only serve to aggravate the Sense of their Oppreffions. We have the Pleasure at this Time to fee a King upon the Throne, who hath too much Goodness to wish for any Power, that does not enable Him to promote the Welfare of his Subjects; and too much Wisdom to look upon thofe as his Friends, who would make their court to him by the Profeffion of an Obedience, which they never practifed, and which has always proved fatal to those Princes, who have put it to the Trial. His Majefty gave a Proof of His Sovereign Virtues before he came to the Exercife of them in this Kingdom. His Inclination to Juftice led him to rule his German Subjects in the fame Manner that our Conftitution directs Him to govern the English. He regarded thofe which are our Civil Liberties, as the natural Rights of Mankind; and therefore indulged them to a People, who pleaded no other Claim to them than from his known Goodness and Humanity. This Experience of a good Prince, before we had the Happiness to enjoy Him, muft give great Satisfaction to every thinking Man, who confiders how apt Sovereignty is to deprave human Nature; and how many of our own Princes made very ill Figures upon the Throne, who, before they afcended it, were the Favourites of the People. What gives us the greateft Security in the Conduct of fo excellent a Prince, is That Confiftency of Behaviour, whereby he inflexibly pursues thofe Measures which appear the moft juft and equita ble. As he hath the Character of being the most prudent in laying proper Schemes; He is no less remarkable for being steady in accomplishing what He has once concerted. Indeed, if we look into the Hiftory of His prefent Majefty, and reflect B 4 upon upon that wonderful Series of Succeffes which have attended Him, I think they cannot be afcribed to any thing fo much as to this Uniformity and Firmnefs of Mind, which has always difcovered itself in His Proceedings. It was by This that He furmounted those many Difficulties that lay in the way to His Succeffion; and by which, we have reafon to hope, He will daily make all Oppofition fall before Him. The fickle and unfteady Politicks of our late British Monarchs have been the perpetual Source of thofe Diffenfions and Animofities which have made the Nation unhappy : Whereas the conftant and unfhaken Temper of His Prefent Majefty must have a natural Tendency to the Peace of his Government, and the Unanimity of his People. While I am enumerating the publick Virtues of our Sovereign, which are fo conducive to the Advantage of those who are to obey Him, I cannot but take notice, that His Majefty was bred up from his Infancy with a Love to this our Nation, under a Princefs, who was the most accomplifhed Women of her Age, and particularly famous for her Affection to the English. Our Countrymen were dear to Him, before there was any Profpect of their being his Subjects; and every one knows, that nothing recommended a Man fo much to the diftinguishing Civilities of his Court, as the being born in Great-Britain. To the Fame of His Majefty's Civil Virtues, we may add the Reputation He has acquired by His Martial Atchievements. It is obferved by Sir William Temple, that the English are particularly fond of a King who is valiant: Upon which Account His Majefty has a Title to all the Efteem that can be paid the most warlike Prince tho' at the fame time, for the Good of His Sub jects, jects, he ftudies to decline all Occafions of Military Glory; and chooses rather to be diftinguished as the Father, than as the Captain of His People. I am glad his rebellious Subjects are too inconfiderable to put him upon exerting that Courage and Conduct, which rais'd him fo great a Reputation in Hungary and the Morea, when he fought against the Enemies of Chriftianity; and in Germany and Flanders, where he commanded against the great Disturber of the Peace of Europe. One would think there was reafon for the Opinion of thofe, who make Perfonal Courage to be an hereditary Virtue, when we fee fo many Inftances of it in the Line of Brunswick. To go no farther back than the Time of our prefent King, where can we find, among the Sovereign Houses of Europe, any other Family, that has furnished so many Perfons of diftinguished Fortitude? Three of His Majefty's Brothers have fallen gloriously in the Field, fighting against the Enemies of their native Country: And the Bravery of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is ftill fresh in our Memory, who fought, with the Spirit of his Father, at the Battle of Oudenarde, when the Children of France, and the Pretender, fled before him. I might here take notice of his Majesty's more private Virtues, but have rather chofen to remind my Countrymen of the publick Parts of His Character, which are fupported by fuch inconteftible Facts as are univerfally known and acknowledged. Having thus far confidered our Happiness in His Majefty's Civil and Military Character, I cannot forbear pleafing myfelf with regarding him in the View of One, who has been always Fortunate. Cicero recominends Pompey under this particular Head B 5 Head to the Romans, with whom the Character of being Fortunate was fo popular, that several of their Emperors gave it a Place among their Titles. Good Fortune is often the Reward of Virtue, and as often the Effect of Prudence. And whether it proceeds from either of thefe, or from both together, or whatever may be the Cause of it, every one is naturally pleased to see his Interefts conducted by a Perfon who is Ufed to good Succefs. The Establishment of the Electoral Dignity in His Majefty's Family was a Work referved for Him finally to accomplish. A large Acceffion of Dominion fell to Him, by His fucceeding to the Dukedom of Zell, whereby he became one of the greatest Princes of Germany; and one of the moft powerful Perfons, that ever ftood next Heir to the Throne of Great-Britain. The Dutchy of Bremen, and the Bishoprick of Ofnaburg, have confiderably ftrengthened his Interefts in the Empire, and given a great additional Weight to the Proteftant Cause. But the most remarkable Interpofitions of Providence, in favour of him, have appeared in removing those feemingly invincible Obftacles to his Succeffion; in taking away, at fo critical a Juncture, the Perfon who might have proved a dangerous Enemy; in confounding the fecret and open Attempts of his traiterous Subjects; and in giving him the delightful Prospect of tranfmitting his Power through a numerous and ftill increafing Progeny. Upon the whole, it is not to be doubted but every wife and honeft Subject will concur with Providence in promoting the Glory and Happiness of His prefent Majefty, who is endowed with all thofe Royal Virtues, that will naturally fecure to us the National Bleffings, which ought to be dear and valuable to a free People. Friday, C&&÷QXGX SACHEN N° 3 Quibus otio vel magnificè, vel molliter vivere copia erat, incerta pro certis, bellum quàm pacem malebant. Saluft Thofe, who had it in their Power to live in Splendor and at their Eafe, perfer'd Uncertainty to Certainty, and War to Peace. EVERY one knows that it is ufual for a French Officer, who can write and read, to fet down all the Occurrences of a Campaign, in which he pretends to have been perfonally concern'd; and to publish them under the Title of his Memoirs, when most of his Fellow-Soldiers are dead that might have contradicted any of his Matters of Facts. Many a gallant young Fellow has been killed in Battle before he came to the third Page of his fecret Hiftory; when feveral, who have taken more care of their Perfons, have lived to fill a whole Volume with their military Performances, and to aftonifh the World with fuch Inftances of their Bravery, as had efcaped the Notice of every body elfe. One of our late Prefton Heroes had, it feems, refolved upon this Method of doing himself Juftice: And, had he not been nipp'd in the Bud, might have made a very formidable Figure in his own Works, among Pofterity. A Friend of mine, who had the Pil lage of his Pockets, has made me a Present of the following Memoirs, which he defires me to accept as a part of the Spoils of the Rebels. I |