fo neceffary for controuling human paffions; it is dangerous to him from the refentment and hatred -which the injuftice and oppreffion of his ftate naturally excite in the flave, and which his fituation daily affords him an opportunity of revenging. Slavery communicates to the unhappy fufferer the afflictions, without the pleafures of life, it depreffes the energies of nature, and is dangerous to a community, by admitting within it a number of unhappy individuals, who, èxcluded from the benefits of its constitution, are interested only in promoting its destruction. It would be creditable to the ftates of Europe, were they all to unite in abolishing the flave trade; till that defirable event takes place, it is hard to fay, in a political or commercial view, how we can, with propriety, throw fuch immenfe advantages into the laps of our rivals and enemies. If this fubject is finally determined against the benevolent wifhes of Mr. Wilberforce, those who have fo honorably and humanely co-operated with him, may, however, confole themselves with reflecting, that they have confiderably diminished the evils of a traffic which they were not able to abolish. SORRELL, AGNES, the beautiful, the patriotic miftrefs of Charles the Seventh, King of France, whose conduct has tempted certain writers to overlook her defects in chastity, defects which nothing can excufe. She is defcribed in glowing colours, at the twenty-fourth page of my first volume, and is almost the only inftance on record, in which the fair favourite of a fovereign VOL. II. prince escaped popular odium. Agnes was a woman of ten thou fand, for the poffeffed beauty with. out affectation, and wit without ill nature, while greatnefs of foul, and a nice regard for the character of her lover, endeared her even to those who difapproved their illicit attachment. She rouzed her voluptuous hero to exploits, which alone could prove he deferved a crown, by arguments and inducements, which if virtuous women properly employed, how extenfive, how omnipotent, would be their influence. Whilst France was ravaged by the English invaders, the infatuated Charles was forming plans for mufical entertainments, mafques, and dances; but this admirable woman refolutely perfifted in refusing to partake of any amusements, till the King had attacked the English, and refused to fhare his bed, till he returned victorious from the field Such conduct deserved, and has received, the praife of poets and hiftorians; it alfo exercifed the lively imagination of Francis the Firft, who has left a poetic compliment to her memory, in which he obferves, that Agnes Sorrell, by thus exerting the power of her beauty, difcharged her duty to fociety more meritoriously, than if fhe had paffed half her life in counting beads, or repeating Ave Marias and Benedicites, in the fequeftered fhades of a cloyster. This declaration of Francis, confidering the age in which he lived, was bold and energetic, and must be received with caution by the young and gay. Perhaps it might be neceffary to remind them of A a that 1 that happy, rational, and fatisfac tory medium, between the abject fuperftition of popifh impofture, and the difgraceful exhaufting paroxyfms of lafcivious indulgence. ORROW, Inconfolable. An inftance in which this irrational excess was followed by inconfiftent conduct, may be seen under the article, Widow of Ephefus, in this volume. Various have been the contrivances of human wisdom, to call off the attention from brooding on domestic and other calamities. Occupation feems to be the best remedy for affliction." Be not folitary, be not idle," was the advice of one who had had his fhare of the bitter cup. With refpect to folitude, I am not of his opinion; there is a state of mind, in which company, without certain reftrictions, becomes intolerably oppreffive and infupportable ;friendship, like opium, requires great skill in adminiftering. Dr. Johnfon is faid to have felected Cocker's Arithmetic as his travelling companion, when he wished to fhake off the black dog (as he ufed to call melancholy) from hanging on the fkirts of his garment. On a friend expreffing furprize, the great moralift replied, "I find numerical calculation, and complex combination of figures, the best and most effectual method of absorbing my faculties, and calling off my attention from the evils of life." Dr. Young chofe to foothe rather than fly from his woes; by indulging melancholy reflections, and giving the reins to a difcurfive fancy, he diminished the pangs of thofe emotions, he would not or could not fupprefs; as the violence of a torrent abates when diffused in a broad expanfe. With a mixture of logical reafoning and poetic imagery, he thus arraigns the abfurdity of grieving for deceafed abfurdit friends. Why wanders wretched thought their tombs around In infidel diftrefs? Are angels there? Slumbers rak'd up in duft, ætherial fire ? But our nocturnal poet did not recollect a reply made