me fancy you imagine not we be so considerable body as we be; and may be you will be surprise more, when you hear de Gypsy be as orderly and 'well govern people as any upon face of de earth.

Me have honour, as me say, to be deir king, and no monarch can do boast of more dutiful sub'ject, ne no more affectionate. How far me deserve deir good-will, me no say; but dis me can say, dat me never design any ting but to do dem good. Me sall no do boast of dat neider: for what can me do oderwise dan consider of de good of dose poor people who go about all day to give me always the best of what dey get. Dey love and honour me darefore, because me do love and take care of dem; dat is all, me know no oder reason.

About a tousand or two tousand year ago, me cannot tell to a year or two, as can neider write nor read, dere was a great what you call,--a volution among de Gypsy; for dere was de lord Gypsy in dose days; and dese lord did quarrel vid one 'anoder about de place; but de king of de Gypsy 'did demolish dem all, and made all his subject equal vid each oder; and since that time dey have agree very well: for dey no tink of being king, ' and may be it be better for dem as dey be; for me assure you it be ver troublesome ting to be king, and always to do justice; me have often wish to 'be de private Gypsy when me have been forced to punish my dear friend and relation; for dough we never put to death, our punishments be ver severe. Dey make de Gypsy ashamed of demselves, and dat be ver terrible punishment; me have scarce ever known de Gypsy so punish do 'harm any more.'

6

The king then proceeded to express some wonder that there was no such punishment as shame in other governments. Upon which Jones assured him to the contrary; for that there were many crimes for which shame was inflicted by the English laws, and that it was indeed one consequence

of all punishment. 'Dat be ver strange,' said the king for me know and hears good deal of your 'people, dough me no live among dem; and me. 'have often hear dat sham is de consequence and 'de cause too of many of your rewards. Are your ' rewards and punishments den de same ting?'

While his majesty was thus discoursing with Jones, a sudden uproar arose in the barn, and as it seems upon this occasion: the courtesy of these people had by degrees removed all the apprchensions of Partridge, and he was prevailed upon not only to stuff himself with their food, but to taste some of their liquors, which by degrees entirely expelled all fear from his composition, and in its stead introduced much more agreeable sensations.

A young female Gypsy, more remarkable for her wit than her beauty, had decoyed the honest fellow aside, pretending to tell his fortune. Now, when they were alone together in a remote part of the barn, whether it proceeded from the strong liquor, which is never so apt to inflame inordinate desire as after moderate fatigue; or whether the fair Gypsy herself threw aside the delicacy and decency of her sex, and tempted the youth Partridge with express solicitations; but they were discovered in a very improper manner by the husband of the Gypsy, who, from jealousy, it seems, had kept a watchful eye over his wife, and had dogged her to the place, where he found her in the arms of her gallant.

To the great confusión of Jones, Partridge was now hurried before the king; who heard the accusation, and likewise the culprit's defence, which was indeed very trifling: for the poor fellow was confounded by the plain evidence which appeared against him, and had very little to say for himself. His majesty then turning towards Jones, said, Sir, you have hear what dey say; what punishment do you tink your man deserve?'

Jones answered, He was sorry for what had

happened, and that Partridge should make the husband all the amends in his power: he said, he had very little money about him at that time;' and putting his hand into his pocket, offered the fellow aguinea. To which he immediately answered, 'He hoped his Honour would not think of giving 'him less than five.'

This sum, after some altercation, was reduced to two; and Jones having stipulated for the full forgiveness of both Partridge and the wife, was going to pay the money; when his majesty restraining his hand, turned to the witness and asked him, At 'what time he had discovered the criminals?' To which he answered, 'That he had been desired by 'the husband to watch the motions of his wife from 'her first speaking to the stranger, and that he had 'never lost sight of her afterwards till the crime 'had been committed.' The king then asked, 'if the husband was with him all that time in his 'lurking place?' To which he answered in the affirmative. His Egyptian majesty then addressed himself to the husband as follows: Me be sorry to see any Gypsy dat have no more honour dan 'to sell de honour of his wife for money. If you 'had de love for your wife, you would have pre'vented dis matter, and not endeavour to make her de whore dat you might discover her. Me do 'order dat you have no money given you, for you 'deserve punishment, not reward; me do order derefore, dat you be de infamous Gypsy, and do 'wear a pair of horns upon your forehead for one month, and dat your wife be called de whore, and pointed at all dat time; for you be de infamous Gypsy, but she be no less de infamous 'whore.'

The Gypsies immediately proceeded to execute the sentence, and left Jones and Partridge alone with his majesty.

Jones greatly applauded the justice of the sentence: upon which the king turning to him said,

'Me believe you be surprise: for me suppose you have ver bad opinion of my people; me suppose you tink us all de tieves.'

• I must confess, Sir,' said Jones,

I have not 'heard so favourable an account of them as they

seen to deserve.'

'Me vil tell you,' said the king, how the dif'ference is between you and us. My people rob your people, and your people rob one anoder.' Jones afterwards proceeded very gravely to sing forth the happiness of those subjects who live under such a magistrate.

Indeed their happiness appears to have been so complete, that we are aware lest some advocate for arbitrary power should hereafter quote the case of those people, as an instance of the great advantages which attend that government above all others.

And here we will make a concession, which would not perhaps have been expected from us, that no limited form of government is capable of rising to the same degree of perfection, or of producing the same benefits to society with this. Mankind have never been so happy, as when the greatest part of the then known world was under the dominion of a single master; and this state of their felicity continued during the reigns of five successive princes. This was the true æra of the golden age, and the only golden age which ever had any existence, unless in the warm imaginations of the poets, from the expulsion from Eden down to this day.

In reality, I know but of one solid objection to absolute monarchy. The only defect in which excellent constitution seems to be, the difficulty of finding any man adequate to the office of an absolute monarch: for this indispensably requires three qualities very difficult, as it appears from history, to be found in princely natures: first, a sufficient quantity of moderation in the prince, to be con

Nerva Trajan, Adrian, and the two Antonini.

tented with all the power which is possible for him to have. 2dly, Enough of wisdom to know his own happiness. And, 3dly, Goodness sufficient to support the happiness of others, when not only compatible with, but instrumental to his own.

Now if an absolute monarch, with all these great and rare qualifications, should be allowed capable of conferring the greatest good on society; it must be surely granted, on the contrary, that absolute power, vested in the hands of one who is deficient in them all, is likely to be attended with no less a degree of evil.

In short, our own religion furnishes us with adequate ideas of the blessing, as well as curse, which may attend absolute power. The pictures of heaven and of hell will place a very lively image of both before our eyes; for though the prince of the latter can have no power, but what he originally derives from the omnipotent Sovereign in the former; yet it plainly appears from scripture, that absolute power in his infernal dominions is granted to their diabolical ruler. This is indeed the only absolute power which can by scripture be derived from heaven. If therefore the several tyrannies upon earth can prove any title to a divine authority, it must be derived from this original grant to the prince of darkness, and these subordinate deputations must consequently come immediately froin him whose stamp they so expressly hear.

To conclude, as the examples of all ages shew us that mankind in general desire power only to do harm, and when they obtain it, use it for no other purpose; it is not consonant with even the least degree of prudence to hazard an alteration, where our hopes are poorly kept in countenance by only two or three exceptions out of a thousand instances to alarm our fears. In this case it will be much wiser to submit to a few inconveniences arising from the dispassionate deafness of laws, than to