points which the legislature could not forefee; for fectaries always ftretch the dogma.

This play is alfo a kind of civil war, wherein almost always the weakest beats the ftrongeft, and wherein boldness is often more neceflary than prudence; fometimes alfo timidity fucceeds and courage fails. The fpectacle is again divided into two branches, playing for little, which makes the fcene diverting, and playing deep, which forms a scene of affliction. In the one, the parties may be a little out of humour, in the other they are ruined. One might be called the comedy of the world, the other the tragedy of chance.

It is fcarce poffible to paint thefe fcenes to the life. I fhall only tell thee, that an infernal fury torments the actors in the tragic part. Some beat themfelves and tear their cloaths, others break and dafh the ftage and scenery in pieces, and devour or commit to the flames thofe very magic figures that torment them, with the moft horrid imprecations. There are other confequences too difmal to mention...

E

VERY nation, among Chriftians, has its manner of preaching what they call the gospel. Some Chriftian preachers make of the pulpit a tragic theatre, from whence the audience are melted into tears of repentance; and others make a comic fpectacle of it for exciting laughter.

In Scotland, the doctrine of the Kirk affumes fometimes a ridiculous, fometimes a gloomy afpect. Anon, you fee the congregation like Milton's death,

Grin horribly a ghaftly fmile!

Anon, you fee their faces clouded with difmal gloom! fel dom a ray of hope, unless they fancy themfelves the elect and predeftinate, can pervade their bofoms, fo that all is commonly mental torpor, black, huge, and dire despair! In England, you would fwear that the preachers and teachers of a fect of people called the Methodists, are as fo many Pythoneffes, fitting on tripods, waiting a divine infpiration to deliver oracles. Like yeaft, they fret and ferment, till the proud demon burfts forth into all the effufions of enthufiafm. There are others in England, called Quakers, not figned with the fign of their God on their foreheads, who, like Sybills, pretend also to inspiration, and utter their oracles, as it were on detached leaves, to be blown about by the wind of the spirit, to reft God knows where. What fhall we fay of the preachers of the established church of that

king

kingdom? It seems as if the fcene of the gospel in it, was calculated for exciting ofcitancy in the congregation. The minifters that preach the gospel do this bufinefs with fo cold an air, that one might fafely aver they had no other defign but to cherish and maintain in due proportions the lukewarm ftate of finners. The morality of the pulpit with them is a mere monotony: the mufic of the fermon is always on the fame key, and this is what dulls and flags all the fenfes, and difpofes them to a lethargic difpofition.

An able phyfician, who had fometimes affifted at the fermons of his parish, perceiving that these sermons, like fome narcotics, made him dull and heavy, took it in his head to prescribe to his patients, who happened to be disordered by a Coma Vigil, or watchfulness, that they would affift at the preaching of the word of God once a week. This remedy was attended with fo falutary an effect, that his patients, after two or three Sundays, enjoyed the fweets of a most profound and compofed fleep.

Since this experiment, it ftands demonftrated, that there is no opium which contains the hundredth part of the foporiferous quality of a Church of England fermon.

The Art of convincing depends on that of perfuading. Conviction is a confequence of persuasion.

All know, and all are fenfible, that the fame words pronounced in a certain manner, produce a certain effect, and uttered in another manner produce one that is quite different. It is the tone of voice that does all. Such a fpeech, exciting gapings, yawnings, and naufeas, because pronounced with a frigid or languid air, would raise agitations and even tranfports, if heated by animated action.

one was to doubt of this truth, he need only give a little attention to what paffes on the theatre, where the actors make no impreffion but proportionately to the fire and active fpirit they animate their respective characters with. Befides reading is not preaching.

The art of fpeaking is fo powerful over the fenfes, that the ancients found themfelves at length obliged to fhut up the tribunals where the fpeeches were wont to be made, to prevent the judges from being biaffed in their fentiments by

the orators.

The orators of the church of England-pulpits give into the contrary excefs, or rather defect. Their evangelical difcourfes have indeed a body, but they have no foul.

It is alledged, that the word of God is of itfelf fufficient to declare its importance, and that has no manner of cccaPol. Reg. Vol. X.

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fion

fion for that impulfion which is neceffary for fetting off other forts of fpeeches. This I grant, and would be of the fame opinion, if it was preached to angels; but it is preached to men, whofe fenfes in order to be rouzed and moved, require always to be put in agitations.

For the POLITICAL

REGISTER.

The Prince taught the Ways of Wifdom. An Eastern Tale.

THE

HE Kaliph Al Thell, of the race of the Gulhephaïdes, had a minister by the name of Pittham, a male favourite by the name of Buttan, and a female favourite by the name of Schottiah. Thefe, with his mother Gallah, governed him upon all occafions. Not that he was warmly affected to the Vizir Pittham; for the falfe infinuations of his favourites caufed his brow-beating him at fundry times for frivolous reafons; but as Pittham was the idol of the people, a man of approved integrity and abilities, he stood in awe of him, and was constrained more through fear than love to revere his counfels. The Kaliph's peculiar character in the main verged to good intentions, but warped by the finifter impreffions of Buttan, it affumed an air of felf-will and obftinacy, yet could give no reason for such stiffness in opinion, for indeed his mind was weak. But as most princes learn more or less the art of diffimulation, he could fometimes address Pittham coming out of the Divan: Thanks are too fmall a recompence to make you a return of. The greatest favour Mohammed can grant fovereigns is a wife friend, that vouchfafes to conduct them through the immenfe labyrinth of state affairs, and to carry continually before them the blazing torch of wisdom. You fhall be always the luminous ftar that fhall guide my steps, and you shall always keep them diftant from the precipices I am often encompaffed by. Divide with me my power, which you make my fubjects to love, and my neighbours to fear. Let the friend of Al Thell be held in equal refpect with himself.

