THE Proteſtant Monaſtery.

THERE is nothing on Earth more ſhocking, and withal more common, in but too many Fami⯑lies, than to ſee Age and Grey Hairs derided, and ill uſed. The OLD MAN or the OLD WOMAN, can do nothing to pleaſe; their Words are per⯑verted, their Actions miſrepreſented, and themſelves look'd upon as a Burthen to their Iſſue, and a Rent Charge upon thoſe who came from their Loins.

This Treatment, as it is directly oppo⯑ſite to the Dignity and Decency of Human Nature, calls aloud for Redreſs; the Help⯑leſs and innocent ought to be the care of the Healthy and able. Shall a Man or Woman toil and moil to bring up a nu⯑merous Iſſue? ſhall they rear up, thro' all the Uncertainties and Fatigues of Child⯑hood, a Race who ſhall ſpring up but to [2] abandon them? ſhall they enfeeble them⯑ſelves to give Strength to thoſe who ſhall one Day thruſt them aſide, and deſpiſe them?

Yet this is the Caſe of many aged Per⯑ſons, who have outlived the Comforts of this World; who ſurvive only to hear them⯑ſelves wiſh'd out of the way, by thoſe very Perſons upon whom they have be⯑ſtowed their whole Subſtance, and upon whom their whole Hopes have been fixed. Uncertain Hopes indeed! and far unfit for ſo degenerate an Age. Honour thy Father and thy Mother is a Commandment given by God, and ratified by our Bleſſed Savi⯑our, both in Precept and Example; If ſo, what Brutes are thoſe who ſhall dare to ſpurn thoſe Perſons whom God has thought fit to make the Means of their Entrance into human Life?

But indeed, not only Parents, but all a⯑ged People in general, are thought to ſtand in the way of the preſent Generation: and but for ſome good Children, ſome Perſons of Tenderneſs and Humanity, who honour the hoary Head, and comfort the Feeble; immediate Vengeance would be pulled down on thoſe who let not their Sires live out half their Days.

The Word OLD is a ſtanding Jeſt a⯑mong our youthful Gentry. When they would frighten Children, they tell them [3] The old Man's a coming: Thus they in⯑culcate an Abhorrence of Age, even in ſucking Babes; which no doubt will im⯑prove with adult Age, according to the Proverb;

IF any whimſical or ridiculous Story is told, 'tis of an Old Woman. If any Per⯑ſon is aukward at his Buſineſs, or any thing elſe, he is called an Old Woman, forſooth; But this is no new thing, for we read in former Ages, that they made Witches of their Old Women. Thoſe were brave Days for young People, when they could ſwear the old Ones out of their Lives! and get a Woman hanged or burnt only for being a little too old; as has been the Caſe of many a poor inno⯑cent ancient Creature. The Story of the Witch, alias, the poor Old Woman of Hertford, is yet freſh in every one's Me⯑mory; and had not the very Judges on the Bench ſeen through the Enthuſiaſm and Obſtinacy of the Evidence, who ſwore tho⯑rough thick and thin: had not the Judges themſelves, I ſay, repreſented the thing in a right Light to the Higher Powers, poor [4] Jane Wenman had certainly been truſs'd up; as a Warning to all ancient Perfons, who ſhould dare to live longer than the young Ones think convenient.

It is well it has never been in the young Ones Power, to bring in a Bill for the bet⯑ter trimming of Mankind, i. e. to knock all ancient People on the Head.

But though they are ſuffered to live, 'tis under many Hardſhips and Reſtrictions, many Humps and Grumps; and ſcarce a Day, but they are ask'd, what they do out of their Graves. This is a very common, but withal, a moſt impious and unchriſtian Saying; nay, not only unchriſtian, but even unmahometan: For the very Infidels them⯑ſelves pay more Veneration to old Age, than the Chriſtians do; to the Shame and Scandal of our Holy Profeſſion.

Far be it from me, to tax all Chriſtians, or all Children with ſo ſevere a Reproach. No, I only blame thoſe who triumph in the Strength of their Youth, and ſnuff up their Noſtrils at Old-Age: Who laugh at the Groanings of the hoary Head, and have no Bowels of Compaſſion for the Bowels that gave them Nouriſhment.

