since You are convinc’d, by Experience, that even Matrimony is not able
to reclaim them. Marriage, indeed, is just such a Cure for Lewdness,
as a Surfeit is for Gluttony; it gives a Man’s Fancy a Distaste to
the particular Dish, but leaves his Palate as Luxurious as ever: for
this Reason we find so many marry’d Men, that, like _Sampson_’s Foxes,
only do more Mischief for having their Tails ty’d. But the Women, You
say, are weaker Vessels, and You are resolv’d to make them submit;
rightly judging, if You cou’d make all the Females Modest, it would
put a considerable Stop to Fornication. It is great Pity, no doubt,
so Fine a Project should Miscarry: And I would willingly entertain
Hopes of seeing one of these _Bridewell_ Converts. In the mean Time
it would not be amiss, if You chang’d somewhat your present Method of
Conversion, especially in the Article of Whipping. It is very possible,
indeed, that leaving a Poor Girl Penny-less, may put her in a Way of
living Honestly, tho’ the want of Money was the only Reason of her
living otherwise; and the stripping of her Naked, may, for aught I
know, contribute to Her Modesty, and put Her in a State of Innocence;
but surely, _Gentlemen_, You must all know, that Flogging has a quite
contrary Effect. This Project of pulling down Bawdy-houses to prevent
Uncleanness, puts me in Mind of a certain Over-nice Gentleman, who
cou’d never fancy his Garden look’d sweet, till he had demolish’d a
Bog-house that offended his Eye in one Corner of it; but it was not
long before every Nose in the Family was convinc’d of His Mistake. If
Reason fails to Convince, let us profit by Example: Observe the Policy
of a Modern Butcher, persecuted with a Swarm of Carnivorous Flies; when
all his Engines and Fly-flaps have prov’d ineffectual to defend his
Stall against the Greedy Assiduity of those Carnal Insects, he very
Judiciously cuts off a Fragment, already blown, which serves to hang
up for a Cure; and thus, by sacrifising a Small Part, already Tainted,
and not worth Keeping, he wisely secures the Safety of the Rest. Or,
let us go higher for Instruction, and take Example by the Grazier, who
far from denying his Herd the Accustom’d Privilege of Rubbing, when
their Sides are Stimulated with sharp Humours, very Industriously
fixes a Stake in the Center of the Field, not so much, you may imagine,
to Regale the Salacious Hides of his Cattle, as to preserve his Young
Trees from Suffering by the Violence of their Friction.
I could give You more Examples of this Kind, equally full of
Instruction, but that I’m loth to detain You from the Perusal of the
following Treatise; and at the same Time Impatient to have the Honour
of Subscribing Myself
_Your Fellow-Reformer,
and Devoted Servant,_
PHIL-PORNEY.
[Illustration]
PREFACE.
Lest any inquisitive Reader should puzzle his Brains to find out why
this _Foundling_ is thus clandestinely dropt at his Door, let it
suffice him, that the _Midwife_ of a Printer was unwilling to help
bring it into the World, but upon that Condition, or a much harder,
that of my openly _Fathering_ it. I could make many other reasonable
Apologies, if requisite: For, besides my having follow’d the modest
Example of several other pious _Authors_, such as that of Εικων
Βασιλικη, of the _Whole Duty of Man_, &c. who have studied rather their
Country’s Publick Good, than their own Private Fame; I think, I have
also play’d the Politick Part: for should my _Off-spring_ be defective,
why let it fall upon the Parish. On the other hand, if accidentally
it prove hopeful, ’tis certain I need be at no further Trouble. There
will then be _Parents_ enough ready to own the _Babe_, and take it upon
themselves. Adoption amongst the _Machiavellian_ Laws of the _Muses_
is strictly kept up, and every day put in Practice: How few of our now
bright _Noblemen_ would otherwise have _Wit_? How many of our present
thriving _Poets_ would else want a _Dinner_? ’Tis a vulgar Error to
imagine Men live upon their own Wits, when generally it is upon others
Follies; a Fund that carries by much the best Interest, and is by far
upon the most certain Security of any: The _Exchequer_ has been shut
up, the _Bank_ has stopt Payment, _South-Sea_ has been demolish’d,
but _White’s_ was never known to fail; and indeed how should it,
when almost every Wind blows to _Dover_, or _Holyhead_, some fresh
_Proprietor_ amply qualified with sufficient _Stock_.
