great houfe, accepted of an invitation from POVERTY, one of the tenants, and entering the cottage, found Wisdom and Virtue, who, being repulfed by the landlord, had retired thither. Virtue took compaffion of her, and Wisdom found from her temper that the would eafily improve: fo they admitted her into their fociety. Accordingly, by their means, the altered in a little time fomewhat of her manner, and becoming much more amiable and engaging, was now called by the name of MODESTY. As ill company has a greater effect than good, Confidence, tho' more refractory to counfel and example, degenerated fo far by the fociety of Vice and Folly, as to pafs by the name of IMPUDENCE. Mankind, who faw thefe focieties as Jupiter firft joined them, and knowing nothing of thefe mutual defertions, are led into ftrange miftakes by those means; and wherever they fee Impudence, make account of Virtue and Wifdom; and wherever they obferve Mo defty, call her attendants Vice and Folly.

CIN

Filial Affection.

INNA, the Roman Conful, who fcrupled no attempt, how villainous foever, which could ferve his purpose, undertook to get Pomponius Strabo murdered in his tent; but his fon faved his life, which was the first remarkable action of Pompey the Great. The treacherous Cinna, by many alluring promises, had gained over one Terentius, a confidante of Pompey's, to his intereft, and prevailed on him to affaffinate the general, and feduce his troops. Young Pompey being informed of this defign a few hours before it was to be put in execution, placed a faithful guard round the prætorium; so that none of the confpirators could come near it. He then watched all the motions of the camp, and endeavoured to appease the fury of the foldiers, who hated the general his father, by fuch acts of prudence, as were worthy of the oldest commanders.However, fome of the mutineers having forced open one of the gates of the camp, in order to defert to Cinna, the general's fon threw himself flat on his back in their way, crying out, that they should not break their oath, and defert their commander, without treading his body to death. By this means he put a stop to their desertion, and afterwards wrought fo effectually upon them by his affecting speeches and engaging carriage, that he reconciled them to his father.

On

On the Folly and Wickedness of War.

THE

HE calamities attendant on a ftate of war feem to have prevented the mind of man from viewing it in the light of an absurdity, and an object of ridicule as well as pity. But if we could fuppofe a fuperior Being capable of beholding us, miferable mortals, without compaffion, there is, I think, very little doubt but the variety of military manoeuvres and formalities, the pride, pomp, and circumftance of war, and all the ingenious contrivances for the glorious purposes of mutual deftruction, which feem to conftitute the business of many whole kingdoms, would furnish him with an entertainment like that which is received by us from the exhibition of a farce or puppet-show. But, notwithstanding the ridiculoufnefs of all these folemnities, we alas! are doomed to feel that they are no farce, but the concomitant circumstances of a moft woeful tragedy.

The causes of war are for the most part fuch as muft disgrace an animal pretending to rationality. Two poor mortals, elevated with the distinction of a golden bauble on their heads called a crown, take offence at each other, without any reafon, or with the very bad one of wishing for an opportunity of aggrandizing themselves, by making reciprocal depredations. The creatures of the court, and the leading men of the nation, who are usually under the influence of the court, refolve (for it is their intereft) to support their royal master, and are never at a loss to invent fome colourable pretence for engaging the nation in the horrors of war. Taxes of the most burthenfome kind are levied, foldiers are collected fo as to leave a paucity of husbandmen, reviews and encampments fucceed, and at last fifteen or twenty thousand men meet on a plain, and coolly shed each others blood, without the smallest personal animofity, or the shadow of a provocation. The kings, in the mean time, and the grandees, who have employed these poor

innocent

innocent victims to fhoot bullets at each other's heads, remain quietly at home, and amuse themselves, in the intervals of balls, hunting schemes, and pleasures of every species, with reading at the fire fide, over a cup of chocolate, the difpatches from the army, and the news in the Extraordinary Gazette. Old Horace very truly obferves, that whatever mad frolics enter into the heads of kings, it is the common people, that is, the honest artisan, and the induftrious tribes in the middle ranks, anoffended and unoffending, who chiefly suffer in the evil confequences. If the king of Pruffia were not at the head of some of the best troops in the universe, he would be judged more worthy of being tried, caft, and condemned at the Old Bailey, than any fhedder of blood who ever died by a halter. But he is a king; but he is a hero;-thofe names fascinate us, and we enrol the butcher of mankind among their benefactors.

When one confiders the dreadful circumstances that attend even victories, one cannot help being a little fhocked at the exultation which they occafion. I have often thought it a laughable scene, if there were not a little too much of the melancholy in it, when a circle of eager politicians have met to congratulate each other on what is called a piece of good news just arrived.Every eye sparkles with delight; every voice is raised in announcing the happy event. And what is the caufe of all this joy? and for what are our windows illumi nated, bonfires kindled, bells rung, and feasts celebrated? We have had a fuccefsful engagement. We have left a thousand of the enemy dead on the field of battle, and only nine hundred of our countrymen. Charming news! it was a glorious battle! But before you give a loose to your raptures, paufe a while; and confider, that to every one of these nineteen hundred, life was no lefs fweet than it is to you; that to the far greater part of them there probably were wives, fathers, mothers, fons, daughters, fifters, brothers, and friends, all of whom are at this moment bewailing that event which occafions your foolish and brutal triumph.

The

The whole time of war ought to be a time of general mourning, a mourning in the heart, a mourning much more fincere than on the death of one of those princes whofe curfed ambition is often the fole cause of war. Indeed that a whole people should tamely submit to the evils of war, because it is the will of a few vain, selfish, ignorant, though exalted, individuals, is a phenomenon almost unaccountable. But they are led away by falfe glory, by their paffions, by their vices. They refle& not; and indeed, if they did reflect, and oppofe, what would avail the oppofition of unarmed myriads to the mandate of a government supported by a standing army? Many of the European nations are entirely military; war is their trade; and when they have no employment at home, or near it, they blush not to let themselves out to fhed any blood, in any cause of the best paymaster. Ye beafts of the foreft, no longer allow that man is your fuperior, while there is found on the face of the earth fuch degeneracy!

Morality and religion forbid war in its motives, conduct, and confequences; but to many rulers and potentates, morality and religion appear as the inventions of politicians to facilitate fubordination. The principal objects of crowned heads, and their minions, are the extenfion of empire, the augmentation of a revenue, or the annihilation of their fubjects' liberty. Their reftraints in the purfuit of thefe objects are not those of morality and religion; but folely reafons of ftate, and political caution. Plaufible words are used, but they are only used to hide the deformity of the real principles. Wherever war is deemed defirable in an interefted view, a fpecious pretext never yet remained unfound. Morality is as little confidered in the beginning, as in the prosecution of war. The moft folemn treaties and engagements are violated by the governing part of the nation, with no more scruple than oaths and bonds are broken by a cheat and a villain in the walks of private life. Does the difference of rank and fituation make any difference in the atrocity of crimes? If Y

any,