whofe revenues or profits exceed what is barely fufficient for a fcanty fubfiftence; and that to load any others with a fhare of it, will always prove a vain attempt, and will always be of the moft pernicious con-' fcquence to the commerce and manufactures of the country. 4. That by taxes upon confumption on- A Ty, you spate thefe who are beft able to bear their fore of the publick expence : Such are all those who have large revenues or profits, and yet live penuriously; from whence we may fee, that by a man's proportionable fhare of the publick expence ought to be understood, his fhare in proportion to his revenues or profits, and not his hare in proportion to what he confumes. B And, 5. I anfwer, That if thofe who can be made to bear their fhare of the publick expence, are not made to bear their proportionable share, according to the proportion above mentioned, by our prefent method of impofing and levying the land tax, it is a good argument against our C prefent method, but no objection to my propofition; for in fome following differtation I shall fhew, how it may be done, without diftreffing particular perfons, or endangering our liberties in general. Now as to the reduction of intereft, it is certain, that every borrower ought to borrow what money he wants at the lowest intereft he can get it at ; and if a third perfon offers to lend him money at a lower intereft than he pays to the first lender, he has a right to pay him off by borrowing what he wants for that purpofe, from that third perfon, in cafe the fit lender will not agree to accept for the future the fame rate of intereft. D But this rule has one exception; for if E the first leader let him have the money, when he was in fo doubtful circumstances that no bedy else would at that time have lent him any money; and would himself be reduced to diftrefs by lowering the interest; the borrower is then, I think, obliged in gratitude to continue paying the fame interest, till fuch lender can find an F Opportunity to employ his money otherwife at an equal advantage: And in all cafes the lender's accepting of a lefs intereft ought to be voluntary and free; for if the borrower fhould threaten and frighten him with any other danger than that of paying him his money, tho' it may have its cirect upon the lender, it is an immoral act in the borrower. What obligations the prefent government may be under to many of the pubJick creditors, who would be brought into great diftrefs by a reduction of intereft, or what methods may have been taken to in G duce their confent, I shall not pretend to determine; but there is one danger attending the reduction of intereft, without abolishing at the fame time fome of our taxes, which induced me to confider this fubject, because few people feem to be aware of it. I mean, the danger of enabling fome future king to lay afide parliaments, and establish an abfolute and arbi-' trary rule. The finking fund, at the lowest computation, will be at Michaelmas next, near 700,000l. annually, and will in seven years from Christmas next be increafed by the propofed reduction of intereft to near 1,280,00cl. And if in the mean time it be regularly applied towards the discharge of our debts, the growing produce will in two years pay off the prefent navy debt; and in five years more, at compound intereft, at the rate of 3 per cent. it will have paid off 3,642,80c!. of our prefent debt bearing intereft, that is to fay, 1,400,000l. at ; and 2,242,800l. at 3 per cent. by which an addition of 116,841. will be made to it; fo that at Chriftmas 1757, the finking fund will produce yearly near 1,400,cool. and the whole of publick debts then bearing an intereft of 31. per cent. will amount to 74,854,9911. but I fhall call it the round füm of 75,000,000l. Now fuppofe, that at Chriftmas 1757, the government should be able to reduce the intereft payable upon the publick funds to 241. per cent. This upon 75,000,000. would make a new addition to the finking fund of 187,500l. which would raise it to near 1,600,cool. yearly; and then I will fay, that the king would not in time of peace be under any neceffity to call a parliament; for as all our taxes might be raifed at a much less expence than they are at prefent, and thereby a great addition made to the nett preduce of every one, I am perfuaded, that if we had no pailiament, an addition of 400,cool might be made thereby to the clear publick revenue, by which, reckoning the civil lift at a million, the king would be poffeffed of a revenue of very near 3,000, cool, without the aid of parliament. And we all know, that with a revenue of little above 2,000,cocl. the late king James fupported all the expences of his civil government, kept his navy in