But let us add, to the peculiar felicity of our deceased monarch: It was his, to fee his fubjects of these happy islands, rejoicing amidst all the delights and bleffings of peace, while war's dreadful terrors fhook almost the world around! It was his to fee commerce flourish with unwonted vigour, to fee the riches of nations poured into his harbours, and his Exchange the grand mart of the globe! To fee wealth abound; the arts flourish; and benevolence rear aloft her celeftial head, executing plans of humanity, which would add a superlative luftre to every age!

Happier ftill, if heaven had indulged him with the fight of honourable peace restored to opprest mankind - There had then remained little of felicity more to have been presented to his view.

But this pleafing fight, this gentle and allinviting peace is reserved, we truft, for his eyes, to whom the fceptre of his fathers defcends; and to whom the monarch of our love must have refigned it with peculiar fatisfaction. For, once more; it was his to fee, not only a numerous pofterity, to fecure happy and uninterrupted fucceffion in his line; but to behold a truly royal grandson, heir of his virtues, and of his crown; and early manifefting all those qualifications, which are neceffary to constitute the good King, and the great man! So that we may truly apply to him the words of the facred writer, Thou shalt know alfo that thy feed shall be great, and thine off

Spring as the grafs of the earth. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a fhock of corn cometh, in its feafon!

Oh mayft thou live, ever live, gracious Sovereign, in the faithful remembrance of thy people! and can we fail to remember thee with tendereft efteem, who for fo many years haft ruled over us, our general father; and fecured to us the most invaluable blessings! Reft, reft, bleffed fhade; may the fulleft joys of immortality reward thee! while the tears of thy people, tears shed amidst the loudest acclamations of joy * - bespeak their forrows, and confirm thy goodness: happier far to die, amidst such filent witneffes of undiffembled regard, than amidst the wordy adulations of an applauding universe!

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While for ourselves we will transfer our allegiance and affection to the heir of thy throne, and of thy glories whose princely virtues we contemplate with an heart-felt delight: virtues, which bloom fo early, and fo fair, that we doubt not, but the favour of Providence will continue to blefs us, under his aufpicious reign; and fecure to us that unanimity, credit, bonour,

*It was observable, that amidst the triumph of the proclamation, many eyes were wet with tears; and in particular fome of thofe concerned in the joyful part of the ceremony, could not with-hold the natural and affectionate drops, while their hands administered to the chorus of congratulation.

honour, and all those important felicities, which dignify and diftinguish the glorious æra! "Animated with the tendereft affection for this his native country, (our rifing monarch, gaciously affures us, in words, which are felt by every British breast) that he enters, with chearfulness, into his arduous fituation; and will make itnot only his endeavour to profecute the present juft and neceffary war, in a manner the most likely to bring on an honourable and lafting peace-But he will make it the business of his life to promote in every thing the glory and happiness of thefe kingdoms, to preferve and STRENGTHEN the conflitution both in church and state!”

Oh may the favour of omnipotent wifdem continually dwell with him, and graciously affift him in all his royal defigns! long may He live and reign in the hearts of his approving subjects; long may the choiceft comforts pitch their delighted tents around Him! and late, very late, full of days and full of glory, like his illuftrious grandfire of bleffed memory, may HE exchange a temporal for an eternal crown, amidst the tender tears of a numerous posterity, of an unanimous and affectionate people!

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NUMBER LIX.

Artes quomodo florere poffunt, artium fi magiftri nullo babeantur in honore? -BOETH.

SIR,

To the VISITOR.

Nov. 3, 1760, Audley-fquare,

HAVE read with fatisfaction your papers

from the beginning. You feem a friend to religion and your country. Pray God, give you good fuccefs. I could not help fhedding tears over your last Saturday's paper. Perhaps those tears were selfifh; for I have feen almoft as many funs rife and fet, as his late moft facred Majefty. But if forrow moiftened my eyes, on perufing your paper; believe me, joy had the the fame effect on reading the prefent King's proclamation" for the encouragement of Piety

and Virtue, and for preventing and punishing "of Vice, Praphaneness, and Immorality." It would be too long for me to mention the particular delight I found in each part of it: fuffer me to dwell a little on the topic, which hath been the frequent subject of my thoughts; and

a heavy

a heavy burden to my mind. It recurred to me ftrongly on reading this proclamation, especially where his gracious Majefty declares, “That " for the encouragement of Religion and Mora"lity, he will, upon all occafions, distinguish per

fons of PIETY and VIRTUE, by marks "of his royal favour."-Invariably to pursue this refolution, will be to make himself a great King, and his people a good and happy people. But I may be permitted to obferve, that this is above all things neceffary, with respect to the Clergy; the minifters of religion.

It is abfurd to fuppofe, that religion and piety fhould flourish, if the immediate minifters of it, are defpifed and defpicable. Their cafe calls for confideration. In fome particulars it is deplorable; in others, it is fcandalous. The Clergy are a venerable body of men. I am jealous for their honours; anxious for their welfare; and heartily defirous they fhould adorn their holy profeffion in all things! -But, good God, how is, how can this be the cafe, in the present circumstances of many? Look at feveral in this great city, who let themfelves out for wretched and low pay: and what veneration for religion do they infpire? They preach over porter-pots in dirty ale-houses; and talk of orthodoxy, amongst the lowest of the people! -Others cannot rise above the world, and many little meanneffes, through the straitnefs of their scanty preferment. They have a living

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