 Shoulder
of Mutton, and as unwilling to draw on himself the Indignation of Mr. Wilks,
(his Brother Manager) for making the Audience wait, had bribed these his
Harbingers to be out of the Way. While Mr. Wilks, therefore, was thundering out,
»Where are the Carpenters to walk on before King Pyrrhus,« that Monarch very
quietly eat his Mutton, and the Audience, however impatient, were obliged to
entertain themselves with Music in his Absence.
    To be plain, I much question whether the Politician, who hath generally a
good Nose, hath not scented out somewhat of the Utility of this Practice. I am
convinced that awful Magistrate my Lord Mayor contracts a good deal of that
Reverence which attends him through the Year, by the several Pageants which
precede his Pomp. Nay, I must confess, that even I myself, who am not remarkably
liable to be captivated with Show, have yielded not a little to the Impressions
of much preceding State. When I have seen a Man strutting in a Procession, after
others whose Business was only to walk before him, I have conceived a higher
Notion of his Dignity, than I have felt on seeing him in a common Situation. But
there is one Instance which comes exactly up to my Purpose. This is the Custom
of sending on a Basket-woman, who is to precede the Pomp at a Coronation, and to
strew the Stage with Flowers, before the great Personages begin their
Procession. The Antients would certainly have invoked the Goddess Flora for this
Purpose, and it would have been no Difficulty for their Priests or Politicians
to have persuaded the People of the real Presence of the Deity, though a plain
Mortal had personated her, and performed her Office. But we have no such Design
of imposing on our Reader, and therefore those who object to the Heathen
Theology, may, if they please, change our Goddess into the above-mentioned
Basket-woman. Our Intention, in short, is to introduce our Heroine with the
utmost Solemnity in our Power, with an Elevation of Stile, and all other
Circumstances proper to raise the Veneration of our Reader. Indeed we would, for
certain Causes, advise those of our Male Readers who have any Hearts, to read no
farther, were we not well assured, that how amiable soever the Picture of our
Heroine will appear, as it is really a Copy from Nature, many of our fair
Country-women will be found worthy to satisfy any Passion, and to answer any
Idea of Female Perfection, which our Pencil will be able to raise.
    And now,
