|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 16
"You must then know, that all this assiduous Court is not paid to my
Person, but to my Place. They know, that I not only hold the Reins
of the Government in my Hands, but keep the publick Treasure under
my own Eye, and that the Power of giving is only mine. It is not
their Love, but their Avarice, that makes them thus obedient to my
Nod; and the same Respect would be paid to the meanest of my
Domesticks, were such a one put in my Place.
"Their Hatred to me proceeds from various Causes. In some it is Envy,
because they think themselves affronted and injur'd by my great
Rise, as knowing themselves to be of greater Consideration in their
Country, and fancifying themselves themselves to be as well
qualified by their Parts. Others again are out of Humour, because I
do not comply with all their unreasonable Demands, their Luxury
always keeping them necessitous. Some of these are such as have
Parts enough to be troublesome; they are hard to be managed, and
indeed are the most dangerous Creatures I have to deal with. There
is a third Sort, who hate and oppose me, only because they love
their Country, but these I don't much fear, for their Party is very
weak at present.
"And since I am upon this Subject, I can't forbear observing to you,
that were it not for the Luxury of some, and the Folly of others, I
could never have stood my Ground so long, and executed those
Measures which I have brought about; and happy it is for a Person in
my Station (if he has any odd Measure in View) that many of the
upper Rank should happen to be Fools; I have myself kept several
Persons dancing Attendance after me, Year after Year, made them
maintain in publick Assemblies, that Nine was more than Fifteen;
that Black was White and a Hundred other things of equal Absurdity,
only by promising to stick a parti-colour'd Feather in their Tails;
and when this was done, it only made them the Scorn and Jest of
every thing of good Sense: Yet it answered my Purpose, and did not
hinder others of equal Folly from making Court for the same thing.
"Thus I have accounted with you why these People are subservient to
me, while they hate me; but I have not given you the Reason on