corn. Others, on the contrary, and particularly Dale, think that the rhinoceros is the only one-horned quadruped, and that the accounts of all the others are fictitious.

Very few of thefe animals have been brought to Europe. There was a female one shewn in London in the year 1752; but this was not near full-grown, being no more than five feet and an half in ftature, and the horn was but fhort.

The rhinoceros is among the number of those animals, which if a Hottentot can have the happiness of killing, he has the dignity of an hero conferred upon him. The performance of the ceremony, and the cleanliness of it, may prove entertaining, and therefore we here fubjoin it, though not properly belonging to the natural history of this beaft.

"The rhinoceros being killed, the Hottentot runs to his village, acquaints all his neighbours of his good fortune, and then goes to his hut, and fquats down in the middle of it. Presently comes an ancient Hottentot, deputed by the village, and compliments him in their name; at the fame time giving notice of their expecting his coming to receive the honours due to his exploit. The hero rifes upon the meffage being delivered, and attends the deputy to the middle of the village, where he fquats down on a mat, fpread for the folemnity, in the center of the men, who all fquat round him in a circle. The deputy

then advances, pronounces certain words, and then piffes upon him from head to foot. The deputy afterwards lights a pipe of tobacco, and, having fmoked two or three whiffs, delivers it to be smoked out in turns by the affembly, and the ashes are fcattered by the deputy on the hero, who inftantly rifes, and the whole circle with him, receives the perfonal compliments and thanks of the village for the fignal fervice and honour rendered to his country by his bravery: and thus ends the cere mony. Straightway the hero returns to his hut, where he is three days fumptuoufly entertained, at the expence of the village, with the niceft rareties, (that is, what they term nice); during which time he is called to no public action; nor is his wife admitted till the evening of the third day, when the hero receives the lady with the greatest marks of fondness and affection: a fat theep is killed, and the neighbours are entertained, who congratulate the lady upon her being restored to the arms, and become a partner in her husband's glory, &c."

On the whole, the rhinoceros is a very noble and famous creature; and though vaftly inferior to the elephant in strength, docility, and thofe other qualities peculiar to that famed animal, yet fuperior to it in comeliness of shape, and beauty of skin; and both alike ferve to difplay the wonders of Providence in the creation.

Medio tutiffimus ibis.

GENTLEMEN,

THE happy fpirit of unanimity, which hath lately fubfifted amongst us, may appear to render any reflections on the fpirit of party unfeasonable; yet, as Chriftianity pronounces a bleffing on the peacemaker, it seems no unreasonable deduction, that he who honeftly endeavours to eftablish and confirm fuch principles as tend o peace, will be intitled to an adequate degree of the Divine Bleffing. Perhaps the fubject I have chofen hath been already fufficiently exhausted by authors, whom I

POPE.

have never been fo fortunate as to meet

with or perufe; and tracts have been written on it much more copious, diffusive, and full, than any I am equal to. However, I have ventured to draw up a few loofe immethodical thoughts, and address them to you, flattering myself they will neither be disagreeable to you, nor incompatible with your plan. I fhall fay but little of the fpirit of party as it regards politics, confequently a difcuffion of the German war (which I wish happily and: honourably ended) must not be expected

in this effay. Some of the fentiments in it, which I honestly esteemed originals, when I entered them in my common-place, I have lately found expressed by men who have thought like me, long before I was capable of thinking. But to haften into the midst of things.

As the ftrenuous man of party not often miffes of warm friends, the sect he efpoufes generally espousing him and his interests in turn with equal ardour; fo, on the contrary, the moderate man, who feldom finds occafion to exhibit zeal, (as indubitable points are but rarely contested) is often looked upon as treacherous to all fides, and therefore meets with difregard from all : he incurs the charge of infipidity and loofe thinking, because he is not an enthufiaft in matters which appear to him ambiguous and undetermined.

The fpirit of party is an odd mixture of pride and implicitude: its primary foundation may be honesty, but pride and implicitude compofe the superstructure: they feem to be contrary difpofitions, but are eafily reconciled. Thus an honest man fets out with what he believes a conviction of the truth of any fundamental prinsiple of a fect or fociety, either religious or political from this conviction he efpoufes it, and, being thus fwayed, thinks himself obliged to fight for it through thick and thin; and from thenceforward never examines into the truth of the fubordinate opinions of his fraternity, or the rectitude of their practices, nor will admit into his mind any doubts about them; but busies himself in fishing for the moft feasible arguments, to plaifter over and defend them from the attacks of counter-arguments; although, for aught he knows to the contrary, fuch counter-argument may have its ground in reafon and good sense; and fo, for fear of being obliged to retract his opinion, and deftroy what he hath been a long time, and at great pains, in constructing, for fear of unfettling his mind, and incurring the imputation of ficklenefs, or of difobliging his adopted fect, and marring private friendships, he refolves to content himself, without further enquiry, and to defend his party with all his ftrength: hence arife the numerous partysurfes, invectives, and acrimonious farcafms, concerning trifies; and the perfecutions which have been exercifed on the minds as well as bodies of mankind, conserning opinions, whofe real value, and

importance to the happiness and order of the world, will not preponderate against a ftraw. Violent party-men make the fame degree of pother about the most insignificant matters, when they think, or chufe to think themselves right, as concerning those of the highest importance, and, generally speaking, much more in the former cafe than in the latter.

