THE Sabine and Falernian wine, the delights of Horace and Mæcenas, had never been neglected and unknown had Rome continued free; which is another reason for burning his Holiness in this island, and to an English idea of liberty a calamity not eafily to be paffed over with all their philofophy.

FROM what I have faid you may imagine, that this difpofition to wine creates no unfrequent infolence in the ftreets of London; and yet, ftrange to tell in this kingdom, this intemperance has an effect not fo mifchievous as one would expect, if we confider it in a political light. Adieu.

I am your most obedient fervant.

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LET

LETTER

XLII.

To the Reverend Father FILIPPO BONINI, at Rome.

Dear Sir,

T is a common obfervation, that too much

zeal to ferve frequently degenerates into meannefs, and displeases a generous heart more than a becoming attention paid to yourself and to him you would oblige; the excess of complaifance deftroys the whole effect of it, and very often entirely disappoints the expectations of him that pays it: it is dangerous to give too much of any thing, left by the frequency of it the minds of the receivers become accustomed to that manner of treatment, and flight the giver, who rather feems to be profufe in his donations than generous in his fpirit; yet would they entirely defert him if he fhould be remifs, in the ufual customs, which he has fo long consinued. Such is the nature of man in general.

IT is not in behaviour of common life alone that this excess of giving may destroy the ef fect of it. The full enjoyment of every object, the most defired by the inhabitants of this world from the cradle to the grave, makes the poffeffor rather unhappy, by having never tafted the difference which attends the want of them, than bleffed with their poffeffion. This very frequently creates inattention in nations, as well as in private men; and often dupes the minifter to the artifices of other kingdoms, as it does the individual to the schemes of those about him.

NOTHING is fo common in this kingdom, as to fee a young gentleman born to wealth and every thing neceffary for happiness, who has scarce tasted disappointment in his pleasures, during youth, to become tired and inattentive, and without ever being profufe or even generous, his estate moulders into ruin by the corroding power of thofe fycophants who furround him; and this entirely owing to inattention and neglect of exa mining his affairs.

SOMETHING like this feems to be the difpofition of the English miniftry; they have fuffered the kingdom to crumble into duft; and, mortgaging one revenue after another thro' carelefsnefs of remedying it in times of peace, it at prefent can fcarce produce income fufficient for the neceffary supplies and occurrences of the year, and is become difabled from oppofing its enemies in time of war.

his own.

THE Country gentleman, who in this fituation is neighbour to another who is not, is fure to have his lands invaded by the latter; he kills the game which the other breeds, and preferves The negligence of one increases the infolence of the other: they each know one an other's circumstances, and suffering on one fide is the natural confequence of the needy and negligent, as prefumption is of him who is at eafe and in full riches.

METHINKS the English are in the fituation of the inattentive and needy man, and the French in that of the active and wealthy; and the fame effects follow, in confequence of this behaviour,

in the two nations, which are confequent in. thofe of the individuals.

OWING to this it feems to be, that in the Eaftern and Western colonies the French attack the fubjects of this country, and treat them with a flight which could never have proceeded but from a thorough knowledge of the fituation of the supplies of this nation, and an absolute contempt for the minister which directs them. They know perfectly that at prefent this people can but badly fuftain the expence of a war, and that the minifter understands little how to direct a kingdom in that circumftance; they are convinced by experience of his pufillanimity, and judging of the powers of a nation not by the money which it can raife alone, but by the wif dom of those who must direct its fleets and armies, proceed in confequence of that knowledge, and conftantly attain fome advantage in peace by attempting fomething like war.

THE French know that this minifter will and must bear much before an open rupture can be declared by him; and, making the proper use of human knowledge, creep infenfibly on the poffeffions

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