6

The pope under a magnificent canopy, with a right silver fringe, accompanied by the chevalier St. George on the left, and his counsellor the devil on his right.

The whole procession closed by twenty streamers, on each of which was wrought these words,

"God bless queen Anne, the nation's great defender! Keep out the French, the pope, and the pretender.'

In this order it was intended, with proper reliefs of lights at several stations in the march, to go thorough Drury lane, Long acre, Gerrard street, Piccadilly, Germain street, St. James's square, Pellmell, Strand, Catherine street, Russel street, Drury lane, Great Queen street, Little Queen street, Holbourn, Newgate street, Cornhill, Bishopsgate street, where they were to wheel about, and return thorough St. Paul's churchyard to Fleet street. And at the Temple, before the statue of that illustrious lady whose anniversary was then celebrated, that queen wearing a veil, on which are drawn the picture of her present majesty, and under it the battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, and the passage of the lines in this present year 1711, after proper ditties were sung, the pretender was to have been committed to the flames, being first absolved by the cardinal Gualteri. After that, the said cardinal was to be absolved by the pope, and burnt. And then the devil was to jump into the flames with his holiness in his arms.

And let all the people say—Amen.”

.

}

THE

NEW WAY

OF SELLING

PLACES AT COURT.

IN

A LETTER FROM A SMALL COURTIER TO A GREAT

STOCKJOBBER.

-OMNIA ROME

CUM PRETIO

FIRST PRINTED IN 1712.

"Did I tell you of a scoundrel about the court, that sells em"ployments to ignorant people, and cheats them of their money? "He lately made a bargain for the vicechamberlain's place, for seven thousand pounds, and had received some guineas earnest; "but the whole thing was discovered the other day, and examina❝tions taken of it by lord Dartmouth, and I hope he will be "swinged. The vicechamberlain told me several particulars of it "last night at lord Masham's.".

Journal to Stella, March 24, 1711-12.

A

LETTER

ΤΟ

A GREAT STOCKJOBBER.

SIR,

IN that friendly dispute which happened between us some time ago, wherein you endeavoured to prove, that the city politicks outdid those of the court; remember, there was nothing upon which you seemed to pride yourself more, than that mystery of your brethren in Exchange alley, which is usually called "selling the bear's skin ;" whereby a very beneficial trade was daily driven with imaginary stocks, and many thousands bought and sold, to great advantage, by those who were not worth a groat. This you challenged me to match, with all my knowledge in the lower arts of the court. I confess, you had then the better of the argument; and I was forced to yield, which I would hardly do at present, if the controversy were to be resumed: I could now make you acknowledge, that what you in the city call "selling the bear's skin" does not deserve the name, when compared with the dexterity

of