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House of Correction were ever known, and for doing many other Services, that never were performed. Yet, though all these are palpably, notorioufly true, fuch Grand Juries have there been, as to make Presentments for them, contrary to Law, and fuch Judges, as have ratified the Iniquity, in due Form.

No County in the Kingdom has fuffered more by these Measures, than the next neighbouring County to this City.

- A SUB-SHERIF has been known to display a hired Mob at Kilmainham Commons and to take a few Conftables, on Pretence to quell them; and, though no legal Proof of there being any Sort of Riot there, of it's being quelled, or of a fingle Offender's being convicted, or accufed; the Sub-Sherif, or rather Sub-Manager, has been prefented with an hundred and fivety Pounds for his unknown Services.

THUS, though the Sallary of the Keeper of the House of Correction, be limited to five Pounds a Year, that of Goaler, to ten, and that of County Treasurer to twenty Pounds a Year, by pofitive Act of Parlement, and though neither the Clerks of the Crown, or Peace, be intituled to any Bounty from the Counties; yet these Servants have each often got, upon one frivolous, or lawless Pretence or other, twice, three times, nay, four times that Sum in the Year.

! THIS COUNTY is fubject to eight Grand-Juries in the Year, one at every Term, and one at every Quarter-Seffions of the Peace. And they seem to vie with each other, in nothing more, than who shall compliment the Managers moft, in conniving at their Enormities, or giving them, or their Creatures the difpofal of moft public Money, without any Regard to the Importance of the Truft in them reposed, or the folemn Oath, they have taken.

THUS We fee Men, who would oppofe, perhaps, refift the impofing any Tax upon them, by the CROWN, fuffer them felves to be taxed moft exceffively, by Lawless, and Arbitrary Rulers, under the bare, empty form of Law!

O! That Men would, therefore be Wife, and not quit the Subftance for the Shadow! That they would Guard and Preferve the CONSTITUTION in all Points, and support it, not Nominally, but Effentially!

CENSOR

CENSOR

VIII.

SATURDAY July 22d, 1749.

Ego, certe quin cum ipfâ re bellum geram, hoc eft, cum imperüs extraordinarüs, et dominatione, et Potentia, quæ fupra Leges fe effe velit Brutus. Attico.

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OTHING is more common among Men, than to ridicule Things of which they can form no distinct Idea. Vani ty erects a Standard in each Man's Breast, by which he measures the Virtue and Capacity, the Ends and the Means of others; and fo far, as they agree with, or deviate from, his Rule, they obtain his Approbation, or fall under his Cenfure.

THE Man of grofs Appetites and fenfual Gratifications, derides the more refined and elegant Enjoyments, which the Man of lively Fancy and well regulated Paffions feels. The Mifer, whofe Benevolence extends not even to that narrow Span, him self, contemns the heart-felt Joys of him, who confiders Wealth, only as a Fountain defigned to diffuse itself in varioùs Channels, to nourish and en richia barren Soil.

EVERY Day's Obfervation will evince the Truth of thefe Remarks. But, nothing confirms this Opinion more, than the fage Comments, and ftupid Admiration, which narrow minded Men express when they observe the glorious Effects of a reviving Spirit of Freedom.

THE poor, contracted Soul, that from his Infancy has heard of nothing, but flavifh Complaifance to Superiors in Fortune, and tyrannic Infolence to Inferiors, ftands aghaft, when Truth is told to Power, and fhudders at the Breath of Honesty! That patriot Spirit, which is the Happiness and Glory of a free People, is reprefented as Madnefs; and he, who would pluck the Mafk from guilty Greatness, and expofe the Diseases of a fickly Constitution; is confidered as a tumultuous Incendiary, and an Inflamer of Sedition. But, the true Patriot rifes above the Malice of ignoble Slaves; he never seeks their Applaufe, and defpifes their Cenfure; he tramples on all the Forms, with which lawless Power and corrupt Dignity entrench themselves, and bravely dares to drag Party and Faction to public Juftice, though protected by Sceptres, or kulking behind Thrones.

