enough to obferve one page taken up in railing at the Examiner for his invectives against a discarded ministry, and the other fide filled with the falfeft and vileft abuses against thote who are now in the highett power and credit with their fovereign, and whofe least breath would fcatter them into filence and obfcurity. However, although I have often wondered to fee fo much licentiousness taken and connived at, and am fure it would not be fuffered in any other country of Christendom; yet I never once invoked the affiftance of the gaol or pillory, which, upon the leaft provocation, was the ufual ftyle during their tyranny. There hath not paffed a week thefe twenty years without fome malicious paper fcattered in every coffee-houle by the emiflaries of that party, whether it were down or up. I believe they will not pretend to object the fame thing to us: nor do I remember any conftant weekly paper with reflexions on the late miniftry or junto. They have many weak defenceless parts; they have not been used to a regular attack, and therefore it is that they are fo ill able to endure one, when it comes to be their turn. So that they complain more of a few month's truths from us, than we did of all their lies, and malice for twice as many years.

I cannot forbear obferving, upon this occafion, that thofe worthy authors I am speaking of, feem to me not fairly to reprefent the fentiments of their party; who, in difputing with us, do generally give up feveral of the

06

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late ministry, and freely own many of their failings. They confefs the monftrous debt upon the navy to have been caused by most fcandalous mifmanagement; they allow the infolence of fome, and the avarice of others, to have been infupportable : but these gentlemen are most liberal of their praises to thofe perfons, and upon thofe very articles, where their wifeft friends give up the point. They gravely tell us, that fuch a one was the molt faithful fervant that ever any prince had; another the most dutiful: a third, the moit generous; a fourth, of the greatest integrity; fo that I look upon thefe champions rather as retained by a cabal than a party; which I defire the reasonable men among them would please to confider.

NUM

NUMBER XXXVIII.

Thursday, April 26, 1711.

Indignum eft in ea civitate, quae legibus continetur, difcedi a legibus.

I

Have been often confidering how it comes to pass, that the dexterity of mankind in evil fhould always outgrow not only the prudence and caution of private perfons, but the continual expedience of the wifeft laws contrived to prevent it. I cannot imagine a knave to poffefs a greater fhare of natural wit or genius, than an honest man. I have known very notable sharpers at play, who, upon all occafions, were as great dunces as human fhape can well allow; and, I believe, the fame might be obferved among the other knots of thieves and pick-pockets about this town. The propofition, however, is certainly true, and to be confirmed by an hundred inftances. A fcrivener, an attorney, a stockjobber, and many other retailers of fraud, fhall not only be able to over-reach others much wifer than themfelves, but find out new inventions to elude the force of any law made against them. I fuppofe the reafon of this may be, that as the aggreffor is faid to have generally the advantage of the defender, fo the makers of the law, which is to defend our rights, have usually not so much industry

or vigour as thofe, whose interest leads them to attack it. Befides, it rarely happens that men are rewarded by the publick for their juftice and virtue; neither do those, who act upon fuch principles, expect any recompence until the next world: whereas fraud, where it fucceeds, gives prefent pay; and this is allowed the greateft fpur imaginable both to labour and invention. Where a law is made to ftop fome growing evil, the wits of those, whose interest it is to break it with fecrecy or impunity, are immediately at work; and even among thofe who pretend to fairer characters, many would gladly find means to avoid what they would not be thought to violate. They defire to reap the advantage, if poffible, without the fhame, or at least without the danger. This art is what I take that dextrous race of men, sprung up foon after the revolution, to have studied with great 'application ever fince; and to have arrived at great perfection in. According to the

doctrine of fome romish cafuifts, they havefound out quam prope ad peccatum fine peccato poffint accedere; they can tell how to go within an inch of an impeachment, and yet come back untouched. They know what degree of corruption will just forfeit an employment, and whether the bribe you receive be fufficient to fet you right, and put fomething in your pocket befides: how much to a penny, you may fafely cheat the QUEEN, whether forty, fifty, or fixty per cent. according to the ftation you are in, and the difpofi

difpofitions of the perfons in office below and above you. They have computed the price you may fecurely take or give for a place, or what part of the falary you ought to referve: they can difcreetly diftribute five hundred pounds in a small borough without any danger from the statutes against bribing elections. They can manage a bargain for an office by a third, fourth, or fifth hand; fo that you fhall not know whom to accufe: they can win a thousand guineas at play in fpight of the dice, and fend away the lofer fatisfied. They can pass the most exorbitant accounts, over-pay the creditor with half his demands, and fink the reft.

It would be endless to relate, or rather, indeed, impoffible to discover, the feveral arts, which curious men have found out to enrich themselves by defrauding the publick in defiance of the law. The military men, both by fea and land, have equally cultivated this most useful fcience: neither hath it been altogether neglected by the other fex; of which, on the contrary, I could produce an inftance, that would make ours blush to be fo far out-done.

Befides, to confefs the truth, our laws ́ themselves are extremely defective in many articles, which I take to be one ill effect of our beft poffeffion, liberty. Some years ago the ambassador of a great prince was arrested, and outrages committed on his perfon in our streets, without any poffibility of redress from Westminster-hall, or the prerogative of

the