as we learn from XENOPHON *. Among the moderns, the DUTCH first introduced the practice of borrowing great fums at low intereft, and have well nigh ruined themfelves by it. Abfolute princes have alfo contracted debt; but as an absolute prince may make a bankruptcy when he pleases, his people can never be oppreffed by his debts. In popular governments, the people, and chiefly those who have the highest offices, being commonly the public creditors, it is difficult for the state to make use of this remedy, which, however it may fometimes be neceffary, is always cruel and barbarous. This, therefore, feems to be an inconvenience, which nearly threatens all free governments; especially our own, at the prefent juncture of affairs. And what a strong motive is this, to encrease our frugality of public money; left, for want of it, we be reduced, by the multiplicity of taxes, or what is worse, by our public impotence and inability for defence, to curfe our very liberty, and with ourselves in the same state of fervitude with all the nations that furround us?

* Κτῆσιν δὲ απ' οὐδενὸς ἂν οὕτω καλὴν κτήσαι το ὥσπερ ἀφ οὗ ἀνπροελέσωσιν εἰς τὴν ἀφορμὴν-οἱ δὲ γε πλέιςοι Αθηναίων πλέιονα λήψονται κατ ̓ ἐνιαυτὸν ἢ ὅσον ἂν εἰσενέγκωσιν, οἱ γὰς μνᾶν προελέσαντες, ἐγγὺς δυοῖν μναῖν πρόσοδον ἐξεσι— ὁ δίνει τῶν ἀνθροπίνων ἀσφαλέςατὸν τε καὶ πολυχρονιῶτατον ειναίο SEM ΠΟΡΟΙ,

ESSAY XIII.

Of ELOQUENCE.

HOSE, who confider the periods and revolutions

TH

of human kind, as reprefented in hiftory, are entertained with a spectacle full of pleasure and variety, and fee, with furprize, the manners, customs, and opinions of the fame fpecies fufceptible of fuch prodigious changes in different periods of time. It may, however, be observed, that, in civil hiftory, there is found a much greater uniformity than in the hiftory of learning and fcience, and that the wars, negociations, and politics of one age, refemble more thofe of another, than the taste, wit, and fpeculative principles. Intereft and ambition, honour and fhame, friendship and enmity, gratitude and revenge, are the prime movers in all public tranfactions; and these paffions are of a very ftubborn and intractable nature, in comparison of the fentiments and understanding, which are eafily varied by education and example. The GOTHS were much more inferior to the ROMANS, in taste and science, than in courage and virtue.

But not to compare together nations fo widely differ, ent; it may be obferved, that even this later period of human learning is, in many respects, of an oppofite character to the ancient; and that, if we be fuperior in

philofophy, we are still, notwithstanding all our refinements, much inferior in eloquence,

In ancient times, no work of genius was thought to require fo great parts and capacity, as the speaking in public; and fome eminent writers have pronounced the talents, even of a great poet or philofopher, to be of an inferior nature to those which are requifite for such an undertaking. GREECE and ROME produced, each of them, but one accomplished orator; and whatever praises the other celebrated speakers might merit, they were still efteemed much inferior to these great models of eloquence. It is obfervable, that the ancient critics could fcarcely find two orators in any age, who deserved to be placed precisely in the fame rank, and poffeffed the fame degree of merit. CALVUS, CELIUS, CURIO, HORTENSIUS, CASAR, rofe one above another: But the greatest of that age was inferior to CICERO, the most eloquent speaker that had ever appeared in ROME. Thofe of fine tafte, however, pronounced this judgment of the ROMAN orator, as well as of the GRECIAN, that both of them furpaffed in eloquence all that had ever appeared, but that they were far from reaching the perfection of their art, which was infinite, and not only exceeded human force' to attain, but human imagination to conceive. CICERO declares himself diffatisfied with his own performances; nay, even with thofe of DEMOIta funt avida & capaces meæ aures, fays he, & femper aliquid immenfum, infinitumque defiderant.

STHENES.

Of all the polite and learned nations, ENGLAND alone poffeffes a popular government, or admits into the legiflature fuch numerous affemblies as can be fuppofed to lie under the dominion of eloquence. But what has ENGLAND to boaft of in this particular? In enumerating

the

the great men, who have done honour to our country, we exult in our poets and philofophers; but what orators are ever mentioned? Or where are the monuments of their genius to be met with? There are found, indeed, in our hiftories, the names of feveral, who directed the refolutions of our parliament: But neither themselves nor others have taken the pains to preferve their speeches; and the authority, which they poffeffed, feems to have been owing to their experience, wisdom, or power, more than to their talents for oratory. At present, there are above half a dozen fpeakers in the two houfes, who, in the judgment of the public, have reached very near the fame pitch of eloquence; and no man pretends to give any one the preference above the reft. This feems to me a certain proof, that none of them have attained much beyond a mediocrity in their art, and that the fpecies of eloquence, which they afpire to, gives no exercife to the fublimer faculties of the mind, but may be reached by ordinary talents and a flight application. A hundred cabinet-makers in LONDON can work a table or a chair equally well; but no one poet can write verfes with fuch fpirit and elegance as Mr. PoPe.

We are told, that, when DEMOSTHENES was to plead, all ingenious men flocked to ATHENS from the most remote parts of GREECE, as to the most celebrated spectacle of the world*. At LONDON you may fee men fauntering in the court of requefts, while the most im

Ne illud quidem intelligunt, non modo ita memoriæ proditum effe, fed ita neceffe fuiffe, cum DEMOSTHENES dicturus effet, ut concurfus, audiendi caufa, ex tota GRECIA fierent. At cum ifti ATTICI dicunt, non modo a corona (quod eft ipfum miferabile) fed etiam ab advocatis relin

quuntur.

CICERO de Claris Oratoribus.

H 4

portant

portant debate is carrying on in the two houses; and many do not think themselves fufficiently compenfated, for the lofing of their dinners, by all the eloquence of our most celebrated speakers. When old CIBBER is to act, the curiofity of feveral is more excited, than when our prime minifter is to defend himself from a motion for his removal or impeachment.

Even a perfon, unacquainted with the noble remains of ancient orators, may judge, from a few ftrokes, that the ftyle or species of their eloquence was infinitely more fublime than that which modern orators afpire to. How abfurd would it appear, in our temperate and calm speakers, to make use of an Apostrophe, like that noble one of DEMOSTHENES, fo much celebrated by QUINTILIAN and LONGINUS, when juftifying the unsuccessful battle of CHARONEA, he breaks out, No, my FellowCitizens, No: You have not erred. I fwear by the manes of those heroes, who fought for the fame cause in the plains of MARATHON and PLATEA. Who could now endure fuch a bold and poetical figure, as that which CICERO employs, after defcribing in the moft tragical terms the crucifixion of a ROMAN citizen: Should I paint the horrors of this feene, not to ROMAN citizens, not to the allies of our ftate, not to those who have ever heard of the ROMAN Name, not even to men, but to brute-creatures; or, to go farther, fhould I lift up my voice in the most defolate folitude, to the rocks and mountains, yet should I furely fee thofe rude and inanimate parts of nature moved with horror and indignation at the recital of fo enormous an action*.

With

what

* The original is; Quod fi hæc non ad cives Romanos, non ad aliquos amicos noftræ civitatis, non ad eos qui populi Romani nomén audîflent & denique, fi non ad homines, verùm ad beftias; aut etiam, ut longius pro