150,000l. for the relief of the Portuguese, who have suffered in consequence of French ravages only, passing over their sufferings in consequence of English ravages; the manufacturers of Manchester, Glasgow, &c. to the number of 50 or 60,000, have been pre. senting petitions to the house of Commons, complaining of the present stagnation in trade, and their starving condition, in consequence of the orders in council. It appears that in Manchester alone, there are 30,000 manufacturers reduced to the condition of paupers. Their petitions have been sent to a committee, on whose report the house has voted-" That it can grant them no "relief." During the investigation, the following question and answer occurred, in the examination of James Harley, a journeyman cabinet maker deputed to represent the situation of certain mecha. nics in Glasgow. "Have you any other remedy to propose?"— "I will propose the last remedy of all, that if the present stagna❝tion continues, his Majesty's ministers provide a free passage to "Botany Bay, and give them agricultural implements to enable "them to work there, and not to suffer them to starve at home!" It is not however on foreign subjects only that the British nation, whilst inattentive and indifferent to the complicated distresses of her own manufacturers at home, has displayed its liberality. The highest circle has recently been distinguished by an unexampled display of pageantry and luxury, the expence of which there is little doubt must be paid by the people; who may expect ere long to be told that their loyalty and affection to the house of Hanover, will never suffer them to permit the illustrious branch ascending the throne, another " best of kings" to be in debt. The columns of our public prints have for this week past been filled with particulars of this extraordinary fete, and of the many thousands of persons who have been since visiting the decorations. The apartments of Carlton House, have not only been adorned in a style the most splendid and expensive, but groves, gardens and rivers have been introduced therein as it were by enchantment. Every luxury of the table, was served up in massive services of plate, some of a new and extraordinary kind, "golden donkies, with panniers full of fruit." It is a pity, that the "golden donkies" present had not been those of a four legged description only!-The whole of the late French royal family in England were present, and the display of riches and luxury in furniture, dress and provisions, we are assured was unrivalled. The Editor of the Morning Chronicle has, surely with some degree of imprudence, reminded us of the highest periods of Roman luxury, and of the fetes given by the French princes, just previous to the Revolution, which were however, the Editor, adds, "far out-done on this occasion." Whether in the present circumstances of the nation, and of his MAJESTY, such a fete is a mark of wisdom or folly we leave our readers to determine. We are obliged to defer our Reflections on the WAR, and on other important subjects to our following number, which we respectfully inform our readers will be the concluding number of the ninth, and LAST volume of the POLITICAL REVIEW. Harlow, June 28, 1811. B. F. THE MONTHLY MISCELLANY: FOR JUNE, 1811. SCARCE AND VALUABLE BOOKS. SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM'S ANATOMIZING OF HONESTY, AMBITION, AND FORTITUDE. [Written in the year 1590.] What it is directly that I will write, I know not. For, as my thoughts have never dwelt long enough upon one thing; and so my mind hath been filled with the imagination of things of a different nature: so there is a necessity that this offspring of so uncomposed a parent must be mishaped, answerable to the original from whence it is derived. Somewhat I am resolved to write, of some virtues, and some vices, and some indifferent things. For, knowing that a man's life is a perpetual action, which every moment is under one of these three heads; my imaginations have ever chiefly tended to find out the natures of these things, that I might, (as much as my frailty (the inseparable companion of man's nature) would give me leave) wear out this garment of my body, with as little inconvenience to my soul as I could, and play this game of conversation (in which every one as long as he lives makes one) with the reputation of a fair gamester, rather than a cunning one. And first I will write of honesty; not in its general sense (in which it comprehends all moral virtues) but in that particular in which (according to our phrase) it denominates an honest man. Honesty is a quiet passing over the days of a man's life, without doing injury to another man. VOL. IX. There is required in an honest man, not so much to do every thing as he would be done unto, as to forbear any thing that he would be content to suffer; for the essence of honesty consists in forbearing to do ill: And to good acts is a proper passion, and no essential part of honesty. As chastity as the honesty of women, so honesty is the chastity of men. Either of them once impaired is irrecoverable. For a woman that hath