lowing refolution: all have been related by writers of the greatest talents, and are univerfally known.. Upon the before-mentioned principles of the Whigs was founded the interefting event which placed William on the throne; upon those principles has the prefent happy establishment been defended by the belt and ableft friends of the Constitution; upon no other can the rectitude of both be poffibly fupported. The maxims of the law of England will be found too tubborn to give way to the fpeculations of theorists, however ingenious or refpectable. How amuling is it to contemplate the viciffitudes of thofe parties, which, under different forms, muft ever exift, while freedom animates the whole. How frequently do they infenfibly change their principles, and imperceptibly take the place of cach other. All in their turns have employed force to fupport their fentiments, when they have found their reafonings and intrigues unfuccefsful. Hence the various infurrections, whether denominated rebellion or refistance, which have disturbed the repofe of the State, from the Revolution to the prefent day, have been uniformly directed against the conftitutional authority of the Legislature before-mentioned, against the principles of the Whigs of 1680. Meanwhile, a new fet of men have arifen, who, adopting the fentiments of the Tories, though with very different views, have inferred: That, though a King of England may be bound, though the defcent of the crown may be limited by Parliament, yet, that English fubjets, living within the boundaries of the empire, claiming rights from English laws, are exempted from the authority of the English legislature.' Had the Author condefcended to confult the writings of the Whigs, either of the period of which he is here treating, or of the prefent times, he would have found them incapable of the inconfiftencies with which he charges them; he would have found it to be their invariable principle, that the original fource of all power, and all law, refides in the Majefty of the People; and that all governors, by whatever names they are distinguished, are in reality the delegates, and (craving pardon of those courtly gentlemen who have of late been fo much offended by the word) we will add, the fervants of the People, and ACCOUNTABLE to their mafters for the important trust committed to them. It is folely on this principle of the Supremacy of the People, and on the fuppofition that their pleasure was expreffed in the voice of the Parliament which changed the fucceffion of the Crown at the Revolution, that this great tranfaction can be juftified. However trite the maxim, while there is on earth a prince, minifter, or fenator, who forgets it, let not the friends of mankind ceafe to repeat, Salus Populi eft fuprema lex. [To be concluded in our next ] ART ART. XII. Speculation; or, a Defence of Mankind: A Poem. 4to. 2 s. 6 d. Printed for the Author, and fold by Dodsley. 1780. Ta time when the rancour of party animofity feems in a A great meature to have nonopolized the pen of fatire, it Α is with no flight degree of fatisfaction that we find this sportive bard once more invoking the Mufe of Humour to laugh the vices and foibles of mankind out of countenance. And yet, if we may judge from the opening of his poem, he does not appear to have met, in his own eftimation at least, with that treatment from the world to which his inoffenfive reprehenfion of its vices ought to have entitled him: Ah me! what fpleen, revenge, and hate Thofe reprobated bards await, The follies of the human race! Howe'er by nature they're inclin'd Make manners, and not men, their game, Are civil friends, and latent foes. And wilt thou then, dear Mufe, once more The fcribbler's jeft, and coxcomb's fneer? Thou art a harden'd finner grown, Nor all the criticising race Can move one mufcle of thy face. But if fome man for tafte renown'd, Of knowledge deep, and judgment found, And letters patent has affign'd Some Some devious path thou should'ft explore, Were gather'd by that grand importer, Like this poor word, call'd SPECULATION.' After giving a definition of the term according to its primitime acceptation, he proceeds to point out its prefent mifapplication and abuse: Whatever wild fantastic dreams Give birth to man's outrageous schemes, To virtue, honesty, or sense, Whate'er the wretched bafely dare Fraud, luxury, or diffipation, Affumes the name of-SPECULATION.' Of these speculators, who form, under the pencil of this admirable artist, a groupe truly grotesque, the Bull is not the leaft humorous: Oh! how PYTHAGORAS would wonder! And JUPITER prepare his thunder! The The hally fpoufe of JUNO faw With beard prolix, and famish'd jaw, Dare to tranfmigrate, and become To ferve him like that PHRYGIAN dunce, Whole touch turn'd every thing to gold? To raife the ftocks, and mend their price, To furnish us with new allies, With peace how often to regale us— Ch! treacherous BULL, from hell deriv'd, Thou, that for curfed gold can't find And feed a nation's hopes in vain, To fell thy bargain out again!' In the fame file of painting are the Bear and the Lame Duck. But, perhaps, the moft exquifite picture in the whole piece is the Birth of the Taxes. But turn, my gentle Mufe, nor deign The groaning of their much-lov'd friend, For me, I must acknowledge fairly, I vifit at her house but rarely, She always has fo large a crowd Of well bred men, who talk so loud, The twenty fifth day of November laf, at which time this poem was written. Yet Yet do I feel most truly for her, 'Tis now, as the herself has reckon'd, Five months, and upwards, fince the quicken'd, Is waiting to be brought to bed; Poor foul! what forrow and vexation She fuff'red through the whole gestation! The thought of her approaching pains; And most of them turn'd out so bad, Kept fuch a prodigal retinue, Such fymptoms make her friends begin Then fay, Oh! fay, ye learned leeches, Say, |