guftus, fenfible of the juftice of the re-proof, immediately rofe and pardon'd the criminals. Such behaviour fhew'd a greatness of mind worthy his charaEter, who could so well make use of so bold a reprehenfion, and, inftead of becoming an executioner, approve himself a conqueror.

There is a prudent fear of incurring the character of a bufy-body, which reftrains many from giving any advice to others. But a friend fhould know nothing of fuch prudence: his careful obfervance fhould tell him when he is to speak, and his friendship alone tells him what he is to say on the occafion. As he endeavours much less to please than to do good, he often says that which may not be agreeable to hear: he does not put balfam into that wound where fire is more neceffary. At the fame time that a crowd of flatterers will have

the boldness to applaud you, he will have the courage to reprehend you: for, being free from that paffion that blinds you, he only abridges your will this day, the better to enable you to do that

day. But it is not neceffary, to approve himself true, that he ftill be troublefome: for if he reproves you with freedom, if he advises you with warmth, if he takes great liberty in perfuading you, he will not be behind-hand in commending you with vehemence and fatisfaction; for it is as effential a tie in friendship to give commendation where it is deferv'd, as it is to rebuke at a proper season. Whoever seems to do nothing but find faults, will appear to be very unjuft, or at least vexatious and prejudiced; but by indifferently approving what is valuable in us, as well as condemning what is not fo, does make us believe that he perfectly knows us. Hence it is that none fucceed better in correcting others, than those, who having ftudy'd what is praife-worthy in them, begin first to praise them for it, and then diminish the fault which they fell out with. The delight we naturally take in the applaufes that are given us, is a fpur to quicken us to deferve thofe which are refus'd us: by leffening

our crime, and concealing a part of miscarriage, we thence take heart to confefs it all, and such a confeffion engages us to amend.

Upon the whole, All reprehenfions fhould appear affectionate, arifing from truth, and a defire to have them prove beneficial; and when convey'd in fuch a manner, though they may be receiv'd at first with fome indignation, they will afterwards be judg'd of as the effects of a fincere esteem.- But should they not, what ill confequence could follow ? The best way to lofe a friend, is by feeking by my love to fave him. 'Tis best for others that they hate me for vice; but if I must be hated, it is best for myself that they hate me for any virtue. I am, &c.

Englishman's Evening Poft, May 6. Reflections on the report of the removal of a certain great man from his employments. [See p. 189.]

SIR,

T has been objected to the character I

of the honefteft minifters that ever ferved the crown of England, that after the reftauration he dictated this Machiavelian piece of policy to his mafter, That his friends would still be his friends, but that he ought to take care to make friends of enemies. Now, though nothing can be more different from what was that Nobleman's way of thinking and acting too, than this weak and wicked maxim, yet we can easily account in what manner that calumny has arifen and fpread. Upon the reftauration, they who had joined with K. Charles I. in all thofe arbitrary measures that made it necessary for the parliament to interpofe for faving the liberties of the nation, look'd on all thofe who had joined with the parliament in this great and neceffary work as fo many old rebels, and thought themselves alone intitled to all the places of power and truft in the government. My Lord Clarendon, who himself had pretty freely oppofed those measures under Charles I. which he thought tended to encroach on the rights Bb 2

of

of the subject, very wifely judged, that to bring in thofe men again into play, would be to hazard the renewing the fame fcene of calamity that had been acted in the last reign. He therefore was honeit enough to his country to advise his prince to employ thofe men whofe known principles led them to oppofe every arbitrary flep, and to fet the privilege of the people, as well as the prerogative of the prince, above the attacks of power on the one hand, or of faction on the other. This alarmed thofe zealots, who had expected that the very forms of our conftitution were to be abolished, and no difference made betwixt those who had rescued the juft rights of the people, and those who had imbrued their hands in the blood of their fovereign. For this reafon, it was fuggefted from the prefs, and from the pulpit, that this worthy minifter had adopted the Machiavelian principle we fee above; and to this day, fome people are fo weak as ftill to infift on that falfhood. I fhall purfue this fubject, as it relates to my Lord Clarendon, no farther than to obferve, that the abfurdity of thofe who after the reftauration imagined that the nation never would be happy till the King could rule without parliaments, is not near fo great as the wickedness of those who fince the revolution have endeavoured to perfuade their princes that no man can be faithful to the King unless he is fervile to the minifter. The old Cavaliers, who had feen the miferies which the country had undergone by the parliament carrying their refentment against the name and authority of a King a little too far, were in fome menfure excufable if they thought that no good thing could arife from parliaments. But fince the revolution, when the nature of the royal truft, of the fubject's privileges, and of minifterial authority, have all been fo clearly and fo fully adjufled; when jealoufy of power enters even into the compofition of the conflitution, and forms the moft folid beam in all the fructure of our government; the fupporting the power of a wicked minifter, by the ruin of a faithful fubject, plainly tends to renew all

thofe principles and measures, which will always endanger to a King of G. Britain the affections of his beft and wifeft fubjects, which are his trueft fupport.

