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Show [67] By the favour 'of my fellow-citizens, I am the public fpirited men ofthe age you live in. Such reprefentative ofan honeft, well-"Ordered, virtLi-j a focrety cannot be kept without advantage, or my power, act f0 as to' make myfelf worthy of f0 honourable a choice. If I were ready, on any call of my own vanity or intereft, or to anfwer any election purpofe, to forfake printin; ples, (whatever they are) which I had formed at a mature age, on full reflexion, and which have been confirmed by long experience, I {hould forfeit the only thing which makes you pardon to many errors and imperfections in me. Not that I think it fit for any one to rely too much on his own underftanding ; or to be filled with a prefumption, not becoming a; Chrifiian man, in his own perfonal Ptability and teé'titude. I hope I am far from that vain cone lidence, which almof'c always fails in trial. I know my Weaknefs in all refpeéts, as much at leal't as any enemy I have; and I attempt to take fecurity againft it. The only method which has ever been found effectual to preferve any man againfi the corruptidn of nature and example, is an habit of life and communica: tion of councils with the mofi virtuous and: public In the way which they call party, I woifhin the conl'titution of your fathers; and I {hall never hlufh for my political company. All reverence to honour, all idea of what it is, will be loll: out of the world, before it can be imputed as a fault to any man, that he has been clolelv connected with thofe incomparable perl‘onsv, livmg and dead, with whom for eleven vears l have conl‘tantly thought and acted. It'll have wandered out of the paths of refiitude, into thple of interef'ced faftion, it was in companv With the Saviles, the Dowdefwells, the \Ventworths, the Bentincks ; with the Lenoxcs, the Manchefiers, the Keppels, the Saunders's; with the temperate, permanent, hereditary virtue of the whole houfe of Cavendilh ; names, amour? which, lbme have extended vour fame and3 empire in arms, and all have thught the battle of your liberties in fields not lefs glorious-- Thefe, and many more like thellj, graftinar public principles on private honour, have re? deemed the. preterit age, and would have adorn~ ed the mof't lplendid period in your hiftory. \Vhere could a man, celilciotis 0tz his inability to aft alone, and willing to aft as he oueht to do, have arranged. himlelf better? it anov one thinks this kind of fociety to be taken 'up as F the ‘ A__ among you feveral men and magifirates of large and cultivated underflandings, fit for any em; ployment in any fphere. I do, to the heft ‘of n the Original Englifh fimpliéity, and purity of manners, than perhaps any other. You pofi'efs deferred without fhame. For this rule ol‘condué't I may be Called in reproach ape/"Iv mm; but I am little aft‘eé‘ted with fuch aiberfions. "fined": r:yrzmmw-w-w-vv--rm‘x«~-v- -v4 w.-- ...__. "MN" "Kn." ous City; ofa peeple, who preferve more of |