To the RIGHT HONOURABLE The MAYOR and ALDERMEN of the City of LONDON:
The Humble Petition Of the Colliers, Cooks, Cook-Maids, Black⯑ſmiths, Jack-makers, Braſiers, and Others,

THAT whereas certain Virtuoſi Diſaffected to the Government, and to the Trade and Proſperity of this Kingdom, taking upon them the Name and Title of the CATOPTRICAL VICTUALLERS, have preſumed, by Gathering, Breaking, Folding, and Bundling up the Sun-Beams, by the help of certain Glaſſes, to Make, Produce, and Kindle up ſeveral New Focus's or Fires within theſe His Majeſty's Dominions, and thereby to Boil, Bake, Stew, Fry, and Dreſs all ſorts of Victuals and Proviſions, to Brew, Diſtil Spirits, Smelt Oars, and, in general, to perform all the Offices of Culinary Fires; and are endeavouring to procure to themſelves the Monopoly of this their ſaid Invention. We beg leave humbly to repreſent to your Honours,

That ſuch Grant or Patent will utterly [...]ain and reduce to Beggary your Peti⯑tioners, their Wives, Children, Servants, and Trades on them depending; there being nothing left to them, after the ſaid Invention, but Warming of Cellars and Dreſſing of Suppers in the Winter-time. That the aboliſhing ſo conſiderable a branch of the Coaſting Trade as that of the Colliers, will deſtroy the Navigation of this Kingdom. That whereas the ſaid Catoptrical Victuallers talk of making uſe of the Moon by Night, as of the Sun by Day, they will utterly ruin the numerous Body of Tallow-Chandlers, and impair a very conſiderable branch of the Revenue which ariſes from the Tax upon Tallow and Candles.

That the ſaid Catoptrical Victuallers do profane the Emanations of that Glorious Luminary the Sun, which is appointed to Rule the Day, and not to Roaſt Mutton. And we humbly conceive, It will be found contrary to the known Laws of this Kingdom, to Confine, Foreſtall, and Monopolize the Beams of the Sun. And whereas the ſaid Catoptrical Victuallers have undertaken, by Burning-Glaſſes made of Ice, to Roaſt an Ox upon the Thames next Winter: We conceive all ſuch Practices to be an Encroachment upon the Rights and Privileges of the Company of Watermen.

That the Diverſity of Expoſition of the ſeveral Kitchins in this great City, whereby ſome receive the Rays of the Sun ſooner, and others later, will occaſion great Irregularity as to the Time of Dining of the ſeveral Inhabitants, and conſe⯑quently great Uncertainty and Confuſion in the diſpatch of Buſineſs: And to thoſe who, by reaſon of their Northern Expoſition, will be ſtill forced to be at the Ex⯑pences of Culinary Fires, it will reduce the Price of their Manufacture to ſuch Inequality as is inconſiſtent with common Juſtice: And the ſame Inconveniency will affect Landlords in the Value of their Rents.

[2] That the Uſe of the ſaid Glaſſes will oblige Cooks and Cook-Maids to ſtudy Opticks and Aſtronomy, in order to know the due Diſtances of the ſaid Focus's or Fires, and to adjuſt the Poſition of their Glaſſes to the ſeveral Altitudes of the Sun, varying according to the Hours of the Day, and the Seaſons of the Year; which Studies, at theſe Years, will be highly Troubleſome to the ſaid Cooks and Cook-Maids, not to ſay any thing of the utter Incapacity of ſome of them to go through with ſuch difficult Arts; or (which is ſtill a greater Inconveniency) it will throw the whole Art of Cookery into the Hands of Aſtronomers and Glaſs-Grinders, Perſons utterly unskill'd in other parts of that Profeſſion, to the great Detriment of the Health of His Majeſty's good Subjects.

That it is known by Experience, That Meat Roaſted with Sun-Beams is ex⯑treamly unwholeſome; witneſs ſeveral that have dy'd ſuddenly after eating the Proviſions of the ſaid Catoptrical Victuallers; being that the Sun-Beams taken inwardly, render the Humours too Hot and Aduſt, occaſion great Sweatings, and dry up the Rectual Moiſture.

That Sun-Beams taken inwardly, ſhed a Malignant Influence upon the Brain, by their natural Tendency towards the Moon; produce Madneſs and Deſtraction at the time of the Full Moon. That the conſtant uſe of ſo great Quantities of this Inward Light, will occaſion the Growth of Quakeriſm, to the Danger of the Church; and Poetry, to the Danger of the State.

That the Influences of the Conſtellations, through which the Sun paſſes, will, with his Beams, be convey'd into the Blood; and when the Sun is amongſt the Horned Signs, may produce ſuch a Spirit of Unchaſtity, as is dangerous to the Honour of your Worſhips Families.

That Mankind living much upon the Seeds and other parts of Plants, theſe being impregnated with the Sun-Beams, may vegetate and grow in the Bowels, a Thing of more dangerous Conſequence to Human Bodies than Breeding of Worms; and this will fall heavieſt upon the Poor, who live upon Roots; and the Weak and Sickly, who live upon Barley and Rue-Gruel, &c. for which we are ready to produce to your Honours the Opinions of Eminent Phyſicians, That the Taſte and Property of the Victuals is much alter'd to the worſe by the ſaid Solar Cookery, the Fricaſſes being depriv'd of the Haut Gout they acquire by being dreſs'd over Charcoal.

Laſtly, Should it happen by an Eclipſe of an Extraordinary Length, that this City ſhould be depriv'd of the Sun-Beams for ſeveral Months; how will His Ma⯑jeſty's Subjects ſubſiſt in the Interim, when common Cookery, with the Arts de⯑pending upon it, is totally loſt.

In Conſideration of theſe, and many other inconveniences, your Petitioners humbly pray, That your Honours would either totally prohibit the Con⯑fining and Manufacturing the Sun-Beams for any of the uſeful Purpoſes of Life, or in the enſuing Parliament procure a Tax to be laid upon them, which may anſwer both the Duty and Price of Coals, and which we humbly conceive cannot be leſs than Thirty Shillings per Yard Square, reſerving the ſole Right and Privilege of the Catoptrical Cookery to the Royal Socie⯑ty, and to the Commanders and Crew of the Bomb-Veſſels, under the Di⯑rection of Mr. Whiſton, for finding out the Longitude, who by Rea⯑ſon of the Remoteneſs of their Nations, may be reduc'd to Streights for want of Firing.

And we likewiſe beg that your Honours, as to the forementioned Points, would hear the Reverend Mr. Flamſted, who is the Legal Officer appointed by the Government to look after the Heavenly Luminaries, whom we have conſtituted our Truſty and Learned Solicitor.