Why; it is all; it is every thing drawn into a point: it is a fine political picture in miniature : 'ods-heart, what thall I compare it to? it is like, I think, one of Spencer's charming enamell'd ones; where every thing; lines, complexion, features, air, flesh, spirit, are all expreffed to the life; and yet in an oval of an inch fquare. Amazing! that the true policy and government of this nation fhould be in fo narrow a compass. WHAT! but fifteen propofitions; plain, convincing, intelligible to every reader that is not a driveller. 'Odfooks, I think, I could make a statesman myself; there feems to be little wanting befides a good heart. -give me BUT come; talking is dry; your toaft:-conftitution in church and ftate -with all my heart Britannicus. No man, though I fay it, loves the conftitution better than I do and next to the conftitution I love the king and his family; and I hope they who have been fo long tampering with our old Engglish conftitution, and have fo lamentably damaged it, under the pretence of being its beft friends, have feen their error, and will try no more of their damn'd noftrums. I am glad, my dear friend, to find you fo loyal; I always thought you a good subject, and ftill think you one, notwithstanding some fad things have been lately rumoured of you. O Sir; I could easily solve that riddle; you know how high matters have been carried in this F 4 this county; let me tell you, I and many other worthy gentlemen Freeholders, have been scandalized but truth in time will, I doubt not, be triumphant; and then the world will fee, which is the best citizen; which the best fubject; the plain, difinterested, unintriguing, man; or the dirty, double, and corrupt wretch; who like a mere machine, has no movement but what he receives from the leaden hand of his imperious director. NEVERTHELESS, it is hard, very hard, Britannicus, to be used fo bafely. How hard, Ofellus? have not worthy citizens in all states been thus treated, ever fince government exifted? but by whom, I befeech you? By perfons who reprefent patriotism as a jeft; and patriots, as fo many Don Quixots; that is, by the worst of men. Suppofe fuch men spoke well of you; would not that hurt your fame more than all their blackening. Be patient then, my friend, and let them go on; the reign of falfhood and corruption, tho' the hands fhould be changed to serve present purposes, cannot be immortal. THERE are many worthy men in the prefent parliament; men of fortune, ability, integrity; and withal men of a fpirit, that nothing but truth can fubdue: I'll anfwer for them, they will keep a fharp look-out; and be as zealous and active in pulling down our domestic foes, as they are in repelling our foreign enemies. You You revive me, my dear Britannicus; pray God, it may prove fo: may their virtuous attempts be crowned with fuccefs; but I am afraid, I am jealous: you know, how often we have been gulled; what renegadoes we have had. Some of them are in their graves; I'll not disturb them: fome are still living; let them stink above ground; I afk no punishment, but the pangs of their own reflections. WE are got, Ofellus, into a large field, and time wears away.--Britannicus then pulled out his watch:-blefs me; it is ten o'clock, your ufual hour: I won't break in upon it. Paugh! what talk you of hours? I could fet up the whole night, could we finish the subject, and it would do any good. BRITANNICUS was rifing; Sir; you fha'nt ftir an inch, till the bottle be out; there is but a glafs or two left: but if we must keep up old customs, use your liberty, on this condition, that as you have promised to spend to-morrow with me, we take up the subject, at the point, we leave off: agreed: - and after the usual compliment each retired to bed. 413 D. N. B. The Freeholder, as he is determined to court the regard of the public, upon no other terms than real merit, or in proportion to the Spirit of his writings, hopes his friendly correfpondent will not be difpleafed with a candid declaration, that if his ingenious dialogue could could have been connected properly, without that part containing his encomium on the Monitor, it would have been all omitted, to avoid, as much as poffible, the imputation of that common deception, called a puff, or felf-commendation, invented and used by bookfellers, to promote the fale of the worst performances. No. 10. SATURDAY, October 11, 1755. — ̓Αλλὰ συ σῇσιν ἔχε φρεσὶ, μηδέσε λήθη HOM. II. 2. Awake, but waking this advice approve, O POPE. FELLUS rofe at fix, Britannicus about eight; for being a little fatigued with his journey the day before, he lay longer than his common hour. WHEN he came down, he found Ofellus in the parlour :-Good-morrow, Ofellus Sir, the like to you; I hope you are well, and flept well; never better, I affure you; and befides, I spent the night in the best company I ever met with in my whole life. BE-LIKE then you had an entertaining dream; that, I fuppofe, is your meaning. The very thing; not entertaining only, but very interesting and inftructive. Well; but you don't intend to ingrofs the whole pleasure and benefit to yourself; I hope, I may have the honour, and as your friend, I think, I have a kind of right to share in it. It is a pretty long narrative, Ofellus; but after breakfast it is at your fervice. THE tea and bread and butter were foon introduced; and curiofity did not a little accelerate the meal. When it was over, Ofellus! cries Britannicus, it is a fine morning; fuppofe and I take a walk in your paftures, and pay a vifit to your fine nurfery of oaks; my night adventures may poffibly amufe us by the way. you Up ftarts Ofellus; and feizing his stick, prefented Britannicus with another. Out they fally; and before they had paffed the first close, Britannicus thus begins: You cannot be ignorant, my good friend, when any conversation paffes in the evening, that warms and engages the heart, how the ideas of it haunt us in our night flumbers. The outward fenfes being then all fhut up, the imagination has its full fcope and liberty to play; and taking up the ball again, toffes it up and down, to and fro, as you have seen a racket; though for the most part, in an odd, irregular and romantic manner; intermixing withal many abfurd phantoms that have no existence in nature, and which never deform and disturb our waking thoughts. NE |