I am in some pain for the Event of this _Scheme_, hoping the _Wicked_
will find it too Grave, and fearing the _Godly_ will scarce venture
beyond the Title-Page: And should they, _even_, I know they’ll object,
’tis here and there interwoven with too ludicrous Expressions, not
considering that a dry Argument has occasion for the larding of Gaiety
to make it the better relish and go down. Besides, finding by the exact
Account tack’d to that most edifying _Anti-Heidegger_ Discourse,[6]
that eighty six Thousand Offenders have been lately punish’d, and
that four hundred Thousand religious Books have been distributed
about _Gratis_ (not to mention the numberless Three-penny Jobs
daily publish’d to no Ends, or Purpose, but the _Author_’s;) I say,
finding all these Measures have been taken, and that Lewdness still
so much prevails, I thought it highly proper to try this Experiment,
being fully convinc’d that opposite Methods often take place. Own,
_Preferment-Hunter_! when sailing on with the Tide avails nothing,
does not tacking about steer you sometimes into that snug Harbour, an
Employment? Speak _Hibernian Stallion_! when a meek fawning Adoration
turns to no Account, does not a pert assuming Arrogance frequently
forward, nay, gain the critical Minute? And say, [7] _Mesobin!_ where
a Purge fails, is not a Vomit an infallible _Recipe_ for a Looseness?
[6] The Bp. of _L----n_’s Sermon against Masquerades.
[7] An able Member of the College of Physicians.
To conclude; when my Arguments are impartially examin’d, I doubt not
but my Readers will join with me, that as long as it is the Nature
of Man (and _Naturam expellas furca licet usque recurret_) to have a
Salt _Itch_ in the Breeches, the _Brimstone_ under the Petticoat will
be a necessary Remedy to _lay_ it; and let him be ever so sly in the
Application, it will still be found out: What avails it then to affect
to conceal that which cannot be concealed, and that which if carried
on openly and above-board, would become only less detrimental, and of
consequence more justifiable?
Be the Success of this Treatise as it happens, the Good of Mankind is
my only Aim; nor am I less hearty or zealous in the Publick Welfare of
my Country, than that Noble Pattern of Sincerity, Bishop _B----t_, who
finishes his Preface with the following Paragraph. _And now, O my G--,
the G-- of my Life, and of all my Mercies, I offer this Work to Thee,
to whose Honour it is chiefly intended; that thereby I may awaken the
World to just Reflections on their own Errors and Follies, and call on
them to acknowledge thy Providence, to adore it, and ever to depend on
it._
[Illustration]
A
_Modest Defence, &c._
There is nothing more idle, or shows a greater Affectation of Wit, than
the modern Custom of treating the most grave Subjects with Burlesque
and Ridicule. The present Subject of _Whoring_, was I dispos’d,
would furnish me sufficiently in this kind, and might possibly, if
so handled, excite Mirth in those who are only capable of such low
Impressions. But, as the chief Design of this Treatise is to promote
the general Welfare and Happiness of Mankind, I hope to be excus’d,
if I make no farther Attempts to please, than are consistent with
that Design. The Practice of _Whoring_ has, of late Years, become so
universal, and its Effects so prejudicial to Mankind, that several
Attempts have been made to put a Stop to it; and a certain _Society_
of Worthy _Gentlemen_ have undertaken that Affair with a Zeal truly
commendable, tho’ the Success does but too plainly make it appear, that
they were mistaken in their Measures, and had not rightly consider’d
the Nature of this Evil, which we are all equally sollicitous to
prevent, however we may differ in our Opinions as to the Manner. And
tho’ the Method I intend to propose, of erecting _Publick Stews_ for
that purpose, may seem at first sight somewhat ludicrous, I shall,
nevertheless, make it appear to be the only Means we have now left
for redressing this Grievance. As this Redress is the whole Scope and
Design of this Treatise, I hope to be acquitted of my Design, when
I have prov’d the following Propositions: That _publick Whoring_ is
neither so criminal in itself, nor so detrimental to the _Society_, as
_private Whoring_; and that the encouraging of _publick Whoring_, by
erecting _Stews_, will not only prevent most of the ill Consequences of
this Vice, but even lessen the _Practice_ of _Whoring_ in general, and
reduce it to the narrowest Bounds which it can possibly be contain’d
in. But before we proceed, it is requisite that we examine what those
mischievous Effects are which _Whoring_ naturally produces, that we may
the better judge whether or no they will be prevented by this Scheme.
