PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FEN NO, No. 4., BROAD-STREET, NEAR THE EXCHANGE, NEW-YORK [No. 35> c/ Vol. ll.j THE TABLET. No. CXXXVIII. (Omitted in eur 1.ij1.) " It is easter to know mankind in general than *- 9y one man in particular." MY neighbor Sciomnis is thought by his ac quaintance to have a very philosophic way of thinking. I can never hear him converse without k Lairing his talent*, and being enlight ened by his information. It is remarked of him that he has inade human nature the chief objeift of his study. Nor do I conceive, it is paying him too high a compliment to fay, that he can analize all the springs and properties of the foul •with as much (kill and propriety, as the ablest artilt can define the machinery ot a watch. Yet my good neighbor has always been unfortunate in his moll intimate connections, and has fufler *d innumerable vexations from the insincerity »nd ficklenefs of his friends. Perhaps no man has been more frequently deceived in his opinions of individuals, or Smarted more leverely by list ening Cp the impulses of credulity. 1 have had the curiofityto fearcliout thecaufe, why a person so apparently sagacious, is often the dupe of thoi'e, who are, in all refpecls, inferior to himfelf. It isdifficulttoallignareafon,whyaman "who discovers so much dilcerninewt, when speak ing of" mankind in the aggregate, iliould in all his perf'otisl concerns never rightly eltimate a single character. A person of the inolt slender abilities may easily palm himfelf upon Sciomnis for a man of lolid underXandiug ; and the molt barefaced knaves have gulled him out of his mo ney, by such tricks ana evasions, as scarce re quired ordinary precautionto guard againit. In jhort, my learned friend is wife for every body but himlelf. He can tell his acquaintance, witji almost a prophetic spirit, how to eltimate charac ters and jiieafu.-CS ; and teach them with a pecu liar degree of certainty, .how to cfcape the vices antLfoTlies j.hatare floatingin Jj?':>e -X ■ But he himfelf can fleer clear of none of thrm, II» secrets are often brought to light through the ■weakness of some of his afl'ociares ; and his hopes are as often blasted through the knavery of o thers. I find the myfteryin this whole affair lobe no thing more than this, that my neighbdr has strong paflions as well as a ltrong understanding. His feelings are f« irritable and vigorous that his reason can never aflame its full sway in di recting concerns of a personal nature. The im t>ulfes of some paflion beguile him insensibly, and foil that discernment which is confpicuoivs on occasions where lie is totally dilinterefted. His maxims and reflections bear the marks of a comprehenlive genius ; while his life discovers a repetition of imprudent arts, which have flowed front a heart susceptible to the ffighteffc touch. If he happens to be flattered he forgets at once that flattery is an artifice used bydeltgning men, and in the ardor of his vanity, commits himfelf without reserve to the insinuations of the flat terer. This looks very extraordinary, as he frequently in the moments of reflection, expa tiates to his friends on the danger of putting con fidence in men of smooth insinuating manners. But why do I descend to particulars in designat ing; the chararter of Sciomnis. It is fuflicient to fay, that although his knowledge of human nature is very acute and extensive, yet he is so much the Have of whatever passion is uppermost, that he is betrayed into athonfand indiscretions, and exposed to innumerable difappoiutinents. He understands mankind in the aggregate ; while the application of his knowledge to par ticular cases is'erroneous and unfortunate. DISCOURSES ON DAVILA. No. XVII Scs mains, autour du tronc, avee ronfufion, Scn>»icitt la jaloulie, tt !a division. AT preient we return to the narration of Da vila. The Prince de Condi's quality of Prince of the blood, anil the want of plausible pretexts, did not permit the Guises, so easily to dismiss him from court. They tonnd, however, a favorable occasion to fend him oft, for a till the new Ministry (hould be well eftabliflied, by nominating him to the King of Spain, to ratify the peace and alliance con tracted a little before the death of Henry lid. He quitted the court npon this embally, and left the nej'l open for tlv- perfection ot projects, (CONTI MU ED.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST, U, J 7<K> which were as yet only in /ketches. The Queen mother and the Guises proceeded in the fame manner with all whom they feared : Strongly determined to confuinmaie iheir designs, they judged that they could not fucccedj hut by ar ranging all the llrong places, as well as the troops, the finances, and all the resources of the state, under their own disposition ; so that the inoft important affairs ihould pass through no hands but their own, and tbafVr f their crea tures. Neverthtleft, to fliow ih:i y -iey consulted their interest less than the pnbllc good and their own glory, they did not elevate to dignities, peo pie without merit, and drawn fVom the dust, for fear they should be thought to make crea tures for themselves at any rate : out they con ferred favors only on persons, v.