the spirit of those principles, which have produced the best part of our profperity? Perhaps were these fubjects impartially confidered, the advice might not be unsuitable; "Be not high "minded, but fear!" But waving these topics, I am willing to allow, that at present the nation is in many respects in a flourishing fituation; and nothing prevents me from congratulating my countrymen, but my not being able fatisfactorily to answer this question: "What use do we in"tend making of our profperity ?"

"We are very well off, and we want no change." And is it poffible that even infenfibility itself should use such language? Are not the facts I have faithfully set before you in this book indifputable? Are not the foundation principles of our conftitution, and of all good government derided and reprobated by numbers, both in and out of administration? Is not the nobleft part of our conftitution, our reprefentation, fo corrupted, that it is a national opprobrium? Is not our church fo degenerated, that it is a difgrace to chriftianity? Is not our toleration a precarious connivance; and are not thousands of peaceable and loyal subjects deprived of their privileges, and exposed to the horrors of penal laws? Are not our national

vices

vices on the increase? Is not the main body of the people corrupt? I appeal to the evidence I have produced; and I will venture to affirm that all these melancholy questions muft, by the difpaffionate and the ferious, be answered in the affirmative. The natural inference then is, WE ARE NOT VERY WELL OFF, AND WE

DO WANT A MOST MATERIAL CHANGE.

The profperity we now enjoy is the kind and merciful voice of providence, which calls a vicious and guilty nation to repentance and reformation. We may confider the present period, as an accepted time, a day of falvation: if we neglect to improve it, have we a right to expect it fhould be lengthened? Were we not in this profperous fituation; were we expofed to all the calamities of war, fomething plaufible might be urged, refpecting the difficulty of properly attending to objects of fuch importance as I have mentioned. During the late war, I was requested to fign a petition for a reform of parliament. My reply was, "This affair is of "too great magnitude for us to attend to in our "prefent fituation: We are now fighting for "our existence: Let us if poffible get rid of “our enemies, and then let us pursue the important object by every means in our power."

I was then a very young man, and had not

pro

properly confidered, that the most important leffons are feldom learnt either by individuals or by nations, except in the fevere school of adversity.

We have no excufe for neglecting the prefent opportunity. Should we however be determined to preserve all our numberlefs corruptionsShould our riches confirm us in our obstinacy; we may juftly fear left the same ruin fhould overwhelm us, which has overwhelmed all the great nations of antiquity: left the threatening denounced by God against his ancient people should be denounced against us; I WILL CURSE YOUR BLESSINGS! Let us tremble, left we should exemply the observation of the wise man, applicable to nations as well as to individuals;

THE PROSPERITY OF FOOLS SHALL DESTROY THEM.

I address myself to BRITONS; to a people who have ever profeffed to regard their liberties as their birth-right, and who have valued their constitution only as it has ferved to secure and and extend those liberties. I will not again recal to your minds the language or the conduct of your glorious ancestors, but I will defire you to recollect your own language, your own conduct. It is not many years fince that you thought your privileges invaded by a wicked administration, and an abandoned House of Commons.

With one voice you demanded redress. The citizens of London in particular in the prefence of MAJESTY itself, declared their fentiments and refolutions in a manner never to be forgotten: thus they addreffed the throne: "The forms of "the conftitution, like thofe of religion, were "not established for the form's fake, but for the "substance; and we call God and men to wit"ness, that as we do not owe our liberty to "those nice and fubtle diftinctions, which places "and penfions, and lucrative employments have "invented; fo neither will we be deprived of it

by them; but as it was gained by the ftern "virtue of our ancestors, by the virtue of their "descendants it shall be preserved*."

But it is not only your late, but your present conduct which induces me to hope you will be thoroughly awakened to a sense of duty. You, my countrymen, have lately exhibited a glorious proof of manly and virtuous sentiments, by demanding, with one voice, the abolition of that national difgrace, the SLAVE TRADE. You have only, therefore, to be confiftent. Act in a fimilar manner respecting other great and im

Addrefs of the Livery to the King. March 1770. Let it be recollected, that this addrefs was prefented in a time of profound peace, when our funds were nearly as high as they now are, when our debt was one hundred and forty millions, and our taxes eight millions lefs then at prefent, and our land tax only three fhillings in the pound.

portant

portant objects. And be affured that if you are firm, united, and persevering, no minister, however unprincipled or hypocritical; no House of Lords or Commons, however loft to all sense of dignity or virtue, can long refift your demands. Should the whole phalanx of corruption prefume to declare, "We are firm in our deter"mination to preserve all the abuses of our con"stitution;" you have only to reply, "We are " firm in our determination to have them anni"hilated." The voice of the people must prevail: those who affect to despise it, will one day tremble. A late negociation affords you a most inftructive leffon. You now fee there are men who, in a bad caufe, can be the greatest blufterers; and yet when they meet with virtuous refolution to oppose them, and they fear their places are in danger, these men shrink into the pooreft poltroons. You have then nothing to fear from your enemies; you have every thing to hope from your own exertions.

"Ye are

I address myself to CHRISTIANS. "the falt of the earth, but if the falt have lost "its favour, wherewith fhall it be falted ?" If You fall in with the ftream of corruption-If You adopt the language; "We are very well

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off, we want no change"-If you embrace the fentiment, that accurfed fentiment, which