The greatest Evil that attends this Vice, or could well befall Mankind,
is the Propagation of that infectious Disease, called the _French-Pox_,
which in two Centuries, has made such incredible Havock all over
_Europe_. In these Kingdoms it so seldom fails to attend _Whoring_,
now-a-days mistaken for _Gallantry_ and _Politeness_, that a hale,
robust Constitution is esteem’d a Mark of Ungentility; and a healthy
young Fellow is look’d upon with the same View, as if he had spent
his Life in a Cottage. Our Gentlemen of the Army, whose unsettled way
of Life makes it inconvenient for them to marry, are hereby very much
weaken’d and enervated, and render’d unfit to undergo such Hardships
as are necessary for defending and supporting the Honour of their
Country: And our Gentry in general seem to distinguish themselves
by an ill State of Health, in all probability the Effect of this
pernicious Distemper: for the Secrecy which most People are obliged to
in this Disease, makes the Cure of it often ineffectual; and tho’ the
Infection itself may possibly be remov’d, yet for want of taking proper
Methods, it generally leaves such an ill Habit of Body as is not easily
recover’d. ’Tis to this we seem to owe the Rise of that Distemper, the
_King’s-Evil_, never known till the _French Disease_ began to prevail
here. But what makes this Mischief the more intolerable, is, that the
Innocent must suffer by it as well as the Guilty; Men give it to their
Wives, Women to their Husbands, or perhaps their Children; they to
their Nurses, and the Nurses again to other Children; so that no Age,
Sex, or Condition can be intirely safe from the Infection.
Another ill Effect of this Vice, is, its making People profuse, and
tempting them to live beyond what their Circumstances will admit of;
for if once Men suffer their Minds to be led astray by this unruly
Passion, no worldly Consideration whatever will be able to stop it;
and Wenching as it is very expensive in itself, without the ordinary
Charges of Physic or Children, often leads Men into a thousand other
Vices to support its Extravagance: Besides, after the Mind has once got
this extravagant Turn, there naturally follows a Neglect and Contempt
of Business; and Whoring of itself disposes the Mind to such a sort of
Indolence, as is quite inconsistent with Industry, the main Support of
any, especially a trading, Nation.
The murdering of Bastard Infants is another Consequence of this Vice,
by much worse than the Vice itself: and tho’ the Law is justly severe
in this Particular, as rightly judging that a Mind capable of divesting
itself so intirely of Humanity, is not fit to live in a civiliz’d
Nation: yet there are so many ways of evading it, either by destroying
the Infants before their Birth, or suffering them afterwards to die
by wilful Neglect, that there appears but little Hope of putting any
Stop to this Practice, which, besides the Barbarity of it, tends
very much to dispeople the Country. And since the Prosperity of any
Country is allow’d to depend, in a great measure, on the Number of its
Inhabitants, the _Government_ ought, if it were possible, to prevent
any Whoring at all, as it evidently hinders the Propagation of the
Species: How many thousand young Men in this Nation would turn their
Thoughts towards Matrimony, if they were not constantly destroying that
Passion, which is the only Foundation of it? And tho’ most of them,
sooner or later, find the Inconvenience of this irregular Life, and
think fit to confine themselves to One, yet their Bodies are so much
enervated, by the untimely or immoderate Increase of this Passion,
together with the Relics of Venereal Cures, that they beget a most
wretched, feeble, and sickly Offspring: We can attribute it to nothing
else but this, that so many of our ancient Families of Nobles are of
late extinct.
