Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 16.djvu/282

274 will represent the case to his most excellent majesty, or the chief governor in this kingdom, in such a manner, that we may be neither under the necessity of declining his majesty's commands in his letters patent, or of taking new and grievous burdens upon ourselves and our churchwardens, to which neither the rubrick, nor any other law in force, obliges us to submit.

HERE is a subject of controversy which I have frequently met with, in mixed and select companies of both sexes, and sometimes only of men; "Whether it be prudent to choose a wife, who has good natural sense, some taste of wit and humour, sufficiently versed in her own natural language, able to read and to relish history, books of travels, moral or entertaining discourses, and be a tolerable judge of the beauties in poetry?" This question is generally determined in the negative by the women themselves; but almost universally by the men.

We must observe, that in this debate, those whom we call men and women of fashion are only to be understood, not merchants, tradesmen, or others of such occupations, who are not supposed to have shared in a liberal education. I except likewise all Rh