Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 17.djvu/353

Rh to spell, but they had wickedness enough to write the names thereof in large capitals: an enormity observed by travellers to be found in no country but England.

But when whoring and popery were driven hence by the happy Revolution; still the nation so greatly offended, that Socinianism, Arianism, and Whistonism triumphed in our streets, and were in a manner become universal.

And yet still, after all these visitations, it has pleased Heaven to visit us wiih a contagion more epidemical, and of consequence more fatal: this was foretold to us, first, by that unparallelled eclipse in 1714: secondly, by the dreadful coruscation in the air this present year: and thirdly, by the nine comets seen at once over Soho square, by Mrs. Katharine Wadllngton and others; a contagion that first crept in among the first quality, descended to their footmen, and infused itself into their ladies: I mean the woeful practice of P. This does occasion the corruption of our language, and therein of the word of God translated into our language, which certainly every sober Christian must tremble at.

Now such is the enormity of this abomination, that our very nobles not only commit punning over tea, and in taverns, but even on the Lord's day, and in the king's chapel: therefore to deter men from this evil practice, I shall give some true and dreadful examples of God's revenge against punsters.

The right honourable —— but it is nor safe to insert the name of an eminent nobleman in this paper, yet I will venture to say that such a one has been seen; which is all we can say, considering the largeness of his sleeves: this young nobleman was not only a gitious