a contemptuous fneer, that he was greatly furprized how fome people could have the confcience to live in a country which they did not love, and to enjoy the protection of a government to which in their hearts they were inveterate enemies. Finding that, by this modeft declaration of my fentiments, I had forfeited the good opinion of my companions, and given them occafion to call my political principles in question, and well knowing that it was in vain to argue with men who were fo very full of themfelves, I threw down my reckoning, and retired to my own lodgings, reflecting on the abfurd and ridiculous nature of national prejudice and prepoffeffion. AMONG all the famous fayings of antiquity, there is none that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleafure to the reader (at least if he be a person of a generous and benevolent heart) than that of the philosopher, who, being afked what "countryman he was," replied, that he was a citizen of the world." How few are there to be found in modern times who can fay the fame, or whofe conduct is confiftent with such a profeffion? We are now become so much Englishmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Spaniards, or Germans, that we are no longer citizens of the world: world: fo much the natives of one particular spot, or members of one petty society, that we no longer confider ourselves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand society which comprehends the whole human kind. DID these prejudices prevail only among the meaneft and loweft of the people, perhaps they might be excufed, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, travelling, or converfing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct, even of our gentlemen; of thofe, I mean, who have every title to this appellation but an exemption from prejudice, which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded as the characteristical mark of a gentleman; for let a man's birth be ever fo high, his ftation ever fo exalted, or his fortune ever fo large, yet if he is not free from national and all other prejudices, I fhould make bold to tell him, that he had a low and vulgar mind, and had no just clain to the character of a gentleman. And, in fact, you will always find, that thofe are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or no merit of their own to depend on; than which, to be fure, nothing is more natural: the flender vine twifts around around the sturdy oak for no other reason in the world, but because it has not strength fufficient to fupport itself. SHOULD it be alledged in defence of national prejudice, that it is the natural and neceffary growth of love to our country, and that therefore the former cannot be deftroyed without hurting: the latter, I answer, that this is a grofs fallacy and delufion. That it is the growth of love to our country, I will allow; but that it is the natural and neceffary growth of it, I abfolutely deny. Superftition and enthusiasm too are the growth of religion; but who ever took it in his head to affirm, that they are the neceffary growth of this noble principle? They are, if you will, the bas tard fprouts of this heavenly plant, but not its natural and genuine branches, and may fafely enough be lopt off, without doing any harm to the parent flock: nay, perhaps, till once they arelopt off, this goodly tree can never flourish in perfect health and vigour. Is it not very poffible that I may love my own country, without hating the natives of other countries? that I may exert the most heroic bravery, the most undaunted refolution, in defending its laws and liberty, without defpifing all the rest of the the world as cowards and poltrons? Moft certainly it is; and if it were not-But what need I suppose what is abfolutely impoffible?—But if it were not, I must own I fhould prefer the title of the ancient philofopher, viz. a Citizen of the World, to that of an Englifhman, a Frenchman, an European, or to any other appellation whatever. ESSAY ESSAY XII. A MIDST the frivolous pursuits and pernicious diffipations of the pretent age, a refpect. for the qualities of the understanding still prevails to fuch a degree, that almoft every individual pretends to have a TASTE for the BELLES LETTRES. The fpruce prentice fets up for a critic, and the puny beau piques himself upon being a connoiffeur. Without affigning caufes for this univerfal prefumption, we shall proceed to observe, that if it was attended with no other inconvenience than that of expofing the pretender to the ridicule of thofe few who can fift his pretenfions, it might be unneceffary to undeceive the public, or to endeavour at the reformation of innocent folly, productive of no evil to the commonwealth. But in reality this folly is productive of manifold evils to the community. If the reputation of TASTE can be acquired without the least affiftance of literature, by reading modern poems, and seeing modern plays, what perfon will deny himself the plea fure |