Fashion and diftinction. However, I faid, that as he seemed fenfible of his error, and had asked pardon, the lady would permit him to put his hat on again, if he chofe it. This he refufed 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 state of human affairs, gave us kings and rulers, not of human, but divine original: for as we make not fhepherds 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, modefly, freedom and juftice. And totally destroying all fedition, might

、

.

com

complete the happiness 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 leaft learn, with our utmost endeavours, to imitate the Saturnian inftitution; borrowing all • affiftance from our immortal part, while we pay to this the ftricteft obedience, we fhould form both our private œconomy, and public policy, from its dictates. By this difpenfation of our im • mortal minds, we are to establish a law, and to call it by that name. But if any ' government be in the hands of a fingle perfon, of the few, or of the many; and fuch governor or governors shall abandon himself or themselves to the unbridled purfuit of the wildeft pleafures or defires, unable to restrain any paffion, but poffeffed with an infatiable • bad disease, if fuch fhall attempt to govern; and at the fame time to trample on all laws, there can be no means of preservation left for the wretched people,' Plato de Leg. lib 4. p. 713. c. 714. edit. Serrani.

2

IT

Ir 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 fubject.

Of all powers, perhaps, there is none fo fanctified 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 customs on merchandize, it seems to have been the fole view of the legiflature to strengthen the hands, and to protect the perfons of the officers, who became established by thofe laws; many of whom are fo far from bearing any refemblance to the Saturnian inftitution, and to be chosen from a degree of beings fuperior to the rest of human race, that they fometimes feem induftriously picked out of the lowest and vileft orders of mankind.

THERE is, indeed, nothing so useful to
E

man

man in general, nor fo beneficial to particular focieties and individuals, as trade. This is that alma mater, at whofe plentiful breast all mankind are nourished. It is true, like other parents, fhe is not always equally indulgent to all her children; but tho' fhe gives to her favourites a vast proportion of redundancy and fuperfluity, there are very few whom the refuses to fupply with the conveniencies, and none with the neceffaries of life.

SUCH a benefactress 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 fhe thinks proper to allow them, are daily employed in meditating mifchief againft her, and in endeavouring to fteal from their brethren thofe fhares which this great alma mater had allowed them.

Ar 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 pleasant, the evening being very delightful, the moon

just

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 enjoy'd the evening before: this day we left the fhore of Effex, and coafted along Kent, paffing by the pleasant island 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 renewed her refolution of having it drawn, and another furgeon was fent for from Deal, but with no better fuccefs than the former. He like. wife declined the operation, for the fame reafon which had been affigned by the former however, fuch was her resolution, 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 inexpreffible torment, he was obliged to leave her tooth in ftatu quo; and fhe had now the comfortable profpect of a long fit of pain, which might have lafted. E 2 her