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the choice of his companions and pleasures, he soon exchanged the sober principles which had been carefully instilled into him, for others more flattering and fashionable. When he made the above open and frank acknowledgement of his opinions the other evening, he was just come from a friend's house, where he had dined, and done honour to the excellent quality of the wines, by carrying off with him a very decent quantity. Inspired and elevated with the entertainments of the table from which he had lately risen, Will was ambitious, in the absence of those whose years and authority would have been a restraint, of fhowing his superiority to vulgar weaknesses and prejudices. Whether he expected that such a bold discovery would recommend him more strongly to the favour of the ladies, I will not determine.

As I found myself altogether unqualified for joining in that sort of polite conversation, which the gentleman had introduced, and seemed desirous of continuing, with the help of his younger brother, who has imbibed the same generous and enlarged sentiments, I instantly withdrew, leaving Will and his cousins to manage the matter between them. For my own part, I am still resolved to persist in that primitive practice of observing the Sab bath day, which can do me no manner of harm, till my understanding fhall be so far enlightened, as to perceive, with Will, that the Christian religion is all & tale. If it be a tale, as Will says, and he no doubt has his reasons, sure it is a good one.

Nov. 13. 1792.

TIMOTHY SOBER..

LUCUBRATIONS OF TIMOTHY HAIRBRAIN.. To the Editor of the Bee.

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Ir is a trite exprefsion, Mr Editor, and just one, that a looker-on often sees more of the game than the player. This gives me an advantage in my garret, that others who are more keenly engaged in the bustle of the world do not enjoy. What a blessing it would be to France if there were a sufficient number of garreteers, such as myself, to become impartial spectators of what is going forward there! provided that, like me, they too could publish their observations to the world, whenever the spirit moved them so to do. But alas! I fear it is in this land, alone, that this kind of freedom can be enjoyed. And long may we enjoy it! for the liberty of the prefs is the palladium of this island. When that fhall be lost, all will be gone. But I hope never to see the day when that shall happen; for it would be the most dismal day that ever Britain experien

ced.

As I was taking my solitary stroll along the street, as has been my custom for thirty years past, to spy what I could spy, I happened to walk along the North Bridge behind two gentlemen, who, by their accent, seemed to be foreigners, though they spoke our language 'very well; and as they were speaking louder than the usual pitch, I was natural

ly induced to attend to their conversation. One of them told the other that his wife had been afsaulted last night upon the street when going home, in company with himself, by some young fellows, who impudently came up to her, and desired to have a kiss; observing that this city must be under very bad police, indeed, when such atrocious proceedings could be tolerated. The other, with great warmth, inveighed against such fhameful inattention in the magistrates; and observed, that there would have been no harm in poignarding fellows who could be. guilty of such atrocities. I fhrugged up my fhoulders, and quietly walked off, saying in my mind, "It is good to be good, but not to be too good." I hate these poignards most abominably and I am not over fond of that kind of rigid police, that would put a man's life in danger for an innocent piece of youthful levity. I am now, Mr Editor, an oldifh fellow, and not apt to fall into extravagancies of conduct myself; but I remember that I was once young, and used to like a little bit of an innocent frolic dearly.

"Let us not be righteous overmuch." I do not forget the case of Sirvan, so ably stated by Voltaire. The spirit of freedom cannot exist where people dare not indulge the smallest grain of eccentric extravagance. Let us so moderate these youthful sallies, as to prevent mischief; but under the pretext of strict police let us take care not to crush the spirit of freedom.

In pursuing my peregrinations a little farther, I stepped into a bookseller's fhop, where two other

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gentlemen were conversing with an equal degree of keennefs. From the tenor of their conversation, I could soon perceive that they both had been in India, and were of that cast of men who may be called violent defenders of the constitution, and who think themselves at liberty to speak out at present on that subject with great freedom. They railed with prodigious volubility against all the friends of the people, as these gentlemen tauntingly named a set of men, who, about a month ago, carried their heads on high, but who are at present much chop-fallen, and peaceably inclined. Thinks I to myself, this verifies the old proverb, as my friend Sancho Pancha would have said, "Every dog must have his day;" and" He that runs fast cannot run long ;" and "He must needs ride fast whom the devil drives." These "friends of the people," when they thoughtthey were likely to have power, drove on at a furious rate, and thought every thing was going swimmingly on with them; but mark how soon this mad career has been stopped. Well it is that the bulk of the people of this country have so much sense as to check such fools in their wild course. But is it not, thought I to myself, though I uttered not one syllable, is it not wonderful, that mankind fhould be so foolish, as so often to step at once from one extreme to another, without being sensible they are just running their heads, full tilt, against the same post that overthrew their opponents. "The excess of every virtue, (says my motto,) is a vice." To defend the constitution is a virtue; but if, in trying to defend that constitution, we give too much

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power to any one part of it, we doubtlefs overturn the balance which constitutes its chief excellence. These two constitutional men, as they called themselves, in the abundance of their zeal, breathed nothing but fire, fury, and faggots, against every writer who dared but to hint the smallest whisper about abuses in administration; but those in particular who had mentioned peculations in India, or hurtful monopolies, or the evils that resulted from extended conquests, and undue influence obtained by that means, were treated without mercy. A pamphlet which was lately published in Edinburgh, many partsof which I remember had first appeared in your Bee, which, with more force than politenefs, had pointed out various abuses of these kinds, drew down their severest censures. "Have you that cursed pamphlet?" said one of them. "What pamphlet, Sir said the bookseller. "The thing written by [here my correspondent mentioned a name much and justly respected in this country, which I supprefs,] said he." 'O! (says the bookseller,) I suppose it is the Political Progrefs of Britain, you mean? "Yes, the very same." Here it is, Sir, at your service." What is the price?" One fhilling, Sir." 06 Curse upon the villain! He says there is nothing but peculation and robbery in India, (addrefsing himself to his brother nabob.)I will pay the fhilling, that I may have the pleasure of burning it!"I smiled mentally again, and betook me to my travels once more, with the old proverb still uppermost in my mind, "It is good to be good, but not to be too good." And, like

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