[Footnote 1: Fought April 25 (O.S. 14), 1707,
between the English, under Lord Galway, a Frenchman,
with Portuguese, Dutch, and Spanish allies, and a
superior force of French and Spaniards, under an Englishman,
the Duke of Berwick, natural son of James II.
Deserted by many of the foreign troops, the English
were defeated.]
[Footnote 2: cleaning]
[Footnote 3: that]
[Footnote 4: that]
* * * *
*
No. 8. Friday, March 9, 1711.
Addison.
’At Venus
obscuro gradientes aere sepsit,
Et multo Nebulae
circum Dea fudit amictu,
Cernere ne quis
eos ...’
Virg.
I shall here communicate to the World a couple of
Letters, which I believe will give the Reader as good
an Entertainment as any that I am able to furnish
[him [1]] with, and therefore shall make no Apology
for them.
’To the SPECTATOR, &c.
SIR,
I am one of the Directors of the Society
for the Reformation of Manners, and therefore think
myself a proper Person for your Correspondence.
I have thoroughly examined the present State of Religion
in Great-Britain, and am able to acquaint you
with the predominant Vice of every Market-Town in
the whole Island. I can tell you the Progress
that Virtue has made in all our Cities, Boroughs, and
Corporations; and know as well the evil Practices
that are committed in Berwick or Exeter,
as what is done in my own Family. In a Word,
Sir, I have my Correspondents in the remotest Parts
of the Nation, who send me up punctual Accounts
from time to time of all the little Irregularities
that fall under their Notice in their several Districts
and Divisions.
I am no less acquainted with the particular
Quarters and Regions of this great Town, than with
the different Parts and Distributions of the whole
Nation. I can describe every Parish by its Impieties,
and can tell you in which of our Streets Lewdness
prevails, which Gaming has taken the Possession
of, and where Drunkenness has got the better of
them both. When I am disposed to raise a Fine
for the Poor, I know the Lanes and Allies that are
inhabited by common Swearers. When I would
encourage the Hospital of Bridewell, and improve
the Hempen Manufacture, I am very well acquainted
with all the Haunts and Resorts of Female Night-walkers.
After this short Account of my self, I
must let you know, that the Design of this Paper
is to give you Information of a certain irregular
Assembly which I think falls very properly under
your Observation, especially since the Persons it
is composed of are Criminals too considerable for
the Animadversions of our Society. I mean, Sir,
the Midnight Masque, which has of late been frequently
held in one of the most conspicuous Parts of the
