274 Great Ex pence and a lofing Trade dejlruBive. 
dividual fhould be vicious, or it will follow that he is the word 
member who has mod: virtue. Every man is fuppofed to wifh 
that he could do good to his country, but he who attempts to do 
it by vicious means, will find himfelf greatly miftaken in the 
iffue. If, for inftance, we confider the confumption of tea parti- 
ally, and without regard to its pernicious confequences, it muft 
be confeffed that the date is benefited ; it breeds five hundred 
feamen, as already remarked, and furnifties about a twentieth 
part of the whole national revenue : but yet upon the whole 
it is apparently injurious. 
Whilft you reflect on the advantages which arife from abfti- 
nence ; whilft you contemplate the charms of temperance and 
felf- denial ; fhall you not think that woman very amiable who 
faved the fuperfiuous expence of tea to relieve the diftreffes of 
one poor family? And what praifes are due to thofe whofe 
conduct is calculated to prevent the miferies of a million of fa- 
milies ! I muft repeat that by luxury, in a moral fenfe, I mean 
all vicious exceftes ; and in a political fenfe, the ufe of articles, 
which are not neceffary, but hurtful to the community. I con- 
fider the drinking tea as luxury in the cleared: fenfe of the 
word. There are different kinds of luxury, fome are exceffes 
on the virtuous fide, and become vicious ; others are vicious 
throughout, and have no appearance of virtue. The drinking 
tea is in the medium, rather inclining to the word fide, for it 
hurts health, and fhortens life ; but yet it is not fo immoral as 
fome exceftes are : but, politically confidered, it is not equal- 
led by any one debauchery we are guilty of, unlefs we except 
the ufe of gin. 
3 
If 
