4 changed, she wills not, that the Laws of God be by her people dishonored. Thus the Storm, which threatened her quiet, has happily passed by. Religion has triumphed. By her triumph good Order and Peace are confirmed to Society. To this security, the issue of the late trials, at Exeter, for Blasphemy and Sedition may be considered as having not a little contributed. Our Fire-sides may still boast of English Freedom; The Freedom to serve God and honor the King;-defended from civil harm by the Laws of our Country; and finding a sure consolation in trouble from the blessings of true Religion, still flourishing among us. For if legal Restrictions do gall the hands of those who are cunning to devise mischief, and who find their exertions now in some measure checked; they are clearly a guard of defence to the well-intentioned. I rejoice in them; and loving Peace and Quietness, nor intending measures to which these Restrictions can apply, and which alone they can affect, I rejoice in them as my proud boast of security. But inasmuch as I believe that the hearts of men are in His rule and governance, who "measures the Earth "with a span-" who sends down blessings upon a nation, to encourage them in righteousness; who inflicts evil upon them, as a warning to turn from their evil ways; verifying the assertion of the Psalmist, "A fruitful land maketh HE barren, for the wicked"ness of them that dwell therein," I would that my Countrymen bore in mind the truth, that it is to GoD we owe our present relief from impending evils, Not to FEEL this, were impossible; not to own it, ungrateful. We, as a nation, have had warning: Let us take it, and turn to true Religion; to the worship of our God, in spirit and in truth, lest a worse thing come upon us; lest the storm of evil return with darker portents, and no hand be then stretched out to save. This, Sir, is the extent of my range in Politics;leaving the rest to those, whose minds are more capable of so weighty a subject. So far, however, a Politician, I have a double interest in the passing events: whilst others look upon them as affecting only the worldly interests of Mankind :—I view them, however complicated, as permitted by the Almighty, to work together for the accomplishment of his gracious purpose in the disposal of all human events: That Purpose, his own honor, and the Final Good of His Creatures, As passing events promote his glory, or derogate from his Honor; as they assume the one or other Character;-so far do I hail them with gladness, as harbing ers of Prosperity to my Country; or mourn them as preludes to its ruin. I have learned that what supports Religion, strengthens good Government ;-that what tends to the honor of God, tends to the good of Mankind-and what dishonors him, opposes their real welfare destroys their best interests, and involves them in Ruin and Dismay.-For however Riches may abound to a nation-however its worldly glory be exalted however weighty be its character in the scale of nations,―these advantages do severally but accelerate its Ruin, unless it be exalted in Righteousness. A Dialogue Between a Nobleman and a Reformer. A Nobleman, in November last, was on his road to London, to attend the meeting of Parliament, when the horses in his carriage appeared so much fatigued, that he resolved, rather than distress the poor animals, to get out and walk the remainder of the stage. He stopt his chaise therefore at the foot of a hill, where there was a large drove of cattle; and whilst his servant was letting down the steps, the Drover seeing the carriage stop, and the person in it about to alight, made some exclamation which appeared plainly to be something more than calling to the Beasts: The Nobleman therefore asked him what he said; upon which the following conversation ensued: Drover. Aye, aye, you must all come down. D. Why I was a saying, that all you high and mighty charioteering folks must come down. N. How so? D. Why there's to be no more of your Lordly riding; we're all to be equal. N. Indeed! and who has settled all this? D. Why as for the matter of that, it has been settled in my mind ever since my eyes were opened to see what the people's rights are. N. And how has that been brought about, Friend? You can't have many opportunities in your business of learning much about the people's rights, there are, indeed, some plain rights which every plain man knows without much teaching: for instance you have a right to travel along this road as well as me-you have a right to complain if I run over your cattle, by my driving so fast that you can't get them out of the way :-you have a right to so much a-head as you have agreed for, for every one of those beasts that you take safe up to London-but you cannot have the means of knowing much about the rights that you talk of. D. Ah-so a body might think:-but there are rare opportunities now-a-days. If a man wants to know what's what, he has nothing to do but to take in the Penny Politician, and attend the Reform Meetings; and what with reading and hearing, if he has any thing of a head-piece, he may know presently how wrong things are, and how they may be set right. N. And what have you learned from these Papers and Meetings? D. Why they all agree that many folks are too rich, and many too poor-that the Country must be turned upside down-that the Parliament house must be turned inside out-and that the only way for a poor man to get righted, is to turn Radical Reformer. N. But you do not, I hope, believe every thing you hear, and every thing you read. Pray tell me what meetings you have attended, and who were the people there, from whom you received all your information. f D. I'll try if I can think on't:-but I've been to so many places, up and down the country, and heard so many Horators:-let me see; there was Peter Popular, the Plaisterer of Preston; and there was Jem Swagger, the Publican of Norwich; and one Betsy Brazen, the Weaver's Wife of Manchester; and Sam Self-will, the Glazier of Glasgow; and Jeremy Jargon, the Lawyer of Sheffield: besides some rare Londoners Booksellers and Baronights, and what not:-such a shew on'em at last Smithfield Meeting! And all true friends of the people, I'll warrant you. BVOL. 1 N. That's saying a good deal for them, "all true friends;" and yet, perhaps, you never saw any of those people before the days of meeting, or since. What makes you so sure of their friendly disposition towards you? D. Why, I could not be mistaken about that; they talked of nothing else. N. But a man of common sense will surely look for something better than talk-the best of your beasts here, are not those that make the most noise: and you won't sell those at market first that bellow the loudest. What good have those "tried friends" done for you,' besides talking? Have you any family? * D. Yes, sure; I've a partner, and seven as straitmade brats as ever you set your eyes on. N. Well, now; what have you earned for your family at the Reform Meetings? What have you learned there of your own business? How many cattle for Smithfield have you picked up there what sort of a temper have you taken home from such meetings? In what state have you found your wife and children, after deserting them a long while to attend to polities? In short, ever since you became a Radical Reformer, have you been a better Husband, a better Father, or a better Servant, or in any way a better, or a happier man? If not, these "true friends of the People" have been false friends to you. [ D. To be sure, there seems to be something in that. VN. There seems to me a good deal in it, as I could 'shew you if time permitted; but we are very near the place now, where I shall get some fresh horses, and then I must get forward without loss of time; for 'whilst I have a seat in Parliament, and a carriage to take me there, I must attend to my duty, and perhaps you will think I am more likely to do my duty there, when I tell you that I am a Reformer myself. |