Woe betide those officious patriots, then, who, under a pretence of improving the condition of these contented, inoffenfive mortals, fhall attempt to rob them of their present share of felicity!

But, alas! as we rode over once or twice a week, to a large clothing town, at about five miles distance, we here found the publick-houfe, where we put up our horfes, filled with a mob of ragged wretches, belonging to the different branches of the trade, diinking pots of ale, and liftening to a feditious newspaper, (which, I found, was fent down gratis every week) tending to perfuade them, "that the nation was on the brink of "ruin; that trade was languishing under the burthen "of our taxes; and, from the defects in our conflitution, " and the bad management of publick affairs, there cc were no hopes, without fome great change, of better "times."

I asked a clothier, with whom my friend was acquainted, why those poor people appeared fo wretched? and whether their trade was really on the decline?-It was never more flourishing, faid he: and thofe fellows might live as happily as any people in the kingdom, but that every Monday morning they spend half their week's wages, which they receive on Saturday night, in an ale-house, regardless of the remonftrances of their wives,

wives, and the cries of their children; and then complain of the taxes, and liften to any one who would perfuade them that the fault is in the conftitution, or in the publick administration, instead of their own idleness and extravagance.

There have been few governments fo corrupt or oppreffive, in which any great change or revolution has been attempted, without producing more evils than it was intended to remove. It is a well-known fact, in the Roman history, that more blood was fpilt in four months, amidst the commotions which fucceeded the death of Nero, than had been shed in the fourteen years even of that most cruel and bloody reign. A fact worthy the attention of those officious demagogues, who are daily difquieting the minds of the people, and by indecent reflections on the moft refpectable characters, and inflammatory representations of the (unavoidable) imperfections in all human inftitutions, exciting them to riots and infurrections!

Thus it was in the laft century. Although from the reign of Henry the VIIth to that of Charles the Ift, many encroachments had been made on the freedom of our conftitution, yet these were now given up to the firm remonftrances of fome virtuous members of the long parliament. But, by the intrigues of fome officious

or

or disappointed patriots, the people, who were in general rich and happy, were yet drawn in to cut each other's throats, in order to redress grievances, which, tho' they heard of, they neither faw, felt, nor understood. But

"Hard words, jealoufies, and fears,
"Set folks together by the ears;"

HUD.

and the contest was and long, bloody, and ruinous to all parties.

In our present profperous fituation, some ingenious gentleman, who has nothing to do, and nothing to lofe, fits down in his ftudy, (his garret perhaps) and from vifionary ideas of absolute perfection, forms a fyftem of government, fuch as never really existed: which, without any regard to the peace or happiness of the prefent generation, but from a tender regard to posterity forfooth, some discontented ftatesmen or enthufiaftick patriots would endeavour to obtrude upon their fellow-citizens by devastation and flaughter; and, under a fhew of liberty, deprive thousands of their property; and, instead of reforming, destroy the constitution, diffolve the bonds which unite society, and introduce univerfal anarchy and licentioufnefs.

Such patriots, though their intentions may be good, are like anxious mothers, who, by officiously giving their

their children physick when they do not want it, debilitate their conftitutions, and often bring them into a confumption. Such state-quacks, as they are properly called, with the most pompous and flattering profeffions, frequently kill, but feldom cure, their deluded patients.

If our conftitution is a little out of order, and labours under any chronical complaint, let us not endeavour to precipitate a cure by bleeding and purging, or any violent methods; but let nature, affifted by gentle alteratives, do her own work. In James the IId's time, fays the good Lord Lyttleton,* " A revolution became "neceffary; and that neceffity produced one." As no fuch neceffity however now exists, let us not be trying experiments: nor quit a tolerable fhare of fubftantial felicity under our present constitution, for a phantom of perfection, which will for ever frustrate our expectations.

*Perfian Letters.

ON OUR

TREATMENT OF SERVANTS.

HERE is no complaint more general than that of

THER

the ill behaviour and depravity of fervants. Their negligence, idleness and extravagance, are reckoned by many people amongst the greatest vexations of life; insomuch, that we frequently hear gentlemen declare, that they had rather wait on themselves than be plagued with the stupidity or infolence of their domesticks.

Now, as human nature is much the fame in all ranks of life, there must be some latent cause of this extensive evil, either in the state of fervitude itself, or in the exercise of that authority which the fuperior station of the mafter gives him over the fervant: I am inclined, from frequent obfervation, to place it, in general, to the account of the latter circumstance.

It is become almoft proverbial, that "a good master makes a good fervant." There is no temper fo obftinate or untractable, as not to yield to the force of kind