Let ſuch ſelf-ſufficient Perſons conſider, that it was once in their Parents Power to have abandoned them, when they were more helpleſs than any other Being to which [5] God had given Life. When they muſt inevitably have periſhed, without great Care and Tenderneſs: and indeed the Di⯑vine Wiſdom is moſt manifeſtly ſeen, in mak⯑ing Man, the Chief of all his earthly Crea⯑tures, to require ſo delicate a Management, and ſo tender a Nouriſhment: parental Love being encreas'd by its Care, as filial Love ought to be, by a Gratitude for that Care it can never too much acknowledge or re⯑pay.

All Creatures whom God has ordained to quit their Sires, or indeed thoſe whom he has not endow'd with a rational Soul, to diſtinguiſh between good and bad, or to know Duty or Obligation, are eaſily brought up, and can help themſelves better the Hour they are born, than Man can in a whole Year, nay in Years. They perform all the neceſſary Functions of Life, and there is no need of Education. Far other⯑wiſe is it with Man; he in his Infancy re⯑quires a conſtant and careful Attendance, his Members know not their Functions, and it is a long while before he can feed himſelf, even then his Parents have the Care for his Food. When the Body is duly nouriſhed, there is yet a further Care to form the Mind, and cultivate the rational Soul God had endow'd him with.

[6] Shall ſuch a Being, poſſeſt of a rational Soul, to diſtinguiſh between Good and Bad, between Gratitude and Ingratitude, ſo far debaſe himſelf, or indeed become ſo much a Brute, as to forſake his Parent, to ſpurn him who begot him? or at leaſt, by uſing him ill, to elbow him as it were out of the World, to give himſelf the greater Scope for Luxury?

Yet how many do we ſee of ſuch? how many truly compaſſionate Hearts daily bleed, when they ſee the Son curbing the Fa⯑ther, or the Daughter ſnubbing the Mother? It ſeems as if the Order of Nature were per⯑verted: So ſhocking is it to any Soul who has the leaſt Tincture of Humanity.

I am ſure I ſpeak by Experience: for but very lately I went to ſee an old School-Fel⯑low and Acquaintance of mine, who had lately married his Daughter, and ſettled himſelf in her Family; accordingly he gave me a general Invitation to come one Day or other and take a Dinner with him; he had been a Merchant from his Youth, and al⯑ways liv'd in what we call high Life, had travell'd much, and was Maſter of the moſt good Manners I ever met with.

This Gentleman being very weary, and in⯑deed almoſt incapable of Buſineſs, thought it beſt to leave off Houſe keeping, to marry his Daughter, and ſettle in her Family. Ac⯑cordingly [7] he gave her his All for her Portion, made her a Fortune of 12000 Pounds, and match'd her to an eminent Merchant, who us'd the ſame Trade with himſelf.

During the Honey-Moon, and till the Portion was paid, the Old Gentleman liv'd in Clover; nothing was too hot or too hea⯑vy for him. 'Twas Dear Sir! Dear Father! at every Word; the Servants were ordered to reſpect him, and he was in ſome Share Maſter of the Family; but alas! he found this but a ſhort-liv'd Dream, the Servants be⯑gan to taunt at him, and he muſt call twen⯑ty Times for a thing, before he could have it. If he gently chid 'em, or reaſon'd with them, they flew to their Miſtreſs, and made twenty Stories about it: ſo that his Life was in a manner a Burthen to him.

I went in my Chariot to ſee him; and had not the little Appearance I made, com⯑manded fome reſpect, I had danc'd Atten⯑dance, till they ſhould find in their Hearts to call him. However, without much Ceremony, they directed me up three pair of Stairs, into a better ſort of a Garret; there might be indeed ſome Lodging-Rooms over Head for the Servants; but I have ſeen many Servants have much better Ap⯑partments: but the Room would not have ſo much ſurpriz'd me, had the Fur⯑niture [8] been any thing tollerable. I dare ſwear it was as old as the Houſe, and had no doubt paſs'd from Tenant to Tenant half a ſcore Times.

