It

mafter in the science, it might be applied, to chear the miferable, to relieve the oppreffed, to affift the manly adventurer, to advance fcience, and to encourage art. A rich man, guided by the genuine principles of virtue, would be munificent, though not with that fpurious munificence that has fo often ufurped the name. may however almost be doubted whether the conduct of the mifer, who wholly abftains from the use of riches, be not more advantageous to mankind, than the conduct of the man who, with honourable intentions, is continually mifapplying his wealth to what he calls public benefits and charitable uses.

It deferves to be remarked that the prejudice and folly of the world has frequently bestowed the epithet of mifer upon a man, merely for the parfimony and fimplicity of his ftyle of living, who has been found, whenever a real and unquestionable occafion occurred, to be actuated by the best charities and the moft liberal spirit in his treatment of others. Such a man might anfwer his calumniators in the words of Louis the twelfth of France, I had rather my countrymen fhould laugh at my parfimony, than weep for my injuftice and oppreffion.

This fpeculation upon the comparative merits of avarice and profufion, may perhaps be found

to be of greater importance than at first fight might be imagined. It includes in it the first principles of morality, and of justice between man and man. It ftrikes at the root of a deception that has long been continued, and long proved a curfe to all the civilifed nations of the earth. It tends to familiarife the mind to thofe ftrict and severe principles of judging, without which our energy, as well as our usefulness, will lie in a very narrow compafs. It contains the germs of a code of political science, and may perhaps be found intimately connected with the extenfive diffufion of liberty and happiness.

ESSAY

It

mafter in the fcience, it might be applied, to chear the miserable, to relieve the oppreffed, to affift the manly adventurer, to advance fcience, and to encourage art. A rich man, guided by the genuine principles of virtue, would be munificent, though not with that fpurious munificence that has fo often ufurped the name. may however almost be doubted whether the conduct of the mifer, who wholly abftains from the use of riches, be not more advantageous to mankind, than the conduct of the man who, with honourable intentions, is continually mifapplying his wealth to what he calls public benefits and charitable uses.

It deferves to be remarked that the prejudice and folly of the world has frequently bestowed the epithet of mifer upon a man, merely for the parfimony and fimplicity of his ftyle of living, who has been found, whenever a real and unqueftionable occafion occurred, to be actuated by the best charities and the most liberal spirit in his treatment of others. Such a man might anfwer his calumniators in the words of Louis the twelfth of France, I had rather my countrymen fhould laugh at my parfimony, than weep for my injuftice and oppreffion.

This fpeculation upon the comparative merits of avarice and profufion, may perhaps be found

to be of greater importance than at first fight might be imagined. It includes in it the first principles of morality, and of justice between man and man. It firikes at the root of a deception that has long been continued, and long proved a curse to all the civilised nations of the earth. It tends to familiarife the mind to those ftrict and fevere principles of judging, without which our energy, as well as our usefulness, will lie in a very narrow compafs. It contains the germs of a code of political fcience, and may perhaps be found intimately connected with the extenfive diffufion of liberty and happiness.

ESSAY

Yet there are men that do honour to our nature, who regard it as a duty to conduct themfelves in this manner.

Riches is a relative term. Many men who are enabled to maintain an appearance of eafe and comfort, and have fomething to spare, if they have daily occafion to traverse the streets of this metropolis, would find their purse exhausted, and themselves unable to fupport the drain, if they were to give, to every beggar they met, no more than the precife fum which custom has taught him to demand. The richeft nobleman would find a liberal relief of common beggars amount to fo ferious a fum, as would oblige him, if he were prudent and confcientious, to confider maturely whether this were the most useful mode in which it could be expended. It was the multiplicity of common beggars, that first taught men at eafe in their circumstances to hefitate respecting the propriety of indifcriminately relieving them.

Another circumftance which was calculated to fuggeft doubts, is the impudence and impor tunity which are frequently practifed by those who purfue the trade of a common beggar. It is fufficiently evident refpecting many that infef the fireets of London, that they depend upon