choly of Alexander, by telling him, that Justice was painted, as seated near the throne of Jupiter, to indicate that right and wrong depended on the will of kings; all whose actions ought to be accounted just, both by themselves and others.' 66 Compliments are not now absurd and extravagant, as when the most elegant of Roman poets invited his imperial master to pick out his own lodging among the constellations; nor, as when the bard of Pharsalia offered to the emperor his choice, either, of the sceptre of Jupiter, or the chariot of Apollo; modestly assuring him, that there was not a god in the pantheon, who would not yield his empire to him, and account it an honour to resign in his favour. This meritorious prince, so worthy to displace the gods, was Nero! who rewarded Lucan, not for his adulation, but for being a better poet than himself, with a violent death. "The smooth and obsequious Pliny improved on all anterior adulation. Not content with making his emperor the imitator, or the equal of deity, he makes him a pattern for it; protesting that needed to make no other prayers to the gods, than that they would continue to be as good and propitious lords to them as Trajan had been.' men "But the refined sycophant of modern days is more likely to hide the actual blemishes, and to veil the real faults of a Prince from himself, than to attribute to him incredible virtues, the ascription of which would be too gross to impose on his discernment. There will be more danger of a modern courtier imitating the delicacy of the ancient painter, who, being ordered to draw the portrait of a Prince who had but one eye, adopted the conciliating expedient of painting him in profile. "But if the modern flatterer be less gross, he will be, on that very account, the more dangerous. The refinement of his adulation prevents the object of it from putting himself on his guard. The Prince is led, perhaps, to conceive with self-complacency that he is hearing the language of truth, while he is only the dupe of a more accomplished flatterer. He should especially beware of mistaking freedom of manner, for frankness of sentiment; and of confounding the, artful familiarities of a designing favourite, with the honest simplicity of a disinterested friend. 66 Where, in our more correct day, is the courtier who would dare to add profaneness to flattery so far, as to declare, as was done by the greatest philosopher this country ever produced, in his letter to Prince Charles, that, as the father had been his creator, so he hoped the son would be his redeemer ?'* But what a noble contrast to this base and blasphemous servility in the Chancellor of James, does the conduct of the Chancellor of his grandson exhibit! The unbending rectitude of Clarendon not only disdained to flatter, in his private intercourse, a master to whom however his pen is always too partial, but it led him boldly and honestly to remonstrate against his flagitious conduct. A standing example for all times, to the servants and companions of Kings, he resolutely reproved his master to his face; while he thought it his duty to defend him, somewhat too strongly, indeed, to others. He boldly besought the King, 'not to believe that he had a prerogative to declare vice to be virtue.' And in one of the noblest speeches on record, in answer to a dishonourable request of the King, that he would visit some of His Majesty's infamous associates; he laid before him, with a lofty sincerity, the turpitude of a man in his dignified office, being obliged to countenance persons scandalous for their vices, for which, by the laws of God and man, they ought to be odious and exposed to the judgment of the church and state.'-In this * See Howell's Letters. instance superior to his great rival Sully, that no desire of pleasing the King, no consideration of expediency, could induce him to visit the royal mistresses, or to countenance the licentious favourites. "But the royal person whom we presume to advise, may, from the very circumstance of her sex, have more complicated dangers to resist; against which her mind should be early fortified. The dangers of adulation are doubled, when the female character is combined with the royal. Even the vigorous mind of the great Elizabeth did not guard her against the powerful assaults of the flattery paid to her person. That masculine spirit was as much the slave of the most egregious vanity, as the weakest of her sex could have been. All her admirable prudence and profound policy, could not preserve her from the childish and silly levity with which she greedily invited the compliments of the artful minister of her more beautiful rival. Even that gross instance of Melvil's extravagance enchanted her, when, as she was playing on Mary's favourite instrument, for the purpose of being overheard by him, the dissembling courtier affected to be so ravished by her skill, as to burst into her apartment, like an enraptured man, who had forgotten his reverence in his admiration. It was a curious combat in the great mind of Elizabeth, between the offended pride of the queen, and the gratified vanity of the woman; but Melvil knew his trade, in knowing human nature;-he calculated justly. The woman conquered. But, in our happier days, as subjects (it is presumed) indulge no such propensities, so, under our happier constitution, have they no such opportunities. Yet powerful, though gentler, and almost unapparent means, may be employed to weaken the virtue, and injure the fame of a prince.-To degrade his character, he need only be led into one vice, idleness; and be attacked by one weapon, flattery. Indiscriminate acquiescence, and soothing adulation, |