d to punish the knights or gentlemen
of Rome, by taking away their horses from them, I have seized the
canes[229] of many criminals of figure, whom I had just reason to
animadvert upon. As for the offenders among the common people of Rome,
they were generally chastised, by being thrown out of a higher tribe,
and placed in one which was not so honourable. My reader cannot but
think I have had an eye to this punishment, when I have degraded one
species of men into bombs, squibs, and crackers,[230] and another into
drums, bass-viols, and bagpipes;[231] not to mention whole packs of
delinquents whom I have shut up in kennels, and the new hospital which I
am at present erecting, for the reception of those my countrymen who
give me but little hopes of their amendment, on the borders of
Moorfields.[232] I shall only observe upon this last particular, that
since some late surveys I have taken of this island, I shall think it
necessary to enlarge the plan of the buildings which I design in this
quarter.

When my great predecessor Cato the elder stood for the Censorship of
Rome, there were several other competitors who offered themselves; and
to get an interest among the people, gave them great promises of the
mild and gentle treatment which they would use towards them in that
office. Cato on the contrary told them, he presented himself as a
candidate, because he knew the age was sunk in immorality and
corruption; and that if they would give him their votes, he would
promise them to make use of such a strictness and severity of discipline
as should recover them out of it. The Roman historians, upon this
occasion, very much celebrate the public-spiritedness of that people,
who chose Cato for their censor, notwithstanding his method of
recommending himself. I may in some measure extol my own countrymen
upon the same account, who, without any respect to party, or any
application from myself, have made such generous subscriptions for the
Censor of Great Britain, as will give a magnificence to my old age, and
which I esteem more than I would any post in Europe of a hundred times
the value. I shall only add, that upon looking into my catalogue of
subscribers, which I intend to print alphabetically in the front of my
Lucubrations, I find the names of the greatest beauties and wits in the
whole island of Great Britain, which I only mention for the benefit of
any of them who have not subscribed, it being my design to close the
subscripti