having other boroughs or villages under its jurisdiction-as I understood Doctor Johnfon, who was zealous in his wifhes to fix that diftinction upon Southwark, but never could poffefs himself of facts: he faid, however, the ftill remaining title of rural dean in our language, was a remnant of this old Chorepifcopus. PRIMATE is a word now chiefly in ufe when we speak of Ireland; but at the time England was divided into ecclefiaftical provinces, in the year 1152, the ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury, as chief METROPOLITAN, claimed to be called PRIMATE of all England, while York retained his pretenfion to be denominated PRIMATE of Eng-. land, as before. He ftill takes precedence next to the dukes of the blood royal, and goes before all the officers of ftate except the lord chancellor, poffeffing befide empty honours, the power of a palatine in one county, and jurifdiction in criminal proceedings: while the ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury holds, by the laws and conftitution of England, powers fo extenfive, that fince the days of Laud fcarce any one has been ever raised to the dignity, till he was well known for a character of perfonal mildness, and of principles which incline him to moderation in the exercife of those prerogatives, the voluntary reftriction of which contributes not a little to our happy tranquillity, and takes from all rational minds the smallest inclination to leffen or curtail them.

PRINCIPAL,

PRINCIPAL, CHIEF, MOST CONSIDERABLE OR ESSENTIAL.

THE two firft of thefe are fynonymes, if our fentence runs thus:-The PRINCIPAL cause of our wars against France, formerly, was a defire of increasing our commerce and dominion; but now the CHIEF reafon for hoftility is the neceffity of fecuring our own, and preferving the tranquillity of Europe. We fay, that the moft ESSENTIAL method of keeping peace at home in factious times, is to be careful who has the charge of CHIEF magiftrate, mayor, &c. in the PRINCIPAL towns; becaufe his office, being most CONSIDERABLE, may be supposed to have moft influence.

The first word, however, eafily turns into a fubftantive; the fecond ftill more fo, meaning in every acceptation one primarily or originally engaged, not an auxiliary. A prefident or governor is likewife fo called; and the master of a college or hall is ftyled PRINCIPAL in Scotland, where Dr. Robertfon long wore that appellation, which fuited his fuperiority of genius and knowledge fo well; though furely difficult enough to obtain where men of talents are the things leaft rarely met with: a fact foreigners appear to know better than our own country

men.

They will perhaps need information, however, that a fum of money lent to government, for which intereft is duly paid, fhould be called the

PRIN

PRINCIPAL. An Englishman learns nothing earlier, or more willingly, than what immediately belongs to calculation, arithmetic, or

commerce.

PRINCIPLE, ELEMENT, RUDIMENT, PRIMORDIAL

SUBSTANCE.

OF these words in common converfation we make little ufe, but 'tis because converfation feldom difcuffes the truths of natural philofophy, or traces the maze of metaphyfical difquifitions, elfe we fhould find occafion for them all. A foreigner yet in his RUDIMENTE of our lauguage, will find little temptation to investigate the PRIMORDIAL SUBSTANCE I believe, or settle the point whether PRINCIPLE OF ELEMENT ftood firft in the fcale of creation. They are not fynonymous, however. We juftly call the foul our thinking PRINCIPLE; none of the other words would do in this place: fire, water, earth, and air, are ELEMENTS, while falt, fulphur, and spirit are denominated in chymistry the three active PRINCIPLES.In logick, we agree that there is no difputing with a man who denies PRINCIPLES; and Doctor Watts, who knew most perhaps of fuch sciences, and taught them beft, wishes always to avoid difpute; though arguments intermingled among facts, make, as he fomewhere fays, that useful conversation which improves the mind and rectifies the judgment. In morals, the firft word ftill

takes

takes a wider field, as caufe of action, fpring of thought, and fource of good and evil. A man's conduct may be wrong, fay we in common chat; but if his PRINCIPLES, meaning his original germ of character, be good, he will return to virtue if, on the contrary, his PRINCIPLES are corrupt, the very good he does will blight and wither, like fruit upon a rotten tree. This acceptation of the term, however, deferves ant article apart, as for example

PRINCIPLE, TENET, MOTIVE.

Of two words here, Mr. Pope fays fatirically in his ethic epifties,

Manners change with climes,

TENETS with books, and PRINCIPLES with times.

This, notwithstanding that he means to urge it as a reproach to human nature, is in fome refpects virtuous, and in fome cafes neceffary.

EXAMPLE.

He who fhould be induced, by a defire of appearing confiftent in his manners, to drink as much unqualified fpirits during his refidence in Malta, as he once found it convenient to do when upon a discovering party to Hudfon's Bay, would speedily, by an inflammatory fever, or remotely by a diseased liver, find cause to repent that manners had not changed with climes, I believe.

1

I believe. And furely, if books had no more power over opinions, than Doctor Johnfon believed eloquence to poffefs over a vote in our houfe of commoms; if no writings had force to dilodge TENETS obftinately held; 'twere vain to try the arts either of conviction or perfuafion, whilft rhetorick would be rendered ufelefs, and logic ridiculous. PRINCIPLE itself, which ought to be the only MOTIVE of every action, and is fo in a well-regulated mind, which moves merely by the rule mentioned in a late article, of doing every thing to the glory of God, and benefit of one's own foul-even PRINCIPLE itself muft a little yield to the times. And few will doubt but that Tillotfon and Ruffell, were they now living, would be high churchmen and tories; for, though firm in a juft perfuafion that unlimited power in either church or ftate is dangerous to man's free will, and a curb upon the exertions of genius-they would in times like these, when democratic rage produces the fame evils, combined with a thousand more, be willing, and even hafty to throw the weight of their influence into the oppofite fcale-preferving, fo far as in them lay, authority from being trampled on, nobility from being defpifed, all ranks of fubordination broken, and even the juft rewards of industry plundered from honeft traders, who had gained them. Such contempt of order, fuch breach of honour, fuch violations of decorum, call for a phalanx of oppofition to the torrent, and turn even whiggifm to loyalty.

With