What objections can be made to this fcheme I have endeavoured maturely to confider; and cannot find that a modern foldier has any duties, except that of obedience, which a lady cannot perform. If the hair has loft its powder, a lady has a puff; if a coat be spotted, a lady has a brush. Strength is of lefs importance fince fire-arms have been used; blows of the hand are now feldom exchanged; and what is there to be done in the charge or the retreat beyond the powers of a fprightly maiden?

Our mafculine fquadrons will not fuppofe themfelves difgraced by their auxiliaries, till they have done fomething which women could not have done. The troops of Braddock never faw their enemies, and perhaps were defeated by women. If our American general had headed an army of girls, he might ftill have built a fort and taken it. Had Minorca been defended by a female garrifon, it might have been furrendered, as it was, without a breach; and I cannot but think, that feven thousand women might have ventured to look at Rochfort, fack a village, rob a vineyard, and return in fafety.

NUMB. 6. SATURDAY, May 20, 1758.

Ταμῖνον ἀρξῆς γιναία γυνή.

GR. PRO.

HE lady who had undertaken to ride on one horse a

ΤΗ

There a thousand miles in a thoufand hours,

has completed her journey in little more than twothirds of the time ftipulated, and was conducted through the last mile with triumphal honours. Acclamation fhouted before her, and all the flowers of the spring were fcattered in her way.

Every heart ought to rejoice when true merit is diftinguished with publick notice. I am far from wishing either to the amazon or her horse any diminution of happiness or fame, and cannot but lament that they were not more amply and fuitably rewarded.

There was once a time when wreaths of bays or oak were confidered as recompences equal to the most wearisome labours and terrifick dangers, and when the miseries of long marches and ftormy feas were at once driven from the remembrance by the fragrance of a garland.

If this heroine had been born in ancient times, fhe might perhaps have been delighted with the fimplicity of ancient gratitude; or if any thing was wanting to full fatisfaction, the might have fupplied the deficiency with the hope of deification, and anticipated the altars that would be raised, and the vows that would be made, by future candidates for equeftrian glory, to the patronefs of the race and the goddefs of the ftable.

C 3

But

But fate referved her for a more enlightened age, which has difcovered leaves and flowers to be tranfitory things; which confiders profit as the end of honour; and rates the event of every undertaking only by the money that is gained or loft. In these days, to ftrew the road with daifies and lilies, is to mock merit and delude hope. The toyman will not. give his jewels, nor the mercer measure out his filks, for vegetable coin. A primrofe, though picked up under the feet of the most renowned courfer, will neither be received as a ftake at cards, nor procure a feat at an opera, nor buy candles for a rout, nor lace for a livery. And though there are many virtuofos, whofe fole ambition is to poffefs fomething which can be found in no other hand, yet fome are more accustomed to ftore their cabinets by theft than purchase, and none of them would either steal or buy one of the flowers of gratulation till he knows that all the reft are totally deftroyed.

Little therefore did it avail this wonderful lady to be received, however joyfully, with fuch obfolete and barren ceremonies of praife. Had the way been covered with guineas, though but for the tenth part of the last mile, fhe would have confidered her skill and diligence as not wholly loft; and might have rejoiced in the fpeed and perfeverance which had left her fuch fuperfluity of time, that fhe could at leifure gather her reward without the danger of Atalanta's mifcarriage.

So much ground could not, indeed, have been paved with gold but at a large expence, and we are at prefent engaged in war, which demands and en forces frugality. But common rules are made only

for

for common life, and fome deviation from general policy may be allowed in favour of a lady that rode a thousand miles in a thousand hours.

Since the spirit of antiquity fo much prevails amongst us, that even on this great occafion we have given flowers inftead of money, let us at leaft complete our imitation of the ancients, and endeavour to tranfmit to pofterity the memory of that virtue, which we confider as fuperior to pecuniary recompence. Let an equestrian statue of this heroine be erected, near the starting-poft on the heath of Newmarket, to fill kindred fouls with emulation, and tell the grand-daughters of our grand-daughters what an English maiden has once performed.

As events, however illuftrious, are foon obfcured if they are intrufted to tradition, I think it neceffary, that the pedestal should be infcribed with a concise account of this great performance. The compofis tion of this narrative ought not to be committed rafhly to improper hands. If the rhetoricians of Newmarket, who may be supposed likely to conceive in its full strength the dignity of the fubject, fhould undertake to exprefs it, there is danger left they admit fome phrafes which, though well understood at prefent, may be ambiguous in another century. If posterity should read on a publick monument, that the lady carried her horfe a thousand miles in a thousand bours, they may think that the statue and infcription are at variance, because one will reprefent the horfe as carrying his lady, and the other tell that the lady

carried her horse.

Some doubts likewife may be raised by fpeculatifts, and fome controverfies be agitated among hiftorians,

concerning the motive as well as the manner of the action. As it will be known, that this wonder was performed in a time of war, fome will fuppofe that the lady was frighted by invaders, and fled to preferve her life or her chastity: others will conjecture, that she was thus honoured for fome intelligence carried of the enemy's designs: fome will think that fhe brought news of a victory; others, that he was commiffioned to tell of a confpiracy; and fome will congratulate themfelves on their acuter penetration, and find, that all thefe notions of patriotifin and publick spirit are improbable and chimerical; they will confidently tell, that fhe only ran away from her guardians, and that the true causes of her speed were fear and love.

Let it therefore be carefully mentioned, that by this performance, he won her wager; and, left this fhould, by any change of manners, feem an inadequate or incredible incitement, let it be added, that at this time the original motives of human actions had lost their influence; that the love of praise was extinct; the fear of infamy was become ridiculous; and the only wish of an Englishman was, to win his wager.