then due to such Dragoons.  One of them was called a Captain, and entertained us with nothing but silly stupid Questions, or lewd Songs, all the way.  Ready to burst with Shame and Indignation, I repined that Nature had not allowed us as easily to shut our Ears as our Eyes.  But was not this a kind of Rape?  Why should there be Accessaries in Ravishment any more than Murder?  Why should not every Contributor to the Abuse of Chastity suffer Death?  I am sure these shameless Hell-hounds deserved it highly.  Can you exert your self better than on such an Occasion?  If you do not do it effectually, I ’ll read no more of your Papers.  Has every impertinent Fellow a Privilege to torment me, who pay my Coach-hire as well as he?  Sir, pray consider us in this respect as the weakest Sex, and have nothing to defend our selves; and I think it as Gentleman-like to challenge a Woman to fight, as to talk obscenely in her Company, especially when she has not power to stir.  Pray let me tell you a Story which you can make fit for publick View.  I knew a Gentleman, who having a very good Opinion of the Gentlemen of the Army, invited ten or twelve of them to sup with him; and at the same time invited two or three Friends, who were very severe against the Manners and Morals of Gentlemen of that Profession.  It happened one of them brought two Captains of his Regiment newly come into the Army, who at first Onset engaged the Company with very lewd Healths and suitable Discourse.  You may easily imagine the Confusion of the Entertainer, who finding some of his Friends very uneasy, desired to tell them a Story of a great Man, one Mr, Locke (whom I find you frequently mention) that being invited to dine with the then Lords Hallifax, Anglesey, and Shaftsbury; immediately after Dinner, instead of Conversation, the Cards were called for, where the bad or good Success produced the usual Passions of Gaming.  Mr. Locke retiring to a Window, and writing, my Lord Anglesey desired to know what he was writing:  Why, my Lords, answered he, I could not sleep last Night for the Pleasure and Improvement I expected from the Conversation of the greatest Men of the Age.  This so sensibly stung them, that they gladly compounded to throw their Cards in the Fire if he would his Paper, and so a Conversation ensued fit for such Persons.  This Story prest so hard upon the young Captains, together with the Concurrence of their superior Officers, that the young Fellows left the Company in Confusion.  Sir, I know you hate long things; but if you like it, you may contract it, or how you will; but I think it has a Moral in it.

But, Sir, I am told you are a famous Mechanick as well as a Looker-on, and therefore humbly propose you would invent some Padlock, with full Power under your Hand and Seal, for all modest Persons, either Men or Women, to clap upon the Mouths of all such impertinent impudent Fellows:  And I wish you would publish a Proclamation, that no modest Person