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fidence, as condemned by their principles to obfcurity and want, but as contemptible for narrowness of comprehenfion, fhortnefs of views, and flowness of contrivance.

The world has been long amufed with the mention of policy in publick transactions, and of art in private affairs; they have been confidered as the effects of great qualities, and as unattainable by men of the common level: yet I have not found many performances either of art or policy, that required such stupendous efforts of intellect, or might not have been effected by falfehood and impudence, without the affiftance of any other powers. To profess what he does not mean, to promife what he cannot perform, to flatter ambition with profpects of promotion, and mifery with hopes of relief, to footh pride with appearances of fubmiffion, and appeafe enmity by blandifhments and bribes, can furely imply nothing more or greater than a mind devoted wholly to its own purposes, a face that cannot blush, and a heart that cannot feel.

These practices are fo mean and bafe, that he whọ finds in himself no tendency to use them, cannot easily believe that they are confidered by others with lefs deteftation; he therefore fuffers himself to flumber in falfe fecurity, and becomes a prey to those who applaud their own fubtilty, because they know how to fteal upon his fleep, and exult in the fuccefs which they could never have obtained, had they not attempted a man better than themfelves, who was hindered from obviating their ftratagems, not by folly, but by innocence.

Sufpicion

Sufpicion is, indeed, a temper fo uneafy and restlefs, that it is very justly appointed the concomitant of guilt. It is faid, that no torture is equal to the inhibition of fleep long continued; a pain, to which the state of that man bears a very exact analogy, who dares never give reft to his vigilance and circumfpection, but confiders himself as furrounded by fecret foes, and fears to entrust his children, or his friend, with the fecret that throbs in his breast, and the anxieties that break into his face. To avoid, at this expence, thofe evils to which eafinefs and friendship might have expofed him, is furely to buy safety at too dear a rate, and in the language of the Roman fatirist, to save life by lofing all for which a wife man would live.

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When in the diet of the German empire, as Camerarius relates, the princes were once difplaying their felicity, and each boasting the advantages of his own dominions, one who poffeffed a country not remarkable for the grandeur of its cities, or the fertility of its foil, rofe to speak, and the reft liftened between pity and contempt, till he declared, in honour of his territories, that he could travel through them withont a guard, and if he was weary, fleep in fafety upon the lap of the firft man whom he fhould meet; a commendation which would have been ill exchanged for the boaft of palaces, paftures, or ftreams.

Sufpicion is not lefs an enemy to virtue than to happiness; he that is already corrupt is naturally fufpicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly be corrupt. It is too common for us to learn the frauds by which ourselves have fuffered; men who are once perfuaded that deceit will be employed E 2

against

against them, sometimes think the fame arts justified by the neceffity of defence. Even they whofe virtue is too well established to give way to example, or be fhaken by fophiftry, must yet feel their love of mankind diminished with their efteem, and grow lefs zealous for the happiness of thofe by whom they imagine their own happiness endangered.

Thus we find old age, upon which fufpicion has been strongly impreffed by long intercourfe with the world, inflexible and fevere, not easily foftened by submission, melted by complaint, or fubdued by fupplication. Frequent experience of counterfeited miferies, and diffembled virtue, in time overcomes that disposition to tenderness and fympathy, which is fo powerful in our younger years, and they that happen to petition the old for compaffion or affiftance, are doomed to languish without regard, and suffer for the crimes of men who have formerly been found undeferving or ungrateful.

Hiftorians are certainly chargeable with the depravation of mankind, when they relate without cenfure thofe ftratagems of war by which the virtues of an enemy are engaged to his destruction. A fhip comes before a port, weather-beaten and fhattered, and the crew implore the liberty of repairing their breaches, fupplying themselves with neceffaries, or burying their dead. The humanity of the inhabitants inclines them to confent, the ftrangers enter the town with weapons concealed, fall fuddenly upon their benefactors, destroy those that make refiftance, and become masters of the place; they return home rich with plunder, and their fuccefs is recorded to encou rage imitation.

But

But furely war has its laws, and ought to be conducted with fome regard to the univerfal interest of man. Those may justly be purfued as enemies to the community of nature, who fuffer hoftility to vacate the unalterable laws of right, and pursue their private advantage by means, which, if once established, muft destroy kindness, cut off from every man all hopes of affistance from another, and fill the world with perpetual fufpicion and implacable malevolence. Whatever is thus gained ought to be restored, and those who have conquered by fuch treachery may be justly denied the protection of their native country.

Whoever commits a fraud is guilty not only of the particular injury to him whom he deceives, but of the diminution of that confidence which conftitutes not only the ease but the existence of fociety. He that fuffers by impofture has too often his virtue more impaired than his fortune. But as it is neceffary not to invite robbery by fupineness, fo it is our duty not to fupprefs tenderness by fufpicion; it is better to fuffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be fometimes cheated than not to truft,

NUMB. 80. SATURDAY, December 22, 1750.

As

Vides ut alta ftet nive candidum
Soracte, nec jam fuftineant onus

Silva laborantes

Behold yon mountain's hoary height,

Made higher with new mounts of snow;

Again behold the winter's weight

Opprefs the lab'ring woods below.

HOR.

DRYDEN.

S providence has made the human soul an active being, always impatient for novelty, and struggling for fomething yet unenjoyed with unwearied progreffion, the world seems to have been eminently adapted to this difpofition of the mind; it is formed to raise expectations by conftant viciffitudes, and to obviate fatiety by perpetual change.

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Wherever we turn our eyes, we find fomething to revive our curiofity, and engage our attention. In the dusk of the morning we watch the rifing of the fun, and fee the day diverfify the clouds, and open new prospects in its gradual advance. After a few hours, we fee the fhades lengthen, and the light decline, till the fky is refigned to a multitude of shining orbs different from each other in magnitude and fplendour. The earth varies its appearance as we move upon it; the woods offer their fhades, and the fields their harvests; the hill flatters with an extensive view, and the valley invites with fhelter, fragrance, and flowers.

The poets have numbered among the felicities of the golden age, an exemption from the change of

feafons,

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