lost her virtue, may as easily recover it, as a man that hath once taken liberty of being a knave can be restored to the title of an honest man. For honesty doth not consist in the doing of one, or one thousand acts never so well; but in spinning out the delicate threads of life, though not exceeding fine, yet free from bracks, and stains. We do not call him an honest man, but a worthy man, that doeth brave eminent acts: But we give him the title of an honest man, of whom no man can truly report any ill. The most eminent part of honesty is truth, not in words (though that be necessarily required) but in the course of his life; in his profession of friendship; in his promise of rewards and benefits to those that depend upon him; and gratefully acknowledging those good turns that he receives from any man. The greatest opposite to honesty is falsehood; and as that is commonly waited upon with cunning and dissimulation, so is honesty with discretion and assurance. 2.0 It is true that custom makes some apparently false; some through impudence, and too much use; and other some for want of discretion, which if they had had, should have been employed in covering it. And there be some in whom (though it be impossible honesty should be a fault in society) their indiscreet managing of it, makes it holden for a thing that's merely a vice, a wonderful troublesome companion. An honest man is as near an aptitude to become a friend, as gold is to become coin: He will melt with good offices well done, and will easily take the stamp of true friendship; and having once taken it, though it may be bended and bruised, yet still will keep his stamp clean without rust or canker, and is not ashamed to be enclosed in it, but is contented to have all his glory seen through it only. greatest blessings of this world: All other contents reflect primarily upon the body; and please the soul only because they please some one or more senses. But those therefore only delight the senses, because the soul by discourse was first pleased with them. For in itself there is more music in a railing song, thrust upon a good air, than in the confused applause of the multitude. But because the soul, by discourse, finds this clamour to be an argument of the estimation which those that so commend it have of it, it likes itself better, and rejoiceth the more in itself, because it sees other men value it. For there are two ways of proving; the one by reason, and the other by witness; but the more excellent proof is that of reason: For he that can by reason prove any thing to me makes his knowledge mine, because by the same reason Į am able to prove it to another; but if twenty men should swear to me they saw such a thing, which before I did not believe; it is true, I should alter mine opinion, not because there appeared any greater likelihood of the thing; but because it was unlikely that so many men should lie: And if I should go about to make o It is of itself a competent estate of virtue, able to supply all necessary parts of it to a man's own particular; and and a man that is born to it, may raise himself to an eminency of all virtues; though of itself it will not furnish a man with the abilities of doing any glorious thing. It is a pity that honesty should be abstracted from the lustre of all others of the same opinion, I should ther virtues. But if there be such an honesty, the fittest seat for it is the country, where there will be lit tle need of any greater ability, and it will be the least subject to corruption. And therefore, since it is the foundation upon which a man. may build that part of his life which respects conversation, he that builds upon it (let his actions be never so mean) shall be sure of a good, though not of a great reputation; whereas letting it perish, let the rest of the building of his life be never so eminent, it will serve but to make the ruin of his good name more no torious. Of AMBITION. not do it, by telling them I knoə it, or I saw it; but all I could say were, I did believe it, because such and such men told me they saw it. So in the comfort a man takes of himself (which grows out of the conŝideration of how much itself deserves to be beloved) a virtuous and wise fellow will take enough comfort and joy in himself (though by misfortune he is troubled to carry about him the worlds ill opinion) by dis. coursing that he is free from those slanders that are laid upon him, and that he hath those sufficiencies and virtues, which others deny. And on the contrary side, he without deserving it (having the good fortune to be esteemed and honoured) will easily be drawn to have a good opinion of himself; as, out of modesty, submitting his own reason to the testimony of many witnesses. Ambition, in itself is no fault: but the most natural commendation of the soul, as beauty is of the body. It is in men, as beauty is in women. For, as to be naturally exceeding handsome is the greatest commendation of that sex, and that for which they most desire to be commended so that ambition by which men desire honour the natural way (which consists in doing honourable and