horse-tail at the next promotion-ha, ha, ha !Have but a moment's patience, and I'll send to you 1 in a twinkling"-" So saying, he retreated into his den, leaving the Turk in some confusion. After a short pause, however, he said something to his interpreter, the meaning of which I had great curiosity to know, as he turned up his eyes while he spoke, expressing astonishment mixed with devotion. We were gratified by means of the communicative captain C-, who conversed with the dragoman as an old acquaintance. Ibrahim, the ambassador, who had mistaken his grace for the minister's fool, was no sooner undeceived by the interpreter, than he exclaimed to this effect : 65 Holy prophet! I don't wonder that this nation prospers, seeing it is governed by the counsel of idiots; a species of men whom all good mussulmen revere as the organs of immediate inspiration." Ibrahim was favoured with a particular audience of short duration; after which the duke conducted him to the door, and then returned to diffuse his gracious looks among the crowds of his worship pers. As Mr. Barton advanced to present me to his grace, it was my fortune to attract his notice before I was announced. He forthwith met me half way, and seizing me by the hand, "My dear Sir Francis! (cried he) this is so kind-I vow to God! I am so obliged-Such attention to a poor broken minister-Well-pray when does your excellency set sail?-For God's sake have a care of your 04 your health, and eat stewed prunes in the passage. Next to your own precious health, pray, my dear excellency, take care of the five nations. Our good friends, the five nations-the Toryrories, the Macco'macks, the Out o'-the-ways, the Crickets, and the Kickshaws.-Let 'em have plenty of blankets, and stinkubus, and wampum ; and your excellency wo'nt fail to scour the kettle, and boil the chain, and bury the tree, and plant the hatchet. -Ha, ha, ha!" When he had uttered this rapsody with his usual precipitation, Mr. Barton gave him to understand, that I was neither Sir Francis nor Saint Francis, but simply Mr. Melford, nephew to Mr. Bramble; who, stepping forward, made his bow at the same time. Odso! no more it is Sir Francis (said this wise statesman)— Mr. Melford, I am glad to see you-I sent you an engineer to fortify your dock--Mr. Bramble-your servant, Mr. Bramble-How d'ye, good Mr. Bramble? Your nephew is a pretty young fellow ! -His father is my old friend-How does he hold it? Still troubled with that damned disorder, ha?" -No, my lord (replied my uncle), all his troubles are over-He has been dead these fifteen years.' Dead! how-yes, faith! now I remember; he is dead sure enough. Well, and how does the young gentleman stand for Haverfordwest ? or-a what d'ye-My dear Mr. Milfordhaven, I'll do you all the service in my power-I hope I have some credit left."-My uncle then gave him to understand that I was still a minor; and that we had no intention to trouble him at present for any favour whatsoever." I came hither with my nephew (added he) to pay our respects to your grace; and I may venture to say, that his views and mine are at least as disinterested as those of any individual in this assembly."-" My dear Mr. Brambleberry! you do me infinite honour— I shall always rejoice to see you and your hopeful nephew, Mr. Milfordhaven-My credit, such as it is, you may command. I wish we had more friends of your kidney." SMOLLET. Humphrey Clinker, vol. i. p. 123. IF you ask me where to look for those beautiful shining qualities of prime ministers and the great favourites of princes, that are so finely painted in dedications, addresses, epitaphs, funeral sermons, and inscriptions? I answer, there, and no where else. Where would you look for the excellency of a statue, but in that part which you see of it? It is the polished outside only that has the skill and labour of the sculptor to boast of; what is out of sight is untouched. Would you break the head or cut open the breast to look for the brains or the heart, you would only show your ignorance and destroy the workmanship. This has often made me compare the virtues of [great] men to your large china jars; they make a fine show, and are ornamental to a chimney; one would, by the bulk they appear in, and the value that is set upon them, think they might be very very useful, but look into a thousand of them, and you will find nothing but dust and cobwebs. MANDEVILLE. Fable of the Bees: Remark (0) I KNOW not how it happens, but there is hardly ever a prince so bad but his minister is worse: If he commit any ill action he is still prompted to it, accordingly the ambition of princes is never so dangerous as baseness of soul in his counsellers. MONTESQUIEU. Persian Letters. Let. 127. Ir is certainly an easier task, and there is somewhat less provoking as well as dangerous in it, to struggle even with a great prince who stands on prerogative, than with a weak but profligate minister, if he has the means of corruption in his power, and if the luxury and prostitution of the age have enabled him to bring it into fashion. Nothing surely could provoke men who had the spirit of liberty in their souls, more than to figure to themselves one of those saucy creatures of fortune, whom she raises in the extravagance of her caprice, dispatching his emissaries, ecclesiastical and secular, like so many evil demons, to the north and to the south, to buy the votes of the people, with the money of the people, and to chuse a representative body, not of the people, but of the enemy of the people, of himself. BOLINGBROKE. Dissertation on Parties, Let. vi. I HAVE known great ministers, distinguished for wit and learning, who preferred none but dunces. Princes usually make wiser choices than the servants wom they trust for the disposal of places. I have known a prince more than once chuse an able minister; but I never observed that minister to use his credit in the disposal of an employment to a person whom he thought the fittest for it. One of the greatest in this age owned and excused the matter from the violence of parties and the unreasonableness of friends. SWIFT. Thoughts on Various Subjects: Works, vol. v. NOTWITHSTANDING the common complaint of the knavery of men in power, I have known no great ministers or men of parts in business so wicked as their inferiors; their sense and knowledge preserve them from a hundred common rogueries, and when they become bad, it is generally more from a necessity of their situation, than from a natural bent to evil. A MAN coming to the water side is surrounded by all the crew; every one is officious, every one making applications, every one offering his services; the whole bustle of the place seems only for him. The same man going from the water side, no noise is made about him, no creature takes notice of him, all let him pass with utter neglect! the picture of a minister when he comes into power and when he goes out. Ib. vol. vi. p. 196. |