There is one thing more we ought to consider in this Vice, and that
is the Injury it does to particular Persons and Families; either by
alienating the Affections of Wives from their Husbands, which often
proves prejudicial to both, and sometimes fatal to whole Families; or
else by debauching the Minds of young Women, to their utter Ruin and
Destruction: for the Reproach they must undergo, when a Slip of this
nature is discover’d, prevents their marrying in any Degree suitable
to their Fortune, and by degrees hardens them to all Sense of Shame;
and when they have once overcome that, the present View of Interest as
well as Pleasure, sways them to continue in the same Course, till at
length they become common Prostitutes.
These are the several bad Effects of Whoring; and it is an unhappy
Thing, that a Practice so universal as this is, and always will be,
should be attended with such mischievous Consequences: But since few
or none of them are the necessary Effects of Whoring, consider’d in
itself, but only proceed from the Abuse and ill Management of it; our
Business is certainly to regulate this Affair in such sort as may
best prevent these Mischiefs. And I must here beg pardon of those
worthy _Gentlemen_ of the _Society_, if I can’t conceive how the
Discouragement they have given, or rather attempted to give, to publick
Whoring, could possibly have the desired Effect. If this was a Vice
acquired by Habit or Custom, or depended upon Education, as most other
Vices, there might be some Hopes of suppressing it; and then it would,
no doubt, be commendable to attack it, without Distinction, in whatever
Form or Disguise it should appear: But alas! this violent Love for
Women is born and bred with us; nay, it is absolutely necessary to our
being born at all: And however some People may pretend, that unlawful
Enjoyment is contrary to the Law of _Nature_, this is certain, that
Nature never fails to furnish us largely with this Passion, tho’ she is
often sparing to bestow upon us such a Portion of Reason and Reflection
as is necessary to curb it.
That long Course of Experience which most of these _Gentlemen_ have had
in the World, and which is of so great Use in other Cases, may probably
occasion their Mistake in this; for Age is very liable to forget the
violence of youthful Passions, and, consequently, apt to think them
easier curb’d: whereas if we consider the true Source of Whoring, and
the strong Impulse of Nature that way, we shall find, it is a Thing not
to be too violently restrain’d; lest, like a Stream diverted out of
its proper Channel, it should break in and overflow the neighbouring
_Inclosures_.
History affords us several Instances of this Truth; I shall mention
but one, and that is of Pope _Sixtus_ the Fifth, who was so strictly
severe in the Execution of Justice, if such Severity may be call’d
Justice, and particularly, against Offenders of this kind, that he
condemned a young Man to the Galleys, only for snatching a Kiss of a
Damsel in the Street: yet notwithstanding this his _Holiness_’s Zeal,
he never attempted once to extirpate Whoring intirely: But like a true
_Pastor_ separated the clean Sheep from the unclean, and confin’d all
the Courtezans to one Quarter of the City. It is true, he did attempt
to moderate this Vice, and banish’d as many Courtezans as he thought
exceeded the necessary Number; but he was soon convinc’d of the Error
of his Computation, for _Sodomy_, and a thousand other unnatural Vices
sprung up, which forc’d him soon to recal them, and has left us a
remarkable Instance of the Vanity of such Attempts.
Let us now proceed to the Proof of our Proposition, in the first Part
of which, it was asserted, That publick Whoring is neither so Criminal
in itself, nor so Detrimental to the _Society_, as private Whoring.
Publick Whoring consists in lying with a certain Set of Women, who
have shook off all Pretence to Modesty; and for such a Sum of Money,
more or less, profess themselves always in a Readiness to be enjoy’d.
