accustomed to look upon as their natural fuperiors. They cannot ftand the mortification of their monarch. Compassion foon takes the place of refentment, they forget all paft provocations, their old principles of loyalty revive, and they run to reeftablish the ruined authority of their old masters, with the fame violence with which they had oppofed it. The death of Charles I. brought about the Reftoration of the royal family. Compassion for James II. when he was feized by the populace in making his escape on flip-board, had almost prevented the Revolution, and made it go on more heavily than before.

Do the great seem infenfible of the easy price at which they may acquire the public admiration; or do they seem to imagine that to them, as to other men, it must be the purchase either of sweat or of blood? But by what important accomplishments is the young nobleman instructed to fupport the dignity of his rank, and to render himself worthy of that fuperiority over his fellow-citizens, to which the virtue of his ancestors had raised them? Is it by knowledge, by industry, by patience, by felf-denial, or by virtue of any kind? As all his words, as all his motions are attended to, he learns an habitual regard to every circumstance of ordinary behaviour, and ftudies to perform all those small duties with the most exact propriety., As he is confcious how much he is observed, and how much mankind are difpofed to favor all his inclinations, he acts, upon the most indifferent occafions, with that freedom and elevation which the thought of this naturally inspires. His air, his manner,

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his deportment, all mark that elegant and graceful fenfe of his own fuperiority, which those who are born to inferior ftations can hardly ever arrive at. These are the arts by which he proposes to make mankind more easily submit to his authority, and to govern their inclinations according to his own pleasure: and in this he is feldom disappointed. These arts, fupported by rank and pre-eminence, are, upon ordinary occafions, fufficient to govern the world. Lewis XIV. during the greater part of his reign, was regarded, not only in France, but over all Europe, as the most perfect model of a great prince. But what were the talents and virtues by which he acquired this great reputation? Was it by the fcrupulous and inflexible juftice of all his undertakings, by the immenfe dangers and difficulties with which they were attended, or by the unwearied application with which he pursued them? Was it by his extenfive knowledge, by his exquifite judgment, or by his heroic valor? It was by none of these. But he was, first of all, the moft powerful prince in Europe, and consequently held the highest rank among kings; and then says his hiftorian, "he furpaffed all his courtiers "in the gracefulness of his fhape, and the majeftic beauty of his features. The found of his "voice, noble and affecting, gained those hearts « which his prefence intimidated. He had a "step and a deportment which could suit only "him and his rank, and which would have "been ridiculous in any other perfon, The

"embarraffment which he' occafioned to thofe who "fpoke to him, flattered that fecret fatisfaction "with which he felt his own fuperiority. The "old officer, who was confounded and faultered "in afking him a favor, and not being able to « conclude his difcourfe, faid to him: Sir, your "majefty, I hope, will believe that I do not "tremble thus before your enemies: had no dif"ficulty to obtain what he demanded." Thefe frivolous accomplishments, fupported by his rank, and, no doubt too, by a degree of other talents and virtues, which feems, however, not to have been much above mediocrity, established this prince in the esteem of his own age, and have drawn, even from pofterity, a good deal of refpect for his memory. Compared with these, in his own times, and in his own presence, no other virtue, it seems, appeared to have any merit, Knowledge, industry, valor, and beneficence, trembled, were abafhed, and loft all dignity before them,

But it is not by accomplishments of this kind, that the man of inferior rank must hope to distinguith himself. Politenefs is fo much the virtue of the great, that it will do little honor to any body but themfelves. The coxcomb, who imitates their manner, and affects to be eminent by the superior propriety of his ordinary behaviour, is rewarded with a double fhare of contempt for his folly and prefumption. Why fhould the man, whom nobody thinks it worth while to look at, be very anxious about the manner in which he holds up head, or disposes of his arms while he walks through

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a room? He is occupied furely with a very superfluous attention, and with an attention too that marks a fenfe of his own importance, which no other mortal can go along with. The most perfect modesty and plainness, joined to as much negligence as is confiftent with the refpect due to the company, ought to be the chief characteristics of the behaviour of a private man. If ever he hopes to diftinguish himself, it must be by more important virtues. He muft acquire dependants to balance the dependants of the great, and he has no other fund to pay them from, but the labor of his body, and the activity of his mind. He muft cultivate these therefore: he must acquire fuperior knowledge in his profeffion, and fuperior industry in the exercise of it. He must be patient in labor, refolute in danger, and firm in diftrefs. These talents he must bring into public view, by the difficulty, importance, and, at the fame time, good judgment of his undertakings, and by the fevere and unrelenting application with which he pursues them. Probity and prudence, generofity and frankness, must characterize his behaviour upon all ordinary occafions; and he must, at the same time, be forward to engage in all thofe fituations, in which it requires the greateft talents and virtues to act with propriety, but in which the greatest applause is to be acquired by those who can acquit themfelves with honor. With what impatience does the man of spirit and ambition, who is depressed by his fituation, look round for fome great opportunity to distinguish himself? No circumftances,

which can afford this, appear to him undefirable. He even looks forward with fatisfaction to the profpect of foreign war, or civil diffenfion; and, with fecret transport and delight, fees through all the confufion and bloodfhed which attend them, the probability of those wifhed-for occafions presenting themselves, in which he may draw upon himself the attention and admiration of mankind. The man of rank and diftinction, on the contrary, whose whole glory confifts in the propriety of his ordinary behaviour, who is contented with the humble renown which this can afford him, and has no talents to acquire any other, is unwilling to embarrass himself with what can be attended either with difficulty or diftrefs. To figure at a ball is his great triumph, and to fucceed in an intrigue of gallantry, his higheft exploit. He has an averfion to all public confufions, not from the love of mankind, for the great never look upon their inferiors at their fellow - creatures; nor yet from want of courage, for in that he is feldom defective; but from a consciousness that he poffeffes none of the virtues which are required in fuch fituations, and that the public attention will certainly be drawn away from him by others. He may be willing to expofe himself to fome little danger, and to make a campaign when it happens to be the fashion. But he fhudders with horror at the thought of any fituation which demands the continual and long exertion of patience, industry, fortitude, and application of thought. These virtues are hardly ever to be met with in men who are born