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tle in Staffordshire.

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Embellished with COPPER-PLATES, Satirical, Political, and
Scientifical, from ORIGINAL DESIGNS.

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Printed for the AUTHORS, and fold by S. BLADON, at No. 28, an
J. Coore, at No. 16, in Pater-nofter-row, London; Meff. FLETCHB
and HODGSON, at Cambridge; Mr. SMITH, at Dublin; and Mr. Er
RINGTON, at York.

M DCC LXXI,

HP .3 098 V:6-7

1

Contin Halliday 1-15-52

7323 The Oxford Magazine,

v.6-11

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For JANUARY, 1771.

For the OXFORD MAGAZINE.
THE CENSOR. NUMBER VIIL

T is generally acknowledged, that
the ufual confequences of great na-
tional profperity and opulence, arifing
from extenfive and profitable commerce,
are visible in all parts of this kingdom;
and are become very alarming in the ca-
pital. Irreligion, luxury, venality, li-
centioufnefs, prodigality and lewdness,
are the capital vices complained of. To
check the progrefs of thefe grand un-
derminers of the very basis and founda-
tion of civil government should be the
chief business of our divines and legifla
tors. The former should act in the ca-
pacity of the religious, grand inquef of
the nation, and prefent every public
vice, dangerous to the state, at the foot
of the throne; from whence, it should
come recommended to the latter, in the
ftrongest terms, that falutary laws
might be made and enforced to pre-
vent the deftruction of this ftate, from
the fame caufes, as brought on the
downfall of ancient empires and re-
publics.

But fuch ferious and regular advances towards a general reformation of manners, can never be expected, while thofe particular orders of men amongst us, from whom we look for, at leaft an external deportment, fuitable to the facred and folemn characters with which they are invefted, endeavour in their drefs, and public demeanour to deceive and mislead our judgment, by throwing off those diftinctions in the the one, and that grave, fedate turn of mind and converfation in the other, which were defigned to point them out to us, as objects of constant veneration and efteem; and to put us on the

guard against all irregularities in our conduct, which might be fuppofed either to wound their delicacy, to tranf grefs against the rules of virtue and fobriety, they are appointed to patro nize and enforce, or to deprive us of their good opinion.

RE

Instead of confining themselves to the habit, company, and conversation proper to their stations-we have now PRIESTS, who ftalk abroad, and frequent moft public places of diverfion in all forts of masquerades-JUDGES, who make no feruple to quit the bench, to be themselves the carriers of their ill-gotten douceurs to market, to fit down in the temples of money-changers, and to practice the meanest arts of Stock jobbers SENATORS, who depopulate villages by knocking down fmall cottages, and letting their lands to wealthy, engroffing farmers, while they fpare no coft or pains to propagate the breed of race-horfes PRESENTATIVES of the people, who know the odds at every point of the game at whift, yet are filent through ignorance, when a tax is propofed which in its confequences may ruin whole colonies, and to which, if they understood political arithmetic, they would never give an affenting vote MAGISTRATES, who are in league with ws and gamblers, and gain their daily fubfiitance by nocturnal indulgences to riot, luft, and fraudin fine, an innumerable hoft of tradefmen and mechanics, the would-be fine gentlemen of the town, who ape their fuperiors, and politely turn the frugality, fobriety, industry, and fimpliA 2

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