on her countenance, which determined me to keep a strict eye on all her motions; and having difcovered that the had repeatedly taken up and laid afide, a news-paper, of no recent date, I took an opportunity to look over it with the utmost attention: not finding in the two first leaves any amufing eflays, or extraordinary occurrences, that were worth fixing on the memory, I began to wonder at the preference my daughter had given to an old paper, when the could have had her choice of feveral of later date; but my furprize ceafed when I found, by fome tokens on the paper, that an advertisement, to the following purport, had engroffed her notice. ment. I fhall therefore only observe, that we are certainly the most inconfiftent people upon earth; the Public eagerly wished that a noble Lord, who was acquitted of a charge of violence, brought against him by a woman, at years of difcretion, might be tried and convicted of feduction; but no notice is taken, no popular refentment is fhewn against public advertisements for the feduction of our wives and daughters. However, let thofe beware for the future, who thus tranfgrefs against the rules of decency; for tho' the law cannot reach them, yet, when difcovered, their names, ftile and title, characters and places of abode, fhall be fent, directed to the Author of the Police, for publication.-May the warning anfwer the intention. "Any young lady of good fenfe, "delicacy and behaviour, who is de"firous of being freed from the re"ftraint of parents or guardians or "who has fallen from the protection "of her friends or any milliner's or "mantua-maker's apprentice, who is "defirous to partake of the fplendor "and eafe which affluence affords, may "enjoy a carriage, with all the fuit "able accommodations which an am I am in the next place to offer to your confideration, the advertisements and the hand-bills which are diftributed in all the coffee-houfes and public places in London, and, I am told, all over the country, by Mr. Goff, Surgeon, and Mrs. Goff, Midwife, living next door but one to Carlton-houfe in Pall-mall; and of Mrs. Clarke, No. 197, in Fleet-freet. As the former have the most bufinefs, and have rendered themselves the most confpicuous, I shall contine myfelf to their advertisements. The The refpectable Mr. and Mrs. Goff, is given to the increafe of its members. kindly propose, "in order to remove Now nothing can be more obvious than obloquy, and to preferve harmony that the who has confented to an illicit "and concord in families, which is fo pregnancy, may have the most weighty neceffary, especially in the married reafons to get rid of her child when "ftate, to take the charge of ladies, born, and the privacy promifed in this "who defire to lye-in privately, under advertisement certainly facilitates that "every circumftance, and in every defign.-It is well known that there "fituation of concealed pregnancy." are many ways of deftroying children I need not recite the whole advertife- befides direct murder-carelessness, ment, which is of an immoderate length, wilful neglect, and mifmanagement, I mean only to attack part of Mr. often have the fame confequences. Goff's propofals, and I hope I fhall be Who is to reprove a lady in this cafe, found accurate in my quotations. under thefe circumstances; nay who is to be anfwerable to fociety for the pro-' duction and prefervation of every child thus privately born? If the curate of the parish is called in to baptife and register the children, a name muit be given, and the promised fecrecy is overfet. "When first I attempted, fays Mr. «Goff, to affift in this defpairing condition, fecret pregnancy, I engaged apartments in different parts of the town for that purpofe; but the natural inquifitive curiofity of perfons « who let lodgings, &c. &c. &c. gave me convincing proofs that it was impoffible for any perfon to make good "an affurance of fecrecy. Thefe dif"agreeable inconveniences determined me to appropriate my own houfe for "the reception of pregnant ladies, under the following regulations, which I have experienced to obviate every reasonable fuggeted objection, as "the neceffary affiftance in labour, the "nurfe, and every other requifite, are immediately obtained by the lady's ringing her bell. For the fake of privacy, the ladies breakfaft, dine and fup feparately in their own "apartments and by depofiting the expence for the month's lying-in, and alfo paying weekly for the board and lodging, previous to the time, "it will not be required to know the « parties.". 66 Now, Sir, let it be remembered, that I do not mean to lay any thing to the charge of the parties, or in the least to injure their reputation; but as a parent, as a member to civil fociety, and a free-born Briton, I have a right to challenge the terms of a public advertisement put into my hands, and to make my objections to it: which are briefly thefe, that they tranfgrefs against the first principles of the conftitution of all civilized countries. Children are no lefs the property of the Public, than of the parents. And the particular attention of every prudent Rate Again, Sir, the poor ladies are abso futely dependant on the fkili and attention of Mr. and Mrs. Goff, and the nurfes they provide. No one doubt their abilities; but the hurry of employment, and a thousand accidents, may require the affiftance of others: if the fecret is thus communicated it may not be kept, nor is it reafonable to fuppofe, that the ladies, who are defirous of being fo private as to dine and sup in their own apartments, will expofe themselves to any of the faculty that it may be neceffary to call in. Befides, in families, in the open, unconcealed way, if one midwife is difapproved of, or one phyfician, or if more are thought neceflary, they are called in; but here every thing feems to fall irrecoverably under the management of the parties. We do not fuppofe that Mr. and Mrs, Goff, to oblige a gallant, grown tired of his miftrefs, or to prevent a young gentleman's being profecuted for viofence or feduction, or any other striking inconvenience attending fhameful intrigues, would deftroy a poor lady; on the contrary, we judge them to be people of the firft reputation; but we may fay, that no perfons whatever ought to have that abfolute power over the lives of their fellow-creatures, which this privacy confers.