it; and by what Means it hath been for several Years drooping and in the Decline.

Perhaps, there is not any Method, that can be more rely'd upon, in difcovering how far the People in general are really concern'd for the Happiness of their Country, or intereft Themselves in those Debates, upon the Refult of which their Freedom, or Slavery, in a great Measure depends, than by falling into various Company; and attending to the Manner, in which most popular Points are treated.

The Tools of Men in Power, who are very numerous, are indeed generally fhun'd by Men of Integrity; and are compell'd to converse with one another, or that Part of Mankind, who are pretty indifferent about Virtue and Vice; being fo equally difpofed towards either, that they become an eafy Prey, and, by going through fome proper Exercises, are capable of acting their Part with as little Regard to common Decency as Thofe, who have been in the Service many Years.

And yet, abandon'd and infamous as thefe StateMifereants and Fishers of Men are, it frequently happens that a modeft Man, unacquainted with the World, who has fome of the Prejudices of a virtuous Education about him, falls into their Company.

If a Perfon of this Caft, from the Fulness of an untainted Heart, and a strong Affection for his Country, prefumes to differ in Sentiments from any of these worthy Gentlemen, with whom He is encompass'd, and with any Kind of Emotion expreffes his Dislike of the Measures publickly pursued and avow'd; the Manner, in which He is treated upon that Occasion, is a very agreeable Scene.

The first Thing, with which They falute Him, in Imitation of their Mafter, is a broad Grin, fucceeded by a rude, indecent Laugh. This fcandalous Treatment naturally occafions Warmth and Refentment ; upon which, the Gentleman's Pulfe is felt by these Doctors of Slavery; an Inquifition is male concerning

his

bis State of Health; how long He hath been recover'd ; and Remedies are immediately prescribed, to cure Infanity and common Honefty; which are always look'd upon by these Gentlemen as infeparable Companions.

If the Converfation is purfued; if the Attempts and visible Steps of Men in Power to enflave the People are delineated; and gentle Means propofed to reclaim and ftop the Progress of these Enormities; He is then entertain'd with a great Quantity of Vociferation ; treated as an Incendiary, an Encourager of Riots and Tumults, and unfit for civil Society; nay, to finish their Undertaking, the Arguments, that would be as proper at the Bar of the Old Baily, in Defence of Robbers, are then trump'd up, in Support of their Master and his Conduct.

Among a different Sort of People, whofe good Breed. ing and Politeness, in Conformity to the Tafte of the Age, are their chief Aim, Matters of Importance are treated in a quite different Manner. To Thefe, all Subjects are of equal Confequence, with this Exception only, that their Attention and Concern generally increase, in Proportion as the Point in Question is trifling and of no Moment.

If Politicks are introduced among Them, it is by way of Diverfion, and only to fupply a little Chaẩm in Conversation, when the common Stock of Impertinence is almost exhaufted. Nothing is more entertaining than to fee in how good-natured, complaifant a -way They treat the Subject. How deeply focver the Liberties of the People are concern'd in the Queftion, the fame good Manners run through the whole of the Converfation; and a Point, that is carry'd for or against the People, is only mention'd as a Piece of Dexterity, by which the oppofite Party was outwitted; while the People's Liberties, which are at Stake, engage no Part of their Attention. With Men of this eafy, genteel Difpofition, a Piece of deep-concerted Wickedness, that ftrikes at the Root of our Liberties, and for which the

Author

Author ought to be hang'd in Chains, is attributed intirely to skilful Management and Address.

