family in this nation, above the rank of a labouring man, who dines without one fervant at least, either man or maid, to attend, who, of course, pick up the Virtues and Vices of their betters.

When a man of fuperior education is about to difplay his wit in laughing at thofe who fancy it of confequence to frequent the Church, to hear the man in black pretend to instruct him in his duty; he would do well to reflect that his fervant has no chance of learning his duty in any other place; and that, when he fets up his understanding above a Locke, a Newton, an Addifon, &c. &c. he is teaching his domeftics to affume the fame fuperiority over himself, and to find arguments equally good with thofe he hears from the company, for any species of wickednefs he is inclined to purfue. If the converfation turns upon the defects of his neighbour, and depreciating the characters of his acquaintance, can he, with any degree of propriety, be angry that his fervants divert others with his failings, and those of his family?'

Mrs. Mode, the other day, at table, mentioned, with exultation, the opportunities she had, when the refided at her father's near Haftings, to procure French filks and run tea; for, faid the I never thought there was any harm in cheating the King.' 'I hope, Madam, (faid a blunt relation, a Captain in the Guards) your fervant will profit by this leffon; for, I dare answer for them, they think themselves as little culpable in cheating their Mistress! And indeed, why would they not? For, furely, no good reafon can be given why his Majesty is pitched upon as the only individual in his kingdom that may be robbed with impunity.'

It is a ftrange attempt to exculpate ourfelves by faying. If I did not do it, others would: Like the Dutchman who made intereft to fell the rope which must have been purchafed, to hang his own father, from fome one elfe, and thought he had a better right

to the profit than another man. But it is not for the unfeeling I wish to write.

Perhaps there could not be a higher affront put upon any one, than hinting that they are of no confequence in the world. Why then do we put fo grofs an affront upon ourselves? However low, however fecluded, however infignificant we may be, or appear to many, there are, there must be fome to whom our actions are of the greateft confequence. To the Public every individual is anfwerable for his behaviour as a member of the body politic. To his Maker every man is anfwerable for his own faults, and, as far as he is the efficient caufe, not only for his own, but likewife thofe of others; whether he is acceffary by commanding, perfuading, or neglecting to prevent evil; and I will venture to affirin, in oppofition to an Atheistical writer of the laft age, that private virtues are public benefits, and private vices tend inevitably to the ruin of every community, and are, in effect, the bane of Society. Were there no honeft men in the world, what would become of public credit? and, was there no fuch thing as benevolence, the aged and decrepid poor muft perifh for want of that which every man may be selfish enough to spend wholly upon his own gratifications.

As members of fociety, we ought to do all in our power to mend others but, as we are not certain of fucceeding in that attempt, let us fet ourselves to do that which we are capable of performing, the mending that one' for whofe every fault we must be anfwerable to him who has placed us here for our own benefit, and with the benevolent defign of our adding to the happiness of our fellow-creatures. From our great Creator we are morally certain that we fhall receive a reward adequate to the pains we have taken to perform his will; and it is his will that we should, if we accept his terms, be happy here and enjoy perpetual felicity hereafter.

Apicius.

or to discharge or lay on land within the faid town, or upon any of the places aforefaid, out of any ship or veffel, any goods, wares or merchandize, to be brought from any other country, or from any other part of the faid province, upon pain of forfeiting the goods, and of the fhip or veffel into which the fame fhall be put, or out of which the fame fhall be taken.

There are claufes inflicting penalties on Wharfingers fuffering goods to be landed, fhipped off, or water-borne at or from their wharfs, or for aiding and affifting in the fhipping and unshipping goods, wares or merchandize; for obliging fhips moored or lying at anchor, or hovering in the bay, or within a certain diftance from the fame, to depart to fome other harbour or ftation, except fhips laden with military stores for the King's ufe, or laden with fuel or victuals for the fubfiftence of the inhabitants of the town of Boston, or fhips having on board goods at the time mentioned in the bill.-Directing that all feizures, penalties and forfeitures,fhall be made and profecuted by an admiral, chief commander, or commiffion officer of his majesty's fleet or fhips of war, or by fome of the officers of the customs, or fome other perfon authorised by the commiffioners of the treafury; and inflicts penalties on fuch officers and perfons as fhall take any bribe to connive at fuch lading or unlading, or doing any other act whereby the goods, wares, and merchandize prohibited fhall be fuffered to pafs inwards or outwards, or whereby the penalties and forfeitures inflicted by the bill may be evaded.--Directing that the forfeitures and penalties inflicted by the bill fhall be profecuted for, and applied in the fame manner as other penalties and forfeitures inflicted by any act or acts relating to the trade or re