It is true, that every right position ought to be afferted and defended with a degree of warmth equal to its importance: to go further, is commencing a zeal without knowledge, and runs us headlong into abfurdity. But, fay they, right is right, truth is truth, and ought to be maintained with equal earneftnefs and perfeverance, whether it regards the fhape of a fhoebuckle, or the government of the world ;-for who knows but the deftruction of this feemingly minute link may undo the great chain of all things, and infringe the order of Providence? But thefe people should have a fublimer notion of the great Difpofer of all things, than to imagine him fo carelefs about the concatination of events, as to make the ftrength of it to depend on a few private opinions; or that his honour is much, if at all, concerned in the obfervance of injunctions, which Providence, in his infinite wifdom, orders fhall be deemed indifferent by the generality of calm-thinking men.

That "the wifdom of the world is foolishness with God," I readily grant ; that "Chriftianity was deemed foolishness by the wife Greeks," I as readily grant; and I am not in the leaft doubt but that thefe texts will be applied to me: yet wifdom is still wisdom, and reason is still reafon. Each party, when any thing that is undeniably good ftares it in the face, from that which is opposite, doubtingly exclaims, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? And as in religion so in politicks, the characters of kings, and those of administrations, are canvassed, villified, or applauded, in this partial, difingenuous, and unequitable manner. The great argument, and one which feems to carry benevolence in it, and is therefore moft cogent against free inquiry, is, that it tends to perplex and unfettle the minds of men; but the queftion remains, whether it does not unfettle them to the benefit of themselves, as well as the public good? For (though fome dishonest and weak minds may be diftracted and unhinged, by ambitiously R 2

foaring

foaring above their capacity in impertinent researches) it generally tends to the clearing up truth, and obviating error. But free inquiry needs but little difcouragement, because the number is, and is likely to be, but small, who, with fincerity and affiduity, feek after truth, in comparison of thofe who are wholly paffive from indolence, and fuffer themselves to be carried along by the tide of education, and blind implicitude; and I question whether the fophiftry of Lord Bolingbroke, and fome other writers in that strain, may not have made many converts to religion. However defireable a general uniformity in fentiment may appear to be, it cannot be brought about by coercive and penal laws, by bloodshed and defolation; for there have always arisen, and always will arife, fome men of fpirit, who voluntarily chofe to facrifice their lives rather than their mental liberty; and these will make converts to their opinions, in fpite of all the means that can be used to counteract them. This defireable end can be no more attained by religious deceits, or pious frauds; for Providence, to fhew that its caufe has no need of fuch defpicable refources, always permits them to be detected, and to fall into contempt, The guile ufed by St. Paul, I take to be no other than a backing his arguments with fome feafonable appeal to their paffions; and, however difpaffionate ly people affect to talk, it must be owing to a too fuperficial view of human nature, that they imagine any man can be wrought upon to a change of his fentiments, or his practice, by cool argument, divested of all regard to paffions or affections. Revelation itself appeals to our hopes and our fears, our love and our hatred, and now and then even infpirits our ambition; and herein confifts the great energy of its arguments, with those especially who have not capacities to weigh their force, and confider their connexion.

But the practice of appealing to the paffions needs little encouragement, as all parties naturally give into it; and the groffeft abfurdities, and moft manifeft contradictions, are every day feconded and enforced by fuch appeals: nevertheless they are of fervice, when reafon and truth are at the helm, by ensuring attention, and confirming belief; and it is not to be fuppofed that our paffions were given us for no other end, but to put us to the trouble of totally mortifying or extirpating them.

Winds waft ships to their refpective ports, although they sometimes wreck and demolish them: wine banishes gloom, and gladdens the heart; although, in fome instances, it maddens and inebriates,

