nifter's direct intereft (nay his fafety) mean while, requiring him to push the defperate game, and even in felf-defence, to increase that very expence which is his crime; to entrench himself still deeper in corruption, and by headlong and unmeasured extravagance, to have the means of juftifying to the faithful Commons, his former mifmanagement and mifdeeds. See where this ends, but forget not where it begins.

I am led here very naturally to fpeak upon the fubject of certain regulations, which have been the object of your late affemblies and deliberations. Indeed, I have brought myself to this matter almost unavoidably, but not unwillingly. I gladly embrace this molt public opportunity of delivering my fentiments, not only to all my conftituents, but to those likewife, not my conftituents, whom yet in the large fenfe I reprefent, and am faithfully to ferve; not only to twenty thousand, my electors, but to hundreds of thousands, in the county I represent, (to go no farther) who are to fuffer under the bad conduct of parliament; and of declaring my intentions, regarding the two chief articles contained in the refolutions agreed to at your late meetings; I mean, rendering parliaments triennial, and adding to the number of county reprefentatives.

I do intend to give my voice, if I have the honour of continuing in your service, for the change of feptennial parliaments. And this, not because I am fo fanguine as fome are, in a full perfuation, that it will be a cure for all our evils; no, nor even that I promise myfelf it will be attended with any

fuch fure hope of confiderable advantage, (at leaft, if unaccom panied by fome other fteps tending to purify the fources of election and reprefentation) but chiefly, becaufe, on the beft information I have obtained, I have reafon to be. lieve it is the mind and defire of a very large number of my constitu ents: this feeming to me to be the one point (at least with diftinguished preference) on which the ferder, not he who is fent, has the perfec right to judge; and that, even if after all, I fhould have mistaken their general fenfe, it will be at leaft the fafer error; fince there is a manifeft difference between the obtruding one's felf for seven years on him who wishes to have his choice again at the end of three; and returning for his approbation at three, when he might perhaps have been well content to truft one for feven.

I have a momentary pleasure in adding (especially when supported by your opinions) that I am willing to flatter myfelf, rather good than evil may arife from the change.

But I look upon restoring election and representation in fome degree (for I expect no miracles) to their original purity, to be that, without which all other efforts will be vain and ridiculous. The tenantright, or good-will of a lease of three years, is as faleable as that of a leafe of feven. It will find its price at both the London and country markets. It will be bought, it will be fold. The member will be as manageable, if the conftituent be as venal. And they will not be afraid to meet at market as often as you please.

The adding to the county reprefentation, if by no means a perfe&

cure,

cure, feems yet to me to be the plaineft and best propofition for this purpose, that has yet come under my observation. I trust, likewife, it may be practicable. I therefore embrace it, not only from a deference to your opinion, but with an approbation of my own. Yet, not flattering you, that it appears to me one of those matters easy of execution, or to be done with a thought; on the contrary, it is more complicated (as it seems to me more effectual) than the first-mentioned alteration. But this is no time to talk of fmall rubs, or difficulties. If fomething be not done, you may, indeed, retain the outward form of your conftitution, but not the power thereof.

For it is too ferious a truth to be concealed, and, indeed, it is too late feriously to attempt to conceal it, that if the electors, forgetting the folemn duty they owe to the millions of their fellow-fubjects, whofe rights they are in the firft inftance intrufted with; if, forgetting the facred truft repofed in them, of choofing those who are to govern thofe millions; if, for getting that they are therefore a fort of reprefentatives of all the people (who would be too numerous to vote themselves); I fay, if forgetting these things, and fhamefully proftituting themfelves, they are become fo profligate as to fell themselves and their country; let them not wonder (nay, fcarcely can they complain without fhame) if thofe whom they choose, imitating their conduct, retail daily thofe rights which they have bought, whether it be at the feptennial, triennial, or annual fairs,

and markets.

We can converse

thus without a blufh.

Neither time permits, nor does propriety allow me to enter into arguments in fupport of a fentiment of which (much I think to your honour) you have declared your approbation. But although it fuits neither the time, nor the circumftance, to argue and debate, I truft you will not think I am out of the line of propriety, of duty, or of the respect I owe you, in thus making a public declaration of my opinions and intentions in matters concerning which, after the tender I have made of my fervice, you have an unquestionable right, as you must have natural with, to be informed.

When I began this paper, I had reafon to believe the time preffed; I was foon confirmed in what I had heard. It was become material to addrefs you quickly, if at all: but although what I have written has been the work of a few hours, do not think that the matter has not again and again been the subject of deliberate thought. I fhould not have dared to have presented you with crude and undigested ideas, or the fancy of a moment: but, on the other hand, fo inattentive have I been to the advantages this addrefs might receive, in its form, from the affiftance of abler perfons than myself, that I venture to fubmit it thus publicly to you, without the opportunity of communicating it to thofe whose principles, judgment, and line of conduct in the public walk, I have been habituated to look up to with high refpect and esteem.