This I thought an odd Reſidence for my Friend, but he ſeem'd contented; and I ſaw no Reaſon I had to make him other⯑wiſe. He amuſed me till Dinner time, with ſhewing me his Books, and reading ſome of his Verſes to me, as having a pret⯑ty Knack that way: he would have play'd me a Leſſon on his Flute, but that he ſaid it would diſturb his Daughter, who did not love Muſick. I ſaw that all his little Arts were only to beguile the Time, leſt a Whet before Dinner, which I never miſt at his Houſe, ſhould be expected; and which I be⯑lieve was now out of his Power to give. At laſt the Bell rang, and he deſired me to walk down to Dinner, but with an Air that ſeem'd chidingly to ſay, Ah! why did you not come ſooner, when I had more Autho⯑rity: However, with a long Apology to his Son and Daughter, he introduced me; and by pleading our long and intimate Acquin⯑tance, and the Obligations he was under to me; he prevail'd on them at laſt to bid me a very ceremonious Welcome. Excuſing themſelves, as indeed they had need, that they had not made a proper Proviſion; and pleading their Ignorance of my coming, [9] accordingly down we ſate to, ſome cold Roaſt-Beef, a few Herrings, and a Plate of Fritters. Every thing was indeed very clean, and we had Attendance enough, but never in my Life made I a worſe Dinner. Herrings are my averſion, I never eat cold Meat, judge then what a Belly full I could make of my ſhare of the Fritters. I happened by Miſtake to call for a Glaſs of Wine, without which I never dine, when the Gentleman told me he had none in the Houſe; but if I pleas'd he would ſend for ſome, recommending at the ſame time ſome of his Home-brew'd Ale, which I in Complaiſance could not but accept in Preference to Wine. They took me at my Word, and with much ado I got down half a Glaſs of the worſt Po⯑tion I ever took in my Life, but had the Dinner been never ſo elegant, my indigna⯑tion would have ſpoil'd my Stomach; to hear the Daughter at every turn, take up her Father in his Diſcourſe, as if he had been an Idiot or an underling, with Oh! fye Sir, and I wonder Father you ſhould ſay ſo! But leſt the Readers, by my Recital of the Lady's Phraſes, ſhould think my Friend ſpake ludicrouſly or indecently, I beg Leave to aſſure them the contrary, and that he is a Man of great Wit and ſtrict Mo⯑deſty. Even the Son who was the leaſt Severe upon him, could not refrain contradicting [10] him every now and then, meerly for con⯑tradiction ſake, with, Pray, Sir, give me Leave, and indeed, Sir, you have forgot your ſelf; this was my whole Entertainment: For my Part I ſaid little, but admired not only at this wondrous Frugality, but the ſurprizing Impertinence and Ingratitude of of the young Couple. However, I was undeceived at laſt, as I hope my Readers will be when I aſſure them, that the Rea⯑ſon why Sir and Madam, eat ſo ſparingly with us was, becauſe they had devour'd in Hugger Mugger by themſelves, a good handſome Fowl, and Oyſter Sauce, and diſ⯑pens'd with a Bottle of Wine, though they could drink none in our Company.

Seeing this penurious Management, and the Awe my poor Friend was in, I thought it beſt to adjourn to the Tavern to ſmoak a Pipe, and withal to take a Glaſs to warm my Stomach, which rak'd prodigiouſly. I had before learn'd that the poor old Soul had been oblig'd to leave off Smoaking, becauſe forſooth his ſpitting and ſpawling turn'd Madam's Stomach; his ſmoaking ſhe ſaid, made the Houſe ſtink, and damag⯑ed the Furniture. He had been from his Youth a great Smoaker, and this ſudden Check, upon a Habit of ſo long ſtanding, had very much impair'd his Health.

[11] Accordingly to the Tavern we went; where a Pipe and a Bottle gave new Life to my old Acquaintance; he reſum'd his native Gayety; and eleven of the Clock ſtole upon us, be⯑fore we could think of Parting, and even then but with great Reluctance; ſo agreea⯑bly did the Time paſs away in recounting our old Adventures. Indeed our ſweet was intermix'd with ſour, for his poor Heart was ſo full, he could not contain himſelf from lodging his Sorrows in the Boſom of his old Friend. With Tears in his Eyes, he recount⯑ed all the Indignities he daily met with, not only from his own Children, but from the very Servants. If he ſpake to them as to Ser⯑vants, his Daughter would take him up, and tell him he domineer'd too much in her Houſe: If he ſpake ſubmiſſively, he was told he had no occaſion to make him⯑ſelf ſo little; inſomuch that he knew not what Medium to take.