-And let your readers call to mind the affair of the private mad-houfes; till it came before parliament, nobody dreamed of any abufes, especially as they were un der Remarkable Advertisements: der the direction of physicians of eminence. But what will not gold effect the relations of the persons unjustly confined, might misreprefent their cafe to the phyficians. You will permit me likewife to obferve, that it would be no hard matter for an incontinent wife to lye-in privately in favour of this advertisement a fummer excurfion, to fee a relation at a great distance, might be pleaded; the husband, engaged in bufinefs, might be amufed with letters dated from the place of her fuppofed vifit; more difficult things have been contrived and executed. A lady, under thefe circumftances, muft difpofe of the child fo as not to be forth, coming-what magiftrate, what parith officer, what guardian for the commonwealth is there, to be answerable to the ftate for the production of this child? I therefore infift upon it, that the civil magiftrate ought to vifit fuch advertising houfes every three days at leaft, and give the curate of the parish notice that there are ladies fo far advanced in pregnancy, that the birth of number of children may be expected at fuch a time, and fhould infift on feeing the ladies, and taking an account of them by fome name or other. I know I fhall be ridiculed for obferv. ing, that vice of every kind, for the good of fociety, ought to be expofed, and that all the favourable circumftances of concealment are fo many encouragements to it: yet it is a found and good maxim, though of little weight in comparison of the arguments I have already advanced. I fhall close the whole with thefe interefting questions. Suppofe my daughter abfconds from my houfe, under the circumstance of a concealed pregnancy, and I cannot hear any tidings of her have I, or have I not, a right to search the houses of these advertising gentry, who will receive my daughter's money, and no questions afked? If I have, then the fecrecy with refpect to the other ladies I may find there, in virtue of my fearch warrant, falls to the ground, and the whole plan, with regard to them, fails of its intent; for I may difcover my neighbour's wife or fifter, in looking for my daughter. If I have not, then the laws afford me no fecurity against the feduction and ruin of my daughter. But thould the return, and I am partly confident that he has lain in, but the perfifts in an obftinate denial, and will not inform me where she has concealed herself, what clue have I to the dif covery of the infant the may have brought into the world? What fatisfactory conviction that the mother, the better to conceal her fhame, has not neglected or mifmanaged it, even unto death? Thefe are horrid apprehenfions, Sir, but they are within the verge of probability, and thofe are to blame who have given me occafion to make them. I am just informed, that these plans are gaining ground, and that Mrs. Goff has taken a very large house in Whitelands-lane, Chelfea. I wish her fuccefs in the open way of her profeffion; but I infift upon it, that if the pursues the terms of her hand-bills and advertisements, her houfes, both in town and country, ought to be regularly visited in the manner I have propofed, which poffibly may deftroy a lucrative privary. If it does, I can only fay, individuals muft fometimes facrifice their private intereft to the public good. I with the fubject may be taken up afresh under your able pen, for I am fenfible I have not stated half the inconvenien, cies of pernicious advertisements. London, I am, &c. Sept. 24. [To be continued.] VERAX ADVERTISEMENTS. 10 my well-beloved wife, who I believe was advised to go away from me on Monday laft, for what caufe or reafon I know hot, but if this requeft from me comes to her fight, I hope fhe will confider my prefent diftreis, and return to me, or send to me as foon as posible; I hope fhe will remember, for her Ledger, Sept. 1. A Gentle A Gentleman being in company the other and upon which, he gave the Miniftry; and Humorous corréfpondent fays, that the have denied licences to every Publican who has John Wilkes, Efq; for his fign. A fpirited perfon, who was a fufferer on this account, faid in his own vindication on the above occafion, that he was no friend either to John Wilkes or his caufe, and therefore had hung him up in effigy, to fhew his real principles; but if he had undefignedly given them any A Lafcar, who defaced the fatues in St. offence, he was ready to pull down John Paul's Church-yard, ought to be put in competition with Alexander the Great, because in a fmall space of ground, as well as time, he conquered Europe, Afia, Africa, and America. A Young lady, whofe perfon and education none can object to, would be glad to fuperintend the house of a fingle gentleman of fortune; the lady is greatly flattered if her appearance or converfation would be any difgrace to the first company in England; has no objection to any age, and hopes the fhall make herself useful, as well as agreeable, provided she is hehaved to with that politeness, that every well-bred man would wish to treat her fex with; begs none but real gentlemen of fortune would give themfelves the trouble to anfwer this; as the lady has been brought up among the politeft people, fhe would be an unfit companion for any elfe; is fuitable to any truft, as the can have fecurity given adequate to it. Begs the direction, if this is an fwered, where the gentleman lives, directed to X. X. &c. Daily Advertifer, Sept. 