good acts) is the root of the most perfect commendation that at moral man is capable of. Those only offend in their ambition, who, out of the earthliness of their minds dare not aspire to that true honour which is the estimation of a man, being as it were the temple wherein virtue is inshrined; and therefore settle their minds only upon attaining titles and power; which at the first were, or at least should be the mark whereby to distinguish men according to the rate of their virtues and sufficiencies; but are now only arguments of a man's good furtune, and effects of the prince's favour. It is true that power is a brave addition to a worthy man; but a fool, or a knave that is powerful, hath (according to the degree of his power) just that advantage of a virtuous prudent man, that Adam, before he fell, had of the angels that stood; an ability to do more ill. As for titles (which at first were the marks of power, and the rewards of virtue) they are now (according to their name) but like the titles of books, which (for the most part) the more glorious things they promise, let a man narrowly peruse them over, the less substance he shall find in them. And the wooden Lord is like the Logg that Jupiter gave the frogs to be their king; it makes a great noise; it prepares an expectation of great matter; but when they ̈ once perceived it unactive, and senselessly lying still, the wiser sort of frogs began to despise it, and (in fine) every young frogling presumed to leap up and down upon it. Some few there are, who (lest the species of our ancient worthy lords should be lost) do preserve in themselves the will and desire, since they want the means, to do brave and! worthy acts. And therefore I say, let a man by doing worthy acts de-i serve honour, and though he do not attain it, yet he is much a happier! man than he that gets it without desert. For such a man is beforehand with reputation; and the world still owes him that honour which his deserts cry for, and it hath not paid: Whereas that man that hath a great reputation, without deserving it, is behind hand with the world; and his honour is but lent, not paid; and when the world comes to take accompt of its applause, and finds his title of merit (by which he pretends to it) weak and broken, it will recal its approbation, and leave him by so much the more a notorious bankrupt in his good name, by how much the estimation of his wealth that way was the greater. Of FORTITUDE. For a man to be completely happy there is required the perfection of all moral virtues; and yet this is not enough, for virtues do rather banish misfortunes, and but shew us joy, than establish felicity, which is not only an utter alienation from all affliction, but an absolute fulness of joy. And since the soul of man is infinitely more excellent than any thing else it can meet withal in this world, nothing upon earth can satisfy it, but in the enjoying the greatest abundance of all delights that the most nimble witted man can frame to himself; for that his soul will still have a further desire, as unsatisfied with that it enjoys. Therefore the perfection of happi It is true that custom makes some apparently false; some through impudence, and too much use; and other some for want of discretion, which if they had had, should have been employed in covering it. And there be some in whom (though it be impossible honesty should be a fault in society) their indiscreet managing of it, makes it holden for a thing that's merely a vice, a wonderful troublesome companion. women. species of our ancient worthy lords be that gets it without de An honest man is as near an aptitude to become a friend, as gold is to become coin: He will melt with good offices well done, and will easily take the stamp of true frien ship; and having once taken though it may be bended and bry, yet still will keep his stamp without rust or canker, an ashamed to be enclosed in contented to have all his through it only. It is of itself a cor of virtue, able to sr sary parts of it to ticular; and and to it, may rais nency of all v it will not abilities of It is a p abstrac ther an th t' T mole ot and the world w a man is brion band pain, occasion the outward want, as hunger delightful, at least FRANCIS WALSINGHAM. THE IDEA OF A PATRIOT KING. Br LORD BOLINGBROKE. [First published, 1758.] disputation. In use, therefore, as in all those of great concernment, the shortest Now he who does so in this case, will discover soon, that the notions concerning the divine institution and right of kings, as well as the absolute My intention is not to intro- power belonging to their office, have duce what I have to say concerning no foundation in fact or reason, but the duties of kings, by any nice inquiry into the original of their insti tution. What is to be known of it will appear plainly enough, to such as are able and can spare time to trace it, in the broken traditions which are come down to us of a few nations. But those who are not able to trace it there, may trace something better and more worthy to be known, in their own thoughts: have risen from an old alliance be- |