gratifications: the present age abounds with a race of lyars who are
content with the consciousness of falsehood, and whose pride is to
deceive others without any gain or glory to themselves. Of this tribe it
is the supreme pleasure to remark a lady in the play-house or the park,
and to publish, under the character of a man suddenly enamoured, an
advertisement in the news of the next day, containing a minute
description of her person and her dress.

46. From this artifice, however, no other effect can be expected, than
perturbations which the writer can never see, and conjectures of which
he can never be informed: some mischief, however, he hopes he has done;
and to have done mischief is of some importance. He sets his invention
to work again, and produces a narrative of a robbery, or a murder, with
all the circumstances of the time and place accurately adjusted. This is
a jest of greater effect and longer duration. If he fixes his scene at a
proper distance, he may for several days keep a wife in terror for her
husband, or a mother for her son; and please himself with reflecting,
that by his abilities and address some addition is made to the miseries
of life.

47. There is, I think, an ancient law in _Scotland_, by which
_Leasing-making_ was capitally punished. I am, indeed, far from desiring
to increase in this kingdom the number of executions; yet I cannot but
think, that they who destroy the confidence of society, weaken the
credit of intelligence, and interrupt the security of life; harrass the
delicate with shame, and perplex the timorous with alarms; might very
properly be awakened to a sense of their crimes, by denunciations of a
whipping-post or a pillory: since many are so insensible of right and
wrong, that they have no standard of action but the law; nor feel guilt,
but as they dread punishment.