N° 82. THE SATURDAY, February 19, 1780. 'HE paper of to-day was received from an unknown hand feveral weeks ago. The publication of it may, perhaps, appear rather unfeasonable, after the laft Gazette. There is ftill, however, much truth in my Correfpondent's obfervations, who, I dare fay, will not regret that Sir George Rodney's fuccefs has somewhat leffened their force. For the MIRROR. Romulus et Liber pater, et cum Caftore Pollux, HOR. EP. MEN, who either poffefs a natural fourness of temper, or who have been unfortunate in the world from accident or imprudence, or perhaps think they have been fo from over-rating their own deferts, are apt to afcribe to human nature a variety of vices and imperfections. They confider thefe as the chief ingredients of the compofition of mankind, and that their virtues and good qualities are only exceptions from 7 from the general rule, like accidental ftrokes of genius, or colouring in the works of a painter, whose performances, on the whole, are coarse and irregular. Nothing can be more groundless and unjust than this accufation. I am convinced that, upon a thorough examination, though we might difcover many vicious and profligate individuals, we should find, in general, that human nature is virtuous and well-difpofed, and little merits the abuse that peevish or unfortunate men are inclined to bestow upon it. One charge, much infifted upon against man-kind, is public ingratitude.. With what justice or truth this is urged, we may judge, by examining the behaviour of men from the earliest period to the present times; and, in doing so, I flatter myself we fhall be able to discover that the reverse is true, and that a strong spirit of gratitude has appeared on all occafions where it was due, though, in different ages and countries, it has been expreffed in a different manner. In Egypt and ancient Greece, the tribute paid by the public voice to the benefactors of mankind, was to confider them as objects of divine worship, and for that purpose to inroll them among the gods. Such was Geres, for the invention of corn; Bacchus, for the discovery of wine; and a variety of others, with whom every fchool-boy is acquainted. If a man of fuperior ftrength and valour happened to repel an invader, destroy a monster, or perform any notable deed of public service, he was revered while living, and, after his death, his memory was refpected, and a fpecies of inferior worship was paid to him, as a hero, or a demi-god. In later times, in the Grecian ftates, the general who fought a fuccessful battle, or destroyed an enemy's fleet, had ftatues erected to him by the public voice, and at the expence of the public. The Romans did not think of honouring their active or fortunate commanders with ftatues; but they had their triumphs and ovations beftowed by the public, and fupported by the voluntary applaufe and attendance of a grateful populace. I should be extremely forry if the moderns yielded in the article of public gratitude either to the Greeks or Romans. I fhall not enter upon the practice or manners of other European nations s; but. I can venture to affert, with fome degree of confidence, that the people of Great Britain poffefs a degree of public gratitude unexampled in any other age or country. In making this affertion, I do not allude to public monuments, hereditary penfions, or thanks of parliament, which, though of a public, and seemingly feemingly of a general nature, may nevertheless proceed from a very limited caufe. I allude to that universal effusion of honeft gratitude which the good people of England frequently beftow on fuccessful commanders, by putting up their pictures as figns for their taverns and alehoufes, and frequenting these more than any other, till the reputation of the original begins to be obfcured by the rifing glory of fome new favourite. I muft, at the fame time, obferve, that great ftatesmen have feldom experienced this mark of public applause. The late Mr. Pitt was, indeed, an exception from the remark; but he was, in fact, a minister of war only, and never meddled with finance. A firft Lord of the Treasury, let him be as wife as Ximenes, and as moderate as Fleury, cannot expect to be revered on the fign-poft of an alehouse; every article of confumpt there has felt the weight of his hand; and whether the company get drunk in wine or punch, or enjoy the cool collations of tea and coffee, ftill the reckoning recalls ideas that lead to execrations on the whole fyftem of finance and taxation, from the department of the first minifter to the walk of the lowest exciseman; and, by an easy tranfition, the diflike of the system and the offices paffes, in fome degree, to the perfons of those who fill them. But But as the fame caufe of unmerited obloquy does not exist with respect to our admirals and generals, they have been often and much the objects of this fpecies of public gratitude. It is needless to go far back. In the year 1739, Admiral Vernon took Porto-bello, with fix fhips. only. The public gratitude to him was boundlefs. He was fung in ballads.-At the ensuing general election in 1741, he was returned from three different corporations; but, above all, his portrait filled every fign-poft; and he may be figuratively faid to have fold the ale, beer, porter, and purl of England for fix years. Towards the clofe of that period, the Admiral's favour began to fade apace with the colours of his uniform; and the battle of Culloden was total annihilation to him. When the news of that victory reached England, a new object prefented itself to the public favour; and the honeft Admiral, in every fign-poft, made way for the more portly figure of the glorious Duke of Cumberland. The Duke kept poffeffion of the fign-pofts a long time. In the beginning of laft war, our Admiral in the Mediterranean, and our Generals in North America, did nothing that could tend, in the leaft degree, to move his Royal Highness from his place; but the doubtful battle of Hamellan, followed by the unfortunate con vention |