to a philofopher, who was rebuking a mourner, for forrows, which he termed irrational, because they were ineffectual. "If you were to weep for a century," faid the ftern reafoner, "the man whose lofs you lament would be still numbered with the dead." "The circumftance you mention," faid the victim of grief, "is the ftrongest of all poflible reafons for the unceafing and unconquerable nature of my forrows. Was there the remoteft poffibility of ever feeing my friend again, however diftant the period, I could bear my misfortune with compofure." The advifer forgot, like many a modern, well-defigning, but unfuccefsful comforter, that a moderate indulgence, that a mutual mingling of tears, was the best alleviator of alleviator of a fwelling bofom, which turns with difguft from unfeeling pride of argument, and the ftoicifm of rational deduction. NOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE. The origin of all power is fo palpably evident, that it would be waiting paper and pa. tience SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE. tience to enter into an elaborate argument on the subject. This work abounds with inftances, in which I have freely given my opinion without fear, and, I hope, without ill-defign; that every government must have derived its power from, and have been instituted wholly and folely for the good of, the people; that when the purposes for which it was created are defeated, which must be proved by barefaced, undeniable acts of perfidy and oppreffion (for no trifling grievance will authorize fo momentous a proceeding) the well-being of the public is paramount to all other confiderations, and every other authority muft yield fubmiffion to that from which it derives its own. Thus much I thought neceffary to say, in answer to the empty cavils of a coxcomb without accomplishment, and a pedant without learning, who is looked up to, in a certain circle, with reverence, and almost adoration. But to quit this bug with gilded wings, whom I advife to be quiet, leaft he add marked and public ridicule to infignificance and contempt; the misfortune of the fovereign people, from the prefent unenlightened state of the lower and more numerous portion of mankind ; the misfortune is, that this manyheaded monarch is too often unqualified for a due performance of the regal functions. The democratic machine is alfo of fuch a ftupendous fize, immenfe weight, and compound form, that it requires ftrength little fhort of a hurricane, an earthquake, or a tornado, to regulate or repress its motions. 179 The magician, who, to remove fome petty inconvenience, a thick fog, a fultry fummer's heat, or a clouded atmosphere, would 'wifh, like Virgil's Juno, to set the raging winds at liberty, and produce a war of elements, must have a weak head, or a malignant heart; he must be flightly acquainted with the force and impetuofity of the means he employs, or proves himfelf unfit for the office he affumes, by his grofs defects in humanity and benevolence. SPAIN, the late King of, and the buckle anecdote, which, during his reign, must not have been whispered at Aranjuez, St. Ildefonfo, or the Efcurial, though a far more fatal infatuation of his fucceffor, and the great D'Alcudia, (but for the lucky and well-timed peace, the peace of the daughter of Cabarrhus) would have coft a fenfible, but mifled Prince, his crown and fceptre. I ought not to wifh the prefent Spanish Monarch to experience the hardships rafhly impofed by him and his favourite on the Count D'Aranda, who, when the pompous inanity of the Crillons, the O'Reilly's, Nunnez and D'Alcudia, are remembered only to be defpifed, will, with Florida Blanca, be recollected by every true Spaniard with fympathy and regret, as a patriotic statesman and reforming minifter, who long forefaw, but vainly attempted to prevent, the calamities of his country. The buckle anecdote muft not, however, be forgotten. His late Catholic Majefty, befides the wholefale and daily deftruction of foxes, hares, and partridges, which was the chief bufinefs of his valuable life, occafionally turned his mind to the hardware manufactories of Spain, and indulged a notion, probably occafioned by his wifhes, that, in cutlery ware, the workmen of Madrid and Toledo furpaffed the artists of Birmingham and Sheffield. This opinion was the subject of many an amicable conteft with the late Lord Grantham, and it was at laft agreed, that fome English buckles fhould be ordered by the Ambaffador, which, produced against others or、 dered by the King in his own country, fhould decide the question. A pair at length arrived, which coft two fhillings and three-pence, and a Spanish pair were eagerly placed on the table by the royal huntsman. After due infpection and comparison, they were allowed to make near approaches to those manufactured in England, but, on enquiring into the price, the workman could not afford to fell them for lefs than fix fhillings. The King, whom nothing