natural, therefore bad, and ought to be checked. That it is unna tural is obvious-because all men are not covetous, and that, to which all men are not addicted, is not natural. To gratify thirst is a natural defire, therefore good, and ought to be indulged. It is natural because all men are fubject to it. But drunkenness, which is the perverfion or degeneracy of this paffion, is unnatural, therefore bad, and ought to be avoided. That it is unnatural is obvious because all men are not drunkards. A defire of esteem is a natural paffion, therefore good, and ought to be encouraged. That it is natural is evident---becaufe it is a defire common to all. But pride, which is the perverfion or degeneracy of this paffion, is unnatural, therefore bad, and ought to be deftroyed. That pride is unnatural is obvious because all men are not proud. Emulation, or a defire to excel in what is laudable, is a natural paffion, therefore good, and ought to be cherished. It is naturalbecause all men poffefs it. But envy, which is the perverfion or degeneracy of this paffion, is unnatural, therefore bad, and ought to be extirpated. That it is unnatural is obvious because all men are not envious.

Hence it follows, that evil is nothing elfe but the perverfion of god, is not therefore created by God, but owes its existence to oarfelves. I have mentioned thefe feveral inftances of paflions, and their respective depravities, on purpofe to illuftrate the point in hand.

"Anger, then, is a paffion natural to man; a paffion given him for wife and proper purpofes, and therefore, when directed to proper objects, ought to be indulged. But revenge, which is the perverfion or corruption of this paffion, is, unnatural, therefore bad, and ought to be repreffed. It is obfervable, that the proper object of anger is vice, but the proper object of revenge is man. This is a fufficient proof, that the paffion is perverted-because it transfers the hatred due to the vice, to the man to whom it is not due. For though vice, as fuch, is the proper object of hatred, yet man (however hateful the conduct of fome men may be) can never, as man, be the object of hatred.

"There are inftances of depravity which naturally call forth anger, in which inftances the fuppreffion of it would be a proof rather of infenfibility than of virtue. But there is not any inftance of depravity which should call forth revenge, because revenge is always a proof of a depraved mind. To profeaute a malefactor, and to inflict a punishment upon him, proportioned to his villany, is commendable, provided the motive, which prompts us to it, is public fpirit, not private refentment. But if private refentment is the caufe, the punishment may be just-but the motive is cenfurable. The truth is, every paffion that is natural, as F have faid, when directed to proper objects, may be indulged but revenge is effentially and eternally evil, and fhould therefore be eternally fuppreffed. There is in it fuch an inherent malignity, that no pretence can ever justify it.

adly.

"2dly, I proceed to offer fome arguments against revenge; and, of the great number that might be mentioned, I shall confine myfelf to four.

ft. It is a proof of a base and low mind.

zdly. It is repugnant to religion.

"3dly. It produces uneafinefs of mind in this world.

next.

4thly. It lays a fure foundation of greater uneafiness in the

"ft. Revenge is a proof of a bafe and low mind. True greatness. of foul is an object of the most laudable ambition, a divine quality, which every man of a just way of thinking would with to poffefs. But do not miftake me: there is a mighty difference between a great mind, and what the world calls a great man. Alas! There is many a pitiful wretch adorned with a splendid coat, and many a brave spirit covered with rags. This world is a chequered fcene, where the ftreams of good and evil flow promifcuously. A man is never truly great, till once he is fuperior to the greatnefs which he poffeffes. A man is never truly little, till he thinks himself great. For, believe it, the most contemptible figure, which this earth exhibits, is a weak and worthless mortal, puffed and blown up with fwelling ideas of his own fignificancy. Therefore, the advice of Parmenio, the Grecian general, to his fon, a young man poffeffed of a fufficient ftock of felf-importance, was worthy of him to give, and worthy of every man of fenfe to adopt My fon, fays he, would you be great ? You must be lefs'that is, you must be lefs in your own eyes, if you would be great in the eyes of other men.

"True greatness of mind, my brethren, does not confift in in-.. folence to thofe above us, nor in contempt to thofe below us-No but in a juft regard for what is worthy, a juft dislike to what is trifling, a juft approbation of what is virtuous, and a just detellation of what is vicious. This is a greatnefs to which every other greatnefs muft own fubjection. This is a fterling nobility of foul, and, by its fuperior brightness, far outfhines the artificial glare of vanity and pride, It is not in every man's power, to be the proprietor of a great eftate; but it is in every man's power to be fomething more-to be the proprietor of a great mind; a mind, that will raise him fuperior to all the glittering titles and fopperies of life. The confequence is this-whatever tends to promote this greatnefs of foul, ought to 'be cultivated with unwearied attention; and whatever tends to impair it, ought to be erazed from the heart, and blotted out for ever.

Now, revenge is directly the reverfe of this greatness of foul, and is confequently a proof of a foul base and grovelling.* To forgive an injury is the ftrongeft proof of a great mind, be caufe fuch forgiveness fuppofes a fortitude and firmnefs of foul, which no accident can move, a calmnefs and composure which

no ftorm can ruffle, a generofity of fentiment and conscious worth to which a weak mind is an eternal franger.

"As the forgiveness of injuries is the strongest proof of a great mind, fo it will follow that revenge, which is the reverfe of forgiveness, is a proof equally strong of a mind that is bafe and mean, because revenge fuppofes the abfence of all thofe fublime qualities which forgivenefs implies, and the prefence of all thofe low qualities which forgiveness detefts.

"Revenge is a temper of mind low and abject; low as the duft and abject as flavery. Revenge is a temper of mind black and fullen; black as hell, and fullen as its prifoners. Revenge is a tem per of mind favage and inhuman: let a man but abandon himself to its furious impulfe, and the foreft cannot produce fo great a monster.

"Revenge, in one ward (for it is painful to dwell on fo bafe a fubject) is the very temper of hell, and the very spirit of its tyrant. What pity is it then, my friends, that man, who is ftamped with the image of his Maker, and formed for generous and elevated fentiments, fhould ever wear this image of the devil, or harbour temper fo unlike his original !??

(To be continued.)

Political, Mifcellaneous, and Philofophical Pieces, arranged under the following Heads, and diftinguished by initial Letters in each Leaf; [G. P.] General Politics; [A. B. T.] American Politics before the Troubles; [A. D. T.] American Politics during the Troubles; [P. P.]Provincial or Colony Politics; and [M. P.] Mifcellaneous and Philofophical Pieces; written by Benjamin Franklin, L. L. D, and F. R. S. Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, of the Royal Society at Gottingen, and of the Batavian Society in Holland; Prefident of the Philofophical Society at Philadelphia; late Agent in England for feveral of the American Colonies; and at prefent chofen in America as Deputy to the General Congress for the State of Penfylvania; Prefident of the Convention of the faid State, and Minifter Plenipotentiary at the Court of Paris for the United States of America. Now first collected, with explanatory Plates, Notes, and an Index to the whole. 4to. 10s. 6d. Boards 8vo. 6s. fewed. Johnson,

There is no man, perhaps, in the prefent age that has raifed himself to greater eminence, by the mere force of perfonal merit, and natural abilities, than Dr. Franklin. From an obfcure printer at Bofton, he has gradually become a very diftinguifhed character in the philofophical world, member of most of the learned focieties in Europe, and ambaffador to to the court of France from the United States of America, Almoft all the pieces contained in this collection have already appeared

appeared in print; and we muft own there are none of them that do any difcredit to the author, either as a philofopher or a politician. We fhall gratify our readers with a few extracts from fuch of the old pieces as are leaft known, and from fuch of the new ones as appear to be the moft curious and interefting. The following effay breathes almoft the fame fpirit, and indeed exhibits almoft the faine facts that occur in the petitions now prefenting by the different counties of England.

Comparison of Great Britain and America, as to Credit, in 1777. "In borrowing money, a man's credit depends on fome or all of the following particulars.

First, His known conduct refpecting former loans, and his punctuality in difcharging them.

"Secondly, His induftry. "Thirdly, His frugality.

"Fourthly, The amount and the certainty of his income, and. the freedom of his estate from the incumbrance of prior debts..

"Fifthly, His well-founded profpects of greater future ability, by the improvement of his eftate in value, and by aids from others. "Sixthly, His known prudence in managing his general affairs, and the advantage they will probably receive from the loan which he defires.

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"Seventhly, His known probity and honeft character, manifefted by his voluntary difcharge of his debts, which he could not have been legally compelled to pay. The circumftances which give credit to an individual ought to, and will have their weight upon the lenders of money to public bodies or nations. If then we confider and compare Britain and America, in thefe feveral particulars, upon the question," To which is it fafeft to lend money?" We fhall find, First, Refpecting former loans, that America, which borrowed ten millions during the last war, for the maintenance of her army of 25,000 men, and other charges, had faithfully dif charged and paid that debt, and all other debts, in 1772. Whereas Britain, during these ten years of peace and profitable commerce, had made little or no reduction of her debt; but on the contrary, from time to time diminished the hopes of her creditors by a wan ton diverfion and mifapplication of the finking fund deftined for difcharging it.

"Secondly, Refpecting industry; every man [in America] is employed; the greater part in cultivating their own lands; the reft in handicrafts, navigation, and commerce. An idle man is a rarity; idleness and inutility are difgraceful. In England the numper of that character is immense; fashion has spread it far and

*This paper was written, tranflated, printed and circulated, while Dr. Franklin was at the court of Paris, for the purpose of inducing foreigners to lend money to America, in preference to Great Britain.

El.

wide; hence the embarraffment of private fortunes, and the daily bankruptcies, arifing from an univerfal fondnefs for appearance and expenfive pleafures; and hence, in fome degree, the mifmanagements of public bufinefs; for habits of bufinels, and ability in it are only acquired bypractice; and where univerfal diffipation and the perpetual purfuit of amufement are the mode, the youth educa ted in it can rarely afterwards acquire that patient attention and clofe application to affairs, which are so neceffary to a statesman charged with the care of national welfare. Hence their frequent errors in policy; and hence the wearinefs at public councils, and backwardnefs in going to them; the conftant unwillingness to engage in any meafure that requires thought and confideration; and the readiness for postponing every new propofition; which poftponing is therefore the only part of bufinefs that they come to be expert in, an expertnefs produced neceffarily by fo much daily practice. Whereas in America, men bred to clofe employment in their private affairs, attend with eafe to thofe of the public, when engaged in them, and nothing fails through negligence.

"Thirdly, Refpecting frugality; the manner of living in Ame rica is more fimple and lefs expenfive than that of England; plain tables, plain clothing, and plain furniture in houfes, prevail, with few carriages of pleafure; there, an expenfive appearance hurts credit, and is avoided: in England it is often affumed to gain credit, and continued to ruin. Refpecting public affairs, the difference is fill greater. In England, the falaries of officers and emoluments of office are enormous. The king has a million fterling per annum, and yet cannot maintain his family free from debt, Secretaries of State, Lords of Treafury, Admiralty, &c, have vast appointments; an auditor of the Exchequer has fixpence in the pound, or a fortieth part of all the public money expended by the nation; fo that when a war colts forty millions, one million is paid to him: an Infpector of the Mint, in the laft new coinage received as his fee 65,cool, fierling per annum : to all which rewards no fervice thefe gentlemen can render the public is by any means equivalent. All this is paid by the people; who are oppreffed by taxes fo occafioned; and thereby rendered lefs able to contribute to the payment of neceffary national debts. In America, falaries, where indifpenfible, are extremely low; but much of the public bufinefs is done gratis. The honour of ferving the public bly and faithfully is deemed fufficient. Public Spirit really exifts there, and has great effects. In England it is univerfally deemed a non-entity, and whoever pretends to it is laughed at as a fool, or fufpected as a knave. The committees of Congrefs, which form the board of war, the board of treafury, the board of foreign affairs, the naval board, that for accounts, &c. all attend the bufinefs of their refpective functions, without any falary or emolument whatever, though they fpend in it much more of their time than any Lord of Treafury or Admiralty in England can fpare from his amufements. A British minifter lately computed that the whole expence of the Americans, in their civil government over three millions of people, amounted to but 70,000l. fterling, and drew