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To The Editor Of The Freemasons' Magazine.
qualms were on him , used to give the most melancholy and deplorable account of the state of the nation ; the increase of taxes , abuse of the public revenue , the national debt , the decay of trade , and the excess of-luxury , were the continual topics of his discourse : but when the cold fit of this intermitting disorder left him , the scene was quite altered , and then he was eternally haranguing on the power , grandeurand wealthof the British nation . In shortthis barometer
, , , of state always rose or fell , not as the quick , but current silver , contracted or expanded itself within its secret cell . Under the influence of the same powerful charm , I have reniarked a physician in the chamber of a wealthy patient , clear up his countenance and write his recipe with infinite vivacity and good humour ; but in the abode of poverty what a clouded brow , hopeless vibration
of the head , and languor of the nerves ? Like the sensitive plant he shrunk from the cold hand of necessity . Not that the doctor wanted humanity , but when a patient becomes a mere caput mortttum , and the amino , sacculi expires , what sympathizing heart but must be sensible of so dire a change I It is impossible to record a tenth part of the wonderful effects this
latent source of life and spirits has produced on the animal ceconomy . What smiles of complacencyand cringing adulation to my Lord Bloodrich , who no sponer turns his ba ' ck than contempt and derision overtakes him ! What can this be owing to but the secret influence of the divinitv which threw a sort of awe and veneration about him ? What
but this magic power could have transformed Ned Traffic into a gentleman , Justice Allpauncb into a wit , or Squire Jotter into a man of taste ? What but this could have given poignancy to the most insipid jokes , and weig ht to the most superficial arguments of Alderman Ile . cvy-. side ? . It is this that with more than tutelary power protects its votaries from insults and oppressions ; that silences the enraged accuser , and snatches the sword from the very hand of justice . Towns and cities
, like Jericho , without , any miracle have fallen fiat before it ; it has stopped the mouths of cannons , and , more surprising still , of faction and slander . It has thrown a sort of glory about the globose and opaque sculls of quorum justices ; it has imparted a dread and reverence to the ensigns of authority : and strange , and passing strange -to say , it has made
youth and beauty fly into the arms of old age and impotence ; given charms to deformity and detestation ; transformed Hymen into Mammon , and the God of Love into a Satyr . It has buiit . bridges without foundations , libraries without books , hospitals without endowments , and churches without benefices . It has turned conscience into a deist , honour into a pimpcourage into a modern officerarid honest } ' into a
, , stock-jobber . In short , there is nothing wonderful it has not effected , except making us wise , virtuous , and happy . I . could spin this ductile golden thread ad infinitum , but I fear here is already as much ' as the patience of the candid reader will allow . him to wind up .: so , cutting it short , and kissing your hand , ' .. ' . "• 1 am yours , & c . - SARCASTICUS .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor Of The Freemasons' Magazine.
qualms were on him , used to give the most melancholy and deplorable account of the state of the nation ; the increase of taxes , abuse of the public revenue , the national debt , the decay of trade , and the excess of-luxury , were the continual topics of his discourse : but when the cold fit of this intermitting disorder left him , the scene was quite altered , and then he was eternally haranguing on the power , grandeurand wealthof the British nation . In shortthis barometer
, , , of state always rose or fell , not as the quick , but current silver , contracted or expanded itself within its secret cell . Under the influence of the same powerful charm , I have reniarked a physician in the chamber of a wealthy patient , clear up his countenance and write his recipe with infinite vivacity and good humour ; but in the abode of poverty what a clouded brow , hopeless vibration
of the head , and languor of the nerves ? Like the sensitive plant he shrunk from the cold hand of necessity . Not that the doctor wanted humanity , but when a patient becomes a mere caput mortttum , and the amino , sacculi expires , what sympathizing heart but must be sensible of so dire a change I It is impossible to record a tenth part of the wonderful effects this
latent source of life and spirits has produced on the animal ceconomy . What smiles of complacencyand cringing adulation to my Lord Bloodrich , who no sponer turns his ba ' ck than contempt and derision overtakes him ! What can this be owing to but the secret influence of the divinitv which threw a sort of awe and veneration about him ? What
but this magic power could have transformed Ned Traffic into a gentleman , Justice Allpauncb into a wit , or Squire Jotter into a man of taste ? What but this could have given poignancy to the most insipid jokes , and weig ht to the most superficial arguments of Alderman Ile . cvy-. side ? . It is this that with more than tutelary power protects its votaries from insults and oppressions ; that silences the enraged accuser , and snatches the sword from the very hand of justice . Towns and cities
, like Jericho , without , any miracle have fallen fiat before it ; it has stopped the mouths of cannons , and , more surprising still , of faction and slander . It has thrown a sort of glory about the globose and opaque sculls of quorum justices ; it has imparted a dread and reverence to the ensigns of authority : and strange , and passing strange -to say , it has made
youth and beauty fly into the arms of old age and impotence ; given charms to deformity and detestation ; transformed Hymen into Mammon , and the God of Love into a Satyr . It has buiit . bridges without foundations , libraries without books , hospitals without endowments , and churches without benefices . It has turned conscience into a deist , honour into a pimpcourage into a modern officerarid honest } ' into a
, , stock-jobber . In short , there is nothing wonderful it has not effected , except making us wise , virtuous , and happy . I . could spin this ductile golden thread ad infinitum , but I fear here is already as much ' as the patience of the candid reader will allow . him to wind up .: so , cutting it short , and kissing your hand , ' .. ' . "• 1 am yours , & c . - SARCASTICUS .