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leaft; the Father drops off, and then the poor Youth is glad to find Employment as a Drawer in a Tavern, or perhaps to wear a Livery, and it is well if no worfe happens. As for the Daughter, The learns to dance, and play on Mufical Inftruments; and becaufe fhe is a Gentlewoman, fhe fcorns to do the Office of a Country Housewife at home, or to go to Market along with the Wives and Daughters of the neighbouring Farmers. Her Education is like that which the unhappy Gentry of Georgia are faid to give their Daughters, to fit them for the Seraglios of the Turkish and Perfian Grandees, and the Event is often worfe, if poffble. The best Prospect after fuch an Education, is an honeft Servitude.

Which of the Bishops (if he has not made himfelf remarkable for Morofenefs) is not daily pefter'd with Ecclefiaftical Beggars, the pretended or real Widows and Orphans of indigent Clergymen, befides Crowds of indigent Clergymen themselves. I do not obferve these Facts, as believing it improper for Clergymen to marry; but being of Opinion, that thofe of them who marry, and cannot fave any Thing for their Families, fhould at leaft teach them to endure and work thro' that low State of Life they are born to: And I alfo confider it as a Reason for augmenting the Value, tho' we should confiderably diminish the Number, of Benefices in England.

I rejoice as an Englishmen, that our Clergy are rather Ten Thoufand than an Hundred Thoufand: There are the fewer idle Hands in the Nation, compared with its Popish Neighbours, therefore our Wealth is the greater.

I rejoice alfo, that thefe Ten Thousand are not reftrained from Marriage: For, this fingle Advan

tage

tage will in a few Generations spread the Proteftant Religion over Europe, by our gradual Increase of People and the Decrease of the Papifts; unless the Almighty, for his own fecret Purpofes, fhall fend fome more Kings to reign in Proteftant Kingdoms, like the prefent King of Sweden. Were it not that Cromwell (in too great Haste to settle that miferable Kingdom of Ireland) gave vast Multitudes of the Natives to the Spaniard; and that the late Revolution, and fome Laws which followed it relating to Religion, and others concerning Trade, have fent great Numbers of the fame People to France (all which have been replaced by the Natives of Great-Britain, befides our large Export to our American Colonies) France, and Spain before this must have felt more fenfibly, how burthenfome their Religion is to the State: And these our British Islands would have grown up by this Time as populous as the United Nether lands.

It cannot be pretended, that the taking away the Funds from the Scholarships, and Exhibitions in the Free-Schools and the Universities, to apply them to the Augmentation of poor Livings, can work an Injury to any one; it is true, that whoever is in Poffeffion of an Income of that Nature, ought to enjoy his legal Eftate in it; but on the Vacancy (no Individual having a Right) the Publick may well and juftly apply it to the most laudable Purpose; and I believe it is hardly a Question in our Age and Country, which is the more eligible Species of Charity, (the Education of poor Scholars, or Maintainance of poor Ecclefiafticks with Cure of Souls?) To this I may add, that many of the Eftates which are in that unneceffary Method of Charity, were for a like Reason taken

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from another ufelefs People and given to the prefent Poffeffors; whofe Number is now become a Nuifance to the Nation.

I would also propose, that my Lords the Bishops would contribute to the Dignity and Sanctity of the Priesthood, by approaching nearer to an Equality of Revenue among themselves, with fuch Moderation, that on the one Hand each might have fufficient to enable him with Decency to attend his Service in Parliament; and on the other, that their Behaviour there might not be fo frequently fufpected by the Laity, as it has formerly been, as if they were too ready to obey the Nod of a Minifter of State; and to hope to deserve a fudden Promotion to a tenfold Revenue; to take a fpeedy Flight from the Dreary Mountains of Snowdon, to the warm old fnug Palace of Lambeth. What think you, Sir, would not Two thousand Pounds a Year be a decent Income for a Bishop? (fome of them might have fomething more alloted to them, as my Lord of London, and others, who have moft Occafion to refide often in Town, or in other expenfive Parts of the Kingdom) and would not Three thousand Pounds each be a tolerable Income for our two Metropolitans? The rest of the Epifcopal Revenues might be applied to the Support of their inferior Brethren: And without a Bill to prevent Tranflations (a Bill which honeft Men have fometimes been tempted to wifh for) we might live to see a certain Bench filled with Patriots, and this without enduring that abfurd Inconvenience, which an Act against Translations would introduce, For, under fuch a Law, if the Prince should have it in his View to advance to the Summit of Church Preferment, the moft deferving Prieft in England; when the worft Diocese becomes vacant, he must

not

not promote him, because under fuch a Law it would put a Negative upon his farther Advancement; fo that a Man of the most confummate Merit, might after many Years Expectation, die a private and poor Parfon, because he was defigned to be Archbishop of Canterbury.

But this long Letter will pass with you for one of my Refveries; efpecially my laft Scheme: For nothing like it can ever be executed, unless the Temporal Lords fhould in some future Age happen to think as I do, and attend in Parliament with. Diligence, to accomplish an Alteration.

SIR,

LETTER XV.

July 29, 1706.

THE Union is at length as good as concluded; it was hard, or rather impoffible, to fettle the Terms of it to every body's liking: But the grand Defign was always defirable to the Unprejudiced of both Nations; and our late Blunders have made. it more neceffary to us than ever it was.

Edinburgh will doubtlefs fuffer by the Lofs of the Parliament there, and of the Refort of their Nobility; but in the main, the Kingdom must grow richer upon being let into the English Trade, inftead of their late wretched Condition, without any valuable Branch of Commerce, or any rational Profpect of obtaining one. They are now to be Members of a flourishing Empire; an Empire, fafer and happier (fua fi bona nôrit) than the greateft on the Continent; because in its natural.

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(its naval) Strength it is much more powerful than any of its Neighbours.

Scotland ufed to be the Penfioner of France, ufed to ravish two or three of our Northern Counties, to burn our Houses, and run away with our Cattle; and often felt the Severity of our Reprizals. But, in one Generation, that Border will grow enamoured with the Arts of Peace, and fuch of their great Men as love Penfions, may haply enjoy them with lefs Hazard than of old, without the Danger of feeing their Country deftroyed by Fire and Sword, as a Reward for their mercenary Politicks. As for our Parts, it is no Trifle to remove for ever the Probability of being attacked in the Rear by Enemies far from being defpicable in Point of Bravery, and not to be defpifed because of their Poverty; for their Poverty contributed to create our Danger. That Poverty and that Bravery will for the future exalt our Hopes, inftead of creating our Fears. Our People on this Side Tweed, may well be fpared, to ply the Loom and Hammer, while the Heroes of Cathness and Sutherland,

Difdaining fervile Labours, bear the Musket,
The glorious Musket, and enjoy their Leifure;
Nor unrewarded bear it, but the meed

Of fix good Pence per Diem, Wealth not known
To their great Ancestors, they glad receive,
And hail Flock Beds, Wheat Bread, and Cheshire Cheese,
And blefs that League which show'rs thefe Bleffings down.

We have fome very worthy Men among us, who are much disgusted at the Care that is taken of the Kirk; the Prefervation of which is a fundamental Article. They alledge, that Epifcopacy was unfairly

outed,

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