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nours, and reputation. He will also take into the account the temptations by which he must expect to be affailed; and the ftrength which they may derive from the peculiarities of his own circumftances, temper, and difpofitions. And above all things he will fcrupulously try himself in the balance of integrity, that he may discern whether he poffeffes that upright fimplicity and ftedfaft firmness of mind, which may enable him to refift the allurements of perfonal emolument; to keep himself difentangled from the fnares of party; and to refuse improper applications prefuming on private friendship and affection, and aided by the importunity of his colleagues in power. He will also attend to the moral effects which his elevation may appear likely to produce on his family. He will not accept an office to the exclufion of any other person, by whose appointment he believes that the public interest would be more effentially promoted than by his own. Not that he would neceffarily be criminal in undertaking the employment, even though he should know that another man more capable of discharging its duties would probably be advanced to it, were it not pre-occupied.

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He would unquestionably be bound in confcience to point him out. But Ministers are frequently obliged to divide the several offices of Government among themselves, according to the principle on which the Manager of a Theatre cafts the parts in a Drama. At any rate a character is not to be configned to an actor who is not able to fupport it; yet it is not always to be committed to the person who is moft qualified for the task. His fervices in that part may poffibly be well fupplied by an inferior performer; but they may be indifpenfably requifite in another, where no fubftitute can be found.

A good man, though fatisfied of his own competence faithfully to discharge the duties of the poft which is offered to him, will not refolve to accept it, until he has maturely weighed the character and political views both of the Sovereign whom he is to serve, and of the public men with whom he shall have to co-operate. By the acceffion of his ftrength, be it lefs or more, a bad Administration may have the term of its continuance prolonged; or a good one may be established to the exclufion

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of a better. And in either cafe the Public receive an injury from his concurrence, for which the most zealous exertion of his perfonal fervices may never be able to compenfate.

He will remember, that no quality raises a perfon fo high in the opinion of the country ás difinterestedness. He will not ignominiously put himself up to fale, ftickling for fordid and unwarrantable ftipulations; nor render his character despicable in the eyes of honeft men, by marking his entrance into office with the acquifition of fome unmerited personal decoration or advancement in rank for himself, or of some lucrative and equally unmerited reverfion for his fon. The acceptance of an office under circumftances of ambiguity, or fufpicion, not only degrades the particular individual, and by tarnishing his credit permanently impairs his power of doing good; but tends to extinguish patriotifm, by diffufing an universal distrust of minifterial integrity. He will therefore impartially confider, whether, by stepping into the poft in the existing state of affairs, he may not lavish away to littlepurpose his stock of public eftimation, for the prudent

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prudent expenditure of which no less than of every other talent he is ftrictly refponfible. He is to regard it as a raw material, too precious to be worked up in articles of a flight and perishable nature. It is to form the basis

of every texture with which he is hereafter to cherish and decorate his country. But if, on the other hand, the prefent emergence should be fuch as to require him to expend it liberally, he will not shrink from incurring the unpopularity of accepting an official station; and will rejoice in offering up the facrifice of prefent reputation at the shrine of public hap piness.

A good man, as he will abstain from practifing undue arts towards the King, towards potent Individuals, and towards Parliament, and never will resort to humiliating folicitations for the purpose of paving his way to an official employment; fo will he be extremely 'cautious, on accepting it, of entering into any engagements either with refpect to his general conduct, or to his permanent co-operation with particular perfons. It is impoffible for him to anticipate the circumstances in which he may

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afterwards find himfelf involved in confequence of his own minifterial station, or of the viciffitude of events at home and abroad. He cannot foresee the changes which may take place in his present views of measures and of men. He cannot fufficiently guard against the diftreffing dilemma of being obliged to abandon his post at a time perhaps when his country loudly calls for his fervices; or of sustaining the pointed reproaches and the undifguifed contempt of his colleagues. There is not perhaps any circumstance which contributes more effectually to degrade a Statesman in the eyes of the community at large, and to difqualify him from obtaining the confidence effential to the fuccefs of all his fubfequent exertions, than an opinion, though ill founded, of his infincerity. The tendency however of these remarks is merely to warn him against contracting precipitate engagements, not to discourage a manly avowal of his principles. It is on many accounts of the highest moment that, previously to his undertaking the office proposed to him, the Nation which he is to ferve, and the coadjutors with whom he is to act, fhould be apprised of his political tenets. It is altogether neceffary

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