-bo added ac knowledged merit to confpicuotis bitih, and above all, eflimable in the eyes ol the people for integrity. This condufthad a doyble advantage, the fir ft, that the people conimighly applauded their choice, and their opponent! had no pre tence to condemn it : the second, that confiding ' in persons of honor and fidelity, they were not exposed to be deceived, nor to fui'pect their at tachment, as it often happens to those who com mit the execution of their designs to people of bale extraction, or dishonored by their manners, in this view, they restored to office. Francis Oli vier,formerly chancellor of the kiijgdom, a per (onage of known integi ity and inflexible firmnefs, n the exercise of his employment. The vigor .vith which he avowed and fuppoyted his fenii nents, had caused his difmilhon from couvi, from he beginning of the reign of Henry lid. and the nitigations of the Conflable had not a little con ributed to his disgrace. They recalled also to ouncU, and near the peifon of the King, the ardinal de Tonrnon, who, in the time of r ran is 111. grand father of the reiguing Prince,had he principal condu<st of affairs. By these nich 'ures they flattered the multitude, and fulfilled lie f*«ie dons of the public, • hout negledt- ing their own interests The «robity of the Cardinal and of the Chan cellor, had rendered them dear to the people, who knew how often they had declared them selves agalnft the multiplication of imports,with which they were oppreiled. Moreover, disgrac ed by the intrigues of the Conflable, and recall ed With honftr by the Guises, they must, both from resentment and gratitude, support with their cbunfels, and all their influence, the pro je<fts ot aggrandizement, formed by the latter. Many others had been gained by similar artifices : but the fame management was not used with the house of Bourbon, nor with the family of the Conltable. On the contrary, the Princes ofLor rain, drawn away by th« desire of annihilating the credit of their ancient rival, and of abasing the royal family, seized with ardor, every occasi on of diminishing the authority and increasing thelolles of their enemies. (To it cotlintiid.) From the AMERICAN MERCURY. Publilhed at Hartford, by Mr. E. Babcock. FEW writingsof theprefcnt daydeferve more attention than a publication in the Gazette of tlie United States, entitled, " Discourses on Davila." The writer I know not, but whoever he is, he is deeply versed in a knowledge of the hu man heart and the science of governing. Fully acquainted with the liittory of nations, he has developed the springs of movement in political machines. Unlike ibme noisy demagogues, who pretend that jealousy is eflential to freedom, and that the half formed opinions %nd local prejudi ces of every constituent in the woods, mnft be consulted by representatives in all their proceed ings the writer maintains that men are all under the influence of certain principles,which will war with each other & produce difcord,unlefs they are counteracted by a proper balance of powers in go vernment and by a vigorous executive. Some men love to bawl about freedom, even in the Itreets and on the housetop ; but they are utually the most fond of power who make the greatelt outcry about tyranny. Fame, intereft,ambition, these are the springs that must be touched by go vernment ; and however we may,declaim againtt titles, titles of office have an excellent effedt up on trovernors. and governed. The belt inform ed itiL>n on earth, as a people, are governed more by imaginaiionthan by renfon. 553 PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE I AT E REVOLUTION IN FRANCE, and th r conduct or THE DISSENTERS IN INGLJND-, IN A LETTER TO 77/£ AW. VR. FRUSTLE BY J, COURT ENAY, «8. "• r - QUO, QUO SCELISTI SVItU ?- H«* London, printed i?9<3. SIR T AM not in the lead surprised that fomeof the mod enlighten -1 ed men of the present age, equally diftmguifticd by genius, faience, and taste, are fe. loufly alarmed by the dangerous and ra pid prugrefs of democracy in France. We had indeed little to fear, whilst they enjoyed that fcrenc and tranquil state ot govern. m:nt, uniformly refu'ltftg from the unlimited power or a mon arch, and the feudal privileges of a numerous, pohlhcd, and gat lint noblesse. Whilst the various orders bf a pious, ncn, and splendid hierarchy aixiouflv watched over the temporal and eter nal concerns ot a docile obfequiouj laitv, preaching up th» catho lic apostolic doctrine of padive obedience and non-reMkapce-t.i ternal peace, fubordina'tion, and fubmtffion, were the charatter iftics of that gay, volatile, and ingenious people. But now, hoY refco rt/trens, thev no longer acknowledge "The right divine of i kings to govern wrong and instead of bending their necks to the vice-gerent of