SIR, There has been a mighty Pother, of late, concerning an ancient Fraternity of Men, who stile themselves Free Masons; and the World is in Dispute what is the Cement that binds them so fast and true to one another, and what are the grand Secrets they pretend to keep in their Possession, exclusive of the rest of Mankind.
I wonder no Body has hitherto taken some Notice of a certain notable Sisterhood, as famous throughout all Ages, and whose ways are as much past finding out; I mean that of Free Semptresses.
If I may have the Liberty of reserving to myself the meaning of the Words, and they may not be wrested by every Wag to what Sense he pleases, I will here undertake to give you a short Account of that powerful and numerous Society, which I think may as properly be called by the Name of Legion Sisterhood
Sempstring was not, when Grandame Eve first invented the Needle to sew Fig Leaves together, to hide her own and her Husband’s Nakedness. In process of Time, her She Descendants by the Sempstring Art made that which was only design’d as a covering from Nudity to become a real Ornament. Then, not only the Needle, but the Pin, the Bodkin, the Wire, the Thimble, and many other Implements were used, whereby great Gain as well as Reputation, was acquired by the thrifty and industrious Sisterhood. But as, in all lawful Callings and Professions, there are some so greedy and rapacious among the Craft, that they will join Earth and Heaven to satisfy their vicious and voracious Appetite, it fared so with this honest and reputable Corporation of Sempstresses. Not content with getting a handsome Livelihood by their skill in Needlework, some amongst them were for adding a new Branch to their Trade, a certain Occupation to turn a Penny, which gave great Umbrage to such who detested all destructive Practices, tho’ they might bring some present Profit and Emolument to such as used them. Hereupon Jars and Disputes arose, which ended at length in dividing the Sisterhood; and those who were for the new occupation, and joining it to the Sempstress Art, from that time separated themselves, and ever since went by the Denomination of the Free Sempstresses.
Their Antiquity. The Sisterhood of Free Sempstresses make this Schism to be of very ancient Date, and say that Dalilah was one of the first who gave a Reputation to their Society then in its Infancy. As they brag they have always kept up a fair corespondence with the Free Masons, their Traditions relate many pleasant Rencounters between this same Dalilah and Sampson, who was accounted Grand Master of that Fraternity; and they boast that in those Days the new occupation was in its Achmee, or highest Pitch of Glory.
Their Worthies. They preserve a whole Bead-roll of their Worthies, as they call them, Susannah they will have to be of that Number, and they make her the Author of a certain Apothegm, which being received as a first Principle by the Sisterhood, has since passed into a common Proverb, viz. Like to Like. They have their stories of the Amazons, Sappho, Lais, Pope Joan, Queen Christina, all accepted Free Sempstresses; and they avow, that a great Number of the cloister’d Nuns abroad are secretly admitted into their Sisterhood.
Their Religion. As for their Religion, they are at present to a Womanhood Catholicks, and highly esteem the See of Rome, because that Religion leaves people in a State of Nature; because one of their Sisterhood had once the honour to fill the Papal Chair, and because his Holiness protects and encourages their Profession. They say they are well spoken of by the whole College of Cardinals; and that both the Regular and Secular Clergy receive their Confessions, and distribute plenary Indulgences gratis, and that for the sake of their Ingenuity and Tractibility.
Their Politicks. In Politicks they run entirely into the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non Resistance tho’ they hate and abominate the very Name, as well as the person of a Pretender.
Their Learning. They may well deserve to be call’d Philo-Math, being great Lovers of, as well as Well-wishers to, the Mathematicks. They are chiefly vers’d in Tacticks. Even Phidias could not out-do many of the Sisterhood in Imagery, for they work to the Life. They have a profound attachment to the Free Masons, and all such as labour in Stones; and some amongst them make their Brags, that let the Fraternity of Free Masons erect never so many Edifices, the Sisterhood of Sempstresses shall undertake to Stock and People them.
Their Tenets. They hold that each Sister is to keep only her own Secrets; that their Lodge is wherever ’tis found convenient; that meum and tuum is destructive to the Society of Free Sempstresses; that a Community of all Things is their primum mobile, in like manner as salus populi is the lex suprema in the State; that those who win Gold may wear it; that Women were made for Men; and lastly, that their dernier resort, their greatest Strength and Stress should be in their Tails.
Their Policy. As the Needle is long since become a most insignificant Tool to the Free Sempstress the Sisterhood have abundantly supply’d its place by their Ogles and Wheedles, and a thousand other Politick Inventions and Intrigues; so that they may be said to out-do even Farrar himself at Ways and Means.
Their Admission. They admit all into the Sisterhood who acknowledge the Prevelancy of those two Words, which they hold to be a Cabala or Charm, Importunity and Opportunity.
Their Sports. They are Passionate Lovers of a Play call’d Laugh and lie down, which being a laborious Pastime, and attended with great Expence of Spirits, makes them generally a short-lived Race; and except here and there one, they are no sooner dead than rotten.
Reproduction intégrale de la transcription citée en tête de page, dans l'orthographe d'origine, sans commentaire ni modernisation. Les titres et notes d'époque sont conservés ; l'appareil éditorial moderne a été écarté.