BUT a wife Prince, that will not take Things upon Truft only, by Reports or Recommendations at fecond Hand; neither fee with other Men's Eyes, nor hear with their Ears has nothing more at Heart than to provide for the due Execution of Juftice, and to prevent Judgment from being perverted by Covetoufnefs, Corruption, Bribery, Prejudice, or Refpect of Perfons. He will gladly both hear and fee himself, as his prudent Forefathers us'd to do, upon confidering the Complaints of the Poor and Afflicted; in Order either to redress their juft Grievances, and relieve their real Wants, or otherwife to rectify their Miftakes in the moft amicable Manner of Affetion and Peace, with the greatest Expedition. He will always be humbly looking into his own Breaft, upon the Reprefentation of civil Affairs; and well knows the fatisfactory Virtue of that moral Caution in the Poet of ane te quafiveris extra: He is not to feek for himself among others, nor to act by the Multitude of other Perfon's Examples, Counfels or Informations. Whereupon he chiefly confiders his own Honour and Confcience, as well as Authority; and confults the publick Good of his People, in general, more than the particular Views, or the private Intereft of his Courtiers. If any distressed Object, either of Fuftice or Mercy, happens to come in his Way, he will not overlook the Poor or neglect the Needy; but countenance the Cause of the Complainant with the most agreeable Facility, as well as examine the Matter ftrictly with the jufteft Mildness, that Right may be restor'd again, and Truth adjudg'd against the most

Mighty, or incroaching Oppreffor of the Land, by a final Determination.

III. ACCORDING to the King's humble, courteous and merciful Condefcenfion of hearing the Petitions of the Poor himfelf, inferiour Magiftrates or Officers will be induc'd to comport themfelves with greater Candour and better Conduct. They will proceed with the utmoft Submiffion, Kindness or Civility by his good Example; and think themselves oblig'd to be much more eafy of Atcefs than their compaffionate Sovereign or impartial Prince from whom they folely derive their Authority, and the Honour of being imploy'd in their feveral important Posts, either in Courts, Councils or Parliaments. Their Deportment will be all of a Piece with his; juft, tender, affable, equal, and judicious directed as from Above by his fuperiour Wifdom; not to fight or discountenance any Man's Caufe with a fupercilious Behaviour of Contempt, because of his Poverty. I fhall fay nothing here of Cambyfes's compell'd Judges. We have no Occafion for fuch Severities. Our jufter Judges abhor all difhonourable Corruptions and Bribery. They will do true Juftice fpontaneously, and voluntarily give impartial Judgment; without being forc'd to fit upon fuch uneafy Cushions as the Skins of fome of their corrupt Predeceffors. After that great Example given of the King's Clemency and Patronage, their own innate Goodness and Generofity, without any farther Influences from the Throne, will be a fufficient, Motive of it felf, to do a poor Fellow or his Family fuftice; out of pure Compaffion for his helpless Condition, and a righteous Regard for his mean Circumftances. They will neither

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neither fuffer him to be brow-beaten in his Evidence, nor wronged of his Right. Befides, it is an indifpenfable Duty injoyn'd them both by the Counfel of Solomon, and the Command of our Saviour, to affift fuch an oppreffed Sufferer with their beft Advice, Judgment and Redress; if they either affect the glorious Character of the Former, or the gracious Bleffing of the Latter, by their judicial Tranfactions.

BUT the generous Lawyer, and the juft Advocate, are of all Mankind the most oblig'd to plead a Pauper's Caufe, for the Honour of their Profeffion, either at civil or common Law. I do not speak as a Director, either of their Knowledge or Duty. They will take the greater Care of his Bufinefs, upon the Account of his Neceffity, or Inability to right himfelf in the Courts of Judicature. They will maintain his Claim, fuppofing him to have a manifeft Right on his Side, the more heartily; with the utmoft Diligence, Fidelity and Powers of Eloquence, to gain his Point: even because he is forc'd to be admitted to fue for it in that Form, through meer Want of Money. In fine, they will moft ftrenuously exert their best Faculties of Perfuafion; produce the most cogent or convincing Arguments of Reafon; and leave no Stone unturn'd, no Law-Books unrevolv'd, no Pleadings unalledg'd or unargu'd, to restore him to his own again, and put him in Poffef fion of his ufurp'd Estate. Is it poffible to believe, there can be fo egregious a Prevaricator in Religion, or fo uncharitable a Practicer of the Law, who would utterly reject the righteous Caufe of an indigent Perfon, deftitute of Friends, for Want of more Money than his All, to bring it to a fair Tryal? No; the

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generous Patron will not only always freely undertake, but also frankly accomplish the Affair without any Love of Lucre, Fee or Reward and never fuffer his Client to be nonfuited or caft in Court; through Negligence, Corruption, and Contempt of his Poverty under Oppreffion. The Greek Poet advises abundantly better than to abandon the Poor

pus Oxïße Tévnla: afflict him not; let no Man be judged unrighteously, if thou canst help it by the Power of thy Pleading or Fair-Dealing. The Recovery of his Right, in the Event of an Action manag'd with fo much Honour and Honefty, Prudence and Pity, Reputation and good Faith, will prove a fufficient Recompence of thy Virtue at the Foot of the Account; and thy Charity fhall affuredly be upon everlasting Record in the highest Court of Heaven.

POVERTY, however after all, as I take it in fome Senfe, has nothing in it fo contemptible, as the Vulgar often falfely imagine by vain Colours. Contentedness is the only true Paradife of Pleasure and Satisfaction, under the Safety of an honeft Confcience. The poorest Sufferers may live to find more Friends, either Above or Below, by various Viciffitudes; and perhaps meet with a Flush of good Fortune all at once to better their Condition. There may happen to be no great Distance between Expectancy, Prayer and Fruition. Prefent Injoyments are often fickle, and fleeting, and fugitive in the very Purfuit or Poffeffion of them. It rain'd Manna from Heaven, and Quails fell from the Air to be Food for the diftreffed Ifraelites. Their providential Relief' came out of the Clouds; and God, who governs the World, would not let them want

at laft, to fhew his miraculous Power, either for their Fidelity, Patience or Perfeverance. And how much more then ought we converted Gentiles, to put our whole Truft and Confidence in him for our future Succour, Prefervation and Deliverance out of the Wildernefs of Afflictions, without any Murmuring or Discontentment: who is alfo our God; the fureft Hope, the never-failing Help, and the prefenteft Health of our Countenance, as well as our bleffed Redeemer, according to King David's facred Soliloquy, with his Soul under Difquietude in the Pfalms, XLII. Ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. and elfewhere IX. Ver. 18. For the Needy hall not always be forgotten: the Expectation of the Afflicted shall not perish for

ever.

THE poorest, miferable, moneyless Perfon, may be rich in Gratitude. Gratitude is the greatest Gift, Grace and Virtue of a thankful Soul. It ravifhes all his Thoughts, Words and Actions for the Good of his Benefactor; and for his Honour, either living or dead. It inriches his Heart with Praifes and Prayers for the Profperity of his Protector. It fills his Breaft with Transports of Joy, and Treasures of Thankfgiving for his Maker. It raifes Monuments in his grateful Mind, to the immortal Memory of his Preferver. It contributes the most glorious Materials poffible, to the everlafting Memorial of his Reliever's valuable Life. fhort, Gratitude fhould never be defpis'd, how mean foever in a juft Acknowledgment of the Obligation; nor go away unaccepted or unrewarded by good Right. The pooreft indigent Scholars alfo may, for any Thing I know to the contrary, fooneft find the Philofopher's Stone,

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