jefty.-Declaring that every charterparty, bill of lading, and other contract for configning, fhipping, or carrying any goods or merchandize to or from the faid town or harbour, made or to be made, or entered into, fo long as the act fhall remain in force, fhall be void; empowering the King, whenever it fhall be made appear to him in his privy conncil that peace and obedience to the laws fhall be fo far reftored in the faid town of Boston, that the trade of Great Britain may be fafely carried on there, to affign and appoint the extent, bounds and limits of the faid port or harbour; and alfo to affign and appoint quays and wharfs for the landing and difcharging, lading and shipping of goods, as his majefty fhall judge neceffary, and to appoint fuch officers of the customs as his majefty fhall think fit.--Declaring that the bill fhall not extend to enable the King to appoint fuch port, quays, wharfs, or officers in the said town, unlefs full fatisfaction shall have been made to the company for the damage fuftained by them, by the defruction of their goods, fent to the faid town on board certain fhips, and to the officers of his majcity's revenue, and others who fuffered by the riots and infurrections in November, December, and January laft; allowing the general iffue to be pleaded in actions brought in pursuance of the

bill.

The following Petition was prefented in the Houfe of Commons, figned by most of the Gentlemen of North America, who are in London:

To the honourable the Commons of Great

Britain, in Parliament affembled.

The humble Petition of several Natives and Inhabitants of North America.

Sheweth,

HAT your petitioners, being

natives of his majefty's dominions in America, are deeply interefted in every proceeding of this honourable houfe, which touches the life, li

berties

berties or property of any perfon or perfons in the faid dominions.

That your petitioners conceive themfelves and their fellow fubjects entitled to the rights of natural juftice, and to the common law of England, as their unalienable birthright that they apprehend it to be an inviolable rule of natural juftice, that no man fhall be condemned unheard, and that according to law no perfon or perfons can be judged without being called upon to fwear, and being permitted to hear the evidence against them, and to make their defence.

That it is therefore with the deepeft forrow they understand, that this honourable houfe is now about to pass a bill to punish with unexampled rigour, the town of Bofton,for a trefpafs committed by fome perfons unknown, upon the property of the Eaft India company, without the faid town's being apprifed of any accufation brought against them, or having been permit ted to hear their defence. Your petitioners conceive fuch proceedings to be directly repugnant to every principle of law and juftice, and that under fuch a precedent, no man, or body of men in America, could enjoy a moment's fecurity for if judgment be immediately to follow an accufation against the people of America, fupported even by perfons notoriously at enmity with them, the accufed unacquainted with the charge, and from the nature of their fituation utterly incapable of answering and defending themselves, every fence against falfe accufation will be pulled down, juftice will no longer be their shield, nor innocence an exemption from punish

ment.

Your petitioners beg leave to reprefent, that law in America miniiters redrefs for any injury fuftained there, and they can mott truly affirm, that it is executed in that country with as much impartiality as in any other part of his majefty's dominions. In proof of this they appeal to an inftance of great notoriety in which, unJer every circumftance that could ex

afperate the people, and difturb the courfe of juftice, Captain Preston and his foldiers had a fair trial, and favourable verdict. While the due courfe of law holds out redrefs for an injury fuftained in America, they apprehend the interpofition of parliamentary power to be full of danger, and without any precedent. If the perfons who committed this trefpafs are known, then the Eaft India company have their remedy against them at law; if they are unknown, your petitioners cannot comprehend by what rule of juftice the town can be punished for a civil injury committed by perfons not known to belong to them.

