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No.

9.

SATURDAY, October 4. 1755.

Te, qui incognitum tentafli, tuique fimilem exiftimafti, non miror, tibique ignofco: fed agre! dere properè, ne alios corrumpas, cum me non potueris. COR. NEPOS.---Epaminondas.

To the FREEHOLDER.

SIR,

JOT long fince bufinefs called me to the city of Worcester; and my road lying through a country, which has been lately the feat of a warm conteft; I vifited a friend whom I had not feen for fome years.

CALL him, if you pleafe, by the name of Ofellus; there being a refemblance in his character to that old Roman, Abnormis, fapiens, craffaque Minerva; i. e. Little learning, no great addrefs, a tolerable mother wit. However, he is a good natured, hofpitable, companionable man, and well refpected in his neighbourhood.

AFTER the ufual falutation of friends, who had not met for a confiderable time, I took my chair with the eafe and familiarity of a man, who hates ceremony, and where none was expected. Ofellus feated himself near me; and as I had juft left London; pray, Britannicus,

lays

fo

what news

fays he; for that is my name; from the great town? what do the good people there, the merchants, in particular, fay of the prefent fituation of our public affairs? what of the spirit of our minifters, which appears to be very different from the old pacific fyftems? the perfon, who has the honour to fit at the helm, has certainly begun well; but do they apprehend him equal to the carrying on the plan; the winds are likely to be boisterous; the fea to run high: and fhould the veffel be loft through ignorance or mifconduct, what a lamentable cafe fhall we be in? our all is in a manner embarked.

FIE, my good friend, cries Britannicus: what a queftion you afk: can you doubt a man, who, as principal or deputy, has been at the head of affairs for thirty years, at leaft? suppose you have no exalted opinion of his genius; furely fuch an experience must form a statesman, when you have known many a one made extempore.

of

CONSIDER, Ofellus, what proof he gave his ability and management in the last war: did he not conduct; at least, had he not the chief hand in conducting it? did he not finish it at length with a glorious peace?

You may fancy, perhaps, Ofellus; for fome of you country gentlemen (let me tell you) are prone to ftick on the furface; that war is nothing else, but loggerhead against loggerhead: it is fo, I confefs, in appearance; but the feF 2

cret,

cret, I can affure you, lies deeper it is money fights money; and he that has the last guinea may be laft in the field.

THIS maxim is now uncontested: Will it not then, do you think, infpire our man of power with a fenfe of frugality, and a care of the Exchequer? will he not, when the calls of the public must be unavoidably great, ftudy every art of good husbandry, that the burthen of the war may lie as light upon the people aspoffible? judge, what he probably will do by what is paft. He was fo good an oeconomist in the last war, that, though he continued it at leaft eight years, he only accumulated the national debt with a trifle of thirty millions!

O my dear friend, adds Britannicus, taking Ofellus by the hand; be in no pain; do not be fufpicious: all will go, at least all will end well, if you have but the patience to wait.

ALAS! alas! Sir-what? you think me then in jeft: you doubt my prophecy: come Ofellus; I muft deal freely with you; (old friendships have a right to it) you private gentlemen, though many of you are very honest, have but narrow views: your ideas are contracted; but I can put you in a way to gather new lights. Have you feen a new political paper, entitled the MONITOR, OF BRITISH FREEHOLDER? who the author is, I know not, nor is it material; but in my humble opinion, it is wrote with an honeft intention; and, without affectation or ftudied eloquence, delivers maxims,

whereby

whereby every true Briton ought to form his judgment, and fquare his conduct: there you will fee the blunders, the tricks, the iniquities of certain ftate empiricks; who under colour of preferving our conftitution, have notorioufly damaged it: and it points out the genuine intereft of this nation; and nobly pleads the cause of liberty; in fo clear, fo familiar, fo convincing a light; that the meaneft Freeholder in the nation may understand, what is his duty, and what is his right.

SAY you fo, Britannicus: upon my word a very seasonable paper in the prefent crifis: I know nothing more of it, than that I faw it advertized; but I'll write immediately to the publisher to fend it me weekly.

WELL Sir, as I have raised your curiosity, I will gratify it in part; for I have a paper in my pocket; and by this fpecimen guefs at the reft. Oh! here it is, N° II. I carry it with me wherever I go, as an epitome of my political bible; nor have I fhewn it any man, nor indeed heard of any body, who has read it, unplaced and unpenfioned, I mean, but highly approves it: nay the hot ones exult and cry out; we will fign and feal every article of it with our blood.

--

I am obliged to you, Sir; taking the paper: -Hey day; a fhort business truly; but perchance, multum in parvo; you fee I have not forgot my Latin? all pith, I fuppofe.

F3

THAT

THAT may, or may not be, Ofellus; as it fhall prove. Doctors, you know, differ; taftes differ: I fpeak chiefly for myfelf: and I hope you are not fo much a courtier, as to make a compliment of your taste and judgment to mine.

WHAT? I a courtier; not I, in troth; I love plain dealing, and e-gad, shall speak as I think.

SUPPER being ended, and the family withdrawn; down fits our two heroes, and the MoNITOR Compleated the triumvirate. Britannicus takes him up, and having pledged a bumper to the King's health, and profperity to the war : well, Sir, faid he, will you read, or shall I? he is in good hands, Britannicus; and my ears are at your service: fhould any thing ftick, as you proceed, you will pardon my freedom, if I stop you.

BRITANNICUS read the MONITOR quite thro', unchecked, uninterrupted. Ofellus fmiled, his eyes fparkled with joy, and the patriot paffions played in his features: Britannicus was not blind; well, old friend, fays he, what think you? how do you like it? -Like it, he replies; why? I never was fo pleased? fo enlightned in all my life. Why? it is all marrow, all kernel; how fhall I express myself? why; it is the very quinteffence of all our politics at the club: well, here's a bumper to the unknown author: he writes like a man; he writes like an honest man, and a true Briton,

Why;