ty of preferving a strict impartiality may evidently appear: Give me leave, however, to illuftrate this matter a little farther.

In the Athenian commonwealth, the citizen who took no fide was deemed indifferent to the public good, and was branded for his infamous neutrality. Now, if fuch an obligation as this lay upon every private citizen in that democratical government, it is certain, that we public perfons, at least, ought to think ourselves under the fame obligation, even in this limited monarchy of ours. Indifference must be a crime in us, to be ranked but one degree below treachery; for deferting the commonwealth is next to betraying it. Our duty muft oblige us in all public difputes to take the beft fide, and to espouse it with warmth: this warmth will beget warmth; for you know, Sir, that the worst fide is not always the worft defended. Provocations will multiply daily, and we may be attacked in the moft fenfible parts. You, Sir, yourself, may for aught I know, be infulted, and your fpotlefs character may be defiled by fome faucy fcribbler: in this licentious age, nothing is held facred; under the fpecious pretence of free-thinking, the providence and the very being of GoD, have been openly called in queftion, and reflections on your administration may poffibly fteal into the world.

Suppofe, for a moment, that any thing fo montrous as this fhould happen, that you fhould be directly inveighed againft, or which perhaps is more poignant, ironically commended; and then confider how difficult it would be for a professed admirer of you, heated in the conteft, to keep his temper, and to preferve his impartiality: you must agree with me, the task would be extremely difficult.

But I am fure you will agree likewife, that as difficult as it would be, a confcientious man ought to impofe it upon himself.

The

The ill effects of partiality in us political writers, when it carries us to give unjuft and falfe reprefentations of men and things, will not be thought of little moment by you, who labor for fame, and expect a great part of your reward from pofterity, as pofterity is to receive a great part of the advantages which your wife and virtuous adminiftration procures, in "reviving, fupporting, and extending

credit, in opening fo comfortable a profpect of "the payment of our debts, in ftrengthening us "abroad by fo many beneficial alliances, and above

all, in amending our morals, by the total dif"couragement of every kind of artifice and cor"ruption."

The civil magiftrate may give away a man's estate, or take away his life; but we can do, and often have done more; we fet the general characters and particular actions of men in what light we please, and deliver them down, fometimes very unjustly, under the moft amiable or the most hateful colors to future ages: for the rafh fentence we pronounce is eagerly received, and as eagerly tranfmitted by thofe who are animated with the fame paffion.

In this manner are unjuft, and even falfe reprefentations eftablished. They become the general opinion of mankind, and then, although our works should grow out of date as fast as a Gazette, which it must be confeffed happens very frequently; yet ftill the mifchief is done, the hiftorian perpetuates the flander which the politician broached, and triumphs in the cotemporary authority, upon which he writes to ferve the prefent turn, or to fatisfy refentment of party; fuch perfons as have no other crime but that of differing in opinion from us, and fuch events as have no other demerit but our diflike of the perfons who bring them about, are loaded with infamy. Pofterity is impofed upon as well as

the

THE

FIRST VISION

OF

CAMI LICK

IN HOC SIGNO VINCES.

HAVING as yet given the reader little befides grave difcourfes on public matters, and foreseeing that, during the feffion of parliament, I fhall be obliged to continue daily in the fame track, I am willing to take this one opportunity of presenting him with fomething, which has no relation at all to public affairs, but is of a nature purely amusing, and entirely void of reflection upon any perfon whatsoever.

My friend Alvarez (a man not unknown to many here, by his frequent journies to England) did fome time fince make me a prefent of a Perfian manufcript, which he met with while he followed the fortunes of Meriweis. An exact tranflation of the first chapter has been made, at my request, by the learned Mr. Solomon Negri, and is as follows:

CAMILICK's

CAMILI CK's VISION.

IN the name of Gon, ever merciful, and of Haly his prophet. I flept in the plains of Bagdad, and I dreamed a dream. I lifted my eyes, and I faw a vaft field, pitched with the tents of the mighty, and the strong ones of the earth in array of battle. I obferved the arms and enfigns of either hoft. In the banners of the one were pictured a crown and fceptre; and upon the fhields of the foldiers were engraven fcourges, chains, iron maces, axes, and all kinds of inftruments of violence. The ftandards of the other bore the crown and fceptre alfo; but the devices on the fhields were the balance, the olive wreath, the plough-fhare, and other emblematical figures of juftice, peace, law, and liberty. Between these two armies I faw a king come forth, and fign a large roll of parchment; at which loud fhouts of acclamation were heard from every quarter. The roll itfelf flew up into the air, and appeared over their heads, encompaffed with rays of glory. I obferved that wherever the fecond army moved, this glorious apparition attended them; or rather the army feemed only to move, as that guided or directed. Soon after, I faw both these hofts engaged, and the whole face of the land overspread with blood. I faw the king who had figned and broken that facred charter, drink out of a golden cup, fall into convulfions, gafp and die.

I then faw another king take his place; who, in the most folemn manner, engaged to make the words contained in the roll the guide of his actions; but notwithstanding this, I faw both armies again encounter. I faw the king a prifoner. I faw his fon relieve him, and I faw the chiefs of the other

army

army put to death. Yet that victorious fon. him. felf bowed his head to the parchment; which now appeared with fuller luftre than before. Several other battles enfued, with vaft flaughter on both fides; during which the celestial volume was fometimes clouded over; but ftill again exerted its rays, and after every cloud appeared the brighter. I obferved thofe heroes, who fought beneath it, though ever fo unfortunate, not once to abate their courage, while they had the leaft glimpfe of that heavenly apparition in their view; and even thofe, whom I faw overthrown, pierced with ghaftly wounds, and panting in death, refigned their lives in fmiles, and with eyes caft up to that glorious object. At last the long contention ceafed. I beheld both armies unite and move together under the fame influence. I faw one king twelve times bow down before the bright phænomenon, which from thence forward fpread a light over the whole land; and, defcending nearer to the earth, the beams of it grew fo warm as it approached, that the hearts of the inhabitants leaped for joy. The face of war was no more. The fame fields, which had so long been the scene of death and defolation, were now covered with golden harvests. The hills were cloathed with fheep. The woods fung with gladness. Plenty laughed in the valleys. Industry, commerce, and liberty danced hand in hand through the

cities.

While I was delighting myself with this amiable profpect, the fcene entirely changed. The fields and armies vanifhed; and I faw a large and magnificent ll, refembling the great divan or council of the nation. At the upper end of it, under a canopy, I beheld the facred covenant, fhining as the fun. The nobles of the land were there affembled. They proftrated themfelves before it, and they fung an hymn. "Let the heart of the king be glad;

"for