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tial, who prefer the real advantage of the commonwealth to all other confiderations, favor my pretenfions, the Pa tricians want nothing fo much as an occafion against me.

7. It is therefore my fixed refolution to nfe my best endeavors, that you be not difappointed in me, and that their indirect defigns against me may be defeated.

8. I have from my youth, been familiar with toils and with dangers. I was faithful to your intereft, my countrymen, when I ferved you for no reward but that of honor. It is not my defign to betray you, now that you have conferred upon me a place of profit.

But

9. You have committed to my conduct the war against Jugurtha. The Patricians are offended at this. where would be the wisdom of giving fuch a command to one of their honorable body? A perfon of illuftrious birth, of ancient family, of innumerable statues, but-of no experience.

10. What fervice would his long line of dead anceffors, or his multitude of motionlefs ftatues do his country in the day of battle? What could fuch a general do, but in his trepidation and inexperience, have recourfe to fome inferior commander for direction in difficulties to which he was not himself equal? Thus your Patrician general would in fact have a general over him ; fo that the acting commander

would ftill be a Plebeian.

11. So true is this, my countrymen, that I have myself known thofe who have been chofen Confuls, begin then to read the hiftory of their own country, of which, till that time, they were totally ignorant; that is, they first obtain ed the employment, and then bethought themfelves of the qualifications neceffary for the proper difcharge of it.

12. I fubmit to your judgment, Romans, on which fide the advantage lies when a comparifon is made between Patrician haughtiness and Plebeian experience. The very actions which they have only read, I have partly feen, and partly myself atchieved. What they know by reading, I know by action. They are pleafed to flight my mean birth; I defpife their mean characters. Want of birth and fortune is the objection against me ; want of perfonal worth against them.

13. But are not all men of the fame fpecies? What can make a difference between one man and another, but

the endowments of the mind? For my part, I fhall always look upon the bravek man as the noblest man. Suppose it were enquired of the fathers of fuch Patricians as Albinus and Beftia, whether if they had their choice, they would defire fons of their character or of mine? What would they answer, but that they should with the worthieft to be their fons? If the Patricians have reafon to despise me, let them likewife defpife their ancestors, whofe nobility was the fruit of their virtue. Do they envy the honors bestowed upon me, let them envy likewife my labors, my abftinence, and the dangers I have undergone for my country, by which I have acquired them.

14. But thofe worthlefs men lead fuch a life of inactivity, as if they defpifed any honors you can bestow; whilst they afpire to honors, as if they had deserved them by the moft induftrious virtue. They lay claim to the rewards of activity, for their having enjoyed the pleafures of luxury; yet none can be more lavish than they are in praise of their ancestors. And they imagine they honor themselves by celebrating their forefathers; whereas they do the very contrary for, as much as their ancestors were diftin guifhed for their virtues, fo much are they difgraced by their vices.

15. The glory of ancestors cafts a light, indeed, ups their pofterity; but it only ferves to fhow what the fcendants are. It alike exhibits to public view their de generacy and their worth. I own I cannot buaft of the deeds of my forefathers; but I hope I may anfw the cavils of the Patricians by ftanding up in defence of what I have myfelf done.

16. Obferve now, my countrymen, the injuftice of the Patricians. They arrogate to themselves honors on account of the exploits done by their forefathers, whilft they will not allow me the due praise for performing the very fame fort of actions in my own perfon. He has no ftatues, they cry, of his family. He can trace no venerable line of anceftors. What then? Is it matter of more praise to difgrace one's illuftrious ancestors, than to become illuftrious by one's own good behaviour.

17. What if I can fhow no ftatues of my family? I can how the ftandards, the armor, and the trappings, which I have myfelf taken from the vanguifhed, I can fhow the

fears of those wounds, which I have received by facing the The fe are my ftatues. Thefe Not left me by inheritance, as by abitinence, by valor; amidit blood; fcenes of action, where

enemies of my country. are the honors I boaft of. theirs ; but earned by toil, clouds of duit and feas of thofe effeminate Patricians, who endeavor by indirect means to depreciate me in your cfteem, have never dared. to flow their faces.

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DIALOGUES.

Scene between General SAVAGE, and Mifs WALSINGHAM: in which the courtship is carried on in such an ambiguous manner, that the General mistakes her consent to marry his son, Captain SAVAGE, for consent to marry himself.

Miss Wal. GENERAL Savage, your most humble

fervant.

Gen. Sav. My dear Mifs Walfingham, it is rather eruel that you fhould be left at home by yourself, and yet I am greatly rejoiced, to find you at prefent without Company.

Miss Wal. I can't but think myself in the beft compa ny, when I have the honor of your converfation, General' Gen. You flatter me too much, Madam; yet I am come to talk to you on a serious affair; an affair of importance to me and yourself. Have you leifure to favor me with a hort audience, if I beat a parley ?

Miss Wal. Any thing of importance to you, Sir, is always fufficient to command my leifure.

Tis as the Captain fufpected-[aside.

Gen. You tremble my lovely girl, but don't be alarmed for though my hufinefs is of an important nature, I hope it will not be of a difagreeable one.

Miss Wal. And yet I am greatly agitated-[aside. Gen. Soldiers, Miss Wallingham, are faid to be general ly favored by the kind protection of the ladies.

Miss Wal. The ladies are not without gratitude, Sir, to those who devote their lives peculiarly to the fervice of their country.

Gen: Generously faid, Madam, Then give me leave, without any mafked battery, to afk, if the heart of an honeft foldier is a prize worth your acceptance.

Miss Wal. Upon my word, Sir, there is no mafked bat tery in this question,

Gen. I am as fond of a coup-de-main, Madam, in love as in war, and hate the tedious method of fapping a town, where there is a poffibility of entering it fword in hand.

Miss Wal. Why really, Sir, a woman may as well know her own mind when fhe is firft fummoned by the trumpet of her lover, as when the undergoes all the tire fome forinal-" ity of a fiege. You fee I have caught your own mode of converfing, General.

Gen. And a very great compliment I confider it, Madam, But now that you have candidly confeffed an acquaintance with your own mind, anfwer me with that frankness for which every body admires you fo much: Have you any objections to change the name of Walfingham ?

Miss Wal. Why then, frankly, General, I fay, no. Gen. Ten thoufand thanks to you for this kind declaration.

Miss Wal. I hope you won't think it a forward one.

Gen. I'd fooner fee my fen run away in the day of bat tle-I'd fooner think Lord Ruffel was bribed by Lewis XIVth; and fooner villify the memory of Algernon Sid-. ney.

Miss Wal. How unjuft it was, ever to fuppofe the General a tyrannical father-[aside.

Gen. You have told me, condefcendingly, Miss Walling ham, that you have no objection to change your name? I have but one queftion more to ask.

Miss Wal. Pray propofe it, Sir.

Gen. Would the name of Savage be difagreeable to you?" fpeak frankly again, my dear girl.

Miss Wal. Why then again, I frankly fay, no.

Gen. You are too good to me.-Torrington thought I fhould meet with a repulfe.-[aside.

Miss Wal. Have you communicated this bufinefs to the Captain, Sir P

Gen. No, my dear Madam, I did not think that at alf neceffary. I propofe that he fhall be married in a few days.

Miss Wal. What, whether I will or not?

Gen. O, you can have no objection.

Miss Wal. I must be confulted, however, about the

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