He told me his Daughter had lately a Chamber-Maid, who was the Daughter of a decay'd Gentleman, and who having had a tolerable Education, had imbib'd high Notions of Virtue; and amongſt other things, an Abhorrence of undutifulneſs in Children, or indeed any diſreſpect in old Age. This young Woman having learn'd in what Faſhion my Friend had once liv'd, could not without Indignation, ſee how ill [12] he was treated: and being of a good Fami⯑ly her ſelf, ſcorn'd to take Part with the o⯑ther Servants, to torment a poor old Man; but on the contrary, would do him all the Chriſtian Offices ſhe could, would conſtant⯑ly get him ſomething warm in a Morning, and if he was out of Order at any time, would tend him, and do him a thouſand little Services, for which he in Recompence, when her Lady was gone a Viſiting, would read to the Girl a whole Afternoon to⯑gether, while ſhe ſat at Work. And as ſo many good Offices muſt conſequently en⯑gage her to him, eſpecially when every Bo⯑dy elſe had abandon'd him, he, with an innocent Familiarity, us'd to call her his Nanny: This was taken in great Dudgeon, and the ſpiteful Servants improv'd it into an Intrigue, and never left till poor Nanny was turn'd away; and with her all the old Man's Comfort; for he had no warm Break⯑faſt now, if he was Sick, there he might lie, for no body would help him; and as for Attendance, they neglected him ſo much, he was ſcarce clean, which drew Tears from my Eyes, as knowing what a neat old Man he was us'd to be. And but for diſgracing his Children, he wiſh'd him⯑ſelf a thouſand Times in the Charter-Houſe, or ſome other Place of publick Charity: I diſſuaded him from ſuch Thoughts, and [13] comforted him in the beſt Manner I could; and ſo we both parted and ended our plea⯑ſant Evening, with heavy Hearts and wet Eyes.

About a Week after, by the Penny-poſt, I receiv'd the following Letter.

[15]FOR the ſake of the young Lady, to whom God grant a ſpeedy Repentance, I forbear ſubſcribing even the initial Let⯑ters of her Father's Name; that the World may not know how good a Man ſhe has murthered: For her Uſage was ſuch, that before I could find Opportunity to viſit him according to his Deſire, I was pre⯑vented by a Ticket, which invited me to hold up his Pall, which more ſurpriz'd than afflicted me, as knowing the miſerable Life, he lead under his moſt unnatural Daughter.

The burying was of a Piece with the reſt; and I hope the whole will be a Warn⯑ing to all aged Perſons, and teach 'em to re⯑ſerve at leaſt wherewithal to maintain them⯑ſelves elſewhere, in Caſe of the like Uſage from their Children or Relations.

I hope, at the ſame time, it will be a Looking Glaſs to young People, eſpecially thoſe guilty of the like Actions. If they ſee any thing ugly in this Lady's Charact⯑er, let them not be ſo over good natured to their own Perſons, as to think what is a Crime in her, may be excuſable in themſelves: No, the Sin is the ſame, let who will commit it.

[16] To do as we would be done by, one would think a ſufficient Reſtraint upon any, who would give themſelves the leaſt time to conſider, that they in all probability may be Fathers and Mothers; and that though they are young and healthy now, they may be old and feeble hereafter. Let them therefore uſe the Old as they could wiſh to be us'd when they are ſo, and let them be as tender of their Parents, as they wou'd have their Poſterity tender of them.

But on the contrary, we bring up our Youth, as it were to deſpiſe us; and to our ſhame be it ſpoken, make Rods for our ſelves: Every one indulges his own Chil⯑dren, and ſo all act with Impunity. Our Youth are not half educated, nor are they under any Reſtraint; we make Men and Women of them too ſoon, and put 'em up⯑on a footing with our ſelves, before they have well learned good Manners, or indeed any thing elſe.

For good Manners does not altogether conſiſt in a formal Courteſy or Bow, in coming in and going out of a Room: No, a Man may behave himſelf moſt punctually Ceremonious at a Ball, a drawing Room, a Tea-Table, or indeed in any other fiddle faddle part of Life; and yet for all this be but a Man of Clouts, a meer Sir-courtly-Nice. I have very often ſeen ſome of theſe [17] well dreſs'd, well bred Gentlemen, alias Hobbydehoy's have Aſſurance enough to ſtare a whole Coffee-Room out of Counte⯑nance; but neither Senſe or Learning ſufficient to give any Man of Parts a rea⯑ſonable Anſwer.

