A reflec story. weight they ought to have. By this means, I read the history of my country with intelligence, and was able to examine into the excellence or defects of its government, and to judge of the fitness or unfitness of its orders and laws. By this method I did likewife know enough of the law for an English gentleman, tho' quite ignorant of the chicane, or wrangling and captious part of the law, and was well acquainted with the true measure of right and wrong. The arts how to avoid doing right, and to fecure one's felf in doing wrong, I never looked into. II. Thus did I read Hiftory, and many tion on Hi- noble leffons I learned from it; juft notions of true worth, true greatnefs, and folid happinefs. It taught me to place merit where it only lies, not in birth, not in beauty, not in riches, not in external fhew and magnificence, not in voluptuoufnefs; but, in a firm adherence to truth and rectitude; in an untainted heart, that would not pollute or proftitute its integrity in any degree, to gain the highest worldly honours, or to ward off the greatest worldly mifery. This is true magnanimity : And he alone can be truly happy, as well as truly great, who can look down with generous contempt upon every thing that would tempt him to recede in the fmalleft degree from the paths of rigid honefty, candour and veracity. Es Es Modicus Voti, preffo lare, dulcis Jam nunc aftringas; jam nunc granaria laxes; mum; Nec gluto forbere Salivam Mercurialem? Hæc mea funt, teneo, cum vere dixeris: Efto Liberque ac Sapiens, Prætoribus ac Jove dextro. Sin tu, cum fueris Noftræ paulò ante farinæ, Pelliculam veterem retines, et fronte politus Aftutam Vapido fervas fub pectore Vulpem ; Quæ dederam fuprà, Repeto, funemque Reduco. Nil tibi conceffit Ratio: digitum exere peccas, Et quid tam parvum eft? Sed nullo thure litabis, Hæreat in Stultis brevis ut femuncia Recti. Hæc mifcere Nefas: Are you moderate in your defires, frugal, and obliging to your friends? Do you know when to fpare, and when to be liberal, as occafion requires? And can you give a check to your avarice, in fpight of all temptations which are laid in your way? Can you refrain from being too greedy in your pursuits after riches? When you can fincerely affirm you are mafter of your felf, and of all thefe good qualities, then you are free indeed, that C 2 deed, and wife, by the propitious power of Jove and the Prætor. But if you retain the old habits of a flave, and harbour ill qualities, under the hypocritical appearance of virtue, you are as much a flave as ever, while thus enflaved to your vices. Philofophy gives no indulgence to vice makes no allowance for any crime. If in wagging your finger, you acted against reafon, you tranfgrefs, tho' the thing be of fo trifling a nature. All the facrifices you can offer will never pafs for a dram of rectitude, while your conduct is faulty. Wifdom is incompatible with folly. When to be bountiful, and when to spare, And never craving, or opprefs'd with care; The baits of gifts, and money to despise, And look on wealth with undefiring eyes; When thou canft truly call these virtues thine, Be wife and free by Heav'n's confent and mine. But thou, who lately of the common strain, Wert one of us, if ftill thou doft retain The fame ill habits, the fame follies too, Glofs'd over only with a faint-like show, Then I resume the freedom which I gave, Still thou art bound to vice, and still a flave. Thou canst not wag thy finger, or begin The leaft flight motion, but it tends to fin. How's How's this? Not wag my finger, he replies? This is the great leffon, that virtue alone is true honour, true freedom, and folid, durable happiness. It is indeed its own reward. There are no fatisfactions equal to, or comparable with virtuous, rational exercifes; nor can virtuous difpofitions, and well improved moral powers be rewarded, or receive happiness fuited to their nature, but from their exercifes and employments about proper objects. And as virtue gives pleasure here in proportion to the improvements it makes, far beyond all that mere fenfe can yield, in the most advantageous circumftances of outward enjoyment; fo in a state to come, it fhall be fo placed as its improvements require, that is, be placed in circumftances that fhall afford it bufinefs or employment proportioned to its capacity, and by means thereof the higheft fatisfaction. Such a bafis for building moral inftructions upon we find in history. We are warned in fome pages to avoid the miferies and wretchednefs which many have fallen into by departing from reafon or virtue: And in others, we meet with fuch virtuous characters and actions, as fet forth the charms A Reflection on Government gion. of integrity in their full luftre, and prove that virtue is the fupreme beauty, the fupreme charm that in keeping the precepts of moral rectitude, we fecure a prefent felicity and reward; and have a prefage of thofe higher rewards which await a steady course of right conduct in another world.Glorious, natural virtue! Would mankind but hearken to its voice, and obey its dictates, there would be no fuch Beings as Invaders, Delinquents, and Traitors, in this lower world. The focial inclinations and difpofitions would for ever prevail over the felfish appetites and paffions. The law of benevolence would be the rule of life. The advancement of the common good would be the work of every man. 12. The cafe however is; that the generality of mankind are too corrupt, to be goand Reli- verned by the great univerfal law of focial nature, and to gratify ambition, avarice, and the like, employ a cunning or power, to seize the natural rights and properties of others: and therefore, to natural virtue grounded on the reason and fitnefs of things, in themselves, the first and principal mean of securing the peace and happiness of fociety, it was neceffary to add two other grand principles, civil government and Religion, and fo have three conducible. means to focial happiness. These three are neceffary to the being of a publick, and of them, 2 |