tue in individuals; but it never was diffufod, as with us, among the great body of the people. The porters and hackney coachmen at Rome and Athens were deplorably ignorant of the affairs of ftate. There were no clubs in thofe capitals for conftitutional reformation. Carpenters and bricklayers reformed the boroughs only by the axe and hammer; fhoemakers and taylors were dextrous enough at the awl and the needle, but could not mend the govern

ment.

66

Perhaps even the patriotifi of individuals among the ancients has got more than its due fhare of praife; and upon a fair eftimate it might be found, that the moderns could produce equal, if not fupe rior examples of the fame heroic virtue. What is there, for inftance, fo remarkable in the boafted example of Themistocles and Ariftides? They were bitter ene mies, but forget their quarrels when their country was in danger, and joined their interests to prevent its falling a prey to the Perfians fo our modern ftatefmen, who the one day declare the most rooted abhorrence and deteftation of each other, both in their public and private characters, the next day fhake hands for the good of their country, agree in every meafure, and profefs for each other the most fincere esteem and veneration. Decius, it is true, devoted himfelf for his country, and, by facrificing his own life, won a great victory over the enemies of Rome: but our commanders go much farther: for they devote whole armies from a pure fpirit of patriotifm. In short, it may be confidently afferted, that all thofe bright examples we read of in an

cient ftory, may find their parallels in a modern newspaper.

“And now, fr, that I have mentioned a newspaper, allow me to obfèrve, that thofe brief chro nicles of the times afford every day numberlefs proofs of the fuperiority of the moderns to the ancients, in many of the most useful arts and fciences. In that most noble of all arts, the art of healing, fo great is the perfection to which the moderns have attained, that one of your predeceffors has very july expreffed his aftonishment at reading in the bills of mortality the great number of people who chufe to die of fuch and fuch diftempers, for every one of which there are infallible and fpecific cures To be fure, there is no helping the folly of fome people, who will perfuit in refufing a cure till they are in a manner in articulo mortis, (in the laft agony); but it is to be hoped we fhall hear no more of fuch determined fuicide, when we read, that fome of thofe modern Efcula. piufes chufe only fuch patients as are precifely in the fituation of incurables, to be the fubjects of their practice. One of thofe excellent phyficians profeffes, in his adver tifements, that he wishes none (his words are strongly exclufive) to apply to him, but fuch as have been deemed incurable, or made fuch by the faculty; thereby en couraging the difeafed of all kinds first to take every poffible means to render themfelves incurable, that they may thus be qualified for be ing perfectly cured by him.

Somewhat analogous to the fcience of medicine, is the art of repairing the human figure. And here, fir, the pre-eminence of the moderns is equally diftinguifhed. In this most useful art, the skill of

the

the ancients went no farther than to give a little exterior embellishment to the countenance. They knew nothing of that creative power which extends to the making of limbs and organs as well as fea tures. The parchment-calves, the cork-rump, and bolter'd fpring boddice; the making of glafs eyes, and the tranfplantation of teeth, are all inventions abfolutely modern. And fince we know for certain, that mechanism is now fo perfected, that a wooden man can be made to perform a folo on the violin, play a game at chefs, walk, and even utter articulate founds; I fee no reafon to doubt, that in procefs of time we may have artificial men currently walking the itrects, per forming all the functions of life, and difcharging their duty in fo ciety just as well and more peace. ably than the real ones. When the art of making automatons has attained to this perfection, which we may reasonably hope will happen in a very few years, we may congratulate ourself on the very great

political benefits which must arife from this admirable invention. As there is no doubt that the merits of this clafs of men will entitle them to the highest promotions, it is then we may expect every department of the ftate to be fupplice by a fet of upright and inflexible magiftrates: the great machine of government will be moft ably conducted: judges will adminifter juftice with the most rigid impartiality; and (what is the great defideratum of the prefent age) a wooden king may fit at the helm of affairs, who will fupport the dignity of the crown with no expence to the nation, and relieve them at the fame time of all their anxious fears about the extenfion of his prerogative..

"I could eafily, fir, draw out this estimate to a much greater length; but believing I have already faid enough to produce a thorough conviction of the truth of my propofition, I fubfcribe myfelf with great refpe, yours, &c."

"A

T the age of thirty-five I fucceeded, by the death of a near relation, to a confiderable land-eftate. Upon this event I refolved to fix my refidence at the family manfion-houfe. I was very little acquainted with that part of the country where it was fituated; but I was told it was an uncommonly good neighbourhood; and that I fhould be particularly fortunate in having it in my power to enjoy an excellent fociety. I found

a tolerable library of old books, to which I added a pretty extensive collection of modern one: from the perufal of them, from the attention which I propofed to give to the culture of a part of my eltate which I meant to farm myself, and from the enjoyment which I expected to reap from the company and converfation of my good neigh, bours, I was in hopes that my life would flide on in a very agreeable manner.

"Being

deficiency of matter is fupplied by repeated bumpers. It is a favourite maxim here, that converfation fpoils good company; and this maxim is moft invariably followed in practice, unless noife and vociferation, after the fwallowing of more than one bottle, can be called converfation. Without injuftice it may be faid of most of my neighbours, that when fober they are filent, and when not fober, it were better they rem ined filent. I have frequently made efforts to check the riot and intemperance of my guefts, and to with-hold the bottle from them, when I have thought they have drunk fully as much as was good for them; but I have always found myself unable to do it. I fhould hate to be called a ftingy fellow; and I know, if I were to establish fobriety, I fhould be called ftingy. When I cannot keep my guests fober, I fometimes try to efcape the glafs, and to be fober myself; but, when I do this, I find fome of them look upon me with an evil eye, as if I meant to be a fpy upon the unguarded moments of my guests; others laugh at me for giving myfelf airs, as they call it; and I cannot bear to be laughed at.

"But riot and drunkenness are not all the ills I have to fubmit to. After we have drunk oceans of liquor, cards are commonly propofed; and gambling and drunkennels, though very unfit companions, are joined together. We do not play for a very deep ftake, but ftill we play for fomething confiderable. I do not like to lofe, and yet it is equally difagreeable to win. I am commonly pretty lucky; and, in a run of luck, often fuffer a good deal in gaining their guineas from people who I know well can not afford to lose them. It is a

mortifying fpectacle, to fee thofe who are frequently together, and feem to be the greatest friends when the bottle is going round, after they have drunk as much as they can hold, fit down to pilfer one another of fums which they cannot eafily pay, and which, in their fober moments, they will feel the diftrefs of paying.

"Sometimes, to avoid play, I counterfeit fleepinefs, and efcape to bed. But this does not break up the party;-they are only left more at their liberty; and the morning is far advanced before matters are brought to a conclufion. The evil confequences of this to my domeftic economy are obvious. My family is difturbed with noife during the whole night, and my fervants are prevented from going to bed. My houfe is thus rendered a fcene of confufion, and every household-concern is neglected. I wish to get up by times in the morning. and to have breakfast at an early hour: but this cannot be accomplished; for when I ring for John to bring up the tea-kettle, I am told he has not been above an hour in bed.

"The corruption of the higher orders of the family I find is fpreading among the lower. Going into the fervants ball one night at a late hour, when I had efcaped from the gambling party in the drawing room, I found the whole fervants engaged at brag. I could hardly be angry at them; they were only doing on a fmaller fcale what was doing on a larger above flairs; and being forced to fit up all night, they were obliged to fill up their time with fomething.

"I have thus, fir, laid before you fome of the diftreffes of my fituation, all of which feem to

pro