while that great Empire was finking into Ruin by a general male Administration, in every Branch, in every Office, from the highest to the loweft, it may be obferv'd, there was a perfect Harmony and good Understanding between the Executive and Legislative Parts of the Government; all the infa

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mous Favourites and Minions of the wicked Emperors we read of in the declining State of the Empire, were upon good Terms with the Senate ; that is to fay, as long as they continued Favourites; nothing went amifs with Men in Power; all the Villanies of that Monster, Sejanus, were treated as juft and wife Actions, till he fell into Difgrace with his Mafter; but when Tiberius refolv'd to deftroy him, he only fignified his Pleafure to the Senate, and the Thing was done;

he, at whofe Nod they would, the Day before, have banish'd, perhaps deftroy'd the worthieft Man in Rome, was himself deftroy'd, at the Frown of the worft, because he had greateft Power; and thus did the Senate diftinguifh itself for nothing but a profligate Refignation of themselves to every thing that was commanded.

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But the bafe Flatterers of the Times were all this while throwing about their naufeous Praifes, and extolling the Wisdom of every foolish Action, peform'd by the Great Men (or rather little Knaves) in Power; they took Care of the Conftitution of their. Country; they acted always according to Law; they made the Laws of the Empire the very Rule of their Adminiftration; and the like Stuff; all which, indeed, was true in one Senfe; for the greatest Beast amongst them need only fignify his Will and Pleasure to the Senate, and that Will and Pleafure was made the Law; and juft fuch will be the boafted Liberty of all Countries, where the Legiflature is under the Command of the Executive Part of the Government.

The

The People, in all Countries, are naturally in clined to pay a Refpect to Senates and National Affemblies, but, more especially, where Governments have any Mixture of the Popular.-In Rome, the very Tribunes of the People were held in the higheft Veneration; he who injur'd the Tribunes, his Head was devoted, and curfed; Qui Tribunis Plebis nocuiffet, ejus Caput Fovi facrum effet; but all this Respect may be loft, and certainly will be loft, where Senates and Affemblies are feen to proftitute themfelves to the Views and Defigns of bafe and ambitious Men in Power. — Men may be kept in Awe by fevere Laws from treating fuch Men publickly with the juft Contempt they deferve, and which they have for them, but, nevertheless, they will bear it in their Minds, and there can be no publick Bleffings, no Content, or Happiness, in a Nation, where the Confultations, Proceedings, Decrees, or Edicts, of a Senate, or National Affembly, meet with no Respect or Reverence from the People.

All the Distractions and Revolutions which fell upon the Romans were owing to the Corruption of their Senates; had there been any Remains of Publick Spirit amongst them, and had they preferv'd any Part of that Efteem amongst the People which was paid to them as long as they deferved it, Opportunities happen'd (even after they had been plagu'd with many Tyrants) of restoring the Commonwealth ; but, whatever favourable Events occur'd, the People never turn'd their Eyes towards the Senate, in Expectation of feeing Affairs redrefs'd, or the Government fettled; and an Emperor, fet up by a Rabble of an hundred Soldiers, would have met with more Refpect from Millions, than one chofen by fuch a bafe Senate. Nay, we read, that, after the Death of Otho, when it was doubtful what Turn the Government would take,

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or whether there would be an Emperor or not, the Magiftrates of a Town call'd Mutina writ to the Senate, to know their Designs, and in their Letter, faluted them with the Name of Confcript Fathers, a Title which had always been used in Addreffes to the Roman Senate; but even this was Matter of Derifion to the People; they could not forbear fcoffing to see that venerable Title used to so mercenary an Affembly.

SATURDAY, April 10, 1731.

T is obferv'd, that when a Nation grows famous in the World, either for Arms or the Wifdom of her Councils, every Native of that Country is confider'd and treated with more Refpect, when he travels amongst Foreigners. It is no fmall Glory to be born in a Land, where Men who have diftinguish'd themfelves for Bravery, Vertue, and Wisdom, are employ'd upon the publick Scene of Bufinefs.

On the other Side, when a Commonwealth finks into Contempt, when she becomes ftigmatiz'd for Pufilanimity, and bad Conduct in her political Affairs, every Individual muft fhare fome Part of the Difgrace.

The fame Obfervation will alfo hold good in Refpect to Arts, Sciences, and Profeffions; Men of Vertue and Honour raife the Dignity of a mean Profeffion, and bring it into Credit with the World, while the Bafe and the Profligate will fink the most honourable Profeffion into Difgrace.

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The Philofophers, amongst the Ancients, were held in greater Veneration, by the People, than their Generals or Magiftrates, as long as they liv'd as they spoke and writ, but, when they be gan to flatter Pride and Greatnefs, and to fawn upon Vice, all this Refpect was loft, and we fee, by Lucian, that a Philofopher became a Name of Contempt.

If we fhould apply this Obfervation to Things facred, it will come to the fame Purpose.-- The Truth of the pureft Religion in the World muft fall under Sufpicion with the Generality of the People, while a profligate Priesthood is in its Ministry; but more efpecially, if the Perfons who are in the highest Dignities of the Church, fhould be obferv'd to have no Regard to any thing belonging to that Church, except its fat Benefices, if they fhould be too much employ'd in gathering Riches, and in attending the Great, for the good Morfels of the Church, to mind the Cure of Souls; I fay, if they fhould be felf-interested in all their Actions, perhaps nothing would contribute more to introduce Infidelity in Points of Faith, and a general Depravity of Morals; for many ignorant People will be apt to think that Religion is all a Cheat, when they behold those who are fuperior in the Priesthood mind nothing but the Goods of this World, and live in fuch a Manner as if they did not believe in God.

When a Prieft is prais'd for his Talent of Preaching, and commended for his Learning, whofe Life and Morals are no Credit to his Order, it is generally understood as a Matter of Ridicule. There is a Story written of Auguftin the Monk, that going forth of his Convent one Day, accompanied by another of the fame Order, having gone to many Places in the City, and, returning back to his Convent, the Companion ask'd Auguftin, why he had

not

not preached that Day; a Layman, who overheard the Question, answer'd, He has preach'd, and preaches every Day, for the People are better edified, and more convinced of the Truth of the Gospel, by the Example of bis Life and Manners, than by all your Sermons.

There is no Vertue which draws fo much Reverence on the Priesthood, as appearing difinterested in worldly Affairs; the most barbarous and unciviliz'd of the Common People have ever paid Re-. fpect to Perfons of that Character. It is very well worth obferving, that, in that monftrous Rebellion of Wat. Tyler and Jack Straw, in the Reign of Richard the Second, when the provok'd Multitude had determin'd to deftroy the Bifhops, (many of whom, it must be confefs'd, were bad enough) and the Rectors of fome rich Parishes, they refolved, at the fame Time, to fpare all the mendicant Friers, because their Lives feem'd to be conformable with their preaching.

It is faid, that Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Order of Jefuits, gave this Advice to one Cofmos de Terres, who was going to Japan upon a Miffion, to fubdue his Paffions, to throw off all Self-Intereft, and not to touch the Alms appropriated to the Relief of the Poor, because (fays he) it is difficult to handle Pitch and not be defiled thereby ; to which he added, that, if he had four Companions entirely detach'd from all worldly Intereft, he would not despair of being able to convert the whole World.

I believe it may be proved, that this Vertue, in fome of the primitive Fathers, contributed more towards planting the Chriftian Religion, than all their Writing and Preaching. It is faid, that St. Bartholomew travelled into the Indies, in order to preach the Gospel, and the King's Daughter having long languifh'd under a lingering Diftemper, the Phyficians firft, and afterwards the BrachVOL. II. R

mans,