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ADVERTISEMENT.

DURING the administration that prosecuted the unhappy war with America, all who had the virtue and courage to avow sound principles of civil government, were reproached with want of loyalty to the crown, and respect for government, and the struggles of liberty were called by many an ignoble soul, inflammatory, republican, and seditious. The nation was oppressed by principals, and insulted by their tools. The virtue of adversity is resolute firmness; the friends of freedom knew it, and gloriously persevered till they obtained the prize. To support the present excellent administration, to prevent the return of such distracted times, to disseminate safe political principles, to place publick happiness on its true base, PUBLIC POLITICAL VIRTUE, are duties of all good citi zens; and we humbly hope it will not be accounted presumption to endeavour to attract the attention of youth to this subject. This is the whole design

*

* Written at the time the late greatly lamented Marquis of Rockingham was at the head of publick affairs.

of the following essay: it is not a system of government, it is intended only to engage the British youth to study the subject in books professedly written for the purpose.

May the present happy revolution be the everlasting death of toryism, and the joyful resurrection of honest men!

The reader will suppose a youth just returned from school at the holiday vacation, and going to salute his father with his written piece in his hand.

March 1, 1784.

SATURDAY.

George. SIR, I do myself the honour to present my piece to you.

Parent. I am always happy, George, to see you improve. You have a list of long words here.

MYSTERIOUSNESS.

CONSTITUTION.

ADMINISTRATION.

REPRESENTATION.

TAXATION.

RESPONSIBILITY.

GENERALISSIMO.

AGGRANDIZEMENT.

EMIGRATION.

I hope your tutor has enabled you to understand the subjects intended by these words.

G. He has, sir, I wrote them myself, I can spell them, and I believe, I can turn each into latin.

P. Softly, my good boy, you say you can write, and spell, and translate-What? the words--but I inquired whether you understood the subjects intended to be expressed by these words. This is quite another thing. Words are pictures of ideas, and each word in your piece is a representation

of a great number of ideas. You will forgive me, if I suspect you want a little tuition on these articles, especially when I add, I shall be proud to instruct you.

G. Thank you, sir. When shall I have the honour to wait on you

?

P. Breakfast with me as many mornings as you have words in your piece. We will investigate one word, or rather one subject every morning, and by the end of the holidays you will be a politician.

G. Pardon me, sir, you have too much partiality for me. You were pleased to say a politician. Do these nine words contain a system of polity? How is it possible I should understand a system of government in ten days?

P. indeed I do not speak the mere language of affection. I protest it is the cool voice of my reason. Government, as well as every other science, beheld in the gross, resembles a loaded fruit tree in autumn: but as all the fruits, and foliage, and ramifications of the one, so all the departments of the other may be reduced to a few first principles, and these comprehended the whole is understood. G. Then Sir, in ten days I should be able to govern a kingdom

P. No such thing. You must distinguish between theory and practice. These subjects are general principles, absolutely necessary to practice; but cases and circumstances occur in practice, which require present, personal genius and

dexterity in the use and application of these principles. Cannot you make this distinction? G. I am trying, Sir.

P. Your brother James yesterday had a fit of the ague, and a fever followed,

G. He had, Sir.

P. Dr. Hyde was sent for.

G. He was, sir.

P. You were with him. What did the Doctor do?

G. He staid half an hour, and spent all the time in obtaining a clear notion of my brother's then present condition.

P. And when he came down stairs he sat down, and wrote a prescription, which the servant carried to the apothecary.

G. He did

P. Now do you not see in all this exactly what I mean by principle and practice in a science; as for instance by principles of physick, and the practice of these principles in actual healing?

G. I think I do, sir. Before Dr. Hyde came he perfectly understood anatomy, or the structure of the human body. Is anatomy what you call a medical principle, sir?

P. Certainly.

G. And is not the knowledge of drugs another principle, sir?

P. It is. Drugs and whatever else can be applied in the art of healing, physicians call the materia medica. Knowledge of solids and fluids, in short the construction of the human body-know

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