ferved, the Androgyne is perfectly restored, and human race enjoy the fame happiness as in their primæval ftate. The feam is fcarce perceived that joins the two beings; but both of them combine to form one perfect and happy creature.

ESS A

A Y

VII.

OF THE STUDY OF HISTORY.

TH

HERE is nothing which I would recommend more earneftly to my female readers than the study of history, as an occupation, of all others, the best fuited both to their fex and education, much more inftructive than their ordinary books of amusement, and more entertaining than thofe ferious compofitions, which are usually to be found in their clofets. Among other important truths, which they may learn from hiftory, they may be informed of two particulars, the knowlege of which may contribute very much to their quiet and repofe; That our fex, as well as theirs, are far from being fuch perfect creatures as they are apt to imagine, and, That Love is not the only paflion, which governs the male-world, but is often overcome by avarice, ambition, vanity, and a thousand other paffions. Whether they be the falfe reprefentations of mankind in thofe two particulars, which endear romances and novels fo much to the fair fex, I know not; but muft confefs, that I am forry to fee them have fuch an averfion to matter of fact, and fuch an appetite for falfhood. I remember I was once defired by a young beauty, for whom I had fome paffion, to fend her fome novels and romances for her amusement in the country; but was not fo ungenerous as to take the advantage, which fuch a course of reading might have given me, being refolved not to make use of poisoned arms against her. I therefore fent her PLUTARCH's lives, affuring her, at the fame time, that there was not a word of truth in them from beginning to end. She perused them very attentively, 'till fhe came to the lives of ALEXANDER and CESAR, whofe names fhe had heard of by accident; and then returned me the book, with many reproaches for deceiving her.

I MAY indeed be told, that the fair fex have no fuch averfion to history, as I have represented, provided it be fecret hiftory, and contain fome memorable tranfaction proper to excite their curiofity. But as I do not find that truth, which is the bafis of hiftory, is at all regarded in those anecdotes, I cannot admit of this as a proof of their paffion for that study. However this may be, I fee not why the fame curiofity might not receive a more proper direction, and lead them to defire accounts of those who lived in paft ages as well as of their contemporaries. What is it to CLEORA, whether FULVIA entertains a fecret commerce of Love with PHILANDER or not? Has fhe not equal reafon to be pleased, when she is informed, (what is whifpered about among hiftorians) that CATO's fifter had an intrigue with CASAR, and palmed her fon, MARCUS BRUTUS, upon her husband

for his own, tho' in reality, he was her gallant's? And are not the loves of MESSALINA OF JULIA as proper fubjects of discourse as any intrigue that this city has produced of late years?

BUT I know not whence it comes, that I have been thus feduced into a kind of raillery against the ladies: Unless, perhaps, it proceed from the fame cause, which makes the perfon, who is the favourite of the company, be often the object of their good-natured jefts and pleasantries. We are pleafed to addrefs ourselves after any manner to one, who is agreeable to us; and, at the fame time, prefume, that nothing will be taken amifs by a perfon, who is fecure of the good opinion and affections of every one prefent. I fhall now proceed to handle my subject more seriously, and fhall point out the many advantages, which flow from the ftudy of history, and fhow how well fuited it is to every one, but particularly to those who are debarred the feverer ftudies, by the tenderness of their complexion, and the weakness of their education. The advantages found in history feem to be of three kinds, as it amufes the fancy, as it improves the understanding, and as it ftrengthens virtue.

In reality, what more agreeable entertainment to the mind, than to be tranfported into the remoteft ages of the world, and to obferve human fociety, in its infancy, making the firft faint effays towards the arts and fciences: To see the policy of government, and the civility of converfation refining by degrees, and every thing which is ornamental to human life advancing towards its perfection. To remark the rife, progrefs, declenfion and final extinction of the moft flourishing empires: The virtues, which contributed to their greatnefs; and the vices, which drew on their ruin. In fhort, to fee all human race, from the beginning of time, pafs, as it were, in review before us; appearing in their true colours, without any of thofe difguifes, which, during their life-time, fo much perplexed the judgment of the beholders. What spectacle can be imagined fo magnificent, fo various, fo interefting? What amufement, either of the fenfes or imagination, can be compared with it? Shall thofe trifling paftimes, which engrofs fo much of our time, be preferred as more fatisfactory, and more fit to engage our attention? How perverse must that tafte be, which is capable of fo wrong a choice of pleasures?

