"neighbour." Our author proceeds to acquaint us, that Nabal having refused to fupply David with provifions, and having fent back the meffengers with a scoffing anfwer, David, in rage made a vow, that he would deftroy Nabal with his house and family. Our author observes, that David's indignation against Nabal, was not fo much for his ingratitude, as for the virulence of an infolent outrage against one who had never injured him. And what was the outrage? It was, fays our author, that Nabal, inquiring who the said David was, and being told that he was one of the fons of Jeffe, "Yes, yes”, fays Nabal, your run-away fer"vants look upon themselves to be brave fellows, "I warrant you." Strange loofeness of morals! I mean not David, who was in wrath, but Josephus writing fedately in his closet. He every where celebrates David for his juftice and piety, compofes for him the very warm exhortation mentioned above: and yet thinks him not guilty of any wrong, in vowing to break every rule of juftice and humanity, upon so flight a provocation as a fcoffing expreffion, fuch as no man of temper will regard. European nations, who originally were fierce and fanguinary like the Greeks and Jews, had the fame cloudy and incorrect notions of right and wrong. It is scarce neceffary to give inftances, the low state of morality during the dark ages of Chritianity being known to all. In the time of Louis XI. of France, promifes and engagements were utterly difregarded, till they were fanctified by a folemn oath nor were fuch oaths long regarded; they loft their force, and were not relied on more than fimple promifes. All faith among men feemed to be at an end. Even those who appeared the moft fcrupulous about character, were however ready to grafp at any fubterfuge to excufe their breach of engagement. And it is a ftill clearer proof of felf-deceit, that fuch fubterfuges were frequently prepared beforehand, in order to furnish an excufe. It was a common practice fome ages ago, to make private proteftations, which were thought fufficient to relieve men in confcience from being bound by a folemn treaty. The Scotch nation, as an ally of France, being comprehended in a treaty of peace between the French King and Edward I. of England, the latter ratified publicly the treaty, after having fecretly protested before notaries against the article that comprehended Scotland. Charles, afterward Emperor of Germany, during his minority, gave authority to declare publicly his acceffion to a treaty of peace, between his grandfather Maximilian and the King of France but at the fame time protefted privately, before a notary and witneffes, "That, not"withstanding his public acceffion to the faid "treaty, it was not his intention to be bound by every article of it; and particularly, that the "claufe referving to the King of France the foVOL. III. "vereignty 66 Р 66 66 vereignty of certain territories in the Netherlands, fhould not be binding." Is it poffible Charles could be fo blind as not to fee, that fuch a proteftation, if fufficient to relieve from an engagement, must destroy all faith among men? Francis I. of France, while prifoner in Spain, engaged Henry VIII. of England in a treaty against the Emperor, fubmitting to very hard terms in order to gain Henry's friendship. The King's minifters protefted privately against fome of the articles; and the protest was recorded in the fecret register of the parliament of Paris, to ferve as an excufe in proper time, for breaking the treaty. At the marriage of Mary Queen of Scotland to the Dauphin of France, the King of France ratified every article infifted on by the Scotch parliament, for preferving the independence of the nation, and for fecuring the fucceffion of the crown to the house of Hamilton; confirming them by deeds in form and with the moft folemn oaths. But Mary previously had been perfuaded to fubfcribe privately three deeds, in which, failing heirs of her body, fhe gifted the kingdom of Scotland to the King of France; declaring all promifes to the contrary that had been extorted from her by her fubjects, to be void. What better was this than what was practifed by Robert, King of France, in the tenth century, to free his fubjects from the guilt of perjury? They fwore upon a box of relics, out of which the relics had been privately taken. Cor rea, rea, a Portuguese general, made a treaty with the King of Pegu; and it was agreed, that each party should fwear to obferve the treaty, laying his hand upon the facred book of his religion. Correa fwore upon a collection of fongs; and thought that by that vile stratagem he was free from his engagernent. The inhabitants of Britain were fo loofe formerly, that a man was not reckoned safe in his own house, without a maftiff to protect him from violence. Maftiffs were permitted even to those who dwelt within the king's forefts; and to prevent danger to the deer, there was in England. a court for lawing or expeditation of mastives, i. e. for cutting off the claws of their fore-feet to prevent them from running *. The trial and condemnation of Charles I. in a pretended court of juftice, however audacious and unconftitutional, was an effort toward regularity and order. preceding age, the king would have been taken off by affaffination or poifon. Every prince in, Europe had an officer, whofe province it was to fecure his mafter against poifon. A lady was appointed to that office by Queen Elizabeth of England; and the form was, to give to each of the fervants a mouthful to eat of the difh he brought in. Poifon must have been frequent in thofe days, to make fuch a regulation neceffary. To vouch ftill more clearly, the low ebb of morality during that period, feldom it happened that a man of P 2 figure *Cartade Forefta, cap. 6. In the figure died fuddenly, or of an unusual disease, but poifon was fufpected. Men confcious of their own vitious difpofition, are prone to fufpect others. The Dauphin, fon to Francis I. of France, a youth of about eighteen, having overheated himself at play, took a great draught of iced water, and died of a pleurify in five days. The death was fudden, but none is more natural. The fufpicion however of poison was univerfal; and Montecuculi, who attended the young prince, was formally condemned to death for it, and executed; for no better reafon than that he had at all times ready access to the prince. Confidering the low state of morality where diffocial paffions bear rule, as in the fcenes now difplayed, one would require a miracle to recover mankind out of fo miferable a state. But, as obferved above*, Providence brings order out of confufion. The intolerable diftrefs of a state of things where a promise or even an oath, is a rope of fand, and where all are fet against all †, made people at last sensible, that they must either renounce fociety altogether, or qualify themselves for it by checking their diffocial paffions. Finding from experience, that the gratification of focial affections exceeds greatly that of cruelty and revenge; men endeavouring to acquire a habit of self-command, and of restraining their ftormy pasfions. The neceffity of fulfilling every moral duty * Book 2. Sketch 1. + Hobbes. was |