better families: and allowing genius to be equal in them and the vulgar, the odds are clearly on their fide. Nay, we may obferve in fome, who, by the appearance of merit, or favour of fortune, have rifen to great ftations from an obfcure birth, that they have ftill retained fome fordid vices of their parentage or education, either infatiable avarice, or ignominious falfhood and corruption.

To say the truth, the great neglect of education in feveral noble families, whofe fons are fuffered to pafs the most improveable feafons of their youth in vice and idleness, have too much leffened their reputation: but even this misfortune we owe, among all the reft, to that whiggih practice of reviling the univerfities under the pretence of their inftilling pedantry, narrow principles, and high-church doctrines.

I would not be thought to undervalue merit and virtue, wherever they are to be found; but will allow them capable of the higheft dignities in a ftate, when they are in a very great degree of eminence. A pearl holds its value, though it be found in a dunghil; 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 juft fo much the worfe for his quality; which at once fets his vices in a more publick view, and reproacheth him for them. But on the other fide, I doubt those, who are always undervaluing the advantages of birth, the celebrating perfonal merit, have

I

prin

principally an eye to their own, which they are fully fatisfied with, and which no body will difpute with them about: whereas they cannot, without impudence and folly, pretend to be nobly born; because this is a fecret too easily discovered for no men's parentage is fo nicely enquired into as that of affuming upstarts, efpecially when they affect to make it better than it is, as they often do, or behave themselves with infolence.

But whatever may be the opinion of others upon this fubject, whofe philofophical scorn for blood and families reacheth even to thofe that are royal, or perhaps took its rife from a whiggish contempt of the latter: I am pleafed to find two fuch inftances of extraor dinary 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 Rates both ancient and modern. And, as much a 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 fome remote alliance with better families. Cromwell himself was pleafed 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 VOL. VIII.

1 he

he acquires; he now wants only the change of a vowel [t] to be allied to a fovereign prince in Italy [u]; and that perhaps he may contrive to be done by a mistake of the graver upon his tombstone.

When I am upon this fubject of nobility, I am forry for the occafion given me to mention the lofs of a perfon, who was fo great an ornament to it, as the late lord prefident [w]; who began early to diftinguish himself in the publick fervice, and paffed through the higheft employments of ftate, in the most difficult times, with great abilities and untainted bonour. As he was of a good old age, his principles of religion and loyalty had received no mixture from late infufions, but were inftilled into him by his illuftrious father, and other noble fpirits, who had exposed their lives and fortunes for the royal martyr :

Pulcherrima proles,
Magnanimi beroes nati melioribus annis.

His firft 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

[] Sir II, Furnese. [u] Farnese, Rochefter

[w] Earl of

fhewed

thewed 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 most impartial pen; nor wants the least of that allowance which, they fay, is required for thofe who are dead.

NUMBER XLI.

Thursday, May 17, 1711.

Quem cur diftringere coner,

Tutus ab infeftis latronibus?

I Never let flip an opportunity of endeavouring to convince the world that I am not partial; and to confound the idle reproach of my being hired or directed what to write in defence of the prefent miniftry, or for detecting the practices of the former. When I first undertook this paper, I firmly refolved, that if ever I obferved any grofs neglect, abufe, or corruption in the publick 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 respect due to perfons fo' highly entrusted by fo wife and excellent a QUEEN. I know not how fuch a liberty might have been resented; but, I thank God, there hath been no occafion given me to exercise it; for I can fafely affirm, that I have, with the utmoft rigour, examined all the actions of the prefent ministry, as far as they fall under general cognizance, without being able to accufe them of one ill or mistaken step. Obferving indeed fome