Moderation in Expence indifpenjibly neceffary. 2^3 
we owe to ourselves, we fhali hardly remember the obliga- 
tions we are under to the public. Vicious excesses thus crea- 
ting a vicious self-love, by abufing our advantages, and per- 
verting the kindnefs of providence, we may become our own 
deftroyers, tho’ we fhould not fall a prey to a foreign enemy. 
The period feems to be drawing near, in which we mud; give 
fome check to our career : let us do it in time, and with a 
good grace. To all appearance we mud: engage in a very ex- 
penfive war, or fee our power abridged, and with it the means 
of acquiring riches. We feem to have carried our improvements 
to their utmod height : but fo far from probity of mind keeping 
pace with them, it is but too plain that it declines; and if the 
fupport of nations depends on virtue, as well as ceconomy in 
expence, we are taking great flrides to our ruin in a double ca- 
pacity. Thus it may be our lot to fall as the greateft empires 
of the world have done ! From the very nature of things, wealth 
will promote luxury, and luxury corruption, and dissolu- 
tion follows corruption in the political as well as natural 
body ; fo that one would be almod: tempted to think, though 
it may feem a paradox, that our happiness, if not our gran- 
deur, mud: ultimately depend on our humiliation, as the bed:, 
if not the only means to introduce more virtue amongll us. It 
is very apparent that we have already carried things to fuch ex- 
cefs, that there is no better counterpoife in the political fcale, 
than that the only people on earth, from whom we apprehend 
any evil, are become as vicious and expend ve as ourfelves — ex- 
cept that they do not confume the tea and sugar which their 
induftry provides, but convert them into money. We have been 
O o 2 hither- 
