and heaven only knows what the workings of this ocean of people may throw up after the tempeft which muft agitate it, is fubfided.

Is it perfifts long in this way, it will exhibit a new phænomenon in political nature, that a nation can hold together without the uniting principles of religion and government (for I cannot call the names of things their realities); most certain it is, that the active powers of these two parts are almost totally annihi

lated.

THINGS appear in this light but to few, I own, and the foreboder of evil is the derifion of moft; yet furely the hour will come, when this divination will be accomplished, and the liberties of England be overwhelm'd and buried by fome irruption, not less fatal than thofe terrible eruptions of Vesuvius, which have buried men, herds, and cities, in one common grave; alien as I am, I cannot avoid weeping over this fickening ftate, and wish that a new land of liberty may rife, Phoenix like, from the ashes of the old. I am,

Your most obedient fervant.
LET

LETTER XLVI

To the Reverend Father DOMINICO MANZONI, at Rome.

Dear Sir,

A

FTER having long lived in this island,

and as I imagine, having made myself fomething acquainted with the manners and capacity of the natives, I fee no reason to repent being born an Italian, and tho' not replete with all the glory of an old, yet not displeased with the lot of being a modern, Roman.

METHINKS, if the producing great men in all kinds of human excellency, be an honor to a country, Italy bids the fairest in the world for that reputation.

THO it must be allow'd, that this isle has produced men of genius in all kinds of literature, and fome equal to what any nation has ever bred, yet there are other parts of genius, in M 3which

which it has been very deficient; the pencil has never fhone in the hand of an excellent painter, nor the chiffel mimick'd life in that of a fculptor, who have been natives of this kingdom; and tho' perhaps amongst the ancient Romans there were none truly excellent in either of those arts, who were born Italians, yet the revival of letters and genius in Tuscany, has given birth to mafters in each way, which have excell'd all the modern world, and rival'd the old.

Music too has received its powers and honors from the Italian genius, and no European nation has been the parent of artists in this study, who have merited any comparison with the musicians of Italy.

In this fcience alfo England has yet produced no great mafter, tho' at prefent the natives are much advanced in the true taste and knowledge of music.

THAT the church has fpread her influence more or lefs over all the world, from the chair which receives our fovereign pontiff, is a truth which will admit of no difpute.

Ор

Of what nation then could a man be born, where so much honor could be drawn from his place of nativity, as from the land of Italy; and tho' the English reproach us with the name of flaves, let them fupport their freedom as long as we did ours, and then we will allow them the merit of preferving that liberty which they affume. I have often reflected on the different conquefts, which have been made by Italians over the face of Europe; we first conquer'd the valour of all mankind by arms, then the understanding by letters; to which, and to our language, all Europe has been fubdued; the foul was fubmitted to religious influence, from the fee of Rome; the music, painting, and sculpture of Italy have obtain'd homage from all the nations of Europe: what is yet more fingular than all the other phænomena, science and letters have twice rifen to their zenith in that land.

WHAT is there in nature in that spot which at different times imparted to man these excellencies, a thing unknown to any other nation upon the globe?

THE very remains of ancient Rome are at delight, which can never take place in this country; for, tho' buildings may tumble into duft in all nations, what land can boast to have produced fuch illuftrious inhabitants, whose charac ters are constantly annex'd to the ruins of Rome? I am fufpicious the British fenate, fo fond of being thought to refemble the Roman, has produced no beings which can in any fenfe compare with thofe of ancient Rome. Where fhall we find a Brutus, Scævola, Fabricius, Regulus, Decii, Scipios, and Ciceros, in the lift of those who have fill'd the English fenatehoufe; will fir Thomas More anfwer to them all?

METHINKS, a nation fettled into arbitrary. power, is preferable to one which is breaking into that state, as a fterile land is preferable to a tempeftuous ocean.

THE moments which pafs in thofe deftructive times, are terrible to the inhabitants of those countries where they happen, I fhall there

fore