BUT history is a moft improving part of knowlege, as well as an agreeable amufement; and a great part of what we commonly call Erudition, and value fo highly, is nothing but an acquaintance with hiftorical facts. An extensive knowlege of this kind, belongs to men of letters; but I must think it an unpardonable ignorance in perfons of whatever fex or condition, not to be acquainted with the hiftory of their own country, together with the hiftories of ancient GREECE and ROME. A woman may behave herself with good manners, and have even fome vivacity in her turn of wit; but where her mind is fo unfurnished, 'tis impoffible her converfation can afford any entertainment to men of sense and reflection.

I MUST add, That history is not only a valuable part of knowlege, but opens the door to many other parts, and affords materials to moft of the fciences. And indeed, if we confider the fhortnefs of human life, and our limited knowlege, even of what paffes in our own time, we must be fenfible, that we should be for ever children in understanding, were it not for this invention, which extends our experience to all paft ages, and to the moft diftant nations; making them contribute

as much to our improvement in wifdom, as if they had actually lain under our obfervation. A man acquainted with hiftory may, in fome refpect, be faid to have lived from the beginning of the world, and to have been making continual additions to his stock of knowlege in every century.

THERE is also an advantage in that experience which is acquired by history, above what is learned by the practice of the world, that it brings us acquainted with human affairs, without diminishing in the least from the most delicate fentiments of virtue. And, to tell the truth, I know not any study or occupation fo unexceptionable as hiftory in this particular. Poets can paint virtue in the most charming colours; but, as they addrefs themselves entirely to the paffions, they often become advocates for vice. Even, philofophers are apt to bewilder themfelves in the fubtilty of their fpeculations; and we have feen fome go fo far as to deny the reality of all moral diftinctions. But I think it a remark worthy the attention of the fpeculative, that the historians have been, almost without exception, the true friends of virtue, and have always reprefented it in its proper colors, however they may have erred in their judgments of particular perfons. MACHIAVEL himself difcovers a true fentiment of virtue in his hiftory of FLORENCE. When he talks as a Politician, in his general reafonings, he confiders poisoning, affaffination and perjury as lawful arts of power; but when he speaks as an Hiftorian, in his particular narrations, he fhews fo keen an indignation against vice, and fo warm an approbation of virtue, in many paffages, that I could not forbear applying to him that remark of HORACE, That if you chafe away nature, tho' with ever fo great indignity, fhe will always return upon you. Nor is this combination of hiftorians in favor of virtue at all difficult to be accounted for. When a man of business enters into life and action, he is more apt to confider the characters of men, as they have relation to his intereft, than as they stand in themselves; and has his judgment warped on every occafion by the violence of his paffion. When a philofopher contemplates characters and manners in his closet, the general abftract view of the objects leaves the mind fo cold and unmoved, that the fentiments of nature have no room to play, and he scarce feels the difference between vice and virtue. Hiftory keeps in a juft medium betwixt thefe extremes, and places the objects in their true point of view. The writers of hiftory, as well as the readers, are fufficiently interested in the characters and events, to have a lively fentiment of blame or praife; and, at the fame time, have no particular intereft or concern to pervert their judgment.

Veræ voces tum demum pectore ab imo
Elliciuntur.

LUCRET.

ESSAY

ESSAY VIII.

OF THE INDEPENDENCY OF PARLIAMENT.

HAVE frequently obferved, in comparing the conduct of the court and country parties, that the former are commonly lefs affuming and dogmatical in converfation, more apt to make conceffions; and tho' not, perhaps, more fufceptible of conviction, yet more able to bear contradiction than the latter; who are apt to fly out upon any oppofition, and to regard one as a mercenary defigning fellow, if he argues with any coolnefs and impartiality, or makes any conceffions to their adverfaries. This is a fact, which, I believe, every one may have obferved, who has been much in companies where political queftions have been difcuffed; tho' were one to afk the reafon of this difference, every party would be apt to affign a different one. Gentlemen in the Oppofition will aftribe it to the very nature of their party, which, being founded on public fpirit, and a zeal for the conftitution, cannot eafily endure fuch doctrines, as are of pernicious confequence to liberty.. The courtiers, on the other hand, will be apt to put us in mind of the clown mentioned by lord SHAFTSBURY. "A clown, fays that * ex"cellent author, once took a fancy to hear the Latin difputes of doctors at an "university. He was asked what pleafure he could take in viewing fuch com"batants, when he could never know fo much, as which of the parties had the "better. For that matter, replied the clown, I a'n't fuch a fool neither, but I "can fee who's the first that puts t'other into a paffion. Nature herfelf dictated this "leffon to the clown, that he who had the better of the argument would be eafy " and well-humored: But he who was unable to fupport his caufe by reason, "would naturally lose his temper, and grow violent."

