wronged his country; but a veteran, who was grown old in all the iniquitous practices of party, and who had acquired authority by his experience, was quite of another opinion: "Mendax," says he, "has always been an active member of the cause; and what have we to do with his morals or his honour ?" adding, "The man that is true to the troop must always be screened, let him be guilty of what he will."

Thus, by the detestable politics of party, Mendax was countenanced and caressed under the infamy of a most scandalous fraud; and lived to do his country more mischief, by the corruption which he afterwards spread through it, than a famine, a plague, or a war, could have done.

If we look back to the history of a few years past, we shall find that the immense estates that have been made, by the numerous fraudulent projects with which this virtuous age has abounded, have been by persons who pretended to be zealous party men, and have gone great lengths in party: nay, some have been so cunning as to shift sides, and go over to the strongest, just before they have resolved to strike some bold stroke, wisely securing a good retreat before they enter upon action; so that I have often thought, that a strong party is the same thing to a cheat, that a strong island in the West Indies is to a pirate,-a place of safety to lay up all he has stolen.

PASSIONATE PEOPLE.

It is a vulgar notion, and worthy of the vulgar, for it is both false and absurd, that passionate people are the best-natured people in the world. "They are a little hasty, it is true; a trifle will put them in a fury; and, while they are in that fury, they neither know nor care what they say or do; but then as soon as it is over, they are cxtremely sorry and penitent for any injury or mischief they did." This panegyric of these choleric good-natured people, when examined and simplified, amounts in plain common sense and English to this: that they are good-natured when they are not ill-natured; and that when, in their fits of rage, they have said or done things that have brought them to the gaol or the gallows, they are extremely sorry for it. It is indeed highly probable that they are; but where is the reparation to those whose reputations, limbs, or lives, they have either wounded or destroyed? Their concern comes too late, and is only for themselves. Self-love was the cause of the injury, and is the only motive of the repentance.

Had these furious people real good nature, their first offence would be their last, and they would resolve at all events never to relapse. The moment they felt their choler rising, they would enjoin themselves an absolute silence and inaction, and by that sudden check rather expose themselves to a momentary ridicule,

(which, by the way, would be followed by universal applause,) than run the least risk of being irreparably mischievous.

I know it is said in their behalf, that this impulse to wrath is constitutionally so sudden and strong, that they cannot stifle it, even in its birth: but experience shows us, that this allegation is notoriously false; for we daily observe that these stormy persons both can and do lay those gusts of passion, when awed by respect, restrained by interest, or intimidated by fear. The most outrageous furioso does not give a loose to his anger in presence of his sovereign or his mistress; nor does the expectant heir in presence of the peevish dotard from whom he hopes for an inheritance. The soliciting courtier, though perhaps under the strongest provocations from unjust delays and broken promises, calmly swallows his unavailing wrath, disguises it even under smiles, and gently waits for more favourable moments: nor does the criminal fly in a passion at his judge or his jury.

There is then but one solid excuse to be alleged in favour of these people; and, if they will frankly urge it, I will candidly admit it, because it points out its own remedy. I mean, let them fairly confess themselves mad, as they most unquestionably are: for what plea can those that are frantic ten times a day bring against shaving, bleeding, and a dark room, when so many much more harmless madmen are confined in their cells at Bedlam, for being

mad only once in a moon? Nay, I have been assured by the late ingenious Doctor Monro, that such of his patients who are really of a good natural disposition, and who, in their lucid intervals, were allowed the liberty of walking about the hospital, would frequently, when they found the previous symptoms of their returning madness, voluntarily apply for confinement, conscious of the mischief which they might possibly do if at liberty. If those who pretend not to be mad, but who really are so, had the same fund of good nature, they would make the same application to their friends, if they have any.

There is in the Menagiana a very pretty story of one of these angry gentlemen, which sets their extravagancy in a very ridiculous light.

Two gentlemen were riding together, one of whom, who was a a choleric one, happened to be mounted on a high-mettled horse. The horse grew a little troublesome, at which the rider grew very angry, and whipped and spurred him with great fury; to which the horse, almost as wrong-headed as his master, replied with kicking and plunging. The companion, concerned for the danger, and ashamed of the folly, of his friend, said to him coolly, "Be quiet, be quiet, and show yourself the wiser of the two.".

This sort of madness, for I will call it by no other name, flows from various causes, of which I shall now enumerate the most general.

Light, unballasted heads are very apt to be overset by every gust, or even breeze of passion; they appreciate things wrong, and think every thing of importance, but what really is so; hence those frequent and sudden transitions from silly joy to sillier anger, according as the present silly humour is gratified or thwarted. This is the never-failing characteristic of the uneducated vulgar, who often, in the same half hour, fight with fury, and shake hands with affection. Such heads give themselves no time to reason; and if you attempt to reason with them, they think you rally them, and resent the affront. They are, in short, overgrown children, and continue so in the most advanced age. Far be it' from 'me to insinuate, what some illbred authors have bluntly asserted, that this is în general the case of the fairest part of our species, whose great vivacity does not always allow them time to reason consequentially but hurries them into testiness upon the least opposition to their will. But, at the same time, with all the partiality which I have for them, and nobody can have more than I have, I must confess that, in all their debates, I have much more admired the copiousness of their rhetoric, than the conclusiveness of their logic.

People of strong animal spirits, warm constitutions, and a cold genius, (a most unfortunate and ridiculous though common compound,) are most irascible animals, and very dangerous in their wrath. They are active, puzzling,