No, the Satchel is too ſoon taken from the ſhoulders of our young ſparks, and the Rod from their Backſides; the Tye-Wig and Sword are too ſoon put on, and lit⯑tle Maſter is made a Man before he is a well-grown Child; our little Girls, through the Indulgence of their Mothers, are yet more forward, and put on woman⯑ly Airs even at ten Years of Age. In a Word, our Youth in general, are above Correction; without Shame, too ripe, too ignorant, and too impudent, and according to the Poet.

[18] Inſtead of Puerile Diverſions, our Boys of 14 or 15 Years of Age go to Plays, be⯑come Members of Clubs, keep Hounds and Horſes, and ſometimes follow worſe Game. This is owing to the over Indulgence of Pa⯑rents, who let them finger Money before they know the Worth of it; and if a Stop be not put to ſuch Practices in this Generati⯑on, the next may ſeverely repent it.

Inſtead of Babies, Play-Things, and other pretty Innocencies uſed of old, our Girls at 10 or 11 Years of Age, keep their viſit⯑ing Days, have their ſelect Companies, and treat 'em with as much Solemnity and Expence, as their Parents do their own Ac⯑quaintance: This prevails not only at Court, but in the City; and I doubt not but the Court Airs of the Mother, and the womanly Airs of the Daughter, have made Bankrupt many an honeſt Man, who had not Courage enough to repel the Force of this moſt prevailing, moſt pernicious Cuſtom.

This idle Cuſtom is not only very Expen⯑ſive, but extreamly inconvenient withal; for there is as much a Fuſs made at ſome Houſes againſt ſuch a Miſs or ſuch a Miſs comes to viſit the Daughter, as if a Dutch⯑eſs was expected. The Servants are hin⯑dred from their other Buſineſs, and the whole Houſe is in a Fluſter to receive [19] Miſs's Viſitors forſooth. When the Viſit is return'd, ſhe muſt be dreſs'd up to the heighth of the Mode, and ſome new Thing or other is always wanted: Not to mention Top-Knots, Gloves, Coach-hire, and other una⯑voidable Expences.

This is moſt criminal in thoſe who cannot afford it; Such People would therefore do well to reduce their Children to the Old Standard; that is to ſay, make Scholars of their Boys, and Houſewives of their Girls: for the Education above complain'd of, has ſpoil'd many a good Tradeſman's Wife, and been the Ruin of many a Family.

I cannot cloſe this Diſcourſe, without particularly cautioning the young Ladies of this Age, how they Laugh, Fleer, and toſs up their Noſes at ſober Matrons, and el⯑derly Ladies. Let 'em conſider, that thoſe very Perſons were once young and beau⯑tiful as themſelves, if not more beautiful: For to ſay truth, Tea, Drams, Wine, and late Hours, have not a jot added to the Beauty of the preſent Gene⯑ration.

Let them again conſider, that their own Mothers as well as themſelves, are of the ſame Sex: That it is a foul Bird bewrays its own Neſt; that the very Infirmities they deride in thoſe Perſons, [20] are probably occaſioned by the bearing and bringing up many Children; and that the Wrinkles in their Faces are occaſioned by their Care to ſupport ſuch giddy brain'd Creatures as themſelves.

But ſuch is the Ignorance and Impu⯑dence of the preſent Generation, that young People look upon their Elders, as upon a different Species, an inferiour Claſs of People: They aſcribe no Merit to the Virtue and Experience of Old Age, but aſſume to themſelves the Preference in all things. With them a Face and a good Shape is Merit, a ſcornful toſs of the Head, and deſpiſing every Body, but their own dear ſelves is Wit, an everlaſting Giddineſs, and an eternal Grin is Affabili⯑ty and good Nature, fancy in Dreſs, is Underſtanding, a ſupine Neglect of every thing commendable Gentility; and a pro⯑digious Punctilio in the greateſt Trifles, is the Heighth of good Breeding.

From this general Corruption in Edu⯑cation, proceeds all that may be com⯑plain'd of in this preſent Age, and what⯑ever Evils may be expected in Generations to come. But above all, nothing has more contributed to this Corruption, than the diſregard paid to Teachers and other Per⯑ſons concern'd in the Education of Youth; for the firſt and chief Step to the Ruin of [21] Youth, is when they have no Awe upon 'em, and are above Correction.

