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lofty Epic; from the slightest letter to the moft folemn discourse.

I KNOW not whether Sir William Temple may not be confidered as the first of our profe authors, who introduced a graceful manner into our language: at least that quality does not seem to have appeared early, or fpread far, amongst us. But wherefoever we may look for its origin, it is certainly to be found in its highest perfection in the effays of a gentleman whose writings will be diftinguished fo long as politeness and good-fenfe have any admirers. That becoming air which Tully esteemed the criterion of fine compofition, and which every reader, he says, imagines so easy to be imitated, yet will find fo difficult to attain; is the prevailing characteristic of all that excellent author's most elegant performances. In a word, one may juftly apply to him what Plato, in his allegorical language, fays of Ariftophanes; that the Graces having searched all the world round for a temple wherein they might for ever dwell, settled at laft in the breaft of Mr. Addison. Adieu.

LET

C

LETTER XXX.

To CLYTANDER.

AN it then be true, Clytander, af

ter all the fine things which have been faid concerning the love of our Country, that it owes its rife to the principles you mention, and was originally propagated among mankind in order to cheat them into the service of the community? And is it thus, at last, that the moft generous of the human paffions, instead of bearing the facred fignature of nature, can produce no higher marks of its legitimacy than the sufpicious imprefs of art? The Question is worth, at least, a few thoughts; and I will juft run over the principal objections in your letter, without drawing them up, however, in a regular form.

THAT the true happiness of the individual cannot arise from the fingle exercise of the mere selfish principles, is evident, I think, above all reasonable contradiction. If a man would thoroughly enjoy his own being, he must of neceffity look beyond it; his private fatisfactions always encreasing in

the

the fame proportion with which he promotes those of others. Thus felf-interest, if rightly directed, flows thro the nearer charities of relations, friends, and dependents, till it rifes and dilates itself into general benevolence. But if every addition which we make to the welfare of others, be really an advancement of our own; the love of our country muft neceffarily, upon a principle of self-intereft, be a paffion founded in the ftricteft reafon : because it is a difpofition pregnant with the greatest poffible good, which the limited powers of man are capable of producing. Benevolence, therefore, points to our country, as to her only adequate mark: whatever falls short of that glorious end, is too small for her full gratification; and all beyond is too immense for her grafp.

THUS Our country appears to have a claim to our affection, as it has a correfpondent paffion in the human breast: a pasfion, not raised by the artifices of policy, or propagated by the infection of enthufiafm, but neceffarily refulting from the original conftitution of our fpecies, and conducive to the highest private advantage of

each

each individual. When Curtius, therefore, or the two Decii, facrificed their lives, in order to rescue their community from the calamities with which it was threatened; they were by no means impelled (as you seemed to represent them) by a political phrenzy, but acted on the most folid and rational principles. The method, they pursued for that purpose, was dictated, I confess, by the most abfurd and groundless fuperstition: yet while the impreffion of that national belief remained ftrong upon their minds, and they were thoroughly persuaded, that falling in the manner we are affured they did, was the only effectual means of preferving their country from ruin; they took the most rational measures of confulting their private happiness, by thus confenting to become the public victims. Could it even be admitted (what, with any degree of probability, never, indeed, can be admitted) that these glorious heroes confidered fame as the vaineft of fhadows, and had no hopes of an after-life in any other fcene of exiftence; ftill however their conduct might be juftified as perfectly wife. For, furely, to a mind that was not wholly immerfed

immersed in the lowest dregs of the most contracted selfishness; that had not totally extinguished every generous and focial affection; the thoughts of having preferred a mere joyless existence (for fuch it must have been) to the fuppofed preservation of numbers of one's fellow creatures, must have proved far more painful than a thousand deaths.

I CANNOT, however, but agree with you, that this affection was productive of infinite mischief to mankind, as it broke out among the Romans, in the impious spirit of their unjust conquests. But it should be remembred, at the fame time, that it is the ufual artifice of ambition, to mask herself in the semblance of patriotism. And it can be no just objection to the nobleft of the focial paffions, that it is capable of being inflamed beyond its natural heat, and turned, by the arts of policy, to promote those destructive purposes, which it was originally implanted to prevent.

THIS zeal for our country may, indeed, become irrational, not only when it thus pufhes us on to act counter to the natural rights of any other community; but like

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