is given to egotism. It will be only adding an other to fay, that when I recall the rural scene of the good old lady's abode, her fimple, her innocent, her useful employments, the afflictions the fuftained in this world, the comforts fhe drew from another; I feel a ferenity of foul, a benignity of affections, which I am fure confer happiness, and I think must promote virtue.

Z

N° 88. SATURDAY, October 7, 1786.

To the AUTHOR of the Lounger.

SIR,

IN

Na late Paper you have given to the Public, you prefented us with the character of a gentleman poffeffed of fenfibility and delicacy of feelings, but deftitute of virtuous exertion. Allow me to introduce to your readers the character of another, confiderably different, the view of which may not perhaps be altogether without its use, and may make some addition to the number of original portraits you have given to the Public.

Dormer is a man who is not only free from vice, but who is poffeffed of a considerable regard for virtue; and yet when his character comes to be considered attentively, it will be found defective in many very important respects. Dormer's great object is the public good, and to this he dedicates his whole time and labour.

Part of the year he lives in the country; and when there, he is conftantly occupied in contriving schemes for the advancement of agriculI 2

ture

ture and the improvement of manufactures. He has written a number of little treatifes upon thofe fubjects, and his house is constantly filled with those pamphleteers and projectors, who, like him, talk of nothing but the good of their country. At county meetings he never fails to attend, and there he constantly supports or opposes some scheme, as beneficial or pernicious to the public good. When any plan is propofed, which by theoretical deduction it can be shown may poffibly be attended with some general advantage, but which will certainly be very hurtful to fome individuals, Dormer is fure to give it his warmeft approbation and support. His conftant maxim is, that the intereft of individuals fhould never be put in competition with that of the Public. From a steady adherence to this maxim, he thinks nothing of demolishing houfes, rooting out inclosures, or difpoffeffing tenants. I have known him, for the purpose of widening a highway only a few feet, pull down a houfe by which a widow and a numerous family of children were turned out to the open air.

The fame love of public utility attends Dormer when he comes to town. He views with admiration the public works which are going on, and vifits with great fatisfaction the different improvements. He talks with apparent philan

thropy

thropy of the rapid progress this country is making, and bleffes himfelf for having lived at a period of fo great advancement.

Ac

He fays, it ever fhall be his object to contribute as much as a poor individual can to every thing which is of national importance. tuated by fuch motives, he is a good subject to government; and one of his favourite tenets is, that the powers that are fhould be implicitly fubmitted to. To every magiftrate, and every perfon in public office, he pays the most paffive obedience; and when once a law is enacted, he is for enforcing it without mitigation, though it fhould produce the tutu or tile moi innocent individuale At a Circuit, he conftantly waits. upon the Judges, values himself on the refpect and attention he pays them; and on all occasions is for inflicting rigorous punishments on the perfons convicted of crimes, without paying regard to any alleviating circumftanees in their cafe.

I do not wifh to find fault with thefe, or at leaft with all of these particulars in Dormer ; nor do I mean to fay, that he is not fincere, or that his conduct does not proceed from a real concern for the good of the public. But when I allow this, I allow him all he is intitled to,— That he has regard for the public interest.This is the whole merit of his character.

But are there not private virtues, are there not private interests and attachments, that are as important as neceffary to constitute a virtuous character, as a regard for the public intereft? And ought general confiderations of utility to fuperfede the attention to every thing else? In the conduct of Dormer they certainly do.

His love for the public is fuch, that he pays no attention to his family; the public engroffes him to fuch a degree, that he has no time for private friendship, or for the exercise of private virtues. His wife and daughters are unattended in at home; and his fon, an excellent young man, is defpifed by him, because he does not like public meetings, and does not choofe to buftle for the good of his country. No one can tell of any charitable deed performed by Dormer; of any perfon in diftrefs relieved by his generofity. To give this relief would be contrary to his principles, as he holds charity and generosity to be bastard virtues; he fays, that if there were no charity there would be no idlenefs.

By unavoidable misfortunes in trade, a coufin of his, of the fairest and best character, was reduced in his circumftances. Dormer was applied to for his name to a fubfcription for this gentleman's relief and that of his family; but he refused; faid he thought it wrong to try to

keep