tal Glory, more by his Fidelity to his dear Athenians, than by his military Exploits; and thought it the greatest Conquest of his Life, that his Country-men never had any Caufe to lament under his juft Conduct, or mourn in black Gowns; till after his Death, at his deferving Funeral. Plutarch obferves, that a common Trefpaffer in this Point, is his own Prisoner upon the Fact committed, his own Tormenter, his own Judge, his own Condemner, and his own Executioner Himself. Self Confcioufness, if fincere, needs no other Witnesses, nor Jury, nor Carnifex.

AN ambitious, wicked, unjuft Man, either covetous or cruel, cannot long feaft away his Confcience and folace it with Drinking, Gaming or Paftime into Oblivion; but must tremble at last, fafting at the Table of Plenty and Pleafore, like flatter'd Damocles, under the naked Sword hanging over his Head by a single Horfe- Hair. But, and if this harden'd Sinner can rejoyce yet, it is all forc'd Meat and feigned Mirth, to hide his Remorfe: well-diffembled only in Imitation of those condemned Prifoners in the Dead Warrant; that fometimes play at Cards or Dice with Halters about their. Necks, as it were in State, before they be strangled. His Punishment indeed may be longer a coming perhaps; but it is inevitable, without a hearty Penitence and a fufficient Reftitution: the flower, the heavier it will fall at laft; let it be never fo lame. God's Revenge against Murder is not to be ftinted to a Point of Time; but it will certainly pursue and overtake the guilty Fautors, as well as cruel Accomplices of it; as fure as Horace ever liv'd or writ an Ode. However, in the mean

while, the Refufal of doing Juftice to injur'd People, is a dangerous Piece of Injustice among fovereign Princes them felves, and has been fatal to their fhort-liv'd Reigns. How often has it prov'd the Death or Undoing of the negligent Refufers? Philip the Firft, King of Macedon, was flain for it by Paufanias, a mean Perfon; upon his Remifnefs in revenging the Wrong done him by Antipater. Demetrius was abdicated and driven out of the Kingdom without a Battle, by a Revolt of his Army to Pyrrhus, for rejecting the Requests of his Soldiers, and throwing the Supplications of his Subjects into a River. Henry of Sweden was depos'd by the Nobility, and the Government given to his younger Brother; for stabbing a Gentleman that was asking him for Juftice: upon which he liv'd and dy'd a Prisoner, or an exil'd Prince, without any Restoration that I ever yet heard or read of in Hiftory. How justly thefe Revolutions were effectually obtained, God only knows the Truth. There have been later Barbarities of this Nature in Europe. But what Need of any more Instances, which would over-fwell the Bulk of this Volume?

CRUELTY, on the other Side, more particularly, is a brutal Vice; notoriously, abominable among Savages, and extremely odious to humane Nature. No People like fuch foure Samces of Government, as Severity. English Stomachs always had an Averfion against them. They love Justice and Mercy well mingled, without Gall and Vinegar. Clemency is the trueft Glory of a crown'd Head; the chiefest Ornament of a Diadem; the fureft Prefervation of a Monarchy. As the wife Man fays, Prov. XX. Ver. 28. Mercy and Truth preferve

