The advantages of a military education, such as that proposed, are not yet exhausted: one of confiderable importance remains to be unfolded. Under regular government promoting the arts of peace, focial intercourse refines, and fondness for company increases in proportion. And hence it is, that the capital is crouded with every person who can afford to live there. A man of fortune, who has no taste but for a city life, happens to be forc'd into the country by business: finding business and the country equally infipid, he becomes impatient, and returns to town, with a difguft at every rural amusement. In France, the country has been long deferted: fuch fondness for fociety prevails there, that feldom has the King occafion to inflict a greater punishment on a man of fafhion, than to banish him to his country-feat. In Britain the fame fondness for a town-life is gaining ground daily. A ftranger confidering the immense fums expended in England upon country-feats, would conclude, in appearance with great certainty, that the English spend most of their time in the country. But how would it surprise him to be told, not only that people of fashion in England pass little of their time in the country, but that the immenfe fums laid out upon gardening and pleasuregrounds, are the effect of vanity more than of taste! In fact, fuch cmbellishments are beginning to wear our of fashion; appetite for fociety leaving neither time nor inclination for rural pleasures. perhaps comes to Paris to ruin himself with an opera-girl. Thofe who are ambitious to be of the miniftry, have feldom any merit, if it be not in caballing and intrigue. The French nobleffe have courage, but without any genius for war, the fatigue of a foldier's life being to them unfupportable. The King has been reduced to the neceflity of employing two ftrangers for the fafety of his crown had it not been for the Counts Saxe and Louendahl, the enemies of France might have laid fiege to Paris. : If the progrefs of that disease can be ftay'd, the only means is military education. In youth lasting impreffions are made; and men of fortune who take to the army, being confined moftly to the country in prime of life, contract a liking for country occupations and amufements; which withdraw them from the capital, and contribute to the health of the mind, no lefs than of the body. A military education would contribute equally to moderation in focial enjoyments. The pomp, ceremony, and expence, neceffary to those who adhere to a court, and live always in public, are not a little fatiguing and oppreffive. Man is naturally moderate in his defire of enjoyment; and it requires much practice to make him bear excefs without fatiety and difguft. The pain of excess, prompts men of opulence to pafs fome part of their time in a fnug retirement, where they live at eafe, free from pomp and ceremony. Here is a retirement, which can be reached without any painful circuit; a port of fafety and of peace, to which we are piloted by military education, avoiding every dangerous rock,. and every fatiguing agitation. Reflecting on the advantages of military education above dif play'd, is it foolish to think, that our plan might produce a total alteration of manners in our youth of birth and fortune? The idlers, the gamefters, the profligate, compared with our military men, would make a defpicable figure: fhame, not to talk of pride, would compel them to reform. How conducive to good government might the propofed plan be, in the hands of a virtuous king, fupported by a public-spirited ministry! In the prefent course of advancement, a youth of quality, who afpires to ferve his country in a civil employment, has nothing to rely on but parliamentary intereft. The military education propofed, would afford him opportunity to improve his VOL. I. talents, E talents, and to convince the world of his merit. Honour and applaufe thus acquired, would intitle him to demand preferment; and he ought to be employ'd, not only as deferving, but as an encouragement to others. Frequent inftances of neglecting men who are patronized by the public, might perhaps prove dangerous to a British minifter. If I have not all this while been dreaming, here are display'd illustrious advantages of the military education propofed. Fondnefs for the fubject excites me to prolong the entertainment; and I add the following reflection, on the education of fuch men as are disposed to serve in a public station. The sciences are mutually connected; and a man cannot be perfect in any one, without being in fome degree acquainted with every one. The science of politics, in particular, being not a little intricate, cannot be acquired in perfection by any one whofe ftudies have been confined to a single branch, whether relative to peace or to war. The Duke of Marlborough made an eminent figure in the cabinet, as well as in the field; and fuch was equally the illuftrious Sully, who may ferve as a model to all ministers. The great aim in modern politics is, to split government into the greatest number poffible of departments, trufting nothing to genius. China is a complete model of fuch a government. National affairs are there fo fimplified by divifion, as to require fcarce any capacity in the mandarines. Thefe officers, having little occafion for activity, either of mind or of body, fink down into floth and fenfuality: motives of ambition or of fame make no impreffion: they have not even fo much delicacy as to blush when they err: and as they regard no punishment but what touches the perfon or the purse, it is not unufual to see a mandarine beaten with many stripes, fometimes for a very flight tranfgreffion. Let arts be fubdivided into many parts; the more fubdivifions the better: but I venture to pronounce, that no man ever did, nor ever will, make a capital fi gure gure in the government of a state, whether as a judge, a general, or a minister, whose education is rigidly confined to one science *. Senfible am I that the foregoing plan is in several respects imperfect; but if it be found at bottom, polish and improvement are eafy operations. My capital aim has been, to obviate the objections that press hard against every military plan, hitherto embraced or proposed. A standing army in its present form, is dangerous to liberty; and but a feeble bulwark against fuperior force. On the other hand, a nation in which every fubject is a foldier, must not indulge any hopes of becoming powerful by manufactures and commerce: it is indeed vigorously defended, but is fcarce worthy of being defended. The golden mean of rotation and conftant labour in a standing army, would difcipline multitudes for peace as well as for war. And a nation fo defended would be invincible. * Phocion is praised by ancient writers, for ftruggling against an abuse that hadi crept into his country of Attica, that of making war and politics different profeffions. In imitation of Ariftides and of Pericles, he ftudied both equally.. 36 SKETCH X. PUBLIC POLICE with refpect to the Poor. A Mong those nations of Europe where government is a science, that part of public police which concerns the poor, makes now a confiderable branch of ftatute-law. The poor-laws are fo multiplied, and so anxiously framed, as to move one to think, that there cannot remain a fingle perfon wanting bread. It is however a fad truth, that the disease of poverty, instead of being eradicated, has become more and more inveterate. England in particular overflows with beggars, tho' in no other country are the indigent fo amply provided for. Some radical defect there must be in thefe laws, when, after endless attempts to perfect them, they all prove abortive. Every writer, diffatisfied with former plans, fails not to produce one of his own; which, in its turn, meets with as little approbation as any of the foregoing. The first regulation of the states of Holland concerning the poor, was in the year 1614, prohibiting all begging. The next was in the year 1649. "It is enacted, That every town, vil lage, or parish, shall maintain its poor out of the income of its charitable foundations and collections; and in cafe these means fall fhort, the magiftrates fhall maintain them at the general expence of the inhabitants, as can most conveniently be done: Provided always, that the poor be obliged to work ei"ther for merchants, farmers, or others, for reasonable wages, |