Politicks had arrived to a dreadful state of effervescence in 1713. Many authors exerted themselves to fan the flames, and but few endeavoured to extinguish them. One eccentric person ("which lived at the sign of the Queen's-arms _and Corn-cutter_ in King-street, Westminster, where a blue sign-board is fixed to _the other_ that shews what cures I perform, _viz._ the scurvy in the gums, or tooth-ache, likewise the piles and all casual sores, and fasteneth loose teeth, and causeth decayed gums to grow firm and well again") with more zeal than ability collected a _farrago_ of scraps of religion and moral sayings, and connected them in a way peculiar to himself by fervent wishes and pious ejaculations; which he published twice a-week under the title of the "Balm of Gilead, or the Healer of Divisions, by Thomas Smith, Operator."--I consider this Thomas Smith a worthy predecessor of many an Itinerant Methodist. The public-house is a hot-bed for vulgar eccentricity; and without doubt the following mad exploit of four men in January 1715-16 originated in one of them, which is thus described in the London Post of the 21st. They solemnly bound themselves to support each other in every difficulty and danger that might occur during an excursion up the Thames on the ice for four days, in which they determined to avoid every track made by man, and to explore a way for themselves. They set out provided with poles from the Old Swan near London-bridge; and two of them were seen to fall through air-holes opposite Somerset-house and Lambeth, but the others were never heard of. I am rather at a loss under what title to place the ignorance and absurdity displayed in the ensuing paragraph, copied from the News Letter of Feb. 25, 1716; but, as superstition is closely allied to folly, and eccentricity is a species of folly, I believe this to be the proper one. "The Flying Horse, a noted victualling-house in Moor-fields, _next to that of the late Astrologer Trotter_, has been molested for several nights past in an _unaccountable manner_; abundance of stones, glass bottles, clay, &c. being thrown into the back side of the house, to the great _amazement and terror_ of the family and guests. It is altogether unknown how it happened, though all the neighbouring houses were diligently searched, and men appointed in proper places to find the occasion."