It is true, if a prince is advised to require a thing of a fubject, which the latter thinks he cannot in honour comply with, the reafons of his refufal ought to be laid before the crown; and if they are found inconfiftent with his duty, if it appears that he is not equal to his poft, if it appears by fome overt act that he entertains dangerous views, the minister will be justified by every wife man if fuch a fubject is laid afide. But if we can fuppofe a cafe wherein a fubject of the first rank for quality, family, experience, loyalty, courage and eloquence, is difmiffed from the fervice of his fovereign, is stript of all his pofts and employments, at the critical juncture when the dangers with which his country is threatened point him out as the only man in the nation who is capable to fill them; fhould fuch a fubject, I fay, be difgraced for no other reafon, fo much as pretended, but because he oppofed the minifter, into what a dangerous fituation may the liberties of this kingdom be brought, and how infamous may the enjoyment of the most ufeful and the most honourable employments foon become? Let us add to thefe confiderations, if the perfon thus difgraced is one, defcended from ancestors, who had fought and bled in the caufe of liberty, whofe attachment to thofe very principles, by which the house of Hanover now fits on the throne of Britain, was the cause why they left their brave defcendent, fcarce any thing of their once great fortune but his fword, which has been ever employed in defence of his prince and country, and which by the affiftance of as great natural parts, and as much honefty as any man alive can boaft of, has now fixed the eyes of the publick on his virtues, and fet him up in that amiable point of light, beyond which the wifhes of a good man, and the ambition of a dutiful fubje&t will never afpire; if we add ftill farther, that this great perfon has, amidst

many

many alterations of ftate, and many revolutions even of his own private circumftances, always preferved a uniformity of conduct peculiar to himfelf, in which his zeal for the prefent establishment in his Majesty's perfon and family has been always the diftinguishing character: I fay, when those who are diffatisfied give out, that fuch a perfon as I have defcribed is difgraced merely for Speaking his mind freely, and for doing a duty which no other man in the kingdom can do fo well, it is a dangerous fymptom that difaffection begins to mingle with diffatisfaction; for nothing can tend fo much to alienate the minds of the people from the duty they owe to the government, as fuch fcandalous reports.

Therefore, when I hear that fuch a man, as one of whofe qualities and virtues I have endeavoured to draw the above faint sketch, is removed from all his pofts, I confider it in one of these two lights; either as a direct falfhood, as I hope it is; or as done for reafons on the part of the f―n juft, wife, and honourable in themselves. A prince of the house of H-r never, without wife and weighty caufes, could, in the day of danger, deny himself the service of a fubject who affured the crown on the head of the father, who in the infancy of the laft reign (that I may use the words of his own br on a late occafion) fuppreffed a rebellion that, according to the opinion of a Noble Lord, whose words used to have great weight in the house of Peers, MADE THE SCEPTRE TREMBLE IN THE HANDS OF THE KING, and feemed to threaten a decifive battle for the crown in the bowels of the kingdom. Was he punished, was he difgraced for his immortal fervice to his country? Does every man in the nation think that he at that time fuffered unjustly? and fhall it be faid that at this time, while through his means the people in G. Britain are united in their duty and allegiance to his royal house, he is punished for endeavouring a fecond time to rescue his fn from more dangerous and powerful enemies? No; ill would it become a fubject to

reafon thus on the conduct of his f—n. His prefent Majefty, as a King, can, and as a man, will do no wrong. We are therefore wifely and dutifully to conclude, that whatever may be in this report, his Majefty, fo far as relates to his own conduct, is strictly juftifiable; and if any are to be blamed, it is they who think nothing fo criminal as honefty, virtue and refolution.

