beyond retreat.

The most ruinous and flavish projects have been adorned with the brightest jewels of the diadem, and backed with no lefs than parliamentary fanction. And there are certain periods of time, which, when once flipped, render all cautions, even of the fupreme power, ineffectual; and serve to convince us, that what is oppreffion and arbitrary power at one time, cannot be justice and freedom at another.

HAD the Roman people thus preferved their virtue, and preferred their liberty to a bribe; had they not put to fale the election of their magiftrates, the fentences of their judges, and the decrees of their fenate, it was not the power of a Cæfar, nor the tyranny of a Nero, nor the stupidity, madness, ambition, or luft of any of their princes; nor even the flattery, infolence, nor rapacioufnefs of minifters, parafites, and panders, that could have deprived them of their liberty, riches, power, and glory. But, where luxury grows up to favour corruption, and corruption is become neceffary to fupport the luxury of any people; then, they, whether Greeks, Barbarians, or Britons, will fall into a ftate as miferable, as that of venal Rome: and they will deferve to fall; if they fuffer, under any pretence or by any hands, that conftitution to be ruined; which cannot be destroyed, unless they fuffer it, and cooperate with the enemies of a free ftate.

In a word; the fpirit of liberty, if it be kept alive by constant action, will never fuffer the nation to be enflaved; but all schemes of usur

pation will be baffled, while true patriots remain warm and active in their contention for the public good. Nor can fuch a conduct fail of raifing in every British heart that zeal and indignation, which muft at last triumph over all undue influences in a British parliament.

P.

No. 5. SATURDAY, September 6th, 1755.

-To inflruct the mind, to arm the foul
With virtue, which no dangers can controul,
Exalt the thought, a fpeedy courage lend,
That borror cannot shake, or pleasure bend :
Thefe are the English arts, thefe we poffefs,
To be the fame in mifery and fuccefs;
To teach oppreffors law,-affift the good,
Relieve the wretched, and fubdue the proud,
Such are our fouls

The MAN of HONOUR.

HE intention of this

has been pub

Tickly declared, to support good as well

as to oppofe bad government: and can I be filent and deny due praise to that fpirit and refolution, which has been lately fhewn by the present adminiftration in our naval armament? On the contrary, every true Briton should endeavour to fupport fuch meafures to the utmost of his power. Should not they at the helm, who appear fenfi

bly

bly touched at the cries of the people, and take up fuch refolutions, as are agreeable to the nation, and most proper to redress their grievances, be commended, and effectually enabled to carry them into execution? and does not the voice of the people (which will never call out for meafures that must encrease their taxes without great neceffity) cry loudly, at prefent, for a war, to reftrain the ambitious views of the French, our perfidious neighbours? whofe deep concerted schemes, for many years, to drive us out of the American colonies, had almost succeeded, by the connivance or neglect of those minifters, who fuffered them to fettle and erect forts, even within the limits of our plantations.

BUT there are two things to be confidered fhould a war enfue: one in regard to the people, which is, that they may be fatisfied in what way it will be carried on: another in regard to the crown, which is, how the money to fupport a juft and neceffary war can be raised, for it is now become a maxim in politicks, founded upon experience, That he, who has the longest purse, will wear the longest sword.

As to the firft; let thofe now concerned for the nation fteer clear of the blunders, mistakes, and mal-practices, which deprived us of the advantages expected in the last war; and make the true intereft of Great Britain the sole object of their operations, and they need not doubt of giving fatisfaction to the people. A vigorous exertion of our naval force, the natural ftrength

of our dominions, and the employment of commanders, whose refolution, courage, or conduct has never incurred reproach, most affuredly will convince them of that wisdom and integrity, which fhould always be found, where a national confidence is expected to be placed.

: THE burden of a war must be borne by the people, which gives them a right to complain, when they are neglected; much more when they are ill treated by thofe entrusted with their property; and when they fee their treasure misapplied and confumed in penfions, fubfidies, and the defence of foreign powers. And the mini-fter that treated them with contempt, has always repented of his conduct: even that father of corIruption, who placed his fecurity in a ftanding army, and a p--1--m--nt of place-men and penfioners, could not maintain his post; but fell a facrifice to thofe very merchants he had threatensed with beggary and deftruction.

THEREFORE, if a war is refolved on to refcue our colonies out of the danger, to which they have been fo long expofed, and to protect our trade: If the miniftry expect to be supported in a proper manner; let them banish all thoughts of transporting armies into Flanders, and of fquandering away the nation's treasure upon hireling forces. Shall England never see through the mistake of neglecting our own colonies, and in a manner abandoning them to choftile invafions; while her armies are employed in the defence of ftates that never flipped

an

an opportunity to injure our trade, and never fcrupled to join our enemies, when in hopes thereby to gain the least advantage? To whofe account are we to place our debt of eighty millions? Not to thofe wars which have been neceffary to maintain the internal tranquillity, the trade, the property, honour, and dignity of Great Britain; but to fuch engagements and connections with Holland, and other states on the continent, which may ferve to continue and increase our taxes, but can never help us in diftrefs.

I must confess, that the prefent armament gives great expectations of better things. And it is to be hoped, where there are no wicked pufillanimous fchemes to be fupported, merit will always receive its due, and the enemy muft then yield to more equitable terms. Let us only refer back to the conclufion of the laft war, when, by a happy turn, men of experience and valour fucceeded the minions of the last minifter. Though the French had over-run Flanders, and nothing could prevent their marching to the gates of Amfterdam, our fleets, by obstructing their navigation, and ruining their trade, stopped' the refources of all their riches, and forced them to relinquish the imaginary advantages of their conquefts.

:

THE policy of France is greatly altered within this century: an invafion of Flanders is a meer bugbear, and a contrivance to make us draw off thofe forces, and to fpend that money, which ought

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