able for stealing eggs, and fucking them, was taken from the school in this parifh, and fent up to London to study the law. As he had given amongst us no proofs of a genius defigned by nature for extraordinary performances, he was, from the time of his departure, totally forgotten, nor was there any talk of his vices or virtues, his good or his ill fortune, till laft fummer a report burft upon us, that Mr. Frolick was come down in the firft poft-chaife which this village had seen, having travelled with fuch rapidity that one of his poftilions had broke his leg, and another narrowly escaped fuffocation in a quickfand. But that Mr. Frolick feemed totally unconcerned, for fuch things were never heeded at London.

Mr. Frolick next day appeared among the gentlemen at their weekly meeting on the bowling-green, and now were feen the effects of a London education. His drefs, his language, his ideas, were all new, and he did not much endeavour to conceal his contempt of every thing that differed from the opinions, or practice, of the modifh world. He showed us the deformity of our fkirts and fleeves, informed us where hats of the proper fize were to be fold, and recommended to us the reformation of a thousand abfurdities in our clothes, our cookery, and our converfation. When any of his phrafes were unintelligible, he could not fupprefs the joy of confeffed fuperiority, but frequently delayed the explanation, that he might enjoy his triumph over our barbarity.

When he is pleafed to entertain us with a ftory, he takes care to crowd into it names of streets, fquares, and buildings, with which he knows we are unacquainted. The favourite topicks of his

discourse

difcourfe are the pranks of drunkards, and the tricks. put upon country gentlemen by porters and linkboys. When he is with ladies, he tells them of the innumerable pleasures to which he can introduce them; but never fails to hint how much they will be deficient, at their firft arrival, in the knowledge of the town. What it is to know the town he has not indeed hitherto informed us, though there is no phrase fo frequent in his mouth, nor any fcience which he appears to think of fo great a value, or fo difficult attainment.

But my curiofity has been moft engaged by the recital of his own adventures and atchievements. I have heard of the union of various characters in fingle perfons, but never met with fuch a conftellation of great qualities as this man's narrative affords. Whatever has diftinguished the hero; whatever has elevated the wit; whatever has endeared the lover, are all concentered in Mr. Frolick, whofe life has, for seven years, been a regular interchange of intrigues, dangers, and waggeries, and who has diftinguifhed himself in every character that can be feared, envied, or admired.

I question whether all the officers of the royal navy can bring together, from all their journals, a collection of fo many wonderful efcapes as this man. has known upon the Thames, on which he has been a thousand and a thousand times on the point of perishing, fometimes by the terrours of foolish women in the fame boat, fometimes by his own acknowledged imprudence in paffing the river in the dark, and fometimes by fhooting the bridge, under which

Cc4

which he has rencountered mountainous waves, and dreadful cataracts.

Nor lefs has been his temerity by land, nor fewer his hazards. He has reeled with giddiness on the top of the monument; he has croffed the ftreet amidst the rush of coaches; he has been furrounded by robbers without number; he has headed parties at the playhouse; he has fcaled the windows of every toaft, of whatever condition; he has been hunted for whole winters by his rivals; he has flept upon bulks, he has cut chairs, he has bilked coachmen; he has rescued his friends from the bailiffs, has knocked down the conftable, has bullied the justice, and performed many other exploits, that have filled the town with wonder and with merriment.

But yet greater is the fame of his understanding than his bravery; for he informs us, that he is, at London, the established arbitrator of all points of honour, and the decifive judge of all performances of genius; that no mufical performer is in reputation till the opinion of Frolick has ratified his pretenfions; that the theatres fufpend their fentence till he begins the clap or hifs, in which all are proud to concur; that no publick entertainment has failed or fucceeded, but because he opposed or favoured it; that all controverfies at the gaming-table are referred to his determination; that he adjusts the ceremonial at every affembly, and prescribes every fashion of pleasure or of drefs.

With every man whofe name occurs in the papers of the day, he is intimately acquainted; and there are very few posts, either in the ftate or army, of

9

which

which he has not more or less influenced the disposal. He has been very frequently confulted both upon war and peace; but the time is not yet come when the nation shall know how much it is indebted to the genius of Frolick.

Yet notwithstanding all thefe declarations, I cannot hitherto perfuade myself to fee that Mr. Frolick has more wit, or knowledge, or courage, than the reft of mankind, or that any uncommon enlargement of his faculties has happened in the time of his abfence. For when he talks on fubjects known to the reft of the company, he has no advantage over us, but by catches of interruption, briskness of interrogation, and pertness of contempt; and therefore if he has stunned the world with his name, and gained a place in the firft ranks of humanity, I cannot but conclude, that either a little understanding confers eminence at London, or that Mr. Frolick thinks us unworthy of the exertion of his powers, or that his faculties are benumbed by rural ftupidity, as the magnetick needle lofes its animation in the polar climes.

I would not, however, like many hafty philofo phers, fearch after the caufe till I am certain of the effect; and, therefore, I defire to be informed, whether you have yet heard the great name of Mr. Frolick, If he is celebrated by other tongues than his own, I fhall willingly propagate his praise; but if he has fwelled among us with empty boasts, and honours conferred only by himself, I fhall treat him with ruftick fincerity, and drive him as an impoftor from this part of the kingdom to fome region of more credulity,

I am, &c.

RURICOLA

1

NUMB. 62. SATURDAY, October 20, 1750.

Nunc ego Triptolemi cuperem confcendere currus,
Mifit in ignotam qui rude femen humum:
Nunc ego Mede vellem frænare dracones,

Quos habuit fugiens arva, Corinthe, tua ;
Nunc ego jalandas optarem fumore pennas,

Sive tuas, Perfeu; Dædale, five tuas.

Ovid.

Now would I mount his car, whose bounteous hand
First fow'd with teeming feed the furrow'd land;
Now to Medaa's dragons fix my reins,

That fwiftly bore her from Corinthian plains:
Now on Dadalian waxen pinions stray,'
Or those which wafted Perfeus on his way.

F. LEWIS.

To the RAMBLER.

I

SIR,

AM a young woman of very large fortune, which, if my parents would have been perfuaded to comply with the rules and cuftoms of the polite part of mankind, might long fince have raifed me to the highest honours of the female world; but so ftrangely have they hitherto contrived to wafte my life, that I am now on the borders of twenty, without having ever danced but at our monthly affembly, or been toafied but among a few gentlemen of the neighbourhood, or feen any company in which it was worth a wish to be distinguished.

My father having impaired his patrimony in foliciting a place at court, at laft grew wife enough to ceafe his purfuit; and to repair the confequences of

r

expensive