The Mischief a Man does in this Case is intirely to himself; for with
respect to the Woman, he does a laudable Action, in furnishing her with
the Means of Subsistence, in the only, or at least most innocent way
that she is capable of procuring it. The Damage he does to himself,
is either with regard to his Health, or the Expence of Money, and may
be consider’d under the same View as Drinking, with this considerable
Advantage, that it restores us to that cool Exercise of our Reason,
which Drinking tends to deprive us of. Indeed was there a Probability
of a Woman’s Amendment, and of her gaining a Livelihood by some
honester Method, there might be some Crime in encouraging her to follow
such a Profession: But the Minds of Women are observ’d to be so much
corrupted by the Loss of Chastity, or rather by the Reproach they
suffer upon that Loss, that they seldom or never change that Course
of Life for the better; and if they should, they can never recover
that good Name, which is so absolutely necessary to their getting a
Maintenance in any honest Way whatever; and that nothing but meer
Necessity obliges them to continue in that Course, is plain from this,
That they themselves in Reality utterly abhor it: And indeed there
appears nothing in it so very alluring and bewitching, especially to
People who have that Inclination to Lewdness intirely extinguish’d,
which is the only thing could possibly make it supportable,
The other Branch of Whoring, viz. _Private_, is of much worse
Consequence; and a Man’s Crime in this Case increases in proportion to
the different Degree of Mischief done, if you consider his Crime with
regard to the _Society_; for as to personal Guilt, Allowance ought to
be made for the Increase of Temptation, which is very considerable in
the Case of debauching _Married Women_; upon account of the Safety to
the Aggressor, either with Respect to his Health, or the Charge, and,
if that affects him, the Scandal of having a Bastard. On the other
hand, the Injury done, is very considerable, as such an Action tends
to corrupt a Woman’s Mind, and destroy that mutual Love and Affection
between Man and Wife, which is so necessary to both their Happiness.
Besides, the Risque run of a Discovery, which at least ruins a Woman’s
Reputation, and destroys the Husband’s Quiet; nay, where Virtue does
not intirely give way, if it warps but ever so little, the Consequence
is shockingly fatal: for tho’ the good Man, suspicious of the Wife’s
Chastity, the Wife of the Gallant’s Constancy, and the Gallant of the
Husband’s Watchfulness, by being a Check upon each other, may keep the
Gate of Virtue shut; yet then even all Parties must be attended with a
never-ceasing Misery, nor to be imagin’d, but by those who too fatally
_feel it_.
The Crime of debauching young _Virgins_ will appear much greater, if
we consider that there is much more Mischief done, and the Temptation
to do it much lessen’d by the fear of getting Children; which, in
most Circumstances of Life, does a Man a deal of Prejudice, and keeps
at least three Parts in four of our sober Youth from gratifying this
violent Passion. Besides, the Methods that are necessary to be taken,
before a Man can have such an Action in his Power, are in themselves
Criminal; and it shows a certain Baseness of Mind to persuade a Woman,
by a thousand solemn Vows and Protestations, into such a good Opinion
of you, and Assurance of your Love to her, that she trusts you with
all that is dear and near to her; and this with no other View but the
Gratification of a present Passion, which might be otherwise vented,
than at the certain Expence of her Ruin, and putting her under the
Necessity of leading the Life of a _Publick Courtezan_.
From this general Consideration of Whoring, it is evident, that tho’
all the several Species of it proceed from the same Cause, our natural
Love and Passion for Women, yet they are very different in their
Natures, and fully as distinct Crimes as those which proceed from our
Love to Money, such as Murder, Shoplifting, _&c._ And I hope I have
said enough to prove, that the Publick Part of it is by far the least
Criminal, and least Detrimental to the _Society_; which of itself
is a sufficient Motive for the _Legislature_ to confine it to that
Channel. I shall now proceed farther, and show, as I before propos’d,
that the encouraging of Publick Whoring, will not only prevent most of
the mischievous Effects of this Vice, but even lessen the Practice of
Whoring in general, and reduce it to the narrowest Bounds which it can
possibly be contain’d in.
