but conclude the Bulk of your Natives to be the most pernicious Race of little odious Vermin that Nature ever suffered to crawl upon the Surface of the Earth. J 1 СНАРА The Author's Love of his Country. He makes a Propofal of much Advantage to the King, which is rejected. The King's great Ignorance in Politicks. The Learning of that Country very imperfect and confined. Their Laws, and military Affairs, and Parties in the State. my OTHING but an extreme Love of Truth could have hinder'd me from concealing this Part of Story. It was in vain to difcover my Refentments, which were always turned into Ridicule; and I was forced to reft with Patience while my noble and most beloved Country was fo injuriously treated. I am heartily forry as any of my Readers can poffibly be, that such an Occafion was given: But this Prince happen happened to be fo curious and inquifitive upon every Particular, that it could not confist either with Gratitude or good Manners to refufe giving him what Satisfaction I was able. Yet thus much I may be allowed to fay in my own Vindication, that I artfully eluded many of his Questions, and gave to every Point a more favourable Turn by many Degrees than the Strictnefs of Truth would allow. For I have always borne that laudable Fartiality to my own Country, which Dionyfius Halicarnaffenfis with fo much Juftice recommends to an Hiftorian: I would hide the Frailties and Deformities of my Political Mother, and place her Virtues and Beauties in the most advantageous Light. This was my fincere Endeavour in those many Discourfes I had with that Monarch, although it unfortunately failed of Succefs, BUT great Allowances fhould be given to a King who lives wholly fecluded from the rest of the World, and must there. pre therefore be altogether unacquainted with the Manners and Customs that most vail in other Nations: The want of which Knowledge will ever produce many Prejudices, and a certain Narrowness of Thinking, from which we and the politer Countries of Europe are wholly exempted. And it would be hard, in-deed, if fo remote a Prince's Notions of Virtue and Vice were to be offered as a Standard for all Mankind. To confirm what I have now faid, and further, to fhew the miferable Effects of a confined Education, I fhall here infert a Paffage which will hardly obtain Belief. In hopes to ingratiate my self farther into his Majefty's Favour, I told him of an Invention discovered between three and four hundred Years ago, to make a certain Powder, into an Heap of which the smallest Spark of Fire falling, would kindle the whole in a Moment, although it were as big as a Mountain, and make it all fly up in the Air together, 1 together, with a Noise and Agitation greater than Thunder. That a proper Quantity of this Powder rammed into an hollow Tube of Brafs or Iron, according to its Bigness, would drive a Ball of Iron or Lead with fuch Violence and Speed, as nothing was able to fuftain its Force. That the largest Balls thus difcharged, would not only deftroy whole Ranks of an Army at once, but batter the ftrongest Walls to the Ground, fink down Ships, with a Thousand Men in each, to the Bottom of the Sea; and, when linked together by a Chain, would cut through Mafts and Rigging, divide hundreds of Bodies in the Middle, and lay all wafte before them. That we often put this Powder into large hollow Balls of Iron, and discharged them by an Engine into fome City we were befieging, which would rip up the Pavements, tear the Houses to pieces, burft and throw Splinters on every Side, dafhing out the Brains of all who came near. That I knew the Ingredients very well, which were |