the general difpofition of the people, do often point at the fame perfon; and fometimes the popular wifhes do even foretel the reward intended for fome fuperior merit. Thus, among feveral deferving perfons, there are two whom the public vogue hath in a peculiar manner fingled out, as defigned very foon to receive the choiceft inarks of the royal favour; one of them to be placed in a very high ftation, and both to increase the number of our nobility. This, I fay, is the general conjecture; for I pretend to none, nor will be chargeable if it be not fulfilled; fince it is enough for their honour, that the nation thinks them worthy of the greateft rewards. Upon this occafion I cannot but take notice, that of all the herefies in politics profufely scattered by the partisans of the late adminiftration, none ever displeased me more, or feemed to have more dangerous confequences to monarchy, than that pernicious talent fo much affected of discovering a contempt for birth, family, and ancient nobility. All the threadbare topics of poets and orators were displayed to discover to us, that merit and virtue were the only nobility; and that the advantages of blood could not make a knave or a fool either honest or wife. Moft popular commotions we read of in the hiftories of Greece and Rome took their rife from unjuft quarrels to the nobles; and in the latter, the plebeians incroachments on the patricians were the first cause of their ruin. Suppofe there be nothing but opinion in the difference of blood; every body knows, that authority is very much founded on opinion. But furely that difference is not wholly imaginary. The advantages of a liberal education, of chufing the best companions to converfe with, not being under the neceffity of practifing little mean tricks by a fcanty allowance, the enlarging of thought, and acquiring the knowledge of men and things by travel, the example of ancestors inciting to great and good actions; these are ufually fome of the opportunities that fall in the way of those who are born of what we call the better families: and allowing genius to be equal in them and the vulgar, the odds are clearly on their fide. Nay, we may observe Harley and St John. .$ 343 in fome, who, by the appearance of merit or favour of fortune, have rifen to great stations from an obfcure birth, that they have still retained some fordid vices of their pa rentage or education, either infatiable avarice, or ignominious falfehood and corruption. To fay the truth, the great neglect of education in feveral noble families, whofe fons are fuffered to pass the most improveable feasons of their youth in vice and idlenefs, have too much leffened their reputation: but even this misfortune we owe, among all the reft, to that Whiggifh practice of reviling the universities under the pretence of their inftilling pedantry, narrow principles, and highchurch doctrines. I would not be thought to undervalue merit and virtue, where-ever they are to be found; but will allow them capable of the highest dignities in a state, when they are in a very great degree of eminence. A pearl holds its value, though it be found in a dunghill; but however, that is not the most probable place to fearch for it. Nay, I will go farther, and admit, that a man of quality without merit is just so much the worfe for his quality; which at once fets his vices in a more public view, and reproacheth him for them. But on the other fide, I doubt thofe who are always undervaluing the advantages of birth, and celebrating perfonal merit, have principally an eye to their own, which they are fully fatisfied with, and which nobody will difpute with them about; whereas they cannot without impudence and folly pretend to be nobly born; because this is a fecret too eafily discovered: for no mens parentage is fo nicely inquired into as that of affuming uptarts, especially when they affect to make it better than it is, as they often do, or behave themfelves with infolence. But whatever may be the opinion of others upon this fubject, whofe philofophical fcorn for blood and families reacheth even to those that are royal, or perhaps took its rife from a Whiggif contempt of the latter: I am pleafed to find two fuch inftances of extraordinary merit, as I have mentioned, joined with ancient and honourable birth; which, whether it be of real or imaginary value, hath been held in veneration by all wife polite ftates both Ff2 anciept ancient and mode it And as much à foppery as men pretend to think it, nothing is more obfervable in those who rife to great place or wealth from mean originals, than their mighty folicitude to convince the world, that they are not fo low as is commonly believed. They are glad to find it made out by fome ftrained genealogy, that they have a remote alliance with better families. Crom. well himfelf was pleased with the impudence of a flatterer, who undertook to prove him defcended from a branch of the royal ftem. I know a citizen who adds or alters a letter in his name with every plumb he acquires; he now wants only the change of a vowel to be allied to a fovereign prince in Italy; and that perhaps he may contrive to be done by a mistake of the graver upon his tombflone. When I am upon this fubject of nobility, I am forry for the occafion given me to mention the loss of a person who was fo great an ornament to