When I talk’d of encouraging publick Whoring, I would be understood
to mean, not only the erecting _Publick Stews_, as I at first hinted,
but also the endowing them with such Privileges and Immunities, and at
the same time giving such Discouragement to private Whoring, as may be
most effectual to turn the general Stream of Lewdness into this common
Channel.
I shall here lay down a Plan for this Purpose, which, tho’ it may well
serve to illustrate this Point, and make good the Proof of my present
Argument, would doubtless receive infinite Improvement by coming
through the Hands of a _National Senate_, whose august Body, being
compos’d of _Spirituals_ as well as _Temporals_, will, I hope, take
into Consideration this Important Affair, which so nearly concerns both.
The Plan I would propose, is this: Let a hundred or more Houses be
provided in some convenient Quarter of the City, and proportionably
in every Country-Town, sufficient to contain two thousand Women: If a
hundred are thought sufficient, let a hundred _Matrons_ be appointed,
one to each House, of Abilities and Experience enough to take upon
them the Management of twenty Courtezans each, to see that they keep
themselves neat and decent, and entertain Gentlemen after a civil and
obliging Manner. For the encouragement of such _Matrons_, each House
must be allow’d a certain Quantity of all sorts of Liquor, Custom
and Excise free; by which Means they will be enabled to accommodate
Gentlemen handsomely, without that Imposition so frequently met with in
such Houses. Besides the hundred abovemention’d, there must be a very
large House set apart for an Infirmary, and Provision made for two able
Physicians, and four Surgeons at least. Lastly, there must be three
Commissioners appointed to superintend the whole, to hear and redress
Complaints, and to see that each House punctually observes such Rules
and Orders as shall be thought necessary for the good Government of
this Community. For the better Entertainment of all Ranks and Degrees
of Gentlemen, we shall divide the twenty Women of each House into four
Classes, who for their Beauty, or other Qualifications may justly
challenge different Prices.
The first Class is to consist of eight, who may legally demand from
each Visitant Half a Crown. The second Class to consist of six, whose
fix’d Price may be a Crown. The third Class of four, at half a Guinea
each. The remaining two make up the fourth Class, and are design’d
for Persons of the first Rank, who can afford to pay a Guinea for the
Elegancy of their Taste. To defray the Charges of this Establishment,
will require but a very moderate Tax: For if the first Class pays but
forty Shillings Yearly, and the rest in Proportion, it will amount to
above 10,000 _l._ a Year, which will not only pay the Commissioners
Salaries, Surgeons Chests, and other Contingencies, but likewise
establish a good Fund for the Maintenance of Illegitimate Orphans and
superannuated Courtezans.
For the better Government of this _Society_, it will be necessary that
the Mistress have an absolute Command in her own House, and that no
Woman be suffer’d to go abroad without her Leave. No Woman must be
suffer’d to lie in, within the House; nor any young Children admitted
under any Pretence. No Musick or Revelling to be allow’d in any Room,
to the Disturbance of the rest. No Gentlemen disorderly or drunk, to be
admitted at an unseasonable Hour, without the Consent of the Mistress:
And, in case of Violence, she must be empower’d to call the Civil Aid.
For the _Society_’s Security in Point of Health, it must be order’d,
That if any Gentleman complains of receiving an Injury, and the Woman,
upon Search, be found tainted, without having discover’d it to the
Mistress, she shall be stripp’d and cashier’d. But if a Woman discovers
her Misfortune before any Complaint is made against her, she shall
be sent to the _Infirmary_, and cured at the Publick Charge. No Woman
that has been twice pox’d shall ever be re-admitted. _Note_, That three
Claps shall be reckon’d equivalent to one Pox.
But as no _Society_ ever fram’d a compleat Body of Laws at once, till
overseen Accidents had taught them Foresight, we shall refer the
farther Regulation of these Laws, with whatever new ones shall be
thought necessary, to the _Wisdom_ of the _Legislature_,