Liberty-Life. 167 its fafety and prefervation. He feels as a proprietor, not as a tenant. He loves the ftate, because he participa es in it. His obedience is not the cold reluctant refult of terror; but the lively, cheerful, and fpontaneous effect of love. The violation of laws, formed on the pure principle of general beneficence, and to which he has given his full affent, by a juft and perfect reprefentation, he confiders as a crime of the deepcft die. He will inceffantly endeavour to improve it; and enter feriously into all political debate. In the collifion of agitated minds, fparks will fometimes be emitted; but they will only give a favorable light and a genial warmth. They will never produce an injurious configration.-Spirit of Defpotifm WE fhall conclude this fubject, with obferving the falschood of the common opinion, that no large ftate could ever be modelled into a commonwealth, but that fuch a form of government can only take place in a city of fmall territory. The contrary feems probable. Though it is more difficult to form a republican government in an extenfive country than in city there is more facility, when once it is formed, of preferving it fteady and uniform, without tumult and faction In a large government, which is modelled with maflerly fkill, there is compafs and room enough to refine the democracy from the lower people who may be admitted into the firit elections or first concoction of the commonwealth, to the higher magifirates, who direct all movements. At the fame time, the parts are fo diftant and remote, that it is very difficult, either by intrigue, prejudice, or paffion, to hurry them into any meafures against the public intereft-Hume. LIFE. WHEN I confider life, 'tis all a cheat: Yet, fool'd with hope, men favour the deceit; Truft on, and think, to morrow will repay: To-morrow's falfer than the former day; Lies more; and while it fays, we fhall be blefs'd With fome new joys, cuts off what we poffefs'd: Strange cozenage! none would live paft years again, Yet all hope pleafure in what yet remain: And from the dregs of life think to receive What the first sprightly running could not give. I'm tir'd with waiting for this chymic gold, Which fools us young, and beggars us when old--Dryden. WHAT art thou, life, fo dearly lov'd by all? Life's but a lengthen'd day, not worth the waking for.- LORDS. -YE are lords: A lazy, proud. unprofitable crew, The vermin gender'd from the rank corruption THE princes of Europe have found out a manner of rewarding their fubjects, by prefenting them with about two yards of blue riband, which is worn about the fhoulder. They who are honoured with this mark of diftinction, are called knights; and the king himself is always the head of the order. Should a nobleman happen to lofe his leg in battle, the king prefents him with two yards of riband, and he is paid for the leis of his limb. Should an ambaffador spend all his paternal fortune, in fupporting the honor of his country abroad, the king prefents him with two yards of riband. which is to be contidered as equivalent to his cftate. In fhort, while an European king has a yard of blue or green riband left, he need be under no apprehenfion of wanting ftatefmen, generals, and foldiers.— Goldfaith THERE is a fet of men in all the flates of Europe, who affume from their infancy a pre-eminence, independent of Lords. 169 their moral character. The attention paid them from the moment of their birth, gives them the idea that they are formed for command; they foon learn to diftinguish themfelves as a diftinct species; and being fecure or a certain rank and flation, take no pains to make themselves worthy of it. To this inftitution we owe fo many indifferent minifters, ignorant magiftrates, and bad generals.—Able Raynal. HE is a poor obferver, who has not feen, that the generality of peers, far from fupporting themselves in a ftate of independent greatness, are but too apt to fall into an oblivion of their proper dignity, and run headlong into an abject fervitude. Burke. LET ftates that aim at greatnefs take heed how their nobility and gentry do multiply too faft: for that maketh the common fubject grow to be a peafant and base fwain, driven out of heart, and in effect but a gentleman's labourer.—~Lord Bacon. PRINCES and lords may flourish or may fade; A breath can make them, as a breath has made: But a bold peafantry-a nation's prideWhen once deftroyed, can never be fupplied.-Goldsmith. WHAT is a lord? Doth that plain fimple word Contain fome magic fpell? As foon as heard, Like an alarm bell on night's dull ear, Doth it ftrike louder, and more strong appear Than other words? Whether we will or no, Thro' reafon's court doth it unquestion'd go E'en on the mention-and of courfe tranfmit Notions of fomething excellent, of wit Pleafing, tho' keen, of humour free, tho' chafte, Of sterling genius with found judgment grac'd, Of virtue far above temptation's reach, And honor, which no malice can impeach? Believe it nat-'twas nature's first intent, Before their rank became their punishment, They fhould have pafs'd for men, not blufh'd to prize The bleffings fhe beftow'd.-She gave them eyes, And they could fee-fhe gave them ears, they heard-The inftruments of ftirring, and they stirr'dLike us they were defign'd to eat, to drink, To talk, and (ev'ry now and then) to think. Till they, by pride corrupted, for the fake Of fingularity, difclaim'd that make; P Till they, difdaining nature's vulgar mode, A LORD (nor here let cenfure rafhly call And wealth, and dignity, and power, and place, Is fill'd with inborn worth, unborrow'd from his kind.-Dryden. LOVE. LOVE various minds does variously inspire; But aging flames tempeftuous fouls invade: With pride it mounts, and with revenge it glows.-Dryden. Amidit inglorious fhades and purling streams; Scar'd at the furious noife and thunder of the war. -Rowe. THOSE who are poffeffed of exorbitant power, who pant for its extenfion, and tremble at the apprehenfion of lofing it, are always fufficiently artful to dwell with emphafis, on the evils of licentioufnefs; under which opprobrious name, they wish to ftigmatize liberty. They defcribe the horrors of anarchy and confufion, in the blackeft colors; and boldly affirm, that they are the neceffary confequences of entrusting the people with power. Indeed, they hardly condefcend to recognize the idea of the people; but whenever they speak of the mafs of the community, denominate them the mob, the rabble, or the swinifh multitude. Language is at a lofs for appellatives, fignificant of their contempt for thofe who are undiftinguished by wealth or titles, and is obliged to content itfelf with fuch words, as reptiles, fcum, dregs, or the manyheaded monster.-Spirit of Defpotifm. LICENTIOUSNESS and defpotifm are more nearly allied than is commonly imagined. They are both alike inconfiftent with liberty, and the true end of government; nor is there any other difference between them, than that one is the licentiousness of great men, and the other the licentioufnefs of little men; or that by one, the perfons and property of a people are fubject to outrage and invafion from a king, or a lawlefs body of grandees; and that by the other, they are fubject to the like outrages from a lawlefs mob. In avoiding one of thefe evils, mankind have often run into the other. But all well conflituted governments guard equally against both. Indeed, of the two, the laft is, on feveral accounts, the leaft to be dreaded, and has done the leaft mischief. It may truly be faid, if licentiousness has defroyed its thoufands, defpotifm has deftroyed its millions. The former having little power, and no fyftem to fupport it, neceffarily finds its remedy; and a people foon get out of the tumult and anarchy attending it. But a defpotifm, wearing a form of government, and being armed with its force, is an evil not to be conquered without dreadful struggles. It goes on from age to age, debafing the human faculties, levelling all diftinétions, and preying on the rights and bleflings of fociety. It deferves to be added, that in a flate diflurbed by licentiouinefs, there is an animation which is favourable to the human mind, and puts it upon exerting its powers; but n a flate habituated to defpotifm, all is ftill and torpid. A |