branch of government, should to this day remain in a state fo imperfect? One would fufpect fome inherent vice in the nature of government, that counteracts every effort of genius to produce a more perfect mode. I am not difpofed to admit any fuch defect, efpecially in an article effential to the well-being of fociety; and rather than yield to the charge, I venture to propofe the following plan, even at the hazard of being thought an idle projector. And what animates me greatly to make the attempt, is a firm conviction that a military and an induftrious fpirit are of equal importance to Britain; and that if either of them be loft, we are undone. To reconcile thefe feeming antagonists, is my chief view in the following plan; to which I fhall proceed, after paving the way by fome preliminary confiderations.

The first is, that as military force is effential to every state, no man is exempted from bearing arms for his country: all are bound; because no perfon has right to be exempted more than another. Were any difference to be made, perfons of figure and fortune ought first to be called to that fervice, as being the most interested in the welfare

welfare of their country. Liften to a good foldier delivering his opinion on that fubject. Les levées qui fe font par fuper"cherie font tout auffi odieufes; on met "de l'argent dans la pochette d'un homme, et on lui dit qu'il est soldat. Celles

qui fe font par force, le font encore << plus ; c'est une defolation publique, "dont le bourgeois et l'habitant ne fe fau

vent qu'à force d'argent, et dont le fond "eft toujours un moyen odieux. Ne vou"droit-il pas mieux établer, par une loi,

que tout homme, de quelque condition qu'il fût, feroit obligé de fervir fon prince et fa patrie pendant cinq ans? Cette loi ne fçauroit être defapprouvée, “ parce qu'il est naturel et jufte que les "citoyens s'emploient pour la défense de "l'état. Cette methode de lever des troupes feroit un fond inépuisable de belles et bonnes recrues, qui ne feroient pas fujetes a déferter. L'on fe feroit même,

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par la fuite, un honneur et un devoir "de fervir fa tâche. Mais, pour y par"venir, il faudroit n'en excepter aucune "condition, être sévére fur ce point, et "s'attacher a faire exécuter cette loi de préférence aux nobles et aux riches. VOL. III.

D

"Perfonne

"Perfonne n'en murmureroit. Alors ceux "qui auroient fervi leur temps, verroient avec mépris ceux qui repugneroient à cette loi, et infenfiblement on fe feroit un honneur de fervir: le pauvre bourgeois feroit confolé par l'example du "riche; et celui-ci n'oferoit fe plaindre, voyant fervir le noble (a) *.”

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(a) Les reveries du Comte de Saxe.

Take

"The method of inlifting men, by putting a "trick upon them, is fully as odious. They flip a "piece of money into a man's pocket, and then tell

him he is a foldier. Inlifting by force is ftill more odious. It is a públic calamity, from which the "citizen has no means of faving himself but by "money; and it is confequently the worst of all "the resources of government. Would it not be "more expedient to enact a law, obliging every "man, whatever be his rank, to ferve his King and "country for five years? This law could not be "difapproved of, because it is confiftent both with " nature and justice, that every citizen should be "employed in the defence of the ftate. Here would "be an inexhauftible fund of good and able fol"diers, who would not be apt to defert, as every "man would reckon it both his honour and his "duty to have served his time. But to effect this, "it must be a fixed principle, That there fhall be "no exception of ranks. This point must be ri"" gorously attended to, and the law must be en"forced, by way of preference, firft among the "nobility

Take another preliminary confideration. While there were any remains among us of a martial fpirit, the difficulty was not great of recruiting the army. But that task hath of late years become troublefome; and more difagreeable still than troublesome, by the neceffity of ufing deceitful arts for trepanning the unwary youth. Nor are fuch arts always fucceffful in our late war with France, we were neceffitated to give up even the appearance of voluntary fervice, and to recruit the army on the folid principle, that every man fhould fight for his country; the juftices of peace being empowered to force into the service fuch as could be best spared from civil occupation. If a fingle clause had been added, limiting the fervice to five or seven years, the measure

"nobility and the men of wealth. There would

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not be a single man who would complain of it. A "perfon who had ferved his time, would treat with 66 contempt another who fhould fhow reluctance to "comply with the law; and thus, by degrees, it "would become a tafk of honour. The poor citi"zen would be comforted and infpirited by the ex"ample of his rich neighbour; and he again would "have nothing to complain of, when he faw that the nobleman was not exempted from fervice."

would have been unexceptionable, even in a land of liberty. To relieve officers of the army from the neceffity of practifing deceitful arts, by fubftituting a fair and constitutional mode of recruiting the army, was a valuable improvement. It was of importance with respect to its direct intendment; but of much greater, with refpect to its confequences. One of the few difadvantages of a free state, is licentioufnefs in the common people, who may wallow in diforder and profligacy without control, if they but refrain from grofs crimes, punishable by law. Now, as it appears to me, there never was devifed a plan more efficacious for restoring industry and fobriety, than that under confideration. Its falutary effects were confpicuous, even during the fhort time it fubfifted. The dread of being forc'd into the fervice, rendered the populace peaceable and orderly it did more; it rendered them induftrious in order to conciliate fayour. The most beneficial difcoveries have been accidental: without having any view but for recruiting the army, our legislature ftumbled upon an excellent plan for reclaiming the idle and the profligate; a

matter,