quired were fuch only as he had reduced by his wars, and were left in his poffeffion by the peace; he had conquered not above one third part of Flanders, and confequently no more than one • third part of the inhabitants of that province.

About 100 years ago the houses in that country were all numbered, and by a just computa tion the inhabitants of all forts could not then

'exceed 750,000 fouls. And if any man will confider the defolation by almoft perpetual wars, the numerous armies that have lived almost ever since at difcretion upon the people, and how much of their commerce has removed for more fecurity to other places, he will have little reafon to imagine that their numbers have fince increased; and therefore with one third part of that province that prince can have gained no more than one third part of the inhabitants, or 250,000 new fubjects, even though it fhould be fuppofed they 'were all contented to live still in their native country, and transfer their allegiance to a new mafter.

The fertility of this province, its convenient fituation for trade and commerce, its capacity for furnishing employment and fubfiftence to great numbers, and the vaft armies that have been • maintained here, make it credible that the remaining two thirds of Flanders are equal to all his other conquefts; and confequently by all he cannot have gained more than 750,000 new fubjects, men, women and children, especially if a deduction fhall be made of fuch as have retired from the conqueror to live under their old maf

6

ters.

It is time now to fet his lofs against his profit, and to fhew, for the new fubjects he had acquired, how many old ones he had loft in the acquifition : I think that in his wars he has feldom brought lefs into the field in all places than 200,000 fighting men, befides what have been left in garrifons;

· and

' and I think the common computation is, that of an army, at the end of a campaign, without fieges or battles, fcarce four fifths can be muftered of thofe that came into the field at the beginning of the year. His wars at feveral times until the • last peace have held about 20 years; and if 40,000 yearly loft, or a fifth part of his armies, are to ⚫ be multiplied by 20, he cannot have loft less than '800,000 of his old fubjects, and all able-bo‹ died men; a greater number than the new fub'jects he had acquired.

But this lofs is not all: Providence feems to have equally divided the whole mafs of mankind into different fexes, that every woman may have ' her husband, and that both may equally contribute to the continuance of the fpecies. It fol'lows then, that for all the men that have been loft, as many women must have lived fingle, and it were but charity to believe they have not done all the fervice they were capable of doing in their generation. In fo long a courfe of years great part of them must have died, and all the reft must go off at laft without leaving any reprefentatives behind. By this account he must have loft not only 800,000 fubjects, but double that number, and all the increafe that was reasonably to be expected from it.

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It is faid in the last war there was a famine in 'his kingdom, which swept away two millions of his people. This is hardly credible: If the lofs was only of one fifth part of that fum, it was very great. But it is no wonder there fhould be famine, where fo much of the people's fubftance is taken away for the king's ufe, that they have not fufficient left to provide againft accidents; where fo many of the men are taken from the plough to ferve the king in his wars, and a great part of the tillage is left to the weaker hands of fo many women and children. Whatever was

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the lofs, it muft undoubtedly be placed to the account of his ambition.

And fo muft alfo the deftruction or banishinent of 3 or 400,000 of his reformed fubjects; ' he could have no other reafons for valuing those lives fo very cheap, but only to recommend himfelf to the bigotry of the Spanish nation.

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How fhould there be industry in a country where all property is precarious? What fubject will fow his land that his prince may reap the whole harveft? Parfimony and frugality must be ftrangers to fuch a people; for will any man fave to-day what he has reafon to fear will be taken from him to-morrow? And where is the encouragement for marrying? Will any man think of railing children, without any affurance of clothing for their backs, or fo much as food for their bellies? And thus by his fatal ambition he 'must have leffened the number of his fubjects not only by flaughter and deftruction, but by preventing their very births, he has done as much as was poffible towards deftroying pofterity itself.

Is

Is this then the great, the invincible Lewis ? This the immortal man, the tout-puiffant, or the almighty, as his flatterers have called him? this the man that is fo celebrated for his conquefts? For every fubject he has acquired, has he not loft three that were his inheritance? Are not his troops fewer, and those neither fo well fed, or clothed, or paid, as they were formerly, though he has now fo much greater caufe to exert himfelf? And what can be the reafon of all this, but that his revenue is a great deal lefs, his fubjects are either poorer, or not so many, to be plundered by conftant taxes for his ufe ?

It is well for him he had found out a way to fteal a kingdom; if he had gone on conquering as he did before, his ruin had been long fince finifhed. This brings to my mind a faying of King

Pyrrhus,

• Pyrrhus, after he had a fecond time beat the Romans in a pitched battle, and was complimented by his generals: Yes, fay he, fuch another victory and I am quite undone. And fince I have men tioned Pyrrhus, I will end with a very good, tho' 'known story of this ambitious madman. When "'he had fhewn the utmoft fondnefs of his expedi- . tion against the Romans, Cyneas his chief minifter afked him, what he proposed to himself by this war? Why, fays Pyrrhus, to conquer the Romans, and reduce all Italy to my obedience. What then? fays Cyneas. To pafs over into Sicily, fays Pyrrhus, and then all the Sicilians must be our fubjects. And what does your Majefty ' intend next? Why truly, fays the King, to conquer Carthage, and make myself master of all 4-. frica. And what, Sir, fays the minifter is to be the end of all your expeditions? Why then, fays the King, for the rest of our lives we will fit. 'down to good wine. How, Sir, replied Cyneas, to better than we have now before us? Have we not already as much as we can drink? • Riot and excefs are not the becoming characters of princes; but if Pyrrhus and Lewis had. debauched like Vitellius, they had been lefs hurt-. ful to their people.

Your humble fervant,

T

PHILARITHMUS.”

No 181. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27.

His lacrymis vitam damus, et miferefcimus ultro.

VIRG. Æn. ii. v. 145

Mov'd by these tears, we pity and protect.

I AM more pleafed with a letter that is filled with touches of nature than of wit. The following one is of this kind.

SIR,

• SIR,

A Mong all the diftreffes which happen in fa

milies, I do not remember that you have touched upon the marriage of children without the confent of their parents. I am one of these 'unfortunate perfons. I was about fifteen when I took the liberty to chuse for myself; and have ⚫ ever fince languished under the displeasure of an inexorable father, who, though he fees me happy in the best of husbands, and bleffed with very 'fine children, can never be prevailed upon to forgive me. He was fo kind to me before this unhappy accident, that indeed it makes my breach of duty, in fome meafure, inexcufable; and at 'the fame time creates in me fuch a tenderness to'wards him, that I love him above all things, and ⚫ would die to be reconciled to him. I have thrown myfelf at his feet, and besought him with tears to pardon me; but he always pufhes me away, and fpurns me from him; I have written feveral let'ters to him, but he will neither open nor receive ⚫ them. About two years ago I fent my little boy to him, dreffed in a new apparel; but the child ' returned to me crying, because he said his grand'father would not fee him, and had ordered him to be put out of his houfe. My mother is won over to my fide, but dares not mention me to my father for fear of provoking him. About a 'month ago he lay fick upon his bed, and in great danger of his life: I was pierced to the heart at the news, and could not forbear going to enquire • after his health. My mother took this opportu'nity of fpeaking in my behalf: She told him with

abundance of tears, that I was come to fee him, 'that I could not speak to her for weeping, and that I fhould certainly break my heart if he refused at that time to give me his bleffing, and be reconciled to me. He was fo far from relenting towards me, that he bid her speak no more of