286 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



illudrious perfonage, would give a repaft, at the foot 

 of his ftatiie, to a fainily of poor people. The State 

 would fee the example of this, at certain favourite 

 epochs, fuch as a feftival in honour of the King's 

 birth-day. Provifions might then be diftributed 

 among the populace, not by toffing loaves at their 

 heads, as in our public rejoicings; but they might 

 be clafled, and made to fit down on the grafs, in 

 profeflional alTemblages, round the ftatues of thofe 

 who invented, improved, or perftded the feveral 

 arts. Such repafts would have no refemblance to 

 ihofe which the rich fometimes give to the wretch- 

 ed, out of ceremony, and in which they refpedl- 

 fuUy wait upon their humble guefts, with napkins 

 under their arm. The perfons who gave the en- 

 tertainment fhould be obliged to fit down at table 

 with their company, and to eat and drink with 

 them. It would be needlefs to impofe on them 

 the tafk of wathing the feet of the poor ; but they 

 might be adrnonilhed of rendering to them a fer- 

 vice of much more real importance, that of fup- 

 plying them with (hoes and (lockings. 



There, the man *of wealth would be inftrufled 

 really to praftife virtue, and the People to know 

 it. The Nation would there learn their great du- 

 ties, and be affifted in forming a juft idea of true 

 greatnefs. They would behold the homage pre- 

 ferited to the tnemory of virtuous men, and the 



oiferino^s 