"Adorable Schottiah, faid the Kaliph, whenever he entered his favourite's perfumed Alcove, it is only when I fee you, that I can think I live: then pleasure permeates all my fenfes. The charms of your voice tingle delight in my ears; a glance of your eyes fets my heart on fire; 'tis in your arms that love inebriates me with its delicious tranfports. Sovereign of my foul, be alfo fo of my empire: I would

have

have the leaft defires of your will be facred laws; I would have all your wishes accumulated; I would have all my fubjects prompt to obey your orders, to prevent your wants, and all ready to bend the knee before her whom I adore. How I thank my ever dear Buttan for the ineftimable bleffings he has conferred on me, by bringing me acquainted with fo divine an object!"

Schottiah's principal ftudy was how to flatter the Caliph, and amufe him with occupations quite beneath the dignity of a Prince, whofe views fhould be all noble, grand, and magnificent. By attending to her schemes, or rather those of her adviser, Buttan, his conceptions, fuch as they were, seemed to become daily narrower, and by being converfant in low and little things, contracted fuch a meanness, as brought upon him the odium and ridicule of not a few of his beft friends. A mere niggard in all other refpects, he was all profufion to Schottiah's dependents and adherents; he had lavished on them immenfe treasures; yet, as it is usual with the parafitical tribe, they were ever hungry, ever craving.

The wife Pittham, on his fide, manifefted the most vigorous exertions for making his adminiftration conducive to the happiness of the people and the glory of his mafter. He watchfully attended to the fupport and execution of the laws, to the regulation of impofts, to the progress of population, to the fecurity of commerce. He protected agriculture, made arts to flourish, encouraged literature, caufed religion to be refpected. The admirable order he had eftablished in the ftate put every part of it in motion, so that none of them could obftruct others, or impede their different operations; on the contrary they were productive of mutual fuccours, and lent each other a relative force, whence refulted a power of unfhaken stability. Every spring was binding, every balance exact, every wheel had its proper direction. An equable and easy progreffion made the movement circulate. Every thing worked inceffantly, yet without ftruggles, without interruption, without collifion. The fovereign is often nothing more than the needle that regulates and is confulted; but the minifter is the pivot on which the whole machine rolls.

Pittham would fain fometimes engage the Caliph to attend to princely cares, to purfue occupations worthy of a monarch's application; but all his invitations had little more effect, than to induce him to return with more fondness to partake of the pleasures and amusements Schottiah had prepared for him. Not that these were in themselves expenfive

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from

from an indulgence in luxurious rioting and voluptuoufnefs; but Schottiah had otherwife fo many demands upon him for private gratifications, and to keep up the fpirit of sycophanifm, that each day could fum up fomething immense, which infenfibly abforbed the better part of the revenues. The minifter's economy could fcarce repair what the two favourites, Schottiah and Buttan, lavished by their low and little devices of corruption, to make people connive at machinations calculated for the vijeft purposes.

This fituation, which Pittham had forefeen, but could not prevent, made his heart bleed, and that good minifter fuppreffed the tears fenfibility drew from him, that he might not afflict too much a Prince whom he loved, and whofe heart he knew was capable of better things. He was the only one that was melancholy in the midst of a court, where all feemed joyous amidst the fmiles of lucrative pofts and penfions; and he could not fee, without the most poignant vexation the nation delivered over as it were to plunder. “What ails my dear Pittham, his mafter was fometimes wont to say to him; you feem dejected; do the avocations of your friend give you pain? enjoy them with him, if you choose he fhould have any relaxation from his troubles. I muft indeed be pleased to obferve your constant affiduity in conducting the bufinefs of my government; but fhould not fome bounds be put to labour? The human mind is not capable of unremitting application; I would have you feek fome recreation; I fear your health will be hurt, and you fhould know how dear you are to your mafter, whofe heart is truly grateful. Do you defire any vacant place? Can I create any dignity to please you? Do not your fervices require fome new gratification? Speak, Pittham, difpofe of the power, difpofe of whatever your friend is poffeffed of."

The Vizir fighed and kept filence; the Caliph reiteratedhis inftances. In this moment of effufion Pittham thought he could hazard fome reflections on the Sultan's conduct: "Your Highness has but too much payed the feeble fervices your fubject owed you, but too much have you heaped dig. nities and wealth on him; he has nothing more to defire but your glory, and the happiness of your people." "They are at your difpofal, dear Pittham, anfwered the Caliph, can you feel any difquiet when you procure both ?" Ah! my Lord, faid Pittham, interrupting him, I am fenfible of your confidence; I deferved it by my zeal; but permit me to aík you how a flave can procure the glory of his mafter, and how a father can depend on another for the care of his fa

mily?