equal fuccefs, from lefs infirmities; the rivalship of beauty, the defire of admiration, the jealoufy of love, and the fallies of anger.

Her fingular talents for government were founded equally on her temper and on her capacity. Endowed with a great command over herself, she foon obtained an uncontrolled afcendant over the people. Few fove

reigns of England fucceeded to the throne in more difficult circumftances; and none ever conducted the government with fuch uniform fuccefs and felicity.Though unacquainted with the practice of toleration, the true fecret for managing religious factions, fhe preferved her people by her fuperior prudence, from those confufions in which theological controverfy had involved all the neighbouring nations; and though her enemies were the moft powerful princes of Europe, the most active, the moft enterprifing, the leaft fcrupulous, she was able, by her vigour, to make deep imprefsions on their state; her own greatnefs meanwhile remaining untouched and unimpaired.

The wife minifters and brave men who flourished during her reign, share the praife of her fuccefs; but, instead of lefsening the applaufe due to her, they make great addition to it. They owed, all of them, their advancement to her choice; they were fupported by her conftancy; and, with all their ability, they were never able to acquire an undue afcendant over her. In her family, in her court, in her kingdom, the remained equally miftrefs. The force of the tender passions was great over her, but the force of her mind was ftill fuperior and the combat which her victory vifibly cost her, ferves only to difplay the firmnefs of her refolution, and the loftinefs of her ambitious fentiments.

The fame of this princefs, though it has furmounted the prejudices both of faction and of bigotry, yet lies Alill exposed to another prejudice, which is more durable, because more natural; and which, according to the different views in which we furvey her, is capable either of exalting beyond measure, or diminishing, the luftre of her character. This prejudice is

When we

founded on the confideration of her fex. contemplate her as a woman, we are apt to be ftruck with the highest admiration of her qualities and extenfive capacity; but we are alfo apt to require fome more foftnefs of difpofition, fome greater lenity of tem-per, fome of those amiable weaknesses by which her fex is diftinguished. But the true method of estimating her merit, is, to lay afide all these confiderations, and to confider her merely as a rational being, placed in authority, and intrufted with the government of mankind.

HUME

SECTION XII:

On the Slavery of Vice.

THE flavery produced by vice appears in the dependence under which it brings the finner, to circum-ftances of external fortune. One of the favourite characters of liberty, is the independence it beftows.. He who is truly a freeman is above all fervile compliances, and abject fubjection. He is able to reft upon himself; and while he regards his fuperiors with proper deference, neither debases himself by cringing to them, nor: is tempted to purchase their favour by difhonourable means. But the finner has forfeited every privilege of

this nature. His pafsions and habits render him an abfolute dependent on the world, and the world's favour; on the uncertain goods of fortune, and the fickle humours of men. For it is by these he subfifts, and among thefe his happiness is fought; according as his pafsions determine him to pursue pleasures, riches, or preferments. Having no fund within himself whence to draw enjoyment, his only refource is in things without. His hopes and fears all hang upon the world. He partakes in all its vicifsitudes; and is moved and fhaken by every wind of fortune. This is to be in the ftrictest fense a flave to the world.

Religion and virtue, on the other hand, confer on the mind principles of noble independence. "The upright man is fatisfied from himself." He defpifes not the advantages of fortune, but he centres not his happiness in them. With a moderate share of them he can be contented; and contentment is felicity. Happy in his own integrity, confcious of the efteem of good men, repofing firm trust in the providence, and the promises of God, he is exempted from fervile dependence on other things. He can wrap himself up in a good confcience, and look forward, without terror, to the change of the world. Let all things fhift around him as they please, he believes that, by the Divine ordination, they fhall be made to work together in the ifsue for his good: And therefore, having much to hope from God, and little to fear from the world, he can be easy in every state. One who possesses within himself fuch an establishment of mind, is truly free. But shall I call that man free, who has nothing that is his own, no property assured; whofe very heart is not his own, but rendered the appendage of external things, and

the fport of fortune? Is that man free, let his outward condition be ever fo fplendid, whom his imperious pafsions detain at their call, whom they fend forth at their pleasure, to drudge and toil, and to beg his only enjoyment from the cafualties of the world? Is he free, who must flatter and lie to compafs his ends; who must bear with this man's caprice, and that man's fcorn; muft profefs friendship where he hates, and respect where he contemns; who is not at liberty to appear in his own colours, nor to speak his own fentiments; who dares not be honest, left he should be poor? Believe it, no chains bind fo hard, no fetters are fo heavy, as those which fasten the corrupted heart to this treacherous world; no dependence is more contemptible than that under which the voluptuous, the covetous, or the ambitious man, lies to the means of pleasure, gain, or power. Yet this is the boafted liberty, which vice promifes, as the recompense of setting us free from the falutary reftraints of virtue.

BLAIR

SECTION XIII.

The Man of Integrity.

Ir will not take much time to delineate the charac ter of the man of integrity, as by its nature it is a plain one, and easily understood. He is one, who makes it his conftant rule to follow the road of duty, according as the word of God, and the voice of his confcience, point it out to him. He is not guided merely by affections, which may fometimes give the

colour of virtue to a loose and unftable character.
The upright man is guided by a fixed principle of
mind, which determines him to efteem nothing but
what is honourable; and to abhor whatever is base
and unworthy, in moral conduct. Hence we find him
ever the fame; at all times, the trufty friend, the af-
fectionate relation, the confcientious man of business,
the pious worshipper, the public fpirited citizen. He
afsumes no borrowed appearance. He feeks no mask
to cover him; for he acts no ftudied part; but he is
indeed what he appears to be, full of truth, candour,
and humanity. In all his purfuits, he knows no path
but the fair and direct one; and would much rather fail
of fuccefs, than attain it by reproachful means. He
never fhows us a fmiling countenance, while he medi-
tates evil against us in his heart. He never praises us
among our friends; and then joins in traducing us
among our enemies. We fhall never find one part of
his character at variance with another.
In his man-
ners, he is fimple and unaffected; in all his proceed-
ings, open and confiftent.

BLAIR.

SECTION XIV.

On Gentleness.

I begin with distinguishing true gentlenefs from pafsive tameness of fpirit, and from unlimited compliance with the manners of others. That passive tameness, which fubmits, without oppofition, to every encroachment of the violent and afsuming, forms no part of Chriftian duty; but, on the contrary, is deAtructive of general happiness and order. That unli