and I hope the reader will not be difpleas'd to fee them wrought into the following allegory.

JUPITER, in the beginning, join'd VIRTUE, WISDOM and CONFIDENCE together; and VICE, FOLLY, and DIFFIDENCE: And thus connected, fent them into the world. But tho' he thought he had match'd them with great judgement, and faid that Confidence was the natural Companion of Virtue, and that Vice deferv'd to be attended with Diffidence, they had not gone far before dissension arose among them. Wisdom, who was the guide of the one company, was always accuftom'd, before fhe ventur'd upon any road, however beaten, to examine it carefully; to enquire whither it led; what dangers, difficulties and hindrances might poffibly or probably occur in it. In thefe deliberations fhe ufually confum'd fome time; which delay was very difpleafing to Confidence, who was always inclin❜d to hurry on, without much forethought or deliberation, in the fift road he met. Wisdom and Virtue were infeparable But Confidence one day, following his impetuous nature, advanc'd a confiderable way before his guides and companions; and not feeling any want of their company, he never enquir'd after them, nor ever met with them more. In like manner the other fociety, tho' join'd by Jupiter, difagreed and feparated. As Folly faw very little way before her, she had nothing to determine concerning the goodness of roads, nor could give the preference to one above another; and this want of refolution was encreas'd by Diffidence, who, with her doubts and fcru

ples,

ples, always retarded the journey. This was a great annoyance to Vice, who lov'd not to hear of difficulties and delays, and was never fatisfy'd without his full career, in whatever his inclinations led him to. Folly, he knew, tho' fhe hearken'd to Diffidence, would be easily manag`d when alone; and therefore, as a vicious horfe throws his rider, he openly beat away this controller of all his pleasures, and proceeded in his journey with Folly, from whom he is infeparable. Confidence and Diffidence being, after this manner, both thrown loose from their refpective companies, wander'd for fome time; till at laft chance led them at the fame time to one village. Confidence went directly up to the great houfe, which belong'd to WEALTH, the lord of the village; and without staying for a porter, intruded himself immediately into the innermoft apartments, where he found Vice and Folly well receiv'd before him. He join'd the train; recommended himself very quickly to his landlord; and enter'd into fuch familiarity with Vice, that he was enlisted in the same company with Folly. They were frequent guests of Wealth, and from that moment infeparable. Diffi dence, in the mean time, not daring to approach the great houfe, accepted of an invitation from POVERTY, one of the tenants; and entering the cottage, found Wisdom and Virtue, who being repuls'd by the landlord, had retir'd thither. Virtue took compaffion of her, and Wisdom found, from her temper, that he would easily improve: So they admitted her into their fociety. Accordingly, by their means, fhe alter'd in a little time fomewhat

of

of her manner, and becoming much more amiable and engaging, was now called by the name of MODESTY. As ill company has a greater effect than good, Confidence, tho' more refractory to counfel and example, degenerated fo far by the society of Vice and Folly, as to pass by the name of IMPUDENCE. Mankind, who faw these focieties as Jupiter first join'd them, and know nothing of these mutual desertions, are thereby led into ftrange mif. takes; and wherever they fee Impudence, make account of Virtue and Wisdom, and wherever they ob. ferve Modefty, call her attendants Vice and Folly.

ESSAY

IV.

That POLITICS may be reduc'd to a SCIENCE.

'Tis a great question with several, Whether there

any

government and another? and, whether every form may not become good or bad, according as it is well or ill adminiftred *? Were it once admitted, that all governments are alike, and that the only difference confifts in the character and conduct of the governors, moft political difputes would be at an end, and all Zeal for one conftitution above another must be efteem'd mere bigotry and folly. But tho' a friend to Moderation, I cannot forbear condemning this fentiment, and fhould be forry to think, that human affairs admit of no greater ftability, than what they receive from the cafual humours and characters of particular men.

"Tis true, thofe who maintain, that the goodness of all government confifts in the goodness of the

For forms of government let fools conteft:

Whats'er is beft adminifter'd is beft.

ESSAY on MAN, Book 3.

admini

administration, may cite many particular inftances in hiftory, where the very fame government, in different hands, has vary'd fuddenly into the two oppofite extremes of good and bad. Compare the French government under Henry III. and under Henry IV. Oppreffion, levity, artifice on the part of the ru lers; faction, fedition, treachery, rebellion, difloyalty on the part of the fubjects: These compofe the character of the former miferable æra. But when the patriot and heroic prince, who fucceeded, was once firmly feated on the throne, the government, the people, every thing feem'd to be totally chang'd; and all from the difference of the temper and fentiments of thefe two fovereigns. An equal difference of a contrary kind, may be found on comparing the reigns of Elizabeth and James, at least with regard to foreign affairs: and inftances of this kind may be multiply'd, almoft without number, from ancient as well as modern hiftory.

But here I would beg leave to make a distinction. All abfolute governments (and fuch that of England was, in a great measure, till the middle of the laft century, notwithstanding the numerous panegyrics on antient English liberty) must very much depend on the administration; and this is one of the great inconveniences of that form of government. But a republican and free government would be a most glaring abfurdity, if the particular checks and controuls, provided by the conftitution, had really not influence, and made it not the intereft, even of bad men, to operate for the public good.

Such is

the