Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 17.djvu/303

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TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE MAYOR AND ALDERMEN

OF THE

CITY OF LONDON.

THE

HUMBLE PETITION

OF THE

COLLIERS, COOKS, COOK-MAIDS, BLACKSMITHS, JACKMAKERS, BRASIERS, AND OTHERS.


SHOWETH,

THAT whereas certain virtuosi disaffected to the government, and to the trade and prosperity of this kingdom, taking upon them the name and title of the Catoprical Victuallers, have presumed by gathering, breaking, folding, and bundling up the sunbeams by the help of certain glasses to make, produce, and kindle up several new focuses or fires within these his majesty's dominions, and there to boil, bake, stew, fry, and dress all sorts of victuals and provisions, to brew, distil spirits, smelt ore, and in general to perform all the offices of culinary fires; and are endeavouring to procure to themselves the monopoly of this their said invention: We beg leave humbly to represent to your honours,

That such grant or patent will utterly ruin and re-

duce