have ever observed, are such as, in the condu& of their lives, have discovered least sense of religion and morality; and when all fuch are laid aside, at least those among them who shall be found incorrigible, it will be a matter perhaps of no great difficulty to reconcile the reft.

The many corruptions at prefent in every branch. of bufinefs, are almoft inconceivable. I have heard it computed by fkilful perfons, that of fix millions raised every year for the service of the public, one third, at least, is funk and intercepted through the feveral claffes and fubordinations of artful men in office, before the remainder is applied to the proper ufe. This is an accidental ill effect of our freedom. And while fuch men

are in truft, who have no check from within, nor any views but towards their intereft, there is no other fence against them, but the certainty of being hanged upon the first discovery, by the arbitrary will of an unlimited monarch, or his vizier. Among us, the only danger to be apprehended, is the lofs of an employment; and that danger is to be eluded a thousand ways. Befides, when fraud is great, it furnishes weapons to defend itself and, at worst, if the crimes be fo flagrant, that a man is laid afide out of perfect shame, (which rarely happens,) he retires loaded with the spoils of the nation; et fruitur diis iratis. I could name a commiffion, where feveral perfons, out of a falary of five hundred pounds, without other visible revenues, have always lived at the

rate:

rate of two thousand, and laid out forty or fifty thoufand upon purchases of land or annuities. An hundred other inftances of the same kind might eafily be produced. What remedy therefore can be found against such grievances in a conftitution like ours, but to bring religion into countenance, and encourage thofe, who, from the hope of future reward, and dread of future punishment, will be moved to act with justice and integrity?

This is not to be accomplished any other way, than by introducing religion, as much as poffible, to be the turn and fafhion of the age; which only lies in the power of the adminiftration; the. prince with utmoft ftrictness regulating the court, the miniftry, and other perfons in great employment; and thefe, by their example and authority, reforming all who have dependence on them.

It is certain, that a reformation fuccessfully carried on in this great town, would, in time, spread itfelf over the whole kingdom; fince most of the confiderable youth pafs here that season of their lives, wherein the ftrongeft impreffions are made, in order to improve their education, or advance. their fortune; and thofe among them who return into their feveral countries, are fure to be followed and imitated, as the greatest patterns of wit and good-breeding.

And if things were once in this train; that is, if virtue and religion were established as the neceffary titles to reputation and preferment, and if vice and infidelity were not only loaden with infamy,

but

but made the infallible ruin of all mens pretenfions; our duty, by becoming our intereft, would take root in our natures, and mix with the very genius of our people; fo that it would not be eafy for the example of one wicked prince to bring us back to our former corruptions.

I have confined myself (as it is before obferved) to thofe methods for the advancement of piety, which are in the power of a prince limited like ours, by a strict execution of the laws already in force. And this is enough for a project that comes without any name or recommendation; I doubt a great deal more, than will be fuddenly reduced into practice. Though, if any difpofition fhould appear towards fo good a work, it is certain, that the affiftance of. the legislative power would be neceffary to make it more complete. I will inftance only a few particulars.

In order to reform the vices of this town, which, as we have said, hath so mighty an influence on the whole kingdom, it would be very inftrumental to have a law made, that all taverns and alehouses should be obliged to difmifs their company by twelve at night, and shut up their doors; and that no woman fhould be fuffered to enter any tavern or alehouse, upon any pretence whatfoever. It is eafy to conceive, what a number of ill confequences fuch a law would prevent; the mifchiefs of quarrels, and lewdness, and thefts, and midnight-brawls, the difeafes of intemperance and venery, and a thousand other evils need

lefs

lefs to mention. Nor would it be amifs, if the mafters of thofe public houses were obliged, upon the feverest penalties, to give only a proportioned quantity of drink to every company; and when he found his guests difordered with excefs, to refuse them any more.

I believe there is hardly a nation in Chriftendom, where all kind of fraud is practised in fo unmeasurable a degree as with us. The lawyer, the tradesman, the mechanic, have found fo many arts to deceive in their feveral callings, that they far outgrow the common prudence of mankind, which is in no fort able to fence against them. Neither could the legislature in any thing more confult the public good, than by providing some effectual remedy against this evil; which in feveral cafes deferves greater punishment, than many crimes that are capital among us. The vintner, who, by mixing poifon with his wine, destroys more lives than any malignant difeafe; the lawyer, who perfuades you to a purchase, which he knows is mortgaged for more than the worth, to the ruin of you and your family; the banker or fcrivener, who takes all your fortune, to difpofe of, when he has beforehand refolved to break the following day, do furely deferve the gallows much better than the wretch who is carried there for stealing a horse.

It cannot easily be answered to God or man, why a law is not made for limiting the prefs; at leaft fo far as to prevent the publishing of fuch

pernicious

pernicious books, as, under pretence of free-thinking, endeavour to overthrow those tenets in religion, which have been held inviolable almost in all ages, by every fect that pretends to be Chriftian; and cannot therefore, with any colour of reafon, be called points in controversy, or matters of fpeculation, as fome would pretend. The doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Chrift, the immortality of the foul, and even the truth of all revelation, are daily exploded and denied in books openly printed; though it is to be fuppofed, nei

ther party * avow fuch principles, or own the supporting of them to be any way neceffary to their fervice.

It would be endless to set down every corruption or defect which requires a remedy from the legiflative power Senates are like to have little regard for any propofals that come from without doors; though, under a due sense of my own inabilities, I am fully convinced, that the unbiaffed thoughts of an honest and wife man, employed on the good of his country, may be better digested, than the refults of a multitude, where faction and interest too often prevail; as a fingle guide may direct the way, better than five hundred who have contrary views, or lock afquint, or but their

eyes.

I fhall therefore mention but one more particular, which I think the parliament ought to take under confideration; whether it be not a fhame

* Neither Whig nor Tory.

Hawkef.

to