life, but that was not my chance; one man is born ' with a filver spoon in his mouth, and another with a wooden ladle. However, bleffed be God, I enjoy good health, and have no enemy in this world that I know of, but the French, and the Justice of Peace.'

Thus faying, he limped off, leaving my friend and me in admiration of his intrepidity and content; nor could we avoid acknowledging, that an habitual acquaintance with mifery, is the trueft fchool of fortitude and philofophy.

Adieu.

THE titles of European princes are rather more numerous than ours of Afia, but by no means fo fublime. The king of Vifapour or Pegu, not fatisfied with claiming the globe and all its appurtenances to him and his heirs, afferts a property even in the firmament, and extends his orders to the milky way. The monarchs of Europe, with more modefty, confine their titles to earth, but make up by number, what is wanting in their fublimity. Such is their paffion for a long lift of these fplendid trifles, that I have known a German prince with more titles than fubjects, and a Spanish nobleman with more names than fhirts.

Contrary to this, "the English monarchs," fays a writer of the laft century," difdain to accept of "fuch titles, which tend only to increafe their

"pride, without improving their glory; they are "above depending on the feeble helps of heraldry "for refpect, perfectly satisfied with the confciouf"nefs of acknowledged power. At prefent, however, these maxims are laid afide; the English monarchs have of late affumed new titles, and have impreffed their coins with the names and arms of obfcure dukedoms, petty ftates, and fubordinate employments. Their defign in this, I make no doubt, was laudably to add new luftre to the British throne, but in reality paltry claims only ferve to diminish that refpect they are defigned to fecure.

There is in the honours affumed by Kings, as in the decorations of architecture, a majestic fimplicity, which beft conduces to inspire our reverence and respect; numerous and trifling ornaments in either, are ftrong indications of meannefs in the defigner, or of concealed deformity: fhould, for inftance, the Emperor of China, among other titles, affume that of Deputy Mandarin of Maccau, or the Monarch of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, defire to be acknowledged as Duke of Brentford, Lunenburg, or Lincoln, the observer revolts at this mixture of important and paltry claims, and forgets the Emperor in his familiarity with the Duke or the Deputy.

I remember a fimilar inftance of this inverted ambition, in the illuftrious King of Manacabo, upon his firft treaty with the Portuguefe. Among the presents that were made him by the ambaffador of that nation, was a fword, with a brass hilt, on which he seemed to fet a peculiar value. This he thought too great an acquifition to his glory, to be forgotten among the number of his titles. He therefore gave orders, that his fubjects fhould ftyle him for the future, Talipot, the immortal Potentate of Ma

nacabeg

nacabo, Meffenger of Morning, Enlightner of the Sun, Poffeffor of the whole Earth, and mighty Monarch of the brass-handled Sword.

This method of mixing majestic and paltry titles, of quartering the arms of a great empire, and an obfcure province, upon the fame medal here, had its rife in the virtuous partiality of their late monarchs. Willing to teftify an affection to their native country, they gave its name and enfigns a place upon their coins, and thus in fome measure ennobled its obfcurity. It was indeed but juft, that a people. which had given England up their king, fhould receive fome honorary equivalent in return; but at prefent these motives are no more; England has now a monarch wholly British, and has fome reafon to hope for British titles upon British coins.

However, were the money of England defigned to circulate in Germany, there would be no flagrant impropriety in impreffing it with German names and arms; but though this might have been fo upon former occafions, I am told there is no danger of it for the future; as England therefore designs to keep back its gold, I candidly think Lunenburg, Oldenburg, and the reft of them, may very well keep back their titles.

It is a mistaken prejudice in princes to think that a number of loud founding names can give new claims to respect. The truly great have ever difdained them: When Timur the Lame had conquered Afia, an orator by profeffion came to compliment him upon the occafion. He began his harangue, by ftyling him the most omnipotent, and the most glorious object of the creation. The emperor feemed difpleased with his paltry adulation, yet ftill he went on, complimenting him, as the moft mighty, the moft valiant, and the moft perfect of beings. Hold there, my friend, cries the lame emperor; hold there, VOL. III. Нн

till

till I have got another leg. In fact, the feeble or the defpotic alone find pleasure in multiplying thefe pageants of vanity, but ftrength and freedom have nobler aims, and often find the fineft adulation in majeftic fimplicity.

The young monarch of this country has already teftified a proper contempt for feveral unmeaning appendages on royalty; cooks and fcullions have been obliged to quit their fires; gentlemen's gentlemen, and the whole tribe of neceffary people, who did nothing, have been difmiffed from further fervices. A youth, who can thus bring back fimplicity and frugality to a court will foon probably have a true refpect for his own glory, and while he has difmiffed all ufelefs employments, may difdain to accept of empty or degrading titles. Adieu.

LETTER CXX.

FROM THE SAME.

WHENEVER I attempt to characterize the Englifh in general, fome unforeseen difficulties conftantly occur to difconcert my defign; I hefitate be tween cenfure and praife: when I confider them as a reafoning philofophical people, they have my applaufe; but when I reverfe the medal, and obferve their inconftancy and irrefolution, I can fcarcely perfuade myself that I am obferving the fame people.

Yet upon examination, this very inconftancy, fo remarkable here, flows from no other fource than their love of reafoning. The man who examines a complicated fubject on every fide, and calls in reason

to

to his affiftance, will frequently change; will find himself distracted by oppofing probabilities and contending proofs; every alteration of place will diverfify the profpect, will give fome latent argument new force, and contribute to maintain an anarchy in the mind.

On the contrary, they who never examine with their own reason, act with more fimplicity. Ignorance is pofitive, inftinct perfeveres, and the human being moves in fafety within the narrow circle of brutal uniformity. What is true with regard to individuals, is not lefs fo when applied to ftates. A reasoning government like this is in continual fluctuation, while those kingdoms where men are taught not to controvert but obey, continue always the fame. In Afia, for inftance, where the monarch's authority is fupported by force, and acknowledged through fear, a change of government is entirely unknown. All the inhabitants feem to wear the fame mental complexion, and remain contented with hereditary oppreffion. The fovereign's pleasure is the ultimate rule of duty, every branch of the administration is a perfect epitome of the whole; and if one tyrant is depofed, another starts up in his room to govern as his predeceffor. The English, on the contrary, inftead of being led by power, endeavour to guide themselves by reafon; inftead of appealing to the pleasure of the prince, appeal to the original rights of mankind. What one rank of men affert is denied by others, as the reafons on oppofite fides happen to come home with greater or lefs conviction. The people of Afia are directed by precedent, which never alters; the English by reafon, which is ever changing its appearance.

The difadvantages of an Afiatic government acting in this manner by precedent are evident; original errors are thus continued, without hopes of