Neither is our deference to their inclinations founded chiefly, or altogether, upon a regard to the utility of fuch fubmiffion, and to the order of fociety, which is best supported by it. Even when the order of fociety feems to require that we should oppose them, we can hardly bring ourselves to do it. That kings are the fervants of the people, to be obeyed, refifted, deposed, or punished, as the public conveniency may require, is the doctrine of reafon and philofophy; but it is not the doctrine of nature. Nature would teach us to submit to them, for their own fake, to tremble and bow down before their exalted station, to regard their smile as a reward fufficient to compensate any services, and to dread their displeasure, though no other evil was to follow from it, as the feverest of all mortifications. To treat them in any respect as men, to reason and difpute with them upon ordinary occafions, requires fuch refolution, that there are few men whofe magnanimity can fupport them in it, unless they are likewife affisted by familiarity and acquaintance. The strongest motives, the moft furious paffions, fear, hatred and refentment, are scarce fufficient to balance this natural difpofition to refpect them: and their conduct must, either juftly or unjustly, have excited the highest degree of all those paffions, before the bulk of the people can be brought to oppose them with violence, or to defire to fee them either punished or depofed. Even when the people have been brought this length, they they are apt to relent every moment, and eafily relapse into their habitual state of deference to those whom they have been accustomed to look upon as their natural fuperiors. They cannot ftand the mortification of their monarch. Compaffion foon takes the place of refentment, they forget all påft provocations, their old principles of loyalty revive, and they run to re-establish the ruined authority of their old mafters, with the fame violence with which they had oppofed it. The death of Charles I. brought about the Restoration of the royal family. Compaffion for James II. when he was seized by the populace in making his escape on fhip-board, had almost prevented the revolution, and made it go on more heavily than before. Do the great feem infenfible of the eafy price at which they may acquire the public admiration; or do they feem to imagine that to them, as to other men, it must be the purchase either of sweat or of blood? By what important accomplishments is the young nobleman inftructed 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 circumftance of ordinary behaviour, and ftudies to perform all those small duties with the most exact propriety. As he is confcious conscious how much he is obferved, and how much mankind are difpofed to favour all his inclinations, he acts, upon the most indifferent occafions, with that freedom and elevation which the thought of this naturally infpires. His air, his manner, his deportment, all mark that elegant and graceful sense of his own fuperiority, which those who are born to inferior stations can hardly ever arrive at : these are the arts by which he proposes to make manknd more eafily fubmit to his authority, and to govern their inclinations according to his own pleasure and in this he is feldom disappointed. Thefe arts, fupported by rank and preheminence, 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 scrupulous and inflexible juftice of all his undertakings, by the immenfe dangers and difficulties with which they were attended, or by the unwea ried and unrelenting application with which he pursued them? Was it by his extenfive knowledge, by his exquisite judgment, or by his heroic valour? It was by none of these qualities. But he was, first of all, the most powerful prince in Europe, and consequently held the highest rank among kings; and then, fays his historian," he furpaffed all his cour¬ tiers in the gracefulness of his shape, and "the "the majestic beauty of his features. The "found of his voice, noble and affecting, gained those hearts which his presence in"timidated. He had a step and a deport"ment which could fuit only him and his "rank, and which would have been ridi"culous in any other perfon. The emba"raffment which he occafioned to those who 66 fpoke to him, flattered that fecret fatif"faction with which he felt his own fupe"riority. The old officer, who was con"founded and faultered in asking him a fa"vour, 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 diffi culty 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, eftablished this prince in the esteem of his own age, and have drawn, even from pofterity, a good deal of respect for his memory. Com pared with thefe, in his own times, and in his own prefence, no other virtue, it seems, appeared to have any merit. Knowledge, industry, valour and beneficence, trembled, were abashed, and loft all dignity before them. But it is not by accomplishments of this kind, that the man of inferior rank must hope to diftinguifh himself. Politeness is fo much the virtue of the great, that it will do little honour to any body but themselves. 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 his head, or difpofes of his arms while he walks through a room? He is occupied furely with a very fuperfluous attention, and with an attention too that marks a sense 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 distinguish himself, it must be by more important virtues. He must acquire dependants to balance the dependants of the great, and he has no other fund to pay them from, but the labour of his body, and the activity of his mind. He must cultivate these therefore he must acquire fuperior knowledge in his profeffion, and fuperior induftry in the exercise of it. He must be patient in labour, refolute in danger, and firm in diftrefs. Thefe talents he muft 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, gene : |