or into whofe hands government is committed, namely, never to promote acts of government that are not self-evidently founded in natural juftice and the will of God. Common fenfe will teach all men, who are not ideots, the one, and Revelation the other. If there be any dispute upon this head, it will proceed from fome luft, that wars in members of fociety. No penal ftatutes whatsoever ought to be made for any conveniency, that does not answer a moral end and purpose; nor ought the dignity of a crown or legiflature be fet in oppo-fition to any principle of natural juftice or moral truth; for, in fuch cafe, it is not true dignity, but the difgarce of royalty and legislature. What is often called the dignity of the crown, ought to be called the ambition and pride of fome Minister of State, who minds more his own interest and ambition, than the true dignity of his mafter and the Crown. For as unreafonable as the lower ranks of mankind X are 1 are fuppofed to be by men in power, yet, my Lords, I would whifper a ferious thing in your ears,—that it is very easy for rulers to please them. It requires no more than to rule by juftice, and keep the fear of God before your eyes. Let not government be intolerably expenfive, for there never can be any reafon for making a divine appointment burthenfome. Men in high life have often falfe ideas of the folemnity of government; they imagine the expenfive pageantry of ftate, gives dignity to government in the eyes of the people; but this is a mistake. The people are not quite fo fenfelets and ftupid as the idea implies. They will pay more reverence to government dreffed in truth and justice, than in ermine; and pay more regard to a decent grave man, executing justice in mercy, than to a fplendid tyrant, furrounded with officers of justice, armed with the implements of death. It is a mistake which often lofes a government the affections of the fubjects; they ima gine gine that they want difcernment, and are not judges of what pertains to their own. affairs. I can affure you, my Lords, they pay you off in your own way, when you judge in this manner, and fay often fome very fhrewd things concerning the cha racters of men in high offices. They compare great things to fmall, as Virgil compared Rome to Mantua, though they do not find reafon to make fuch a difference between you and themselves, as the poet made between Mantua and Rome. If you were to hear them talk about the ftories of Doctors Commons, and the intrigues of courtiers, it would amaze you. They will often fay to one another, "Thefe are fine men indeed, to direct public affairs, who cannot govern their own appetites. Are thefe the makers and executors of our laws, that prophane them fo openly and abominably, who neither feem to fear God nor regard men? Matters are come to a fine pass, when adulterers, whoremongers, fornica tors, tors, and gamblers, become legislators. The nation will certainly thrive now, when fuch godly men have the management of it. We may expect the taxes will be leffened, and our money laid out with great œconomy, by the jockies of Newmarket, who are fo frugal in their own affairs. Religion will thrive now when Lord Spindlefhanks is placed at the head of the Church." Truly, my Lords, you would be furprized to hear the farcafms which the country people throw forth, upon fuch topics, against people in high rank. Would you imagine that a country hind would be able to keep a register of all the natural children of every justice of the quorum in the county? The people are really not fo ftupid as you imagine; I could give you many instances of their fagacity, but thefe may ferve for a fpecimen. They are almost all acquainted with the ftory of Haman, and know the height of the gallows to an inch, and make fome very pertinent comments upon |