It was with the highest degree of fatisfaction that all good fubjects reflected, that there was a man alive who had ferved under the deliverer of G. Britain, who had fought in the great battles that refcued the liberties of Europe, and who was of fuch a character as to unite the hearts, and command the hands of any army, which this nation may find neceffary again to raise for the fame wife purposes. Even a standing army, under the command of fuch a man, lofes a great many of its terrors; because the fubjects are fatisfied that no attempts will ever be made by an army, thus commanded, that can affect their liberties. The experience and abilities of fuch a General only can make amends for the rawness of troops who have never feen the face of an enemy; and the dread of our having a General of that character at the head of our army, may, perhaps, as much as any other motive, contribute to bringing the open enemies of the nation to reason, and preventing her more reserved foes from declaring against us. To conclude, So many improbabilities attend the common report of this great man being divefted of all his pofts and employments, in the manner and for the reasons given out, that our duty, as well as common prudence, dictates to us that we ought to fufpend any reflections on that head till time and circumftances fhall bring the truth to light. I am, &c.

COMMON SENSE, May 17.

Marriage a moral duty.
Afpiring to be gods, if angels fell;
Afpiring to be angels, men rebel.
ESSAY ON MAN.
S the riches of a country confift
more in the number of its inha

bitants,

bitants, than in the extent of its dominions, marriage has always been encouraged by politick focieties. The immunities granted by the Roman commonwealth to fuch as had three children are well known: and the cuftom of free-bench, as well as tenancy by the courtesy, which is peculiar to this nation, fhews it was not formerly discountenanced in England. Its being an advantage to fociety, is itself a fufficient proof that it is a moral perfection: yet there is no occafion to reft it upon that fingle argument.

If whatever promotes the great ends of the creation is a duty of morality, certainly that upon which the continuance of it does depend must be an effential one: and if the not forwarding the defigns of providence in the creation is a moral evil, that must be so in a much greater degree which tends neceffarily to defeat them.-Yet, notwithstanding this plain demonftration of the moral obligation of marriage, it has been too much difcouraged by fome of our church, as well as by thofe of the church of Rome; and celibacy inculcated as a Chriftian virtue.

To fuppofe it poffible for religion to contradict morality in a fingle inftance, is at once to overturn all the evidences of it. If then marriage is a moral duty, how much must those be mistaken, who recommend celibacy as a Chriftian perfection, and publifh fet forms of prayer to implore the divine affiftance to continue in a fingle ftate, which is living in a conftant breach of a moral, and confequently religious obligation! Let us confider the force of their arguments, That we ought to fubdue our paffions, and imitate the angels, who are neither married nor given in marriage. Our appetites and paffions were given us to promote the defigns of providence in our creation, and when properly regulated tend admirably to that end. They were intended to inftigate us to action, and under the government of reafon are productive of every good quality and virtue: and whoever will argue that we ought to extinguish any paffion because an irregular indulging it

is vicious, fhould farve fooner than eat; because hunger is an human appetite, and gluttony a vice. The other argument fcarce deferves an answer. We should, indeed, imitate the angels in conforming to the feveral laws of our state, as religiously as we suppose they do to theirs; but where-ever our duties differ, our actions ought not to be the fame: and whoever agrees to the pleafing as well as rational fyftem of Mr Addijon, will not be at a loss to fhew why our duties vary in this particular.— The eternal progreffion of the human foul in knowledge, and its conftant approaches to the divinity, like a mathematical line that still draws nearer to another without ever being able to touch it, is the nobleft idea human conception is capable of. Our prefent ftate is the firft link of this great chain; and as it is reafonable every foul fhould begin its progrefs from the fame point, we alone feem properly calculated by the divine pleafure to give existence to new creatures; that fo the gradation of beings perpetually rifing in perfection, may be continued as long as the author of this admirable scheme fhall think fit. Thus we ought not to afpire at being angels too foon, but be contented to fill the space defign'd for us by nature. Tho' we cannot be certain that the neglect of this duty will be pofitively punished, yet I think it capable of almoft mathematical demonftration that it will negatively be fo, by making us less happy for if the performing the duties of this life is productive of future happiness, (and that it neceffarily is so, is undeniably proved by Mr Wollafton in his Religion of nature delineated,) the increafing the num ber of thofe duties by the addition of the conjugal and parental ones, must be an infallible means of increasing that bap piness.

After so strenuous a recommendation of marriage, it will be expected I should lay down fome rules concerning a proper choice; but as example sways more than precept, I will conclude with aftory, from whence either sex may draw inftruction.

EUGENIO was a young Gentleman

from