Jan. 2 - 4.

C95

BRITIS

*Entry.*] Well, Sir, this here man is thinking of no harm -- here comes your Devil, we'll say Beelzebub, or any other Devil; for a Devil's a Devil, I take it.

*Bill.*] You say true, you say true.

*Entry.*] Well here comes the Devil---*good*; ---he puts evil thoughts into this here man's head---*good* 5---this man goes and commits a murder---*very good*;---now observe, the crime committed is murder; now I prefume in this here cafe that the Devil is guilty of part of it, and, if so, why then the man is only guilty of the reft. But now put the cafe that the Devil is out of the question, and that the man commits the murder intirely of his own head, he is then guilty of the whole; now the whole being greater than a part, and the crime of murder being in itfelf equal in both cafes, it follows that where the Devil has nothing to do in the way of inftigation or temptation, call it which you will, the murderer is more guilty than what he is when your Devil interferes.

*Bill.*] Sir, I don't wonder that a Gentleman not verifed in the law should lie under miftakes in thefe cafes; and with subfubmiffion, Sir, you do lie under a miftake. The crime, Sir, as you very juſtly obferve, is murder, and your Devil, Sir, is here what we call an acceſſory before the fact; now, Sir, the law confiders every acceſſory in murder as a principal; and, Sir, give me leave to tell you, that if ten men were to concur in committing one murder, all of them would be murderers as much as if each had had an entire murder to his own fire.

*Entry.*] Well, come then, Sir, ſince you are fo peremptory I'll go another way to work with you: Here's the firſt inſtigation or temptation that ever happened, here's Adam and Eve, and the ſerpent, or more properly the Devil in the ſerpent, for that was the cafe. Adam and Eve we ſuppofe to have been two poor ſimple naked favages, like the Catawba or Twightwees in America.

*Bill.*] Sir, with ſubſubſition I ſuppofe no ſuch thing; I ſuppofe Adam, Sir, to have been one of the moſt intelligent and moſt ac- complifhed of all mankind: Pray, Sir, would a Catawba or a Twightwee have been able to give names to all the creatures that were brought to Adam ? I'd only aſk you that.

*Entry.*] Why, Sir, if we confider Mofes's hiftory.

*Selaway.*] Mofes's hiftory! Sir, I always confider the Bible as the Revelation, and I am forry to hear it called Mofes's hiftory, or any man's hiftory, let him be who he will. I hope nothing will be faid in this company that will in any ſhape call the Bible into question; there are too many now-a-days that believe neither God nor devil.---

*Here another Member of the Club, who had been some time weary of the dispute, called out, "Come, Gentlemen, now give me leave to call upon Mr. Plot for a ſong. He was joined by all prefent, who called out, *Aye, aye, a long from Mr. Plot*. Mr. Plot, therefore, having laid down his pipe, and given three or four hems! ſung his ſong, and the Disputants, who had, before they were interrupted, loft fight of their queſtion a ſecond time, joined in the clap upon the table, and ſung a ſong in their turn.*

A b