but ftubborn fact could have prefumed to contradict, hung his head, and Lord Grantham, as faras was allow. able in a politician and a courtier, to triumph over a crowned head, moderately and politely exulted in his victory. I fear, from certain unpropitious circumstances, the advantages of carrying the cheapest goods, as well as the beft, to the European markets, will not long remain with us; fhould that unfortunately ever be the cafe, in every commodity, we may fay, with refpect to England, "La comedie eft joue;" land at fifteen years purchase, and the three per cents at twenty-five, would be the immediate confes quence. quence. Attend, then, ye palfied and lethargic ftatefmen, attend, ye fat and greafy citizens, to a cheap fupport of the labourer and handicraftfman, FOR IT IS PLAYTHING YOU ARE ABOUT. NO Had I been near the young Spanish Sovereign, though death or the gallies would have been the immediate confequence, I would have thundered a few weighty but unwelcome truths into his ears, as he returned to Madrid with his Prince of Peace. I would have told him, that his unworthy treatment of almoft the only able and honeft man in his dominions, and the confequences of having not only neglected, but punished him for giving his advice, had blafted and withered the glories of a reign, which once promised better things; that he had not the excufe of his father's iron nerves and conftitutional ftupidity to plead; but that, with keen fenfibility, a clear head, a good heart, and a cultivated underftanding, he had obftinately replaced the infantine and difgraceful bandage of prieftcraft, prejudice, and inveterate abufe, which was dropping from his eyes; that in this artificial blindness, he had chofen to wander in the intricate mazes of a crooked policy, in preference to the straight and direct path of philofophy, wifdom, and general happinefs; that, terrified by the fate of one branch of his family, he had, by a fudden and inconfiftent tergiverfation, plunged into the fame fyftem of tardiness, and putting off the evil day, which had conducted his relation to the fcaffold. The following paffage of Pope, with a little alteration, and fome allowance SPARTACUS. allowance for anachronisms might have been properly applied to a fort of ridiculous, ceremonial and cavalcade, in celebration of a peace; when if D'Aranda had been attended to, the difgrace, loffes, and carnage of the Spanish war, might have been wholly avoided. But when D'Aranda's exil'd hero paft, The pomp was darken'd, and the day o'ercaft; Transfix'd with grief, each ho- randa's fate. D'Aranda exhibited many ftriking, and fome romantic traits of patriotifm, philofophy, and toleration; he wifhed to have the names of Chrift, Luther, Calvin, William Penn, and (I know not with what propriety) Mahomet infcribed on every church in Spain; he branded with infamy, the memories of Torquemada, Ferdinand, and Ifabella; and in the preffing urgency of a general contribution, warmly recommended a general fale of Catholic relics of every kind; madonas, croffes, chalices, and candlesticks. Thefe facred materials, in a country like Spain, would probably have been productive, but we may guefs how propofals of this kind, and the man who made them would be received in fuch a kingdom. He boldly declared in council, and in the presence of his mafter, that two thirds of the nummeries and convents, ought to be con 181 verted into inns, farm-houses, and manufactories; that their vaft revenues fhould be applied towards employing the poor, paying fchoolmafters, making roads, building bridges, and other useful purposes: Miftaken man! what could he expect but oppofition and difgrace, in a country which patronizes the inquifition. With all his vaftnefs of project, and goodness of defign, his minute detail, and inexhauftible copioufnefs of refource, with all his genius, and all his attainments, he neglected or defpifed, coolnefs, worldly prudence, low cunning, bed-chamber women, female fmiles, pages, and back ftairs. In pursuing his end, he did not sufficiently confider the importance of the means, however infignificant or trifling they might appear to the statesman, the fage, and the philofopher; he afforded an instructive lesson to his rival, who taught by his failure, and following an oppofite course, afcended the heighths of preferment. Yet, with all his errors and failings, D'Aranda, compared to his opponent, was a foaring archangel, occafionally refting on the earth, from his empyrean flights, and ftung by a worthless pifmire, creeping on the ground. SPARTACUS, a native of a little town in Thrace, from which he drew his name. This extraordinary individual, who fhook the foundations of Roman greatnefs, in its meridian fplendor, had been imprifoned early in life, for refifting oppreffion; he was fold for a flave, became a fugitive, a foldier, a deferter, a robber, and defcending as it were to the lowest fcale of human mifery, was at last a gla. |