But to return to the fpirit of party: I define it to be "an over-fondness for, or attachment to, any fect, principle, or fet of principles, for this reafon, viz. because we ourselves have thought proper to adopt and espouse them, either with or without lucrative views." The effect of this difposition of mind, carried to any height, is an averfion, diftafte, and shyness in behaviour, to people of different fentiments; and, when it influences in religious matters, runs into fuperftition, ftops the current of benevolence, where it ought to have the largest diffusion, and farthest extent; injures equally the fociety and the individual; begets a pharifaical self-righteousnefs; and, in a word, becomes a bondage, not shadowed out fufficiently terrible in that of Egypt of old. From profligacy, fociety by accident derives fome benefits; from fuperftition none: yet this monfter, under the difguife of extraordinary sanctity, finds her way into the receffes of the most pious hearts, overspreads them with fullen gloom, preys upon the natural benignity which the finds in their difpofitions, and fo confounds herfelf with their piety, that she is seldom difpoffeffed, after once received: at length the unhappy votaries of this fplenetic deity deal condemnation around them with a liberal hand, and are mighty angry with all those who are not equally devoted to her with themselves, nor will relinquish their claim to mental liberty. Religion, praifed be her almighty Author, is abfolutely impregnable to all the efforts of the powers of darkness; was she not, she could never have flood revered and beloved for fo many ages, in fpite of this intruding ape, who affumes her name and fome parts of her vesture; but may be generally known from the original by a greater degree of oftentation, pageantry, and parade, more numerous and more zealous external obfervations of meats, drinks, cloths, days, &c. And the enemies of the former could never have hit on a more plaufible method of driving her from the earth, than their multiplication of fupernumerary principles, annexing to them the fpecious epithet of effential, and perfuading mankind to tag them on to thofe which are really fuch that the whole being jumbled and con

founded

founded together, the whole might, with fome appearance of reason, be rejected as chimæra.---But thefe external trifles are made the badges of parties, and by a hot zeal for thefe is the fpirit of party kept alive. To remain in a state of exact neutrality, in all matters of controverfy, is certainly a blameable piece of scepticism, or indolence; and to justify, on the other hand, every opinion maintained by the party we have adopted, without a thorough inquiry into its merit and reasonableness, is narrow meanness and bigotry: yet men of fenfe too frequently give into this error, and thereby greatly impede the use of their parts and abilities, and render themselves at least blanks, if not worse, to the community. Every man, who hath not fome measure of bias in favour of the opinions which he hath received from education, as well as of a spirit of patriotism, or honeft love to his country, and zeal for its intereft, must be devoid of one of the most natural as well as noble characteristics of human nature: and I could entertain but a poor opinion of a Jew, or a Mahometan, who should renounce his principles, and embrace our holy profeffion of Chriftianity, without a strong and almoft irresistible conviction of its being his duty fo to do. Prejudices are to be tenderly dealt with, and never renounced, but from rational evidence. Thus all parties concur in looking afkant upon turn-coats, and being fufpicious of the integrity of their motives; and I am very apt to think these precipitant tranfitions are often owing to a mind enamoured of novelty, a perverfe and contumacious rebellion against parental authority and fociety-government, or to fordid and pecuniary views: but when this natural prejudice, originally honest and commendable, gains such strength and tenacity as to prevent free inquiry, and blind our minds to truth and the nature of things, it commences the spirit of party, ends in fuperftition, and becomes injurious, as before described. The effects of honest and free difquifitions are obviously good upon the whole; and a general toleration, fuch as now takes place, is much likelier to produce a general uniformity, than the most fevere act of parliament for that purpofe; as the mind of man naturally rifes against compulfion, and will always affert its natural right of exercifing its faculties; and to compel men to an hypocritical uniformity, is by no means a defireable thing.

Where a free difcuffion of controverted points is allowed, we fee and feel the force of reafon on every fide, and thence are gradually brought nearer to a concurring point of mediocrity; whereas a contrary procedure generates mutual diftruft, and heart-burnings, that continually fet us further at odds. And this holds good as well in politicks as in religion. Nevertheless malice, ignorance, and madness, will now and then, by taking intolerable liberties, call for the interpofition of exemplary penal laws, to which every one is juftly obnoxious who calumniates, or endeavours to bring into contempt, the most facred and univerfally received effentials, either in religion or government. The members of all chriftian diffenting fects should learn, at leaft, a quiet and paffive fubmiffion to the establishment of their country, from the meek example whom they all pretend to copy. They fhould likewife take an impartial review of the conduct of fome of their most famous leaders and founders, by which they would discover, that the charge of fanaticism is not quite so groundless as many of them imagine; nor would they fo highly extol the characters of those Quixotes in religion, as models of perfection and infallibility. Such fanctions, as they are founded in falfhood, will never advance their caufe; and they should reflect, that facts are tranfmitted to pofterity, by hiftorians of other parties, equally credible with those of their own. On the other hand, the national christian eftablishments, fhould confider that chriftianity itfelf, was deemed fanaticism, and chriftians, look'd upon as a peftilent fect, about feventeen hundred years fince, and that every fet of men who have made efforts for reformation have been perfecuted and reviled as difturbers of fociety, hereticks and enthusiasts: for all attempts towards reformation gall the pride and hurt the indolence of men, from which they don't chufe to be disturbed. The words whim, fanaticism, enthusiasm, herefy, and nonfenfe, have been hitherto applied indifcriminately, by all establishments to any propofed change of religious opinions; and frequently without a calm confideration of the real nature and tendency of the faid change.

I was lately introduced to a gentleman's library, the difpofition of which was fomewhat whimfical and extraordinary: be fides a number of well-chofen books of

mora