My bufinefs is not to write ably to you, but to write with fincerity.

The

Character and Manners of the Venetians. From a View of Society and Manners in Italy, by Dr. Moore.

AM very fenfible, that it requires a longer refidence at Venice, and better opportunities than I have had, to enable me to give a character of the Venetians. But were I to form an idea of them from what I have feen, I fhould paint them as a lively ingenious people, extravagantly fond of public amufements, with an uncommon relish for humour, and yet more attached to the real enjoyments of life, than to thofe which depend on oftentation, and proceed from vanity.

The common people of Venice difplay fome qualities very rarely to be found in that fphere of life, being remarkably fober, obliging to ftrangers, and gentle in their intercourfe with each other. The Venetians in general are tall and well made. Though equally robuft, they are not fo corpulent as the Germans. The latter alfo are of fair complexions, with light grey or blue eyes; whereas the Venetians are for the most part of a ruddy brown colour, with dark eyes. You meet in the streets of Venice many fine manly countenances, refembling thofe tranfmitVor.. XXIII.

ted to us by the pencils of Paul Veronefe and Titian. The women are of a fine ftyle of countenance, with expreffive features, and a fskin of a rich carnation. They drefs their hair in a fanciful manner, which becomes them very much. They are of an eafy addrefs, and have no averfion to cultivating an acquaintance with thofe ftrangers who are prefented to them by their relations, or have been properly recommended.

Strangers are under lefs restraint here, in many particulars, than the native inhabitants. I have known fome, who, after having tried most of the capitals of Furope, have preferred to live at Venice, on account of the variety of amufements, the gentle manners of the inhabitants, and the perfect freedom allowed in every thing, except in blaming the meafures of government. I have already mentioned in what manner the Veneians are in danger of being treated who give themselves that liberty. When a ftranger is fo imprudent as to declaim against the form or the measures of government, he will either receive a meffage to leave the territories of the State, or one of the Sbirri will be fent to accompany him to the Pope's or the Emperor's dominions.

The houfes are thought inconvenient by many of the English: they are better calculated, however, for the climate of italy, than if they were built according to the London model, which, I fuppofe, is the plan thofe critics approve. The floors are of a kind of red plaifter, with a brilliant glofly furface, much more beautiful than wood, and far preferable in cafe of fire, whofe progrefs they are calculated to check.,

The principal apartments are on the fecond floor. The Venetians feldom inhabit the first, which is often intirely filled with lumber: perhaps they prefer the fecond, because it is fartheft removed from the moisture of the lakes; or perhaps they prefer it, because it is better lighted, and more cheerful; or they may have fome better reafon for this preference than I am acquainted with, or can imagine. Though the inhabitants of Great Britain make ufe of the first floors for their chief apartments, this does not form a complete demonftration that the Venetians are in the wrong for preferring the fecond. When an acute fenfible people univerfally follow one custom, in a mere matter of conveniency, however abfurd that cuftom may appear in the eyes of a stranger at fist fight, it will generally be found, that there is tome real advantage in it, which compenfates all the apparent inconveniences.

I had got, I don't know how, the most contemptuous opinion of the Italian drama. I had been told, there was not a tolerable actor at prefent in Italy, and I had been long taught to confider their comedy as the most defpica

ble stuff in the world, which could not amufe, or even draw a smile from any person of tafte, being quite deftitute of true humour, full of ribaldry, and only proper for the meaneft of the vulgar. Impreffed with thefe fentiments, and eager to give his Grace a full demonftration of their juftness, I accompanied the D- of H-to the ftage-box of one of the play-houses the very day of our arrival at Ve

nice.

The piece was a comedy, and the moft entertaining character in it was that of a man who ftuttered. In this defect, and in the fingular grimaces with which the actor accompanied it, confifted a great part of the amusement.

Difgufted at such a pitiful subftitution for wit and humour, I expreffed a contempt for an audience which could be entertained by fuch buffoonery, and who could take pleasure in the exhibition of a natural infirmity.

While we inwardly indulged fentiments of felf-approbation, on account of the refinement and fuperiority of our own taste, and fupported the dignity of those fentiments by a difdainful gravity of countenance, the stutterer was giving a piece of information to Harlequin, which greatly interefted him, and to which he lif tened with every mark of eagernefs. This unfortunate speaker had juk arrived at the most important part of his narrative, which was, to acquaint the impatient liftener where his mistress was concealed, when he unluckily ftumbled on a word of fix or feven fyllables, which completely obstructed the progrefs of his narration. He attempted it again and again, but

always