order, and maintained fuch an army as would have enabled him to overturn both our civil and religi ous liberties, if the prince of Orange had not come with a Dutch navy and army to caufe as the 4 per cent. fold at a premium, it was certain, that none of them could defire to be paid off; and the fear of fome or most of them being paid off by a morev fubfcription, would probably have made all run in to fubfcribe. I am, therefore, I fay, convinced, that fome of our minitters were behind the curtain against this project's taking effect, perhaps, with a view, that in a year or two they may get better terms for the publick accepted of, and at the fame time the publick crediters made eafy by giving them relief as to fome of cur moft burthenfome taxes; which I heartily with may be the confequence, because it will likewife be a relief to our tradesmen B and manufacturers, and may force large fums into trade, which are now lock'd up in our publick funds, and fo far uicle's to the nation, whatever they may be to the proprietor. I know it cannot legally be fo; but if a D Thus it is evident, that a great increase of the finking fund, may be of the most dangerous confequence to cur liberties. For this reafon fome of cur moft heavy taxes fhould be abolished, before any reduction of intereft be allowed to take place. It would be cruel to reduce the income of widows and orphans who are fmall ftockholders, before leffening their expence of living, by abolishing fome of our taxes upon the neceffaries of life. Then it may be done with decency, I hope it will foon be done; because we may now fpare 100,000 1, or two from the annual produce of the finking fund, and E leave 500,000l. for an annual reduction of our debts, which is fufficient for that purpofe, and a great deal too much, if made ufe of for covering the extravagance of minifters. Whatever fome of our minifters may think, I must with all due deference say, that I believe, fome of them were of my F opinion, and, therefore, advifed fuch prevus fteps as could not but difappoint the project propofed. If otherwife, would they have railed the malice and envy of the moneyed, by giving immediate relief to the landed intereft? At least they would have delayed refolving upon the land tax, till they had feen the fuccefs of their p.oject; for by paffing the malt bill they might have G furnished themselves with ready money, if they stood in need of it Wou'd not they have opened a money fubfcription, at the fame time that they opened a fubfcription for the annuitants and Buckholders ? be T. Sempronius Gracchus C. Numifius, Arm. - ī S B V. H- E of W E- · of S W P. E- of E I- - Do. L Sir E- W. S T Feels the fame ardor to his breaft convey'd, Is what he fees, and emulates the fhade. Thy ftrokes, great artift, fo fublime appear, [fear, They check our pleasure with an awful While, thro' the mortal line, the God you trace, Author hirafelf, and heir of Jeffe's race; Supine on earth an awful figure lies, While fofteft flumbers feem to feal his eyes, The hoary fire heav'ns guardian care demands, And at his feet the watchful angel ftands. [tends: And high to heav'n its facred boughs exEach limb productive of fome hero fprings, And blooms luxuriant with a race of kings. Th' eternal plant wide fpreads its arms around, [top is crown'd. And with the mighty branch the myftick And lo! the glories of th' illuftrious line [thine, At their first dawn with ripen'd fplendors In David all expreft, the good, the great, The king, the hero, and the man compleat. Serene he fits, and fweeps the golden lyre, And blends the prophet's, with the poet's fire. tongue See! with what art he ftrikes the vocal firings, [fings! The God, his theme, infpiring what he Hark-or our ears delude us-from his [heav'nly fong: Sweet flows, or feems to flow, fome Oh! could thine art arreft the flitting found, And paint the voice in magick numbers bound; [non play'd, Could the warm fun, as erft when MemWake with his rifing beam the vocal shade: Then might he draw th' attentive angels down, [their own. Bending to hear the lay, fo fweet, fo like On either fide the monarch's offspring fhine, And fome adorn, and fome difgrace their Here Ammon glories; proud, incestuous lord! [the fword. [line. This hand fuftains the robe, and that Frowning and fierce, with haughty ftrides he tow'rs, And on his horrid brow defiance lowrs. • Jeffer There Abfalom the ravish'd fceptre fways His looks th' emotion of his foul disclose, From his own lips condemn'd; fevere mind, Beats at the heart, and fprings in ev'ry vein; Yet ever from the clearest fource have ran Some grofs allay, fome tincture of the man. But who is he?deep musing in his [mankind; He feems to weigh, in reafon's fcales, Fix'd