news-letter writers do, in their letters or other papers that they
disperse, presume to intermeddle with the debates or other proceedings
of this House.' This was only a momentary ebullition of spleen. The
licensing act, which expired in 1692, had been renewed for one year,
but at the end of that period disappeared forever from English
legislation. The House of Lords--obstructive as usual to all real
progress--endeavored to revive it, but the Commons refused their
consent, and a second attempt in 1697 met with a like defeat. This
obstacle being happily got rid of, new journals of all kinds arose every
day. One was called _The Ladies' Mercury_; a second, _The London
Mercury_, _or_ _Mercure de Londres_, and was printed in parallel English
and French columns. A third was entitled _Mercurios Reformatus_, and
was, during a portion of its existence, edited by the famous Bishop
Burnet. Some were half written and half printed. One of these, the
_Flying Post_, in 1695, says in its prospectus:

'If any gentleman has a mind to oblige his country friend or
correspondent with this account of public affairs, he may have it
for twopence of J. Salisbury, at the Rising Sun, in Cornhill, on a
sheet of fine paper, half of which being blank, he may thereon
write his own private business, or the material news of the day.'

In 1696, Dawks's _News Letter_ appeared, printed in a sort of running
type, to imitate handwriting, with the following quaint announcement:

'This letter will be done upon good writing paper, and blank space
left, that any gentleman may write his own private business. It
does, undoubtedly, exceed the best of the written news, contains
double the quantity, with abundant more ease and pleasure, and will
be useful to improve the younger sort in writing a curious hand.'