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'Midft doubts and fears and apathetic grief. I call you murd'rer, liar, robbery thief,

Be gone

What-tell me what! an enemy could do,
More bafe more cruel than is done by you :
Who point to danger, teach us how to shun
Th' illufive land-marks that have juft begun,
T' overlook the mole, 'tis kind, 'tis right,
It is removing hardship out of fight!
Where'er my voice reverberates, I'll raife
Thy name inglorious, mantled in thy praise,

Know, know that God alone enjoys all pow'r,
He loves alike the wealthy and the poor,

Nor all the fame the world beftows, can fhield
Your mortal body in the deadly field;

When nature fails, thou venal Cleaveland must
Confign thy gaudy honors to the duft.

Then crefted worms shall shroud thy lifeless frame.. "He liv'd, neglected-dy'd unknown to fame!! "

For the PHILANTHROPIST.

THE BRITON'S PETITION,

OR THE BLESSINGS OE FREEDOM.

A NEW SONG.

BY W. H. GREEN

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(Tune Bright Phebus, &c.)

BRIGHT Freedom with glory defcends from on high,

And furrounded by minions, to Europe doth fly,
Then join O ye Britons, and to liberty plead,
To protect in our caufe, and with victory lead,

CHORUS.

CHORUS.

Lead the way, lead the way,

Bring the laurel and bays,

While to freedom, sweet freedom,

While to freedom triumphant we send our huzza's.

No longer with fluggards inactive to fleep,
While freedom invites us, our glory to reap,
But to join in the cause, and when tyranny ends,
To enjoy the fair freedom which Providence sends.
Lead the way, &c.

Can Albion's fons who are born to renown,
In their hearts let the feed of oppreffion be fown,
O no, come then join, and when tyranny ends,
We'll enjoy the fair freedom that Providence fends..

Lead the way, &c.

Can the man who with genius and merit is crown'd,
But devoid of a title in poverty found,

Be reluctant to serve; nay to die for the ends

That would purchase the freedom which Providence fends.

Lead the way, &c.

Can the scenes which at luxury's palace we find,
Where flattery dwells in each fycophants mind,
Be compar'd with our views, O then goddess descend,
And grant us the freedom which Providence fends.

Lead the way, &c.

Now with reverence due to the goddess divine,
We present our petition and glorious defign,
And rejoice in the theme that when tyranny ends,
We'll enjoy the fair freedom which providence fends.

Lead the way, lead the way,

Bring the laurel and bays,

While to freedom, fweet freedom,

While to freedom triumphant we send our huzza's.

No. 32.

THE PHILANTHROPIST.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1795.

LONDON:

Printed for and fold by DANIEL ISAAC EATON, Printer and Bookfeller to the Supreme Majefty of the People, at the Cock and SWINE, No. 74, Newgate ftreet.

1795.

PRICE ONE PENNY.

For the PHILANTHROPIST.

REASONS

Why the People are the best keepers of their own Liberties.

BECAUSE they never think of ufurping over other mens

rights, but mind which way to preferve their own: whereas the cafe is far otherwise among kings and grandees, as all nations in the world have felt to fome purpose; for they natural

move within the circle of domination, as in their proper center; and count it no less fecurity than wisdom and policy, to brave it over the people. Thus Suetonius tells us, how Cæfar, Craffus, and another, Societatem iniere, nequid ageretur in repub. quod difplicuiffet ulli e tribus: "Made a bargain between themselves, that nothing fhould be done in the Commonwealth that difpleafed either of them three." Such another triumvirate of grandees was that of Aguftus, Lepidus, and Antony, who agreed to fhare the world between themfelves; and traced the fame paths as the other did, to the top of worldly tyranny, over the ruins of their country's liberties:

they

they faved and deftroyed, depreffed and advanced whom they pleased, with a wet finger. But whilft the government remained untouched in the people's hands, every particular man lived fafe, (except the ambitious) and no man could be undone, unless à true and fatisfactory reason were rendered to the world for his deftruction.

Secondly, The people are the beft keepers of their own liberty, because it is ever the people's care to fee, that authority be fo conftituted, that it shall be rather a burden than benefit to those that undertake it; and be qualified with fuch flender advantages of profit or pleasure, that men shall reap little by the enjoyment. The happy confequence whereof is this, that none but honeft, generous, and public fpirits, will then defire to be in authority, and that only for the common good. Hence it was, that in the infancy of the Roman liberty, there was no canvaffing of voices; but fingle and plain hearted men were called, intreated, and in a manner forced with importunity to the helm of government, in regard of that great trouble and pains that followed the employment. Thus Cincinnatus was fetched out of the field from his plough, and placed (much against his will) in the fublime dignity of dictator; so the noble Camillus, and Fabius, and Curius, were, with much ado, drawn from the recreation of gardening, to the trouble of governing: and the conful-year being over, they returned with much gladness again to their private employ

ment.

A third reafon why the people in their fupreme affemblies fucceffively chofen, are the best keepers of their liberty, is, because as motion in bodies natural, fo fucceffion in civil, is the grand preventive of corruption. The truth of this will appear very clearly, if we weigh the effects of every standing authority from firft to laft in the Roman ftate: for whilst they were governed by a continued power in one and the fame hands. the people were ever in danger of lofing their liberty; fometimes in danger of being swallowed up by the kingly aspirers, witness the defign of Mælius, and others; fometimes in dan

ger

ger of a furprize by a grandee cabinet junto, who by contractIng a particular intereft, distinct from that which they had in common with the people, fo ordered the matter in time, that partly by their own ftrength, and partly by advantage of power, to gratify and curb whom they pleased, and to wind in other counfels and parties to their own, they ftill brought the leffer into such subjection. that in the end they were forced all either to yield to the pleasure of the grandees, or be broken by them. By thefe practices, they produced that upstart tyranny of the Decemviri, when ten men made a fhift to enflave the fenate, as well as the people. Lastly, by continuing power too long in the hands of particular perfons, they were swallowed up by two triumvirates of Emperors by turns, who never left pecking at one another, till Julius and Augustus, having beaten all competitors out of the field, fubjected all to the will of a fingle Emperor. If this were fo among the Romans, how happy then is any nation, and how much ought they to joy in the wisdom and justice of their trustees, where certain limits and bounds are fixed to the powers in being, by a declared fucceffion of the fupreme authority in the hands of the people.

SIR,

For the Editor of the PHILANTHROPIST.

I perfuade myself you will be pleased with the following tract it is from HILL'S Letters from several parts of Europe, prin. ted by Davis 1753. 2 vols. 8vo. I therefore fend it to you, as it may be acceptable to many of your readers.

I am Sir, Your's

A Friend to Peace.

REFLECTION ON THE WICKEDNESS OF WAR.

;

I COULD not but brand with infamy, in my own mind the pompous names of conqueft and enlarged dominion. That

he

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