Let the Cries of the Farmer, let the Clamours of the Merchant, let the Tears of the Colonies be attended to with the Tenderness and Regard to which they have a Right, but let Paffion not be allow'd to perplex or protract the Confideration. Let us fearch into the Caufe of thofe Mifchiefs of which we fit ourselves Spectators, but let us examine unbribed by Affection, and uninfluenced by Favour.

From the first Traces of Britain to this Day, we may cbferve her by one Weakness unravelling whatever her Labour, or her Skill atchiev'd, and by one Vice difgracing all her Virtues, not enervated by the civilizing Arts of Roman Conquerors, nor fubdued by the heavy Hand of Roman Oppreffion; not tamed to Bondage by the Yoke of Danijh Invaders, nor deprefs'd by the Weight of Norman Tyranny; nor corrupted by a long Series of lawless Princes, nor funk in the Sloth of diffolute Courts and fashionable Servility; fhe mov'd with Vigour under all thefe Difcouragements, extended her Dominion, and diffused her Influence; but alas! that emulateing Ardour, that honeft Industry, that generous Ambition, that Defire of Fame, that Love of Freedom, that publick Spirit which animated her under all thefe Difficulties, to build up the glorious Fabrick of our Conftitution (the Wonder and the Envy of neighbouring Nations) have been still attended with the Curfe of the Builders of Babel upon her Work'men; their Language has been frequently confounded, and Divifion has always obftructed the Work, and ftill obftructs the neceffary Reparations which it requires; nor was Britain in any Time more famous for Valour, Induftry, and Humanity, than for her Parties and Divifions. She is become a Proverb amongst other Nations.

Animated by her Virtues, and betray'd by her Divifions, thus has Britain been in all Times the Heroine and the Bubble of Europe; led on by Contempt of Intereft, and of Danger, to the nobleft Attempts, but

fold

fold by her Party Jealoufies to every Invader.

Thus

what was spoken to Queen Elizabeth of the unfortunate Queen of Scotland, may be truly faid to Britain of Party Division, the Prefervation of Party is the Deftruction of Britain, and the Prefervation of Britain can only be thoroughly wrought by the Deftruction of Party.

While Perfons and private Views are industriously made the Objects of the Multitude, and a Nation divided in the Support of the Intereft, and Ambition of Parties, what can refult from fuch a Situation, but the Diftrefs if not the Ruin of the whole? While the contending Parties by Turns are advanced, opprefs'd, the Gommunity continually fuffers, and thofe very Parties loofe in their collective Capacity, more than they can gain as Individuals.-The Avarice, the Ambition, the Paffion of the prevailing Party, the open Attacks, the undermining Arts of the Party opprefs'd, all weaken and exhauft the Publick, corrupt the Morals, or wafte the Treafures, or flacken the Induftry, or wear away infenfibly the very Spirits and Genius of the People.

Union is the Source of all human Happiness and Virtue, from thence proceeds the Affection which impels the Mind to honourable Action, the Confidence which compofes it in acting. As the Circle of Action extends, it is that which enlarges that Affection, which is the Support of Families, into that Benevolence, that publick Spirit, that extended Affection, which alone is the fure Support of Society, which is a Conjunction of Families, where private Interest must give way to publick Emoluments- -From Union, every publick, every private Advantage is to be derived; by this only any great Undertaking can be atchieved; by this Families are ftrengthened; by this Commerce is enlarged; by this Nations grow mighty, and refpected; by this their Laws and Liberties are maintain'd; from this proceeds that Civility (not in the corrupted Senfe, wherein it is generally received

for

for Arts of Falfhood, or at beft for external Forms conftraining the Brutality of Mens Natures) but that true, that only valuable Civility, that Love of a Citizen, who upon all Occafions, is attentive to the Rights, to the Intereft, to the Eafe, and to the Happiness of every Man; and who directs all his Words and Actions with a tender Regard to civil Society.

. Whatever falfe Gloffes Prejudice may caft upon Appearances, Divifion can be in Reality, no Advantage to any honeft Member of a Community; nor in Truth, to any Man who has any Stake in it.

What are the Men who conftitute, the lower or the bigher Mob of Party? How blind, how unwife, how unjuft, how cruel, and all under the Appearance of upright Policy.How are they lead on by Prejudices to the Discomfort of their private Lives, and often even to the Destruction of their publick Defigns? How do they become the Property and the Prey of the artful Men, who pretend to promote their Views? Thofe very Men whofe Ability, or whofe Artifice has raised them to be the Heads of Parties.

