The Virginia Gazette

Mr. HUNTER,

The inclos'd being design'd to redress an Evil, now become too common among us, your inserting it in the next Gazette will oblige many of your Readers, and can give Offence to none but those who are beneath Regard.

Yours, &c.

March 18, 1750-1.

PROBUS

Nam si current, bene bonis fit, male Malis, quod nunc abest.

Cic. de Nat. Deorum.

SOME Time ago calling at a Public House, a Box of Letters came from on board a Ship arrived from England; they were no sooner spread upon the Table, but the busy Crowd, anxious for themselves and Friends, made a Circle round it; having no Concern my self (from the Misfortune of out-living my Friends) I took my Place in a Corner of the Room, when of a sudden a Person snatches up a Letter, reads the Superscription, To

Egad, says he, I must know the Contents of this, and made off.

As I have formerly been a Sufferer by having had my Letters intercepted, I was inclin'd to suspect this worthy Gentleman of opening what he had no Right to. I remember my poor old Father us'd to say, that Mal praxis was for ever contemned by Physicians; if so, why Should it be allow'd in any other Respect? Tis true, from an ignorant Pretender in Physic, a Man may run the Hazard, nay lose his Life; and from the opening and destroying of Letters, the Consequences may be as bad.

This is the falsest and basest Way of betraying Mankind, and as great a Breach of Duty to our Neighbour as Man can be guilty of : And 'tis my firm Opinion, he that will open and destroy another Man's Letter, will open his Chest, or stab him in the Dark, as Opportunity shall favour his Design.

The Advantage a base Man proposes to himself from the intercepting and opening of Letters, is undoubtedly with the Design to make himself Master of the little Secrets of Family or private Affairs ; and upon the Basis of a Letter or Letters, abets, contrives, and plots, to bring his wicked Purposes to bear, to the Ruin of him he intends it on. This is an Evil that Europe is unacquainted with. The Power of opening Letters is vested in the Crown; but that only regards the State, for the Preservation of his Majesty's Royal Person, and to secure the Peace and Tranquillity of the Government; but even in this Case, 'tis seldom executed but upon the Suspicion of High-Treason, and then 'tis held sacred, and us'd with the utmost Caution.

Let us only suppose the opening of Letters to proceed in general from a curious Motive, (which is putting the most favourable Construction it will bear) it will be attended with Difficulty to keep the Secrets (if any) that are imparted to them ; if design'd to pry into their Neighbours Affairs, they must infallibly have a Mixture of Pain as well as Pleasure.

What a poor degenerate Spirit ! but when the Devil prevails upon Man, he does it by mimicking the Truth, and raising erroneous and wicked Superstructures upon a good and sound Bottom; and he that thrusts himself into these Scrapes, entangles more than he is aware; for the constant Guard he must have upon his Tongue that none of these Secrets make their Escape, brings him under a Necessity often Times of Lying, or dis owning what he knows in a Manner irreconcileable with Sincerity or a good Conscience.

I am confident such evil Actions must be obnoxious to every Man of Honour, and am persuaded the Publication of this Epistle cannot give Offence, but to the Guilty; and am therefore under some Surprize that our Men of Letters should lie dormant upon this Subject so long, without ever having given a Hint to the Public of such vile and scandalous Proceedings.