the

the King and his Throne is upholden by Mercy. Obferve M. Torquatus the Conful's over-great Cruelty, in cutting-off his own Son's Head, for fighting valiantly out of his Rank; altho he came-off with Victory over his Enemy. Confider alfo Aufidius's over-much Severity, in flaying his own Son, with a barbarous Sarcasm in his Mouth, of unwishing his Generation and Nativity, for taking Part with Catiline, the Roman Confpirator; but whether he defign'd more than Julius Cafar did effect, and accomplish'd by reftoring the original Form of Government again to his native Country, let the Learned judge. Remark likewife Pife the Proconful's crueller Fact than either of the Former, beyond Controverfy, in condemning a poor Soldier to die for killing his Comrade, without full Proof: For at the very Inftant of Execution, the Fellow Soldier came back again alive; whereupon the Captain, in Honour, refpited the Matter, and acquainted the Pro with it. But Pife was fo inrag'd, that he put them all Three to Death, with the most inhumane Barbarity, as well as Abuse of his Authority and Power in Martial Difcipline. Such murdering Cruelties deface the very Image of Humanity; caft the blackest Blemishes upon the Face of National Virtue; and would change our Seats of Justice and Mercy and Judgment, into Butchers-Shambles or Slaughter-Houfes. Hear the divine Alarum then of the infpir'd Prophet, Jer. XXII. Ver. 3, 4, 5. Thus faith the Lord, execute ye Judgement and Righteousness, and deliver the Spoiled out of the Hand of the Oppreffor: and do no Wrong, do no Violence to the Stranger, the Fatherless nor the Widow; neither shed innocent Blood in this Place. For if ye do this

Thing indeed, then shall there enter-in by the Gates of this House, Kings fitting upon the Throne of David But if ye will not hear thefe Words, I (wear by my Self, faith the Lord, that this Houfe fhall become a Defolation; and be laid as waft as a Wilderness, as it follows in the Context. Let us therefore hearken to these judicial Threats, and our own temporal Deliverances from any future Ufurpation, Captivity or Destruction! Inclemency, in a Word, by the Rule of Contraries, in Comparison of Royal Mercy or Compaffion; is the most grievous, unnatural, and unfociable of all National Vices by Example. No Vice is more exemplify'd, either in facred or prophane Hiftory. No Sin but Rebellion was ever more exemplarily punish'd by divine Vengeance. As to this Point, concerning the Denunciations of God's Wrath against the unrighteous and unmerciful Governours of the Earth; there are Two excellent Chapters in the Holy Bible, Ifa. XIV, and Ezek. XXI, too long to infert here: which I would recommend, as well-worth any ferious Reader's Perufal at Leifure, upon this melancholy Profpect of Affairs.

II. EASINESS of Accefs will always be accounted one of the moft glorious Characters, either of a great or a good King. It fets-off all his Royal Virtues a-fluttering in the Eyes of the Beholder, upon the Approach of an humble Addrefs. It furprizes the admiring Supplicant with a condefcending Humility, and ennobles his Attendance by a willing Reception. It makes him familiar with his People, and his People faithful to his Majefty in their Submiflion. How gloriously Noble, and admirably Amiable muft Affability and Courtesy ap

pear

pear in a Prince; which immediately leads his loving Subjects into an obliging Captivity, by graciously hearing their Complaints of Injury, or Requests of Favour! Upon fuch great Gra ces or perfonal Civilities granted, their abfolute Obedience and Loyalty becomes a Debt, as well as a Duty; and the King is only their Creditor by his Royal Bounty, Condefcenfion or Compaffion. It has already render'd fome crown'd Heads in Foreign Countries Famous during their Lives, and ftill brightens-up their immortal Memories with more Luftre in Chro nicle. When the meaneft Subject can have immediate Access to his gracious Sovereign, and the Honour of being readily admitted, not only to deliver his own Addreffes in Perfon; but alfo to receive an Anfwer from the Mouth of the King himself, by a wonderful Humilia tion: What an inexpreffible Satisfaction of Mind muft it needs be to the poor Petitioner He will be fure then to hear what he has to trust to, more than all the fair Complements, fpeedy Promises, and dilatory Performances of Court-Favourites. He can be no longer kept in Sufpence, for Want of knowing his Supreme's final Refolution; which must be deem'd fome fort of Happiness, though it prove perhaps to his Difadvantage: even by being put out of Pain, and difpatch'd from any farther Troubles, Fatigues, or Uneafineffes of a long Attendance in the lingring Expectation, and Dependance in Hope of fome prefent Preferment or Relief. Happen as it will, fuppofe the worst, the expeditious Refult will make him fome Amends for his Difappointment,

BUT