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these men, who subsist but on the abuses of the government under which they live, flatter themselves that what we have seen these last six years is but the fever of the moment, which will pass away as soon as the patient has been let blood enough.

As well may they attempt to alter the course of nature, without altering her laws. If they would effect a counter revolution in the European mind, they must destroy commerce and its effects; they must abolish every trace of the mariner's compass; they must consign every book to the flames; they must obliterate every vestige of the invention of the press; they must destroy the conduit of intelligence, by destroying the institution of the postoffice. Then, and not till then, they and their abuses may live on, in all the security which ignorance, superstition, and want of concert in the people can bestow.

But while I would overwhelm with despair those men who have been nursed in the lap of venality and prostitution; who have been educated in contempt and ridicule of a love for their country; and who have grown gray in scoffing at every thing like public spirit, let me congratulate every true friend to mankind, that that commerce, which has begotten so much independence, will continue to beget more; and let me congratulate every friend to the human species, that the press, which has sent such a mass of information into the world, will continue, with accelerated rapidity, to pour forth its treasures so beneficial to mankind.

It is to these great causes we are indebted, that the combination of priests and despots, which so long tyrannized over the civil and political liberty of Europe, has been dissolved. It is to these great causes we are indebted, that no priest, be his religion what it may, dares preach the doctrine which inculcates the necessity of sacrificing every right and every blessing this world can afford, as the only mean of obtaining eternal happiness in the life to come.

This was the doctrine by which the despotism of Europe was so long supported; this was the doctrine by which the political popery of Europe was supported; but the doctrine and the despotism may now sleep in the same grave, until the trumpet of ignorance, superstition, and bigotry, shall sound their resurrection.

SCENE FROM THE TRAGEDY OF TAMERLANE.

Enter OMAR and TAMERLANE.

Omar. ITONOR and fame

H

[Bowing. Forever wait the Emperor; may our Prophet

Give him ten thousand thousand days of life,
And every day like this. The captive sultan,
Fierce in his bonds, and at his fate repining,
Attends your sacred will.

Tamerlane. Let him approach.

[Enter BAJAZET and other Turkish Prisoners in chains with a guard.]

When I survey the ruins of this field,

The wild destruction, which thy fierce ambition
Has dealt among mankind; (so many widows
And helpless orphans has thy battle made,

That half our eastern world this day are mourners;)
Well may I, in behalf of heaven and earth,
Demand from thee atonement for this wrong.

Baj. Make thy demand of those that own thy power;

Know I am still beyond it; and though fortune
Has stript me of the train and pomp of greatness,
That outside of a king; yet still my soul,
Fix'd high, and of itself alone dependent,
Is ever free and royal; and even now,
As at the head of battle, does defy thee.

I know what power the chance of war has given,
And dare thee to the use on't. This vile speeching,
This after-game of words, is what most irks me;

Spare that, and for the rest 'tis equal all,
Be it as it may.

Tam. Well was it for the world,

When, on their borders, neighbouring princes met,
Frequent in friendly parle, by cool debates
Preventing wasteful war: such should our meeting
Have been, hadst thou but held in just regard
The sanctity of leagues so often sworn to.

Canst thou believe thy Prophet, or, what's more, That power supreme, which made thee and thy Prophet,

Will, with impunity, let pass that breach

Of sacred faith given to the royal Greek?

Baj. Thou pedant talker! ha! art thou a king Possess'd of sacred power, Heav'n's darling attribute? And dost thou prate of leagues, and oaths and prophets? I hate the Greek, (perdition on his name!) As I do thee, and would have met you both, As death does human nature, for destruction. Tam. Causeless to hate, is not of human kind: The savage brute that haunts in woods remote And desert wilds, tears not the fearful traveller, If hunger, or some injury, provoke not.

