On the Folly and Wickedness of War.

'HE calamities attendant on a state of war seem to

have prevented the mind of man from viewing it in the light of an abfurdity, and an object of ridicule as well as pity. But if we could fuppofe a fuperior Being capable of beholding us, miserable mortals, without compaffion, there is, I think, very little doubt but the variety of military manœuvres and formalities, the pride, pomp, and circumftance of war, and all the ingenious contrivances for the glorious purposes of mutual deftruction, which feem to conftitute the business of many whole kingdoms, would furnish him with an entertainment like that which is received by us from the exhibition of a farce or puppet-show. But, notwithftanding the ridiculousness of all these folemnities, we alas! are doomed to feel that they are no farce, but the concomitant circumstances of a most woeful tragedy.

The causes of war are for the most part such as must disgrace an animal pretending to rationality. Two poor mortals, elevated with the distinction of a golden bauble on their heads called a crown, take offence at each other, without any reafon, or with the very bad one of wishing for an opportunity of aggrandizing themselves, by making reciprocal depredations. The creatures of the court, and the leading men of the nation, who are usually under the influence of the court, resolve (for it is their intereft) to fupport their royal master, and are never at a loss to invent fome colourable pretence for engaging the nation in the horrors of war. Taxes of the most burthensome kind are levied, foldiers are col-lected fo as to leave a paucity of husbandmen, reviews and encampments fucceed, and at last fifteen or twenty thousand men meet on a plain, and coolly fhed each others blood, without the smallest perfonal animofity, or the shadow of a provocation. The kings, in the mean time, and the grandees, who have employed these poor

innocent

innocent victims to fhoot bullets at each other's heads, remain quietly at home, and amuse themselves, in the intervals of balls, hunting schemes, and pleasures of every fpecies, with reading at the fire fide, over a cup of chocolate, the difpatches from the army, and the news in the Extraordinary Gazette. Old Horace very truly obferves, that whatever mad frolics enter into the heads of kings, it is the common people, that is, the honest artisan, and the industrious tribes in the middle ranks, unoffended and unoffending, who chiefly fuffer in the evil confequences. If the king of Pruffia were not at the head of fome of the best troops in the universe, he would be judged more worthy of being tried, caft, and condemned at the Old Bailey, than any fhedder of blood who ever died by a halter. But he is a king; but he is a hero;-thofe names fascinate us, and we enrol the butcher of mankind among their benefactors.

When one confiders the dreadful circumstances that attend even victories, one cannot help being a little shocked at the exultation which they occafion. I have often thought it a laughable scene, if there were not a little too much of the melancholy in it, when a circle of eager politicians have met to congratulate each other on what is called a piece of good news just arrived.— Every eye sparkles with delight; every voice is raised in And what is the cause announcing the happy event. of all this joy? and for what are our windows illuminated, bonfires kindled, bells rung, and feasts celebrated? · We have had a successful engagement. We have left a thousand of the enemy dead on the field of battle, and only nine hundred of our countrymen. Charming news! it was a glorious battle! But before you give a loose to your raptures, pause a while; and confider, that to every one of these nineteen hundred, life was no less sweet than it is to you; that to the far greater part of them there probably were wives, fathers, mothers, fons, daughters, fifters, brothers, and friends, all of whom are at this moment bewailing that event which occafions your foolish and brutal triumph.

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The whole time of war ought to be a time of general mourning, a mourning in the heart, a mourning much more fincere than on the death of one of those princes whofe curfed ambition is often the fole cause of war. Indeed that a whole people fhould tamely submit to the evils of war, because it is the will of a few vain, selfish, ignorant, though exalted, individuals, is a phenomenon almost unaccountable. But they are led away by falfe glory, by their paffions, by their vices. They reflect not; and indeed, if they did reflect, and oppofe, what would avail the oppofition of unarmed myriads to the mandate of a government fupported by a standing army? Many of the European nations are entirely military; war is their trade; and when they have no employment at home, or near it, they blufh not to let themfelves out to fhed any blood, in any cause of the best paymaster. Ye beafts of the foreft, no longer allow that man is your fuperior, while there is found on the face of the earth fuch degeneracy!

Morality and religion forbid war in its motives, conduct, and confequences; but to many rulers and potentates, morality and religion appear as the inventions of politicians to facilitate fubordination. The principal objects of crowned heads, and their minions, are the extenfion of empire, the augmentation of a revenue, or the annihilation of their fubjects' liberty. Their reftraints in the pursuit of these objects are not those of morality and religion; but folely reafons of ftate, and political caution. Plaufible words are used, but they are only used to hide the deformity of the real principles. Wherever war is deemed defirable in an interefted view, a fpecious pretext never yet remained unfound. Morality is as little confidered in the beginning, as in the profecution of war. The most folemn

treaties and engagements are violated by the governing part of the nation, with no more fcruple than oaths and bonds are broken by a cheat and a villain in the walks of private life. Does the difference of rank and fituation make any difference in the atrocity of crimes? If

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any,

any, it renders a thousand times more criminal than that of a thief, the villainy of them, who, by violating every facred obligation between nation and nation, give rise to miferies and mischiefs moft dreadful in their nature; and to which no human power can say, Thus far fhall ye proceed, and no farther. Are not the natural and moral evils of life fufficient, but they must be rendered more acute, more numerous, and more embittered by artificial means? My heart bleeds over those complicated scenes of woe, for whieh no epithet can be found fufficiently descriptive. Language fails in labouring to exprefs the horrors of war amid private families, who are so unfortunate as to be fituated on the seat of it.

War, however, it will be faid, has always been permitted by Providence. This is indeed true; but it has been only permitted as a scourge. Let a fpirit and activity be exerted in regulating the morals of a nation, equal to that with which war, and all its apparatus, are attended to, and mankind will no longer be fcourged, neither will it be neceffary to evacuate an empire of its members, for none will be fuperfluous. Let us, according to the advice of a pious divine of the prefent age, think lefs of our fleets and armies, and more of our faith and practice. While we are warriors, with all our pretenfions to civilization, we are favages.

On

On the Beauty and Happiness of an open Behaviour and an ingenuous Disposition.

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Great part of mankind, if they cannot furnish themselves with the courage and generofity of the lion, think themselves equally happy, and much wiser, with the pitiful cunning of the fox. Every word they speak, however trivial the subject, is weighed before it is uttered. A disgustful filence is obferved till fomebody of authority has advanced an opinion, and then, with a civil leer, a doubtful and hesitating affent is given, fuch as may not preclude the opportunity of a fubfequent retraction. If the converfation turn only on the common topics of the weather, the news, the play, the opera, they are no lefs referved in uttering their opinion, than if their lives and fortunes depended on the sentiment they should at last venture to advance, with oracular dignity. Whatever may be their real idea on the subject, as truth is a trifle compared to the object of pleasing those with whom they converfe, they generally contrive gently to agree with you; unless it fhould appear to them, on mature confideration, that their opinion (if contingencies to the number of at least ten thousand should take place) may, at the distance of half a century, involve them in fome fmall danger of giving a little offence, or of incurring a fmall embarraffment. They wear a conftant fmile on their countenance, and are all goodness and benevolence, if you will believe their profeffions: but beware; for their hearts are as dark as the abyffes which conftitute the abode of the evil spirit. A man of this character, as Horace fays, is black, and thou, who juftly claimeft the title of an honeft Englishman, be upon thy guard when thine ill fortune introduces thee into his company.

Thefe crafty animals are even more referved, cautious, timid, and ferpentine, in action than in converfation. They lay the deepeft fchemes, and no conclave