Spare the Rod and ſpoil the Child, is a Sentence of ſo much Weight and Truth; that no ſharper a Reprimand can be given to thoſe Parents, who have ſtimulated in their Children a Spirit of Pride, and taught them to look contemptibly on their Tu⯑tors. The very Word Maſter or Miſtreſs implies ſomething of Dominion; and as Youth are committed to their Care, ſo they ought to be ſubject to their Diſcipline.

It ſhocks me when I ſee a Tutor in a great Family, put upon a Footing with the Servants; it makes his Pupil think con⯑temptibly of him, and is too great a Curb on his Spirits, to let him deliver his Inſtructions and Sentiments, in a manner ſuitable to the Dignity of an Inſtructor. And what is worſe, the little Deference paid to him, begets in the young Gentle⯑man a mean Opinion of and Indifference to Learning it ſelf, ſeeing his Maſter reap ſo little Advantage and Reſpect from it.

It is the ſame Caſe in Schools, where the Maſter's or Miſtreſs's paſſive and ſor⯑did Temper makes them the Slaves of the Scholars, whom they dare not correct, for fear of looſing: Nothing being more com⯑mon now a days, than for Parents to make it in their Bargain, that their Chil⯑dren [22] ſhall not be whipt, or otherwiſe cor⯑rected at School. Hence proceeds all that Noiſe and Miſrule, which reigns in Schools, ſtunning both Maſter and Scholars to ſuch a Degree, that they can hardly hear each other ſpeak.

Parents therefore can blame none but themſelves, if by theſe pernicious Me⯑thods, their Children grow in time to be too many for them; nor can they with any reaſon expect to find Duty and Hu⯑manity, where they have not been in⯑culcated. If they have countenanc'd, or indulg'd their Children, in deriding the hoary Head, are they to be pitied when they reap ſeven Fold the Fruits of ſo un⯑generous a Tillage? or to ſpeak more plain, when it comes Home to themſelves. Let every Perſon therefore make the Caſe their own, when they ſee Children taunt⯑ing and flouncing at their Parents, Teach⯑ers, or Relations; mocking and deriding People for Age and Infirmities, or indeed any other bodily Misfortune, or Deformity; upbraiding any for their Poverty, or crowing over any Perſon, over whom they may pre⯑tend to claim Preheminence. This domi⯑neering way being now a days ſo preva⯑lent, that Tradeſmen, Servants and other Dependants, are generally more inſulted by Children, than by Maſters and Miſtreſſes themſelves.

[23] To conclude, as we ſow we ſhall reap; As we bring up our Children, ſo we may expect to find them: If we educate them in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord, in an univerſal Benevolence to all Mankind, void of all perſonal or Party Prejudice; if we train them up to be dutiful to their Parents, reſpectful to their Teachers, man⯑nerly to their Equals, and courteous to their Inferiours; if we incite in 'em an Emula⯑tion and Thirſt after Knowledge and other liberal Acquirements; If we inſtil into 'em early Principles of Humanity, Compaſſion and Forbearance; and in a Word, all that may inſpire to the higheſt Notions of Honour, and carry human Nature to its moſt exalted Pitch; then may we expect to have Comfort in Old Age, from our Grand Children, our Children and other Relations; then may we conclude we have laid a ſure Foundation for the Happi⯑neſs of ſucceeding Generations.

But if on the contrary, we humour and favour all their little Petulancies, and by o⯑ver praiſing and indulging them, make our ſelves contemptible in their Eyes; if inſtead of correcting them in their Errors, we arraign the Juſtice of Diſcipline, and call it Severity; if we ſuffer them with Impunity to fly in the Faces of their Parents and Relations, to defy their Teachers, to [24] outvie their Equals, and inſult their Infe⯑riours; If we permit 'em to ſcoff at, and turn to ridicule the Misfortunes and Afflic⯑tions of others, and in a manner, ſuppreſs, or at leaſt, not encourage in them any Propenſity to Tenderneſs, but ſuffer their Hearts to be hardned, and to know no Pity: we muſt expect to have our Eyes pluck'd out by thoſe we have brought up. We muſt look for nothing in Old Age, but Contempt, Oppreſſion, and all the Inſults we have but too much reaſon to fear from ſo inhuman a Generation.