8. A Letter from a gentleman at Stratfordupon-Avon fays, "It is common in London, when a man has done what he thinks a very cunning act, whereby he has gained an advantage over another, to fay he has fung the Countryman: and I really think the townsfolk here may fafely boaft, that at the late Jubilee they flung the Londoners: for never, I believe, were fuch unconfcientious dealings practifed any where. "It having been hinted, that it would add to the confiftency of the dramatic proceffion were it to be closed by a train of deer-ftealers, a country fellow, who had heard of the joke, took it for granted that it was really intended, and accordingly applied to the stewards of the Jubilee-He faid, 'twas true he had never ftole a deer, but he could fwear to a brace of Lambs; and further urged, that he was naturally fond of acnifen, and would not fcruple at any convenient opportunity to fteal it: He therefore hoped they would take the will for the deed, and permit him to walk in the decrSealing train." Wilkes, and hang up the whole Bench in his ftead. A MATRIMONY. Nagreeable, good-natured, young man, of good parents, his perion and character undeniable, wants an agreeable female partner for life; and as the advertifer is not now in business, would have no objection to a widow in bufinefs in the millinery and haberdafhery, mantua-making, or a genteel public houfe, no objection to any young perfon that would be agreeable to go into either of the above branches; as the advertiser knows fomething of the management of either, will make it agreeable to their liking to whom it may please God to give him for life: and to remove all unneceflary fear or trouble, he will forfeit 100l. to any one applying, if he cannot make it appear that his terms are honourable, and his reafons good, for applying in this way. To prevent trouble, it is defired that no one will apply that is not in bufinefs, without a capital of 100l. as the advertiser is poffeffed of more than that fum. Any agreeable industrious perfon, who is defirous of marrying for real happinefs, is requested to direct a line to be left for D. G. at the bar of the Bedford Head, &c. Daily Advertiser, Sept. 13. ON ENGLISH THE GRAMMAR. Plural. HE addition of an s to the end of a fubftantive forms the English genitive: as, "God's fon," which may be refolved by the ufe of the prepofition into " the fon of God." It is plain from hence, that our genitive is formed from the Saxon, who fay likewife Godes Sunu. But this will appear more evidently from the form of a Saxon fubftantive. Singular. Nom. Smith Gen. Smithes Dat. Smithe Accu. Smith Voc. Smith Abl. Smithe From hence it is vifible, that the genitive fingular, and nominative plural, in Englith, takes at their end from the genitive fingular and nominative plural of the Saxons. Nom. Smithas It should be obferved, that the termination of the Saxon genitive is in es, not in is, as a learned prelate has remarked. We may likewife from hence detect an error in the celebrated Addifon, when he afferts," that the fingle letters, on many occafions, does the office of a whole word, and represents the his and her of our forefathers." Spect. No. 135. The latter inftance, mentioned by this great writer, detects his mistake; for it cannot be conceived, how the letters, added to a feminine noun, fhould reprefent the word her, any more than it should the word their, added to a plural noun, as the children's bread. They who affert as roundly, that the with an apostrophe ['] is fubftituted for his, will be foon convinced of their error, by fubftituting his instead of the final s, as "Venus his beauty," inftead of " Venus's beauty;" and it will appear equally abfurd when placed with a plural noun, as, " men his wit." We may therefore cafily know what to judge of Chrift his fake," in our Liturgy, and, "Telemachus his blooming years," in Pope's Iliad. Besides, it should be obferved, that we never meet with his in old English, but either es, or ys, or is, to denote VOL. III. the genitives: thus we read womanis for woman's; mannes, or mannys, or mannis, for man's; fmiths is our modern genitive, which was anciently written fmithes; the e is now left out, which is the reafon of ufing the apostrophe. In man's we leave out and e, the old word being mannes. In words which end with an e mute, we should not make ufe of the apoftrophe: thus it should be omitted in wifes, because it is the fame with the old genitive, and no letter is omitted. When a word ends in s, "the addition ofs for the genitive neceffarily occafions the addition of a fyllable, as in Mafes's rod. But as this occafions a difagreeable found, the latter s is frequently omitted; as in the following fentences, "for righteousness fake," and "caft him down at Jefus' feet." When the found makes no diftinction between the fingular and plural number, it would be better to fubftitute the prepofition inftead of the English genitive, thus, inftead of the princes injuries, we fhould fay, the injuries or princes. On this account we frequently make ufe of the prepofition, and there. by both avoid a difagreeable found and ambiguity. Thus, instead of writing with Hume, the lord's house, we should fay, the house of lords; for indeed the lord's house in the plural is the fame in found as the lord's house in the fingular; but the one denotes the upper house of parliament, and the other an edifice fet apart for chriftian worship. But this impropriety feems founded on the mistake, that we have a genitive plural as well as a genitive fingular, whereas we have not. We have borrowed our genitive fingular from the Saxons, and form it by the addition of an s to the end of the fubftantive, but they never ufed the s to denote their genitive plural, but express it by a different termination; as we have not adopted that form we have no other way of exprefsing the genitive plural, but by using the prepofition, and fhould always make use of it to express it. |