poffefs, as it will fhew you the value of your rights and animate you to vindicate them so it will lead you not to debafe yourfelves by cruelty and revenge. The true dignity of man confifts in mild forbearance and complacent remiffion; these are principles that will truly ennoble human nature, will stamp eternal excellence on the conduct of all who practife them, and will fully warrant the decifions of applauding posterity; and whilft changes are effecting in the moral and political world, by the difcuffion of principles, and the diffufion of political truths, Philofophy and fcience will progreffively advance, men will continue to seek their true intereft, and will survive the ftorm of prejudice. But Courts and Courtiers fhall diffolve, CLERICUS. For the Editor of the PHILANTHROPIST. Mr. EDITOR, THE HE following excellent dialogue between two friends (which I think is immediately adapted to the present state of things at this moment in England), is transcribed from that well written and now feasonable play of " VENICE PRESERVED; the infertion of which in your valuable political Mifcellany, entitled the PHILANTHROPIST will be efteemed a favor by, Sir, an admirer of your Patriotism, and an occafional correfpondent. "PIERRE. Good morrow Jaffier, how fares the honeft partner of my heart? what, melancholy! not a word to spare me! Jaffier. I was thinking Pierre how that damned starving quality called honefty, got footing in the world. Pierre. Pierre. Why powerful villany firft fet it up, for it own ease and safety: honeft men are the foft and easy cushions on which knaves repose and fatten : were all mankind villains they'd ftarve each other; Lawyers wou'd want practice; cutthroats rewards: each man would kill his brother himself, none would be paid or hang'd for murder: honefty! 'twas a cheat invented firft to bind the hands of bold deferving rogues that fools and cowards might fit fafe in power, and lord it uncontroul'd above their betters. الله Jaffier. Then honefty is but a notion ? Pierre. Nothing else, like wit much talked of not to be défined; he that pretends to most too, has least share in't: 'Tis a ragged virtue. Honefty! no more on't. Jaffier. Sure thou art honeft? Pierre. So indeed men think me, but they are mistaken Jaffier: I am a rogue as well as they; A fine gay bold-face'd villain as thou feeft me: 'tis true I pay my debts when they're contracted; I steal from no man; would not cut a throat to gain admiffion to a great man's purfe, or a whore's bed; I'd not betray my friend to get his place or fortune; I fcorn to flatter a blown-up fool above me, to crush the wretch beneath me;-yet Jaffier, for all this I am a villain. Jaffier. A villain! " Pierre. Yes and a most notorious villain, to see the sufferings of my fellow-creatures, and own myself a man: to see our fenators cheat the deluded people with a fhew of liberty, which yet they ne'er must taste of. They fay, by them our hands are free from fetters, yet whom they please they lay in basest bonds; bring whom they please to infamy and forrow; drive us like wrecks down the rough tide of power, whilft no hold's left to fave us from deftruction. All that bear this are villians, and I one, not to rouse up at the greatest call of nature, and check the growth of thefe domestic spoilers, who make us SLAVES, and tell us 'tis our CHARTER," Citizens Citizens and fellow countrymen, I look forward with eager hope to that fast approaching time when the noble spirit of each true born Briton (long pent up) may burst forth in a fimilar glowing exclamation to this of Pierre's: "All that bear this are villains and I one, not to rouse up at the greatest call of nature, to check the growth of these domestic spoilers., who make us SLAVES, and tell us 'tis our CHARTER." Although our governors have not yet dared to tell us this in plain terms; yet the oppreffion which they are daily heaping upon our heads sufficiently evinces that it is their most sublime will and intention, by degrees to bring us into that deplorable ftate when, alas! flavery might be our only charter. But as it is theirs, my countrymen, with rapacious hands, to feize every advantageous opportunity of aggrandizing their power; let it be yours with firm refolution to guard your yet remaining liberties against the continual encroachments of thefe juggling fenators; and it is by your unanimous and spirited exertions alone, that I expect to fee that glorious reform effected, for which we have as yet but feebly contended, but by which we fhall free ourselves from the opprobrious wrongs that prefs us now, and bend our fpirits downward. All England shall be free, and every growing merit fucceed to its just right: fools fhould be pulled from wisdom's feat: those baleful unclean birds, thofe lazy owls, who (perch'd near fortune's top) fit only watchful with their heavy wings to cuff down new fledged virtues, that would rife to nobler heights, and make the grove harmonious. Meanwhile I remain with steady attachment to the cause of Liberty and truth, fellow citizens, your's, not only a lover of my country, but a citizen and lover of the whole WORLD. THE PHILANTHROPIST MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1795. LONDON: Printed for and fold by DANIEL ISAAC EATON, Printer and 1795. PRICE ONE PENNY. TH For the PHILANTHROPIST. On the 9th of November. HIS day "God bless great George our king," You mean a man? no- -not a man : Divine the fecret if you can. The paffive this, the agent that, A lump of clay quite round, quite flat; Wond'ring you'll fay "my lump is Dutch." Pray reconcile the flat to men! Nay how can that, that breathes be dead,- A. M. L. REFLEC For the Editor of the PHILANTHROPIST. REFLECTIONS ON THE INFAMOUS MODE OF PRESSING. CITIZEN, I WILL thank you, if you will give a place in your useful publication to my thoughts on the cruelty of preffing. This inhuman practice would, (in my opinion), be a dif grace to any country; but is much more so to a country that is called Free. I cannot conceive how the country in which fo barbarous a cuftom is encouraged, can be called a free country; how can that man be called a freeman, whom the hand of power can tear from the bofom of his family whose support he is? and who muft in confequence come to a work-house. Let us suppose a duteous fon whofe induftrious hand supported the aged authors of his existence, being torn from their arms, and then let us ask ourselves, if the land in which such acts are tolerated, ought to be called the land of Liberty. If this be Liberty, I fhould be glad to know what can be called tyranny? for I have not the leaft conception of any thing that deferves that name, if this does not. G. P. For the PHILANTHROPIST. THE VILLAGERS ADVICE. DEEPLY impreffed with the idea of the diftrefs of the poor, through the high price of provifions which does not appear to me, to be through any real scarcity, but through the enormous quantity bought up by the government agents and contractors for the supply of the army and navy, and which has fo much of it fell into the hands of the enemy; and as it has often been argued by the advocates for and against a parliamentary reform, which |