quity; or only in provincial, national, and other local Cuftoms. Whether they, or their Judges, had any Part in penning thofe Laws which they affumed the Liberty of interpreting and gloffing upon at their Pleasure. Whether they had ever at different Times pleaded for and againft the fame Caufe, and cited Precedents to prove contrary Opinions. Whether they were a rich or a poor Corporation. Whether they received any pecuniary Reward for pleading or delivering their Opinions. And particularly, whether they were ever admitted as Members in the lower Senate.

He fell next upon the Management of our Treafury; and faid, he thought my Memory had failed me, because I computed our Taxes at about five or fix Millions a Year; and when I came to mention the Iffues, he found they fometimes amounted to more than double; for, the Notes he had taken were very particular in this Point; because he hoped, as he told me, that the Knowledge of our Conduct might be useful to him; and he could not be deceived in his Calculations. But, if what I told him were true, he was ftill at a Lofs how a Kingdom could run out of its Eftate like a private Perfon. He asked me, who were our Creditors? and, where we found Money to pay them? He wondered to hear me talk of fuch chargeable and extensive Wars; that, certainly we must be a quarrelfome People, or live among very bad Neighbours; and that our Generals muft needs be richer than our Kings. He asked, what Bufinefs we had out of our own Islands, unless upon the Score of Trade or Treaty, or to defend the Coasts with our Fleet. Above all, he was amazed to hear me talk of a Mercenary ftanding Army in the Midft of

Peace,

Peace, and among a free People. He faid, if we were governed by our own Confent in the Perfons of our Representatives, he could not imagine of whom we were afraid, or against whom we were to fight; and would hear my Opinion, whether a private Man's Houfe might not better be defended by himself, his Children, and Family; than by half a dozen Rascals picked up at a Venture in the Streets, for finall Wages, who might get an hundred Times more by cutting their Throats.

He laughed at my odd Kind of Arithmetick (as he was pleased to call it) in reckoning the Numbers of our People by a Computation drawn from the several Sects among us in Religion and Politicks. He faid, he knew no Reason, why thofe who entertain Opinions prejudicial to the Publick, should be obliged to change, or fhould not be obliged to conceal them. And, as it was Tyranny in any Government to require the firft, fo it was Weakness not to enforce the fecond: For, a Man may be allowed to keep Poifons in his Closet, but not to vend them about as Cordials.

He observed, that among the Diverfions of our Nobility and Gentry, I had mentioned Gaming. He defired to know at what Age this Entertainment was usually taken up, and when it was laid down. How much of their Time it employed; whether it ever went fo high as to affect their Fortunes. Whether mean vicious People, by their Dexterity in that Art, might not arrive at great Riches, and fometimes keep our very Nobles in Dependance, as well as habituate them to vile Companions; wholly take them from the Improvement of their Minds, and force them by the Loffes they

received,

received, to learn and practise that infamous Dexterity upon others.

HE was perfectly aftonished with the hiftorical Account I gave him of our Affairs during the laft Century; protesting it was only a Heap of Confpiracies, Rebellions, Murders, Maffacres, Revolutions, Banifhments; the very wort Effects that Avarice, Faction, Hypocrify, Perfidiousness, Cruelty, Rage, Madness, Hatred, Envy, Luft, Malice, and Ambition could produce.

His Majefty, in another Audience, was at the Pains to recapitulate the Sum of all I had spoken; compared the Queftions he made, with the Anfwers I had given; then taking me into his Hands, and ftroaking me gently, delivered himfelf in thefe Words, which I fhall never forget, nor the Manner he spoke them in. My little Friend Grildrig ; you have made a most admirable Panegyrick upon your Country. You have clearly proved that Ignorance, Idleness, and Vice, are the proper Ingredients for qualifying a Legislator. That Laws are beft explained, interpreted, and applied by thofe whose Interest and Abilities lie in perverting, confounding, and eluding them. I obferve among you, fome Lines of an Inftitution, which in its Original might have been tolerable; but these half erased, and the reft wholly blurred and blotted by Corruptions. It doth not appear, from all you have faid, how any one Perfection is required towards the Procurement of any one Station among you; much less that Men are ennobled on Account of their Virtue, that Priefts are advanced for their Piety or Learning, Soldiers for their Conduct or Valour, Judges for their Integrity, Senators for the Love of their Country, or Counsellors for their Wisdom. As for yourself (continued the King)

who

who have spent the greatest Part of your Life in travelling; I am well difpofed to hope you may hitherto have escaped many Vices of your Country. But, by what I have gathered from your own Relation, and the Anfwers I have with much Pains wringed and extorted from you; I cannot but conclude the Bulk of your Natives, to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever fuffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth.

CHA P. VII.

The Author's Love of his Country. He makes a Propofal of much Advantage to the King, which is rejected. The King's great Ignorance in Politicks. The Learning of that Country very imperfect and confined. Their Laws, and Military Affairs, and Parties in the State.

ROTHING but an extreme Love of Truth, could have hindered me from concealing this Part of my Story, It was in vain to difcover my Refentments, which were always turned into Ridicule: And, I was forced to reft with Patience, while my noble and most beloved Country was fo injuriously treated. I am heartily forry as any of my Readers can poffibly be, that fuch an Occafion was given: But this Prince happened to be fo curious and inquifitive into every Particular, that it could not confift either with Gratitude or good Manners to refufe giving him what Satisfaction I was able. Yet thus much I may be allowed to fay in my own Vindication; that I artfully eluded many of his Queftions; and gave to every Point a more favour

able