heaven, prefumpiuoufly look into thefaered .rk, question the condufl of the Lord's anointed, and on abftrait metaw phyfxciil principle* (unhappily reduced into practice) ali.it the unalienable right of man to fieedom : The fatal conlequenees are obvious ; as it is a political tiuth, confirmed by the experience of ages, that the tranquility and happiness of a well regulated com. munitv can only be maintained by implicit obedience and uncon ditional fubmifiion. Tl.e vilions of chimeric*! Ipeculation mult disappear before the light ofhiflory, and truth and reason again rcfume iheirrmpfre over the human mind. I lay then, it the Athenians had quietly and ludicioufly submitted to the domin .11 of the thirty tyrants, Cri.ias, and his council of tuflccr*, would not have been compelled t., Ilain their hands in the blood of their fellow ctizens. Socrates might have fayed himfelf and his coun try, if he had exerted hi* al. lities, like D'. H. by fupportmg the civil and ecclesiastical « ftabliftiment ol Athens, instead of proudly and obftinaielv difplaving that fafliousand heretodox Ipint wh.ctt has always distinguished you. " lus - anii hi» b *"d of Roman conspirators, had laluted lulius Crfar, king, despotism and feli city would have been ditfufed ever the world, and an fcnglilh prelate* would not have d.fgraced himfelf, and his holy funflion, by pronouncing an eulogium on affaflination, and rccornmendmg the dangerous and daring tenets of a heathcuifo ballad to our in. Frnioiv* vouth, in the insidious and captivating language ot c a il eal eloquence.— Bur let mc, m thcwoic *of J- 1 Bacon. bryi' this topic home to men's hufirtefs and bosoms. It Mt. Hampden had meekly acquicfced in Charles* claim to Ihip-mor.ey, the nation would have been prefeived from the horrors of a civil war ; '< tax ation, no tyranny," would have become our political ctecd ; A merica might dill have flourifhed under our auspices ; the ""con taminated loy*!tv ot tory 11 m won./ have been our own; we thouul not have incurred the wrath of Heaven for (liedding the loyal martyr's blood ; we (Wild not have been punished tor that flagi tious *ft by the revolution ! Nor have hatl a Trince of the Houje of Brunfwick ttifk/tr for ourjins ! We might still have enjoy, da Popish liturgy, a Calviniftical Creed, and an Arminun clergy, with all the fuperadded blcffings of an arbitrary monarchy The populous and flourifhing Vingdom ot Dahomey on the gold coafl of Africa, is another finking example of the invaluable be nefits of absolute power. The king isthere a king indeeo, being the absolute matter of the lives and fortun.s o his fubjefU ! " They are," we arc told, " a happy people, and have a great contempt for the fubjefts of the neighboring republics." A funi lai sentiment is thus beautifully expressed by a 'j or y P oct ; 1 »' St II toourfelves in every place confign'd, « Ourownfelicy we make or find ; " The lifted ax, the agonizing wheel, " Luke's iron crawn, and Damien's bed offteet, ** To men expos'd to pow:r, tho' often Known, " Leave reason, faith, and conscience all our own." THE Travilllß. I (latter mrfelf, that I have already proved to your fatisfaftion by examples taken both from ancient and modern history, and, from recent facts—elucidated by moral reasoning, that the vicious and opprclfive conduct of our rulers can only be efieftually'checked and countera&ed by patience, humility, and long flittering■ 5 and that all our political evils solely originate from tumult, inrurrca tion and rebellion. Let us learn a lesson ol wisdom from the un tutored savages ot Dahomey ; they preserve their lives and pro perty from royal rapacity and violence, by a chearful refignatioA of both to the nod of their sovereign. A reverend divine [Dean Swift.] eameftly recommends the famefyftem of quieufm to the fjir sex, as an rff. ttual prefe. vative again ft any pollible violation of their chafiity. (To be continued.) * Dr. Lowtk. b!%im vertndum erat ne qurs ityrannidem Pifijlrs tidarum Athenrs inflaur&re auderet, übi tn omt.ibns lonyhiis, et aque ab infima plebc in compws, quoHdie cant:tareJu> iliud La/lrjtrati nefio cuius, fed ingeniofi arte valde bvni civis _ " Quod ft pofl idus Was martias e Tyrttnno&oris qu:fp:am tale ah quod carmen b'ehi tradidrfjet % in que Svhnram, et fort circuios, et in ora vulgi intulijfet, adum profeffo fuijfet de partilus deque dominating Cajaruv): plus mchercule va/uiflfl unum Harmodn quam L:cerov,j P/iitlrppica opines." Praia'tones Hebraica y p. 15. This celebratedfong has been thusUanfiatcdbyUr. Cumberland He is not dead % ovr bejl belov'd Harmodius is not loft, 3>rt with Troy's conquerors remot d To feme more happy coafl. !l.' Bind then the myrtle's mxflic bough) £ And tuave your swords around, for Co they fir nek the tyrant low, And fa their fcvoids were bound. HI. Perpetual objefls of our love The patriot pair shall be, Who in Minerva's facredgrovt Struck t and set Athens free. [W HOLE No. T f 9-3
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