What are they but the Slaves of those Slaves to Prejudice, holding their tranfitory Power, from the Caprice of a Multitude, and often forced to facrifice their Judgment, and even their own Intereft, and the Intereft of their Country, to the Obftinacy of those whose Breath keeps up the Bubble of their Greatness.

It is not, it cannot be the Intereft of a Prince to promote Divifions, to gratify his own Vanity, Pride, or AmbitionWhen he quits the glorious Title of Father of his People, when he foregoes his Office of Moderator, from whence he holds his real Greatnefs, and his ufeful Power, and debafes himself into the Head of a Party, he eftranges from his Intereft all thofe who are not of that Party, he invefts all thofe who are with a Kind of Dominion over himself; forced to adopt their Paffions, and their Follies, he purchases his own at a dear Price, and while he mo

narchs

narchs it in his own Closet, becomes contemptible in the Eyes of the World- -If Corruption be neceffary to fupport his private Party against the reft of the Nation, his very Treafures are not his own, his delegated Power, where it chaftifes, makes Men Enemies to his Perfon, but where it rewards, acquires Friends to his Administration only. -Shut out from the Knowledge of Truth, uncertain in the Administration of Juftice, he fits uneafy and unfafe on his Throne, liable to daily Ruin from an exasperated Party, or an unfaithful Administration.

To the Publick collected the Mischief of Divifion is evident- What Hope can be entertained of national Good from that fteady Conduct, from that impartial Diftribution of Offices, from that unbyafs'd Difquifition into Facts? From whence alone it can refult, when Men moft able to serve their Country, for their own private Intereft or Vanity, proftitute their Talents to the vile Ufe of humouring the Madness of a Faction. And when Men, the most willing, are led afide by Prejudice into every Extravagance, which the Folly of Enthufiafts, or the Artifice of defigning Men throw in their way, to divert them from that Union which is neceffary to carry on any honeft or generous Conduct, and which because too just to be openly opposed, muft therefore be indirectly obftructed.

What avails for Men to chufe the End which Justice and Reafon inspire, if they purfue it by fuch Means as their own Paffions and Interests dictate? Or follow by Starts fometimes their Reason, and fometimes their Paffions, till they fix upon no End at all.-If Prejudice or Party perplex and distract the Actions of the best intentioned, caft falfe Lights, draw falfe Conclufions, and when Men have got almoft to the End of their long troublefome Journey, raife ftill fome Will of the Wifp, which Darknefs of Ignorance favours, to lead them out of the Way into new Difficulties and Dangers.

Where

Where Men want Probity or Understanding, where their Interests or Affections are not truly concern'd, all this can easily be accounted for, but when the Cafe has been otherwife, (as History has furnish'd us with many Examples) when Men have plainly feen their Advantage and their Duty united, when their Intereft or their Danger has been evident, when they have wanted neither Virtue to engage them, nor Spirit to animate them, nor Ability to fupport them, how can we in fuch a Cafe, account for a Conduct, fwerving from the End proposed, and in a great Meafure deftructive of it? How can we conceive, that fuch Men can be turned afide from the generous Plan they had laid down, by fuch childifh Prejudices as plainly betray the Groffness of the Artifice, not to mention the Rifk they must run of being thought Accomplices with the Authors of the Mischief, and Sharers in the Advantage proposed to arife from it?

An Initance of this Kind, how far Prejudices can operate in the Minds of Men (efpecially of our Countrymen) in direct Oppofition to the plaineft Dictates of Common Senfe, I have lately met with from a Friend, who had the Story from an old Kinsman, who lived in the Time when it happened.

In the Year 1666, when (although the Violence of Parties had in fome Degree fubfided in the Restoration of King Charles the Second, yet the Prejudices and Animofities of thofe Parties, were far from being extinguifh'd) there broke out that memorable Conflagration, which almoft deftroy'd this Metropolis, and fpread the Defolation of Families all over the Kingdom.

It happened that one Quarter of the City was then inhabited by a great Mixture of Perfons, of all Parties and Perfuafions, Churchmen, Papifts, Prefbyterians, Anabaptifts, and all other Sects which thofe Times had produced.- -Upon the first Cry of Fire in that Quarter, the Street was immediately fill'd with a vaft