I READ lately a Letter of Brutus to Cicero, which contains fuch free difinterested Sentiments, fuch heroic Principles, that for the Sake of fome of my Readers, I have endeavoured to convey the

Meaning

Meaning of it in English; and fhall make it the Subject of this Day's Paper, rather than draw the Character of a Patriot, which many would fuppofe to be merely ideal, and the Chimæra of a heated Imagination. But, they will here, find the true Hero unin fluenced by Ambition, unaffected by the Expectation of Glory, the Dread of Infamy, or the Defire of Power, laying open, without Referve to his Friend, the difpaffionate Dictates of a truly great Soul.

AFTER the Death of Julius Cæfar, Anthony grasped at absolute Power. Cicero oppofed him, rather from private Pique, than Love to the Public; as appears by the Means, which he employed: For to gain his Point, he offered himself as Security to the People, that Octavius should restore the Common-Wealth; by which, he threw all the Power into the Hands of the young Tyrant, and flattered him fo highly, as even to petition him, to preferve the Lives of those Spirits, who deftroyed his Uncle. Upon this Occafion, Brutus wrote the following Letter.

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BRUTUS to CICERO.

F the Letters, which you wrote to Octavius, I have read fome Paragraphs, which were fent to me by Atticus. Your "Study and Care for my Safety, gave me no new Pleasure: For "I hear fomething frequently and daily, which you have honoura"bly and faithfully faid, or done, to advance my Dignity. But one Part of your Epifle to Octavius, concerning me, has given "me the greateft Anxiety, which my Mind could poffibly feel: "For, you return him Thanks for the Common-Wealth in fuch a "Manner, fo humbly! fo fubmiffively! what shall I fay? I am "afhamed of my Condition and Fortune: You commend my "Safety to him, which is worse than the most ignominious Death; "as if you plainly declared, the Tyranny was not destroyed, but "the Tyrant changed. Recollect your Words, and boldly deny "that these are the Sollicitations of a Man determined and labour"ing to extirpace Tyrants. You fay, that one Thing is demand"ed and expected from him; that he would preserve thofe Citi

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zens, whom all good Men and the Roman People esteem. Sup"pose he should not? Shall we perish? Why, I had rather not be, "than owe my Life to him. I do not think the Gods are fo "averse to the Welfare of the Roman People, that Octavius should "be follicited to fave any one Citizen, much lefs, the Men who gave Freedom to the World: For, in fuch Circumstances, it pleases me, and certainly becomes me to speak in an exalted Stile to those who seem ignorant of what every Man fhould fear, " or to whom Roman Citizens fhould fue. Do you think Cicero, "that Octavius merits fuch Refpect, and do you profess yourself "his Friend? Or, if you hold me dear, would you have me fhew "myself in Rome, when I must be commended to that Boy for "Leave to do it? Why do you give him Thanks, if he must be fupplicated

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* fupplicated to grant us Safety? Or, fhall we count it a Kindness, "that he had rather himself, than Anthony, should be the Man, of "whom fuch Favors fhould be asked? Some indeed have fued to "the Succeffor, but what Man ever fupplicated the Avenger of "another's Tyranny, to fave the well-deferving Members of the "Republic?

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"THAT Weakness and daftardly Defpair, for which you and all 66 are blameable, firft inflamed Cæfar to desire abfolute Power; "after his Death, perfuaded Anthony to attempt to fill his vacant "Seat; and has now fo elevated this Boy, that you judge it proper to feek our Safety by Prayers, and imagine that fuch Men's "Lives have no Prop, but the Compaffion of a beardless Youth. "Would we but remember, that we are Romans, neither he, nor "Anthony would, with greater Boldness, attempt to rule, than we, "to prevent them. Nor would Anthony be more elated by Cæfar's Reign, than deterred by his Death. How can you, Cicero, a "confular Man, and the Avenger of so many Crimes, behold what 66 you have done, and at the fame Time either approve it, or bear "it fo tamely, as to afford even the Appearance of Approbation? "Whence is your private Quarrel with Anthony?-Forfooth! be"cause his Demands are, that he should be follicited for the Safety "of Roman Citizens; that we, from whom he received Liberty, "should depend on him for an uncertain Life, and that the Common-Wealth should be at his Disposal. You thought that Arms were neceffary to prevent Tyranny: To what End? That, having prohibited one Man, we should entreat another to affume his "Place, to make the Common-Wealth his Property, and reduce it "to a State of Vaffalage; as if we were not discontented with Slavery; but, with the Condition, on which we were enflaved.