Baj. Can a king want a cause, when empire bids Go on! What is he born for, but ambition? It is his hunger, 'tis his call of nature,

The noble appetite which will be satisfy'd,

And, like the food of gods, makes him immortal. Tam. Henceforth I will not wonder we were foes, Since souls that differ so by nature, hate,

And strong antipathy forbids their union.

Baj. The noble fire, that warms me, does indeed Transcend thy coldness. I am pleas'd we differ, Nor think alike.

Tam. No: for I think like man,

Thou like a monster, from whose baleful presence
Nature starts back; and though she fix'd her stamp
On thy rough mass, and mark'd thee for a man,
Now, conscious of her error, she disclaims thee,
As form'd for her destruction.

'Tis true, I am a king, as thou hast been;
Honor and glory too have been my aim;
But though I dare face death, and all the dangers
Which furious war wears in its bloody front,
Yet would I choose to fix my name by peace,
By justice, and by mercy; and to raise
My trophies on the blessings of mankind;
Nor would I buy the empire of the world
With ruin of the people whom I sway,
On forfeit of my honor.

Baj. Phrophet, I thank thee.

Confusion! couldst thou rob me of my glory
To dress up this tame king, this preaching dervise!
Unfit for war, thou shouldst have liv'd secure
In lazy peace, and with debating senates
Shar'd a precarious sceptre; sat tamely still,
And let bold factions canton out thy power
And wrangle for the spoils they robb'd thee of;
Whilst I (O blast the power that stops my ardour)
Would, like a tempest, rush amidst the nations,
Be greatly terrible, and deal, like Alha,

My angry thunder on the frighted world.

Tam. The world! 'twould be too little for thy pride: Thou wouldst scale heav'n.

Baj. I would. Away! my soul Disdains thy conference.

Tam. Thou vain, rash thing,

That, with gigantic insolence, hast dar'd

To lift thy wretched self above the stars,

And mate with power almighty, thou art fall'n!

Baj. 'Tis false! I am not fall'n from aught I have been!

At least my soul resolves to keep her state,
And scorns to make acquaintance with ill fortune.
Tam. Almost beneath my pity art thou fall'n;
Since, while the avenging hand of heav'n is on thee;
And presses to the dust thy swelling soul,
Fool-hardy, with the stronger thou contendest.
To what vast heights had thy tumultuous temper

Been hurried, if success had crown'd thy wishes!
Say, what had I to expect, if thou hadst conquer'd?
Baj. Oh, glorious thought! Ye powers, I will enjoy it,
Though but in fancy; imagination shall

Make room to entertain the vast idea.
Oh! had I been the master but of yesterday,
The world, the world had felt me; and for thee,
I had us'd thee, as thou art to me, a dog,
The object of my scorn and mortal hatred.

I would have cag'd thee for the scorn of slaves.
I would have taught thy neck to know my weight,
And mounted from that footstool to the saddle:
Till thou hadst begg'd to die; and e'en that mercy
I had deny'd thee. Now thou know'st my mind,
And question me no farther.

Tam. Well dost thou teach me

What justice should exact from thee. Mankind,
With one consent cry out for vengeance on thee,
Loudly they call to cut off this league-breaker,
This wild destroyer, from the face of earth.

Baj. Do it, and rid thy shaking soul at once
Of its worst fear.

Tam. Why slept the thunder

That should have arm'd the idol deity,

And given thee power, ere yester sun was set,
To shake the soul of Tamerlane. Hadst thou an arm
To make thee fear'd, thoushoudst have prov'd it on me,
Amidst the sweat and blood of yonder field,
When, through the tumult of the war I sought thee,
Fenc'd in with nations.

Baj. Oh, blast the stars

That fated us to different scenes of slaughter!

Oh! could my sword have met thee!

Tam, Thou hadst then,

As now, been in my power, and held thy life
Dependent on my gift. Yes, Bajazet,

I bid thee live. So much my soul disdains

That thou shouldst think I can fear aught but Heaven. Nay more; couldst thou forget thy brutal fierceness,