it, as the late Lord Prefi dent; who began early to diftinguifh himfelf in the pu blic fervice, and paffed through the higheft employments of state in the moft difficult times, with great abilities and untainted honour. As he was of a good old age, his prin iples of religion and loyalty had received no mixture from late infufions, but were inftilled into him by his illustrious father, and other noble fpirits, who had expofed their lives and fortunes for the royal martyr. -Pulcherrima proles, Magnanimi heroes nati melioribus annis. His first great action was, like Scipio, to defend his father when oppreffed by numbers; and his filial piety was not only rewarded with long life, but with a fon, who, upon the like occafion, would have fhewn the fame refolution. No man ever preferved his dignity better when he was out of power, nor fhewed more affability while he was in. To conclude, his character (which I do not here pretend to draw) is fuch as his nearest friends may fafely truft to the molt impartial pen; nor wants the least of that allowance which, they fay, is required for those who are dead. Sir H. Furnefe. † Farnefe. Earl of Rochester. I Thursday, May 17. 1711. No 41. Thursday, Quem cur diftringere coner, Tutus ab infeftis latronibus ? Never let flip an opportunity of endeavouring to convince the world, that I am not partial; and to con⚫ found the idle reproach of my being hired or directed what to write in defence of the prefent ministry, or for detecting the practices of the former. When I first undertook this paper, I firmly resolved, that if ever I obferved any grofs neglect, abuse, or corruption in the public management, which might give any just offence to reasonable people; I would take notice of it with that innocent boldnefs which becometh an honeft man, and a true lover of his country; at the fame time preferving the refpect due to perfons fo highly intrufted by fo wife and excellent a Queen. I know not how fuch a liberty might have been refented ; but I thank God there hath been no occafion given me to exercise it; for I can fafely affirm, that I have with the utmost rigour examined all the actions of the prefent miniltry, as far as they fall under general cognifance, without being able to accuse them of one ill or mistaken ftep. Obferving indeed fome time ago, that feeds of diffenfion had been plentifully fcattered from a certain corner, and fearing they began to rife and fpread, I immediately writ a paper on the fubject, which I treated with that warmth I thought it required; but the prudence of those at the helm foon prevented this growing evil, and at prefent it feems likely to have no confequences. I have had indeed for fome time a fmall occafion of quarrelling, which I thought too inconfiderable for a formal fubject of complaint, although I have hinted at it more than once. But it is grown at prefent to as great a height, as a matter of that nature can poffibly bear; and therefore I conceive it high time that an effectual stop fhould be put to it. I have been amazed at the flaming licentoufnefs of feveral weekly papers, which for fome months F-f3 palt past have been chi employed in barefaced fcurrilities against those who are in the greatest trust and favour with the Queen, with the first and last letters of their names frequently printed, or fome periphrafis defcribing their ftation, or other innuendos contrived too plain to be miftaken. The confequence of which is (and it is natural it fhould be fo), that their long impunity hath rendered them ftill more audacious. At this time I particularly intend a paper called the Medley, whofe indefatigable inceffant railings against me I never thought convenient to take notice of, because it 'would have diverted my defign, which I intended to be of public ufe. Befides, I never yet obferved that writer, or those writers (for it is every way a Medley), to argue against any one material point or fact that I had advanced, or make one fair quotation. And after all, I knew very well how foon the world grows weary of controverfy. It is plain to me, that three or four hands at least have been joined at times in that worthy compofition; but the outlines, as well as the finishing, feem to have been always the work of the fame pen, as it is vifible from half a score beauties of ftyle infeparable from it. But who these medlers are, or where the judicious leaders have picked them up, I fhall never go about to conjecture: factious rancour, falfe wit, abandoned fcurrility, impudent falfehood, and fervile pedantry, having fo many fathers, and fo few to own them, that Curiofity herself would not be at the pains to guefs. It is the first time I ever did myfelf the honour to mention that admirable paper; nor could I imagine any occafion likely to happen, that would make it neceffary for me to engage with fuch an adverfary. This paper is weekly publifhed, and, as appears by the number, hath been fo for feveral months; and is next to the Obfervator allowed to be the best production of the party. Laft week my printer brought me that of May 7. N° 32. where there are two paragraphs relating to the Speaker of the houfe of Commons, and to Mr Harley, which, as little as I am inclined to engage with such an antagonist, I cannot let pafs without failing in my duty to the public and if those in power will fuffer fuch infamous |