every mode of corruption in his dependents; and will not connive at practices in them, in which he would deem it dishonest to be perfonally concerned. Propofing the good of his country as the leading object of his labours; and mindful of the express and folemn terms in which Revelation prohibits her votaries from pursuing the most valuable object by any other means than truth and virtue; he will watch his own proceedings with unremitting jealoufy, left in fome unguarded moment present convenience, personal interest, private affection, or any other finister or reprehenfible motive, fhould lead him unwarily to allow in himself, or in his fubordinates, or to behold with indifference in his co-adjutors, a deviation from the paths of uprightness and fincerity. He will remember that criminal pliability, in addition to the guilt which is contracted by it, involves the ruin of his character. Let him not hope that his fault may reft unknown. The enemies of a Minifter have eagles' eyes to difcern their prey, and eagles' talons to tear it in pieces. He will remember, that in the whole catalogue of vices there is scarcely one more encroaching than political

political corruption. It is a difeafe which makes its advances with fuch unsuspected rapidity, that, almost before it attracts notice, it has feized the vitals. What has been once done, pleads precedent; and a former tranfgreffion often feems to require a second to vindicate it. The only antidote by which a Minifter can fecure himself from the contagion, is the habit, formed betimes and resolutely maintained, of deciding at once on every cafe on the stable ground of rectitude; without expofing the bulwarks of his integrity to the risk of being undermined, while he is holding parley with expediency.

While he fhuns the fhoals and quickfands in which the young Statefman is frequently entangled by an immoderate love of fame; he will steer aloof from a rock no lefs dangerous to old Politicians, a contempt of popular opinion. Knowing himself to be in fome meafure precluded, like a King, from hearing uniformly the voice of truth, he will endeavour to obtain at least one faithful and intelligent friend, who will point out his failings with kind but impartial fincerity; and keep him

on

on his guard against being feduced by the inceffant temptations attendant on office, or the conduct of inconfiderate and prejudiced colleagues. He will carefully weigh the impu tations caft upon him by his political enemies, and avail himself of their malevolence as a remedy, however bitter and acrimonious, against the fascination of self-love, and the delufions produced by an increafing fondness for power. And though he should find, as he probably will find, that his conduct is perpetually misunderstood or misreprefented, and that to clear up misconceptions is almoft as difficult a tafk as to prevent them; yet let him not be feduced by thofe circumftances to be in a single inftance less fcrupulous either in point of diligence or of rectitude, nor carelessly to omit to take proper methods for the purpose of obviating fuch mistaken ideas of his motives and proceedings as are on any account worthy of notice.

2. Affiduous in fortifying every inlet of danger, while he practifes universal courtesy, he will divest himself of that obfequious facility of temper which is incapable of giving a

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denial.

denial. He will labour to arm his mind with inflexible conftancy. While he is guarding against inordinate self-esteem, and want of fympathy for disappointment and distress, the common effects of power long enjoyed; he will be equally on the watch against indulging an extravagant partiality for his relations, friends, and favourites; and will not decorate them with unmerited titles, nor load them with penfions, offices, and reversions. In the difpofal of honours and emoluments, the good of his country will be his ruling motive. That principle he will openly and uniformly avow; and will be anxious to exempt himself by all reasonable precautions from the suspicion of being influenced by the finifter allurements of minifterial or private convenience.

There are few methods by which a Statesman can render more effential service to the community than by a judicious exercise of his patronage. Confiftent fimplicity of conduct in this point, manifestly combined with personal difinterestedness, will not only secure to himself national confidence and esteem, and conciliate to his measures that general favour and approbation, which

in the hands of an upright Minister become the means of accomplishing the nobleft and most beneficial defigns; will not only contribute to excite every fubordinate officer to a diligent and faithful discharge of his duty; but will tend to revive and invigorate public fpirit in every quarter of the kingdom; to call forth an emulation in virtue; to diffufe an ardour of patriotism, which fpreading through every class of the community, every department of the State, every branch of the public fervice, will produce effects truly great and glorious. There are likewise other advantages refulting from a steady adherence to this principle, of which he will himself reap the peculiar and immediate comfort. He will thus preclude his fupporters, as far as it is poffible. to preclude them, from every oftensible plea for taking offence when their requests, improper in themselves, or unfit to be granted under existing circumftances, are refused; and deter them from preferring numberless claims, the rejection of which would have drawn upon him the refentment, and perhaps the active oppofition, of difappointed pride. If his fituation enables him in fome measure to