Your petitioners conceive that there is not an inftance, even in the most arbitrary times, in which a city was punished by parliamentary authority, without being heard, for a civil offence not committed within their jurifdiction, and without redress having been fought at common law. The cafes which they have heard adduced are directly againft it; that of the King against the city of London was for a murder committed within its walls by its citizens in open day. But even then, arbitrary as the times were, the tryal was public in a court of common law, the party heard, and the law laid down by the judges was, that it was an offence at the common law to fuffer fuch a crime to be committed in a walled town, tempore diurno, and none of the offenders to be known or indicted. The cafe of Edinburgh, in which parliament did interpofe, was the commiffion of an atrocious murder within her gates, and aggravated by an overt act of high treafon, in executing against the exprefs will of the crown the King's laws. It is obfervable that thefe cities had by charter the whole executive power within themfelves, fo that a failure of justice neceffarily enfued from their connivance. In both cafes, however, full time was allowed them to discharge their duty, and they were heard in their defence. But neither has time been allowed in this cafe, nor are the

accufed

accused heard, nor is Boston a walled town, nor was the fact committed within it, nor is the executive power In their hands, as it is in those of London and Edinburgh; on the contrary, the governor himself holds that power, and has been advised by his majesty's council to carry it into execution. If it has been neglected, he alone is anfwerable; if it has been executed, perhaps at this inftant, while punishment is inflicting here on those who have not been legally tried, the due courfe of law is operating there to the difcovery and profecution of the real offenders.

Your petitioners, think themselves bound to declare to this honourable houfe, that they apprehend a proceeding of exceffive rigour and injaftice will fink deep in the minds of their countrymen, and tend to alienate their affections from this country.

That the attachment of America cannot furvive the juftice of Great Britain.

That if they fee a different mode of trial established for them, and for the people of this country, a mode which violates the facred principles: of natural justice, it may be produc tive of national diftruft,and extinguish thofe of filial feelings of refpect and affection, which have hitherto attach ed them to the parent ftate.

Urged, therefore, by every motive of affection to both countries; by the most earnest defire, not only to preferve their own rights, and thofe of their countrymen, but to prevent the diffolution of that love, harmony, and confidence, which was their mutual bleffing and fupport.

Your petitioners do most earnestly befeech this honourable houfe not to pafs the faid bill.

Anecdote of the Count de Lauzun.

not get out of prifon, he may do very well within, and at last come out a wifer man than he entered;' but these confolations did not fall to the lot of the Count de Lauzun. At a distance from the voice of friend or relation; without any founds, except his own fighs; without any light, except the glimmering through the ruins of the roof; without books, means of occupation, or poffibility of exercise; a prey to hope deferred, corroding languor, and uninterrupted horror; he at laft, as the only means of preferving himself from infanity, had recourfe to the expedient of taming a fpider.

Mifery, fays Trinculo, makes a man acquainted with ftrange companions.' The fpider received his flies every morning with gratitude, carried on his webs through the day with alacrity, and engaged the whole attention of his benefactor; until the gaoler, converfant in fcenes of wretch-ednefs, and confequently steeled against every tender fenfation, accidentally difcovered this amusement of his prifoner, and, in the wantonness of tyranny, officiously destroyed the subject of it.

M. de Lauzun afterwards declared that he conceived his agony on this occafion to have been more painful, than that of a fond mother on the lofs of a darling child.

The Rapacity of Courtiers: An Apalogue.

OURSHIVAN the Juft, one of

the Kings of Perfia, being oppreffed with hunger, one day, as he was hunting, longed to eat part of the game he had killed. Being unprovided with fait, however, he fent his attendants to the next Village for fome, but denounced the most severe penalties on them if they omitted to pay for it "What harm," cried one of thefe, "can there be in not paying for a little falt?" "If a King," replied Nourthivan, "should pluck an Apple in the garden of onc of his fubjects, his Courtiers, the next day, would cut down the Tree."

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