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"WE might, under Anthony, a worthy Ruler! enjoy our Fortunes peaceably, and even, as Colleagues reap what Benefits "and Honours we fhould choofe: For, what would he deny to "thofe, whose easy Compliance he found to be the greatest Secu"rity of his defpotic Rule?-But, there was no Equivalent, for " which we would fell our Faith and Liberty. Was this a Time "for Barter and Traffic, how great a Purchase would this Boy efteem it, whom the Name of Cafar seems to stir against Cefar's "Sacrificers, to be able to execute his Purposes by our Means, "merely, because we are fond of Life, of Wealth, and the con"fular Dignity? But, in vain did Cæfar bleed: In vain did we re"joice who flew him, if, notwithstanding his Death, we must still "be Slaves. Let Heaven rather deprive me of every Bleffing, "than of that Judgement, which determines me never to yield to "the Heir of that Cafar, whom I flew, what I could not bear in "Cæfar; no, nor even patiently to behold my Father, fhould he "revive, overbearing the Laws and the Senate.

"ARE you perfuaded, that the reft of the Citizens will be free, "under a Man, whofe bare Displeasure is a fufficient Cause to deny us a Place in the City? Or, how could your Request be an"fwered, though you should obtain his Promife? You petition for

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"our Safety; but, do we feem to you to receive Safety in receiving Life? That, we can never obtain, when we have loft our "Dignity and Freedom. Or, do you think, that living in Rome "alone is Safety? It is the Condition, not the Place, that can give "it: I was not fafe in Rome, while Cafar lived, till I had refolved upon his Death: And, whatever Place hereafter shall receive me, "I can never be a banished Man, while Slavery and Contumely 22 are to me the worst of Evils.

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"ARE we not plunged back into our former Mifery, if we must "fue to the Man, who has affumed the Tyrant's Name, to fave "the Destroyers of Tyranny? Can I behold or esteem that to be a State, which wants Spirit to receive Liberty, when it is offer"ed, and even forced upon her; and, which conceives greater "Fear from the very Name of her deceased Tyrant, though u« furped only by a Boy, than Confidence and Refolution from be"holding the most powerful Man upon Earth taken off by the "Virtue of a few?

“HEREAFTER, I charge you, commend me no more to your Ọctavius, nor even yourfelf, if you regard my Advice. You prize "the few Years, which your Age can hope for, too dearly, if for "them you will follicit fuch a Boy. Take Care also, that your "paft and prefent glorious Oppofition to Anthony, be not attri"buted to a Senfe of Fear, and not to the firm Conftancy of a << generous Heart. For, if you think Octavius, a fit Perfon, of "whom, to afk our Safety, you will be thought, not to have dif"dained a Master, but to have courted a milder Tyrant.

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"THAT you praise him for what he has already done, I en"tirely approve; for, his Actions are really praise-worthy, if de"figned to weaken another's Power, and not to ftrengthen his ་་ own. But, let me tell you, Cicero, when you judge it not only "allowable to fue to him for our Prefervation, but, becoming you, "to undertake the Suit, you pay him an undeserved Compliment: For, you bestow a Right upon him, which, by his Means, the Republic only fhould enjoy. Nor do you reflect, that if Octa"vius be worthy of Glory, for profecuting a War against Anthony, "I may then without vain Glory say, that should the Roman People heap all their Honours on thofe Men, who deftroyed that "Peft, of which, these are the Reliques, they could never give them a compleat and adequate Reward. But, how much more "do Men fear what may befal hereafter, than remember what "has been already done! Anthony, forfooth! is living, and in Arms. Refpecting Cafar, what could be done, and what was "neceffary, is past, nor can it ever be recalled. Is then Octavius the Man from whom the Roman People must expect what Judgement will be paffed upon us? Are we the Men for whofe Safety a Boy fhall be entreated?

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"To conclude. I am one Man, who would not only refuse to fupplicate him in my own Name, but prohibit others, who res quire that Privilege. I will live far from Slaves, and judge that to be my Rome, where I can be free; and I will pity you, in "whom

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