The Difregard, which Men of this Clafs generally fhew upon Points of the highest Concern to their Country, hath as real, tho' not so wicked a Cause as the Vigilance of Thofe, who fubfift upon the Reward They receive from their infamous Employment of putting all Virtue out of Countenance; and it does not require much Penetration to point out the Spring of this fashionable Indifference; when we fee all Oppofition to the Measures of Men in Power, how juft or reasonable soever, attributed either to implacable Hatred and Revenge, or a fordid Expectation of playing the fame Part; and the Poffibility of difinterefted Views in publick Affairs abfolutely deny'd, tho' accompany'd with a Conduct, ftrictly conformable to fuch Views; when we fee fo little Regard paid to Merit, or common Decency, that the Price of every Man's Confcience, who oppofes, is as confidently talk'd of as the infamous Schemes He opposes; when Corruption, which has been the Bane of every free Country, fince the Creation of the World, is contended for as the only fovereign Principle of Action, and the great Spring, upon which all inferior Movements in the State depend; that Mankind are born in Servility; and that the Liberties of the People are abfolutely incompatible with our Conftitution. No Art hath been left untry'd to introduce this political Creed among Mankind, and to render it popular and fashionable

If This be a truc Reprefentation of the prevailing Doctrines among Thofe, who are intrufted with our Liberties, furely too much Caution cannot be made use of to avoid the Infection; and Thofe of eafy Difpofitions should be more in earnest upon a Subject, which is of fuch infinite Confequence to Themselves, as well as their Fellow Subjects and Pofterity.

I would not be thought to caft an Odium upon good Breeding and Politeness; I mean only to reflect upon the VOL. XI. Affectation

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Affectation of them; nor would I have it concluded that I efteem every well-bred Man regardless of the Intereft of his Country. I have the Pleasure to know many, whofe good Breeding has not yet brought Them into the Vogue of treating every Thing with Indifference, which is of a publick Nature.

My Defign is to fhew what an unhappy Influence the fashionable Doctrines of these degenerate Days feem to have had among fome Men; how eafy it is for Them to be lull'd afleep with State-Opiates, and by Degrees led into Vices, that might co-operate with the dark Defigns of Those of a higher Station, and greatly facilitate the Conqueft over our Liberties. In This I have no other End, than to put every Man upon his Guard, and fhew the abfolute Neceffity of withstanding fo ridiculous a Fashion.

I have, indeed, the Pleasure to observe many brave Men in the Kingdom, to whom there is no Neceffity of preaching this Doctrine; and in whom a Zeal for the Service of their Country is too deeply ingrafted, to be in the least affected by any impertinent Attempts of this Kind I have lived to fee the People in general demonftrate that They have not yet taken Leave of their Liberties, in an Inftance, that will for ever endear their Memories to Pofterity; and if this great Event is in any Measure owing to the Zeal of fome particular Perfons, who have fignalized themselves on this Occafion, it is a Proof of what I have already faid, and evinces the Neceffity of keeping a watchful and jealous Eye over our Liberties, as the only infallible Security of them.

But though I have the highest Opinion of my Countrymen in general, I cannot fuppofe Them Proof againft all Temptations, especially That of Vogue. The Difficulty of a Man's fupporting Himfelf againft all Attacks from that Quarter, whilft He is in Society, is almost infurmountable; and when I fee with what infamous Views the Cuftom of laughing at all Pretences

to

to national Virtue is introduced among us, fupported with a regular Body of Men, fet apart to decry and hunt this Principle out of the World; I can't help trembling at the Confequence; and if, in expreffing my Abhorrence of thefe Practices, I betray too much Warmth, and take too much Freedom with my Coun trymen, I have the Satisfaction to know that it proceeds from my Zeal for the Prefervation of thofe Liberties, which from a fashionable Difregard of them may be loft for ever.

R.

I am Yours, &c.

N° 362. SATURDAY, June 9, 1733.

M

R. Walfingham hath made fo important a Figure in three late Papers, which He hath had the Ingenuity to fpin cut of one little Article of Home-News in the Craftsman, relating to a noble Peer's Difmiffion from his Employment at Court, that I think it incumbent upon me to take fome farther Notice of fo extraordinary a Perfonage.

When this polite Gentleman first appear'd in Publick, I took the Liberty of treating Him with fome Contempt, and look'd upon Him only as a pert young Fellow, who ran away from his Mafter, like too many forward Lads of this Age, either out of Idleness, or Incapacity to make any Thing of his Business. It never enter'd into my Thoughts that any Man in Power, however He might be distress'd for Advocates, would condescend to take up with fuch a giddy, little Creature, or truft his Caufe in the Hands of a TruantYouth, without Learning, without Wit, or any Know

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