contemplation holds his steady eyesI know the fage, the wifeft of the wife. Bleft with all man cou'd with, or prince [fings vain. obtain, Yet his great heart pronounc'd thofe blefAnd lo bright glitt'ring in his facred hands, In miniature the glorious temple stands. Above, th' unutterable glory plays, See there fair laurels wither on thy brow, Nor is heav'n chang'd, apoftate prince, No mean atonement does this lapfe require; But fee the fon, you must forgive the fire: He, the juft prince-with ev'ry virtue bleft, He reign'd, and goodness all the man poffeft; Around his throne fair happiness and peace Smooth'd ev'ry brow, and fmil'd in ev'ry face. As when along the burning waste he ftray'd, [play'd, Where no pure streams in bubbling mazes Where drought, incumbent on the thirsty ground, [around, Long fince had breath'd her fcorching blasts The prophet calls, th' obedient floods re pair [there. To the parch'd fields, for Jofaphat was The new-fprung waves, in many a gurgling vein, [plain; Trickle luxurious through the fucking Fresh honours the reviving fields adorn, And o'er the defart Plenty pours her horn. So, from the throne his influence he sheds, And bids the virtues raife their languid heads, Where'er he goes, attending truth prevails, Oppreffion flies, and juftice lifts her fcales. See, on his arm the royal eagle stand, Great type of conquest and supreme command; [brings, Th' exulting bird diftinguish'd triumph And greets the monarch with expanded wings. [blow, Fierce Moab's fons prevent th' impending Rufh on themselves, and fall without the foe. {prayer; The pious hero vanquish'd heav'n by His faith an army, and his vows a war. Thee too, Ozias, fates indulgent bleft, And thy days fhone, in fairest actions dreft; Till that rafh hand, by fome blind frenzy fway'd, Unc'eam, the facred office durft invade. Quick, o'er thy limbs the fcurfy venom He, in whole foul the virtues all confpire # The best good fon, from the worst wicked fire. And lo! in Hezekiah's golden reign, Long-exil'd piety returns again; Again in genuine purity the thines, And with her prefence gilds the long-neglected fhrines. [lord Ill-ftarr'd does proud Affyria's impious Bid heav'n to arms, and vaunt his dreadful fword; [o'erthrow, His own vain threats th' infulting king But breathe new courage on the gen'rous foe. Th' avenging angel, by divine command, The fiery fword full-blazing in his hand, Leant down from heav'n: Amid the ftorm he rode, {trode, March'd peftilence before him as he Pale defolation bath'd his fteps in blood. Thick wrapt in night, thro' the proud hoft he past, Difpenfing death, and drove the furious blast; Nor bid deftruction give her revels o'er, Till the gorg'd fword was drunk with human gore. But what avails thee, pious prince, in vain Thy fceptre refcu'd, and th' Affyrian flain? Ev'n now the foul maintains her latest ftrife And death's chill grafp congeals the font At length the long-expected prince behold, The laft good king, in antient days foretold, When Bethel's altar fpoke his future fame, urn, In plaintive fong, all Judah's daughters For whom fad Sion's fofteft forrow flows, And Jeremiah pours his fweet melodious woes. But now fall'n Sion, once the fair and great, Sits deep in duft, abandon'd, defolate; Bleeds her fad heart, and ever ftream her eyes, And anguifh tears her, with convulfive fighs. The mournful captive fpreads her hands in vain, [chain; Her hands that rankle with the fervie TIM Till he, great chief! in heav'ns ap-pointed time, [clime. Leads back her children to their native Fair liberty revives with all her joys, And bids her envy'd walls fecurely rife. And thou, great hallow'd dome, in ruin spread, Again fhalt lift fublime thy facred head. But ah! with weeping eyes, the antients view A faint refemblance of the old in you. No more thine altars blaze with fire di- The light himself reveal'd, the God And now, at length, the fated term of years [the God appears. The world's defire have brought, and lo! The heav'nly babe the virgin mother bears, And her fond looks confefs the parents And thou, O tomb, once more fhalt wide display Thy fatiate jaws, and give up all thy prey. Thou, groaning earth, fhalt heave, abforpt in flame, As the last pangs convulfe thy lab'ring frame; When the fame God unfhrouded thou shalt fee, Wrapt in full blaze of pow'r and majesty, Ride on the clouds, whilft as his chariot flies, The bright effufion streams thro' all the skies. Then shall the proud diffolving mountains glow, And yielding rocks in fiery rivers flow : The hafty thought I fnatch, nor time will The friend, the faint, and teacher to deplore. [mourn, employ. My lofs, not his, with fighs fubmifs I His fufferings from the ftone, and from his being cut for it, No |