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the indies during the hottest period of the war; and gained, by commerce, what fupported them against their ferocious enemy.

he only ordered both to be carried down to the furgeon. The Captain, who was first brought down, told me how dangerously his Billy had been wounded. Prefently after, the brave youth himfelf appeared, with his eyes overflowing with tears, not for himfelf, but for his father. Upon my affurance that his father's wound was not dangerous, he became calm; but refufed to be touched till his father's wound fhould be first dressed. Then pointing to a fellow fufferer, "Pray, Sir, dress "alfo that poor man who is groaning fo fadly befide

me." I told him that the man had already been taken care of; and begged that I now might have liberty to examine his wound. He fubmitted; and calmly faid, "Sir, I fear you must amputate above the joint." I replied, "My dear, I muft." He clafped his hands together; and, lifting up his eyes toward heaven, he offered up the following fhort but earnest petition : "Good God! do thou enable me to behave in my "prefent circumftances worthy of my father." He then told me he was all fubmiffion. Î performed the operation above the joint of the knee; and, during the whole time, the intrepid youth never fpoke a word, nor uttered a groan, that could be heard at the distance of a yard. It is eafier to imagine than to exprefs the feelings of the father at this time; but, whatever he felt, tears were the only expreffion. Both of them were carried to Calcutta. The father was lodged in the houfe of his brother-in-law; and the fon was placed with me in the hofpital. For the firft week I gave

comfort

nemy. What have they gained fince by

peace! Their immenfe commerce has eradicated patriotifin, and every appetite

but

fort to both, carrying good tidings to them of one another. But, alas! all the good fymptoms that had attended the young man began to difappear. The Captain perceived all in my countenance; and, fo unwilling was he to add to my diftrefs, as feldom to fpeak about his fon. One time he faid, "How long, my "friend, do you think my Billy may remain in a state "of uncertainty ?" I replied, that, if he furvived the fifteenth day after the operation, there would be. ftrong hopes of his recovery. On the thirteenth he died; and, on the fixteenth, the Captain, looking me ftedfafly in the face, "Well, Ives, how fares it with my boy" Difcovering the truth from my filence, he cried bitterly, fqueezed my hand, and begged me to leave him for one half-hour. When I returned, he appeared, as he ever after did, perfectly calm and ferene. The excellent youth had been delirious the evening before his death; and, at two o'clock in the morning, he fent me a note written with a pencil, of which the following is a copy. "Mr Ives will confider the difor"der a fon must be in when he is dying, and is yet in "doubt about his father-If Mr Ives is not too busy "to honour this note, which nothing but the greatest "uneafinefs could draw from me- -The boy waits an "anfwer." I immediately repaired to him; and he had ftill fenfe enough to know me. He then faid, "And is he dead ?". "Who, my dear ?". "My father, Sir."- "No, my love; nor is he in any danger; he is almost well."--"I thank God:

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but for wealth. Had their violated rights been restored without a ftruggle, they would have continued a nation of frogs and fishermen. The Swifs, by continual ftruggles for liberty against the potent houfe of Auftria, became a brave and active people, feared and courted by neighbouring princes. Their federal union has fecured to them peace and tranquility; which, notwithstanding their mountainous fituation, would have funk them into effeminacy, but for a commerce they carry on of hiring out their men for foldiers. Monks are commonly pufillanimous their way of life, which removes them from danger, enervates the mind, and renders them fpiritlefs and cowardly.

Industry, manufactures, and wealth, are the fruits of peace; but advert to what follows. Luxury, a never-failing conco

"I am now fatisfied, and am ready to die." He had a locked jaw, and was in great pain, but I understood every word he uttered. He begged my pardon for having disturbed me at fo early an hour; and, before the day was ended, he furrendered a life that deferved to be immortal. -So far my author; and I only add, Does peace afford any fcene that can compare with this in moving our fympathetic feelings?

mitant

mitant of wealth, is a flow poifon, that debilitates men, and renders them incapable of any great effort: courage, magnanimity, heroifm, come to be ranked among the miracles that are fuppofed never to have existed but in fable; and the fashionable properties of fenfuality, avarice, cunning, and diffimulation, engrofs the mind. In a word, man, by constant prosperity and peace, degenerates into a mean, impotent, and selfish animal. An American savage, who treasures up the scalps of his enemies as trophies of his prowefs, is a being far fuperior. Such are the fruits of perpetual peace with respect to individuals.

Nor is the state itself lefs debilitated by it than its members, Figure a man wallowing in riches, and immerfed in fenfual pleasure, but dreading the infection of a plague raging at his gate; or figure him in continual dread of an enemy, watching every opportunity to burn and destroy. This man reprefents a commercial ftate, that has long enjoyed peace without difturbance. A ftate that is a tempting object to an invader, without means of de

fence,

fence, is in a woful fituation. The republic of Venice was once famous for the wisdom of its constitution, and for being the Christian bulwark against the Turks ; but, by long peace, it has become altogether effeminate. Its principles of government are conformable to its character: every caufe of quarrel with a neighbour is anxiously avoided; and the disturbances at home prevented by watchful fpies. Holland, fince the days of King William, has not produced a man fit to command a regiment and the Dutch hath nothing to rely on for independence but mutual jealousy among their neighbours. Hannibal appeared upon the ftage too early: had the Romans, after their conqueft of Italy, been fuffered to exchange their martial fpirit for luxury and voluptuoufnefs, they would have been no match for that great general. It was equally lucky for the Romans that they came late upon Macedon. Had Alexander finifhed his conqueft of Greece, and the Romans theirs of Italy, at the fame period, they would probably have been confined, each of them, within their own limits. But Afi

atic

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