To which of these reasons fhall we adhere? To neither of them, in my opinion; unless we have a mind to inlift ourselves, and become zealots in either party. I believe I can affign the reafon of this different conduct of the two parties, without offending either. The country party are plainly most popular at prefent, and, perhaps, have been fo in moft administrations: So that, being accustomed to prevail in company, they cannot endure to hear their opinions controverted, but are as confident on the public favor, as if they were fupported in all their fentiments by the most infallible demonftration. The courtiers, on the other hand, are commonly fo run down by popular talkers, that if you speak to them with any moderation, or make them the smallest conceffions, they think themselves extremely beholden to you, and are apt to return the favor by a like moderation and facility on their part. To be furious and paffionate, they know, would only gain them the character of shameless mercenaries; not that of zealous patriots, which is the character that fuch a warm behavior is apt to acquire to the other party.

In all controverfies, we find, without regarding the truth or falfhood on either fide, that those who defend the established and popular opinions, are always the moft dogmatical and imperious in their ftile: While their adverfaries affect a most Mifcellaneous Reflections, p. 107.

extraordinary

1

extraordinary gentleness and moderation, in order to foften, as much as possible, any prejudices that may lye against them. Confider the behaviour of our freethinkers of all denominations, whether they be fuch as decry all revelation, or only oppose the exorbitant power of the clergy; COLLINS, TINDAL, FOSTER, HOADLEY. Compare their moderation and good-manners, with the zeal and even fcurrility of their adverfaries, and you will be convinced of the truth of my obfervation. A like difference may be obferved in the conduct of thofe FRENCH Writers, who maintained the controverfy with regard to ancient and modern learning. BOILEAU, Monfieur & Madame DACIER, l'Abbe de Bos, who defended the party of the ancients, mixed their reafonings with fatyre and invective: While FONTENELLE, la MOTTE, CHARPENTIER, and even PERRAULT never tranfgreffed the bounds of moderation and good-breeding; tho' provoked by the most severe railleries of their adverfaries.

I AM led into this train of reflection, by confidering fome papers wrote upon that grand topic of court-influence, and parliamentary dependence, where, in my humble opinion, the country party, befides vehemence and fatyre, fhew too rigid an inflexibility, and too great a jealoufy of making conceffions to their adverfaries. Their reafonings lofe their force, by being carried too far; and the popularity of their opinions has feduced them to neglect, in some measure, their juftness and folidity. The following reafoning will, I hope, ferve to juftify me in this opinion.

POLITICAL writers have eftablished it as a maxim, That in contriving any fyftem of government, and fixing the feveral checks and controuls of the conftitution, every man ought to be fuppofed a knave, and to have no other end, in all his actions, but private intereft. By this intereft we must govern him, and, by means of it, make him co-operate to public good, notwithstanding his infatiable avarice and ambition. Without this, fay they, we fhall in vain boaft of the advantages of any constitution, and fhall find, in the end, that we have no fecurity for our liberties or poffeffions, except the good-will of our rulers; that is, we fhall have no fecurity at all.

'Tis therefore a juft political maxim, That every man must be fuppofed a knave : Tho' at the fame time, it appears fomewhat ftrange, that a maxim fhould be true in politics, which is falfe in fact. But to fatisfy us on this head, we may confider, that men are generally more honeft in their private than in their public character, and will go greater lengths to ferve a party, than when their own private interest is alone concerned. Honor is a great check upon mankind: But where a confiderable body of men act together, this check is, in a great measure, removed; fince a man is fure to be approved of by his own party, for what promotes the common intereft, and he foon learns to defpife the clamors of his adverfaries. To which we may add, that every court or fenate is determined by the majority; fo that, if felf-intereft influences only the majority, (as it will always do) the whole fenate follows the allurements of this feparate intereft, and acts as if it contained not one member, who had any regard to public interest and liberty.

WHEN there offers, therefore, to our cenfure, and examination, any plan of government, real or imaginary, where the power is diftributed among feveral courts, and several orders of men, we should always confider the private interest

of