ver thought of courts or courtiers; but enjoying a noble independence, the independence of honest industry, chaunted their ca rols at the plough and the loom, glorying in the name of Englishmen, because England is free; and delighting in peace, because peace is the parent of plenty.

But, under the auspices of such a ministry, many an emulous esquire, hoping to be distinguished and rewarded, in some mode or other, by court favors, fond of the dress and name of a CAPTAIN, and the privilege of commanding with absolute sway, bribes volunteers from behind the counter and the plough. He clothes them in the finest frippery that his own or his lady's imagination can invent. He himself parades at their head; a very pretty sight on a summer's day. And now HE is distinguished as a soLDIER, who before only figured as a hunter of hares or foxes, and a prosecutor of poachers. Ambition, as well as vanity, begins to fire his soul. The raising of so many men in his neighborhood must please the minister; especially if the esquire uses the influence he gains over the vicinity, in a proper manner, at a general election. If the esquire wants not money, he may want honor. Then let the minister make him a baronet. If he has no sons of his own in the army, navy, law, or church, he may have nephews or cousins. If not

these, he must have nominal friends, to direct on whom the favors of ministers, though it proceed not from benevolence, must flatter pride, and add to rural consequence.

The whole of the military system is much indebted for its support, to that prevailing passion of human nature, Pride. Politicians know it, and flatter pride even in the lowest of the people. Hence recruiting-officers invite gentlemen only, who are above "The vanity of the poor

servile labour. men (says a sagacious author) is to be worked upon at the cheapest rate possible.... Things we are accustomed to we do not mind, or else what mortal, that never had seen a soldier, could look, without laughing, upon a man accoutered with so much paltry gaudiness and affected finery? The coarsest manufacture that can be made of wool, died of a brick-dust color, goes down with him, because it is in imitation of scarlet or crimson cloth; and to make him think himself as like his officer as it is possible, with little or no cost, instead of silver or gold lace, his hat is trimmed with white or yellow worsted, which in others would deserve bedlam; yet these fine allurements, and the noise made upon a calf-skin, have drawn in and been the destruction of more men in reality, than all the killing eyes and bewitching voices of women ever slew in

jest. To-day the swine-berd puts on his red coat, and believes every body in earnest that calls him gentleman; and two days after, Sergeant Kite gives him a swinging rap with his cane, for holding his musket an inch higher than he should do....When a man reflects on all this, and the usage they generally receive....their pay....and the care that is taken of them when they are not wanted, must he not wonder how wretches can be so silly, as to be proud of being call ed gentlemen soldiers? Yet if they were not so called, no art, discipline, or money, would be capable of making them so brave as thousands of them are."

When all the base arts which custom is said to have rendered necessary, are practised only to raise and support a regular ar my, perhaps they might, however reluctantly, be connived at by the watchful friends of freedom. But when the major part of the labouring poor, and all the yeomanry, are made gentlemen soldiers, merely to support a MINISTER, it is time for every vir tuous and independent mind to express, as well as feel, ALARM.

It appears from the above cited passage of an author who had anatomized human na ture, to find out its most latent energies, that the spirit of pride is rendered, by artful statesmen, the chief means of supplying an army. But the spirit of pride is in fact

the spirit of despotism; especially when it is that sort of pride which plumes itself on COMMAND, on external decoration, and the idle vanity of military parade,

When this pride takes place universally in a nation, there will remain little industry and less independence. The grand object will be to rise above our neighbors in show and authority. All will bow to the man in power, in the hope of distinction. Men will no longer rely on their own laborious exertions; but the poor man will court, by the most obsequious submission, the favor of the esquire; the esquire cringe to the next baronet, lord, or duke, especially if he be a lord-lieutenant of the county; and the baronet, lord, or duke, or lieutenant of the county, will fall prostrate before the first lord of the treasury; and the first lord of the treasury will idolize PREROGATIVE. Thus the military rage will trample on liberty; and DESPOTISM triumphant march through the land, with drums beating and colors flying.

SECTION XVIII.

Levity, Effeminacy, Ignorance, and Want of Principle in private Life, inimical to all public Virtue, and favorable to the Spirit of Despotism.

"THE constitution of the British government (says Bolingbroke) supposes our KINGS may abuse their power, and our REPRESENTATIVES betray their trust, and provides against both these contingencies. Here let us observe, that the same constitution is very far from supposing the people will ever betray themselves; and yet this case is possible.

"A wise and brave people will neither be cozened nor bullied out of their liberty; but a wise and brave people may cease to be such; they may degenerate; they may sink into sloth and luxury; they may re-, sign themselves to a treacherous conduct; or abet the enemies of the constitution, under a notion of supporting the friends of government; they may want the sense to discern their danger in time, or the courage to resist when it stares them in the face.

"The Tarquins were expelled, and Rome resumed her liberty; Cæsar was murdered, and all his race extinct, but Rome remained in bondage. Whence this difference? In