incapable of enjoying any military poft, would have been greatly ftartled, had they lived to fee the promotions in the British army beftowed upor foreigners, in preference to the brave Britifh fubalterns; and whole armies of a different language and intereft, both in religion and commerce, imported, under the pretence of the weakness or difaffection of a people, who are able to defend themselves, and only with for an opportunity to convince their fovereign, at the hazard of their lives and fortunes, that they are willing to maintain the honour and egnty of his crown.

WHENCE fhall we date the origin of this mature? was it not in the year 1715? when x thousand Dutch were admitted into this stand, without confidering that it is unbecoming a King of Great Britain to owe his security to a foreign power; or that it was introducing a dangerous precedent towards the conquest and fubjection of the country. The fame authority that brought over fix thousand, might have imported any greater number of mercenary firelocks,

WHAT could perfuade a prince of fo great penetration, as King George I. to consent to fuch a measure, is hard to imagine; except we may suppose him to have given too much credit to a pack of wicked men, who, having got his majefty in hand, and taking advantage of his hele acquaintance with the laws and spirit of the people, determined to monopolize the roy

al

al favour and confidence, by making him jealous of his fubjects in general, to whofe goodwill he was indebted for his exaltation to the throne, and on whofe affections the fecurity of his crown entirely depended. A measure, which exposed our country to a foreign military power; betrayed such an excess of fear, as might encourage an enemy, and was the ready way to hazard a mutiny in the national troops.

How dangerous and wicked foever this experiment appeared to the rest of mankind; the people connived at the introduction of those foreigners, perfuaded, that when the pretence for such an arbitrary measure should cease, that the king would become an Englishman, and that it would never be urged afterwards by way of precedent. But the advisers thereof finding their account in it; their defperate councils, whose existence depended upon an aid, that could not be wrought upon by the natural ties of love for this country, improved the extraordinary step towards defpotic power: till at last an army of foreigners has been almost constant

kept in British pay, to march at the command or by the advice of a late minifter, whose greatest abilities have been detected to lie in difarming the natural born fubjects of these realnis, and of loading them with taxes.

THE progrefs of arbitrary power is various : fometimes it creeps and fteals upon a nation by gentle gradations and imperceptible motions, like a poisonous reptile, till it eats to the very U 4

heart

heart of the constitution. Such is every fret made by the moths of government, in those parchments or rolls, which contain the rights of a people. Or, at other times, like a tyger, it rushes upon you all at once, and tears it to pieces; as Oliver Cromwell did, when he ufurped all power by the help of a mercenary army. But whether it works by fap, undermines by craft or corruption, or openly attacks by force; a free people ought always to be on their guard, and to watch its motions. And, as thofe contrivances, which by driblets squeeze and drain the middling people of their property, and by repeals of their rights, are the most effectual ways to weaken their power by sap, like a mole under-ground; fo the difarming of the subject, and the over-awing of them with a standing army of foreigners, are the most open attempts to force them to paffive obedience.

THOUGH there can be no apprehenfions of this kind under the aufpicious reign of his prefent majesty: what can be the policy of fo many acts, under the name of riot, fmuggling, game, &c. which have from time to time totally difarmed the people? To what tends that univerfal neglect and difcouragement of the militia for many years? why fo much art made ufe of to perfuade the unreasonableness of selfprefervation; the impoffibility of a regular well-difciplined militia; and to mark thofe with difaffection, who learn the exercife of arms? no people ever behaved better than

an

an English militia at all times, when called out to defeat the most powerful invaders. Why then are Britons not to be trufted to fight in their own caufe; and obliged to pay foreign armies, who more than once. have convinced us, that they are ready to take our money; but glad of any excuse to evade our real service? I appeal to the behaviour of the Dutch and Heffians in the year 1745. Did not the former pretend that their swords were fastened by a French padlock? and did not the latter raife difficulties before they would obey the command of our British generaliffimo.

A government that fhews a diftruft in the fubject has never wanted trouble. The enemy from without will be continually taking advantage of that jealoufy, to raise faction within: and while a bad ministry is contriving ways and means to enflave a nation, and entrench their power in the ruins of liberty; the enemy is permitted to encroach upon their trade and property.

SHOULD it not be confider'd, before fuch measures are refolved upon, that to fetch troops at a vaft expence from diftant nations into an island of faithful and brave people, is both needlefs, hazardous, difguftful, and a burthen too heavy to be added to the other incumbrances of a war? to invite over a military force, trained up in beggary, and in republican, or in difpotic principles, into a land of plenty and liberty, is dangerous to the conftitution? to borrow immenfe

menfe fums of money on national fecurity to maintain fuch forces in a country, already fo many millions in debt, might create a jealousy to reduce it under a military power? and that to put our truft in foreign aid, would be fhamefully expofing our weakness to every invader.

THE beft means of fecuring the interest, affection, and aid of an active brave people is not to disarm them. The maftiff will bite the hand that witholds him from his enemy: natural courage reftrained will burst out into acts of violence against the restraint. They who are defcended from the blood of heroes, can never be reduced to a cowardly obedience. The very neglect of their affiftance creates difguft. The thoughts of being fufpected of dishonour and difaffection provokes them to despair of relief, when their liberty, religion, or property is in danger. Despair is the harbinger of difaffection; which often terminates in rebellion.

No people have given greater tokens of loy. alty to their prince than the English: but they are equally attached to the defence of their own rights. When they are in danger, the heart dilates, and the pulfe riots with the brave emotions and dictates of freedom. They are never uneasy with a person in power, provided they, by his actions, are convinced that he does not grasp at authority to amass wealth, execute revenge, or fatiate any paffion, except the luft of eminence, and the ambition of ferving his

country.