Robin Hood fociety, or to be propounded for folution among the ænigmas in the Woman's Almanack for the next year.

Monday, July 1. This day Mr. Welch took his leave of me after dinner, as did a young lady of her fitter, who was proceeding with my wife to Lifbon. They both fet out together in a port chaife for London.

my

Soon after their departure, our cabin, where wife and I were fitting together, was vifited by two ruffians, whofe appearance greatly cor refponded with that of the theriff's, or rather the knight marshal's bailiffs. One of thefe, efpecially, who feemed to affect a more than ordinary degree of rudenefs and infolence, came in without any kind of ceremony, with a broad gold lace on his hat, which was cocked with much military fiercenefs on his head. An inkhorn at his button-hole, and fome papers in his hand, fufficiently affured me what he was, and I asked him if he and his companion were not customhoufe officers; he answered with fufficient dignity, that they were, as an information which he feemed to conclude would ftrike the hearer with awe, and suppress all further inquiry; but, on the contrary I proceeded to afk of what rank he was in the Cuftom-house, and receiving an an fwer from his companion, as I remember, that the gentleman was a riding furveyor; I replied that he might be a riding furveyor, but could be no gentleman, for that none who had any title to that denomination, would break into the prefence of a lady, without any apology, or even moving his hat. He then took his covering from his head, and laid it on the table, saying, he C

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afked pardon, and blamed the mate, who should, he faid, have informed him if any perfons of dil tinction were below. I told him, he might guefs by our appearance (which, perhaps, was rather more than could be faid with the ftricteft adherence to truth) that he was before a gentleman and lady, which should teach him to be very civil in his behaviour, though we should not happen to be of that number whom the world calls people of fashion and diftinction. However, I faid, that as he feemed fenfible of his error, and had asked pardon, the lady would permit him to This he reput his hat on again, if he chose it. fufed with fome degree of furlinefs, and failed not to convince me that, if I fhould condefcend to become more gentle, he would foon grow more rude.

I now renewed a reflection, which I have often feen occafion to make, that there is nothing fo incongruous in nature as any kind of power, with lownefs of mind and of ability; and that there is nothing more deplorable than the want of truth in the whimsical notion of Plato, who tells us that "Saturn, well knowing the ftate of human affairs, gave us kings and rulers, not of human, but divine original: for as we make not thepherds of sheep, nor oxherds of oxen, " nor goatherds of goats; but place fome of our • own kind over all, as being better and fitter to govern them. in the fame manner were demons, by the Divine Love, fet over us, as a race of beings of a fuperior order to men; and who with great eafe to themselves, might regulate our affairs, and establish peace, modefty, freedom and juftice; and totally de* ftroying all fedition, might complete the hap

pinefs of the human race. So far, at least, may • even now be faid with truth, that in all ftates ⚫ which are under the government of mere man, without any divine affiftance, there is nothing but labour and mifery to be found. From what I have faid, therefore, we may at least learn, • with our utmost endeavours to imitate the Sa• turnian institution; borrowing all assistance • from our immortal part, while we pay to this the ftricteft obedience, we fhould form both • our private economy, and public policy, from its dictates. By this difpenfation of our immortal minds, we are to establish a law, and to call it by that name. But if any govern⚫ment be in the hands of a single perfon, of the few, or of the many; and fuch governor or 6. governors fhall abandon himself or themfelves to the unbridled purfuit of the wildeft pleafures or defires, unable to reftrain any paffion, • but poffeffed with an insatiable bad disease; if fuch fhall attempt to govern, and at the fame time to trample on all laws, there can be no • means of prefervation left for the wretched • people.' Plato de Leg. lib. 4. p. 713. 6. 7346

edit. Serrani.

It is true that Plato is here treating of the higheft or fovereign power in a state; but it is as true, that his obfervations are general, and may be applied to all inferior powers: and, indeed, every fubordinate degree is immediately derived from the higheft; and as it is equally protected by the fame force, and fanctified by the fame authority, is alike dangerous to the wellbeing of the subject.

Of all powers, perhaps, there is none fo fanc

tified and protected, as this which is under our prefent confideration. So numerous, indeed, and ftrong are the fanctions given to it by many acts of parliament, that having once established the laws of cuttoms on merchandize, it seems to have been the fole view of the legislature to strengthen the hands, and to protect the perfons of the officers, who became established by those laws; many of whom are fo far from bearing any refemblance to the Saturnian inftitution, and to be chofen from a degree of beings fuperior to the reft of human race, that they fometimes feem industriously picked out of the lowest and vilest orders of mankind.

There is, indeed, nothing so useful to man in general, nor fo beneficial to particular focieties and individuals, as trade. This is that alma mater, at whofe plentiful breat all mankind are nourished. It is true, like other parents, she is not always equally indulgent to all her children; but though the gives to her favourites a vaft proportion of redundancy and fuperfluity, there are very few whom the refufes to fupply with the conveniencies, and none with the neceffaries of life.

Such a benefactrefs as this must naturally be beloved by mankind in general; it would be wonderful, therefore, if her intereft was not confidered by them, and protected from the fraud and violence of fome of her rebellious offspring, who coveting more than their fhare, or more than the thinks proper to allow them, are daily employed in meditating mifchief against her, and endeavouring to steal from their brethren those shares which this great alma mater had allowed them.

At length our governor came on board, and

about fix in the evening we weighed anchor and fell down to the Nore, whither our paffage was. extremely pleafant, the evening being very de lightful, the moon juft paft the full, and both wind and tide favourable to us.

Tuesday, July 2. This morning we again fet fail, under all the advantages we had enjoyed the evening before: this day we left the shore of Ef. fex, and coafted along Kent, paffing by the pleafant ifland of Thanet, which is an ifland, and that of Sheppy, which is not an ifland; and about three o'clock, the wind being now full in our teeth, we came to an anchor in the Downs, within two miles of Deal. My wife having fuffered intolerable pain from her tooth, again re newed her refolution of having it drawn, and another furgeon was fent for from Deal, but with no better fuccefs than the former. He likewife declined the operation, for the fame reason which had been affigned by the former: however, fuch was her refolution, backed with pain, that he was obliged to make the attempt, which concluded more in honour of his judgment, than of his operation; for after having put my poor wife to inexpreflible torment, he was obliged to leave her tooth in ftatu quo; and the had now the comfortable profpect of a long fit of pain, which might have lasted her the whole voyage, without any poffibility of relief.

In thefe pleafing fenfations, of which I had my just share, nature, overcome with fatigue, about eight in the evening refigned her to reft; a circumstance which would have given me fome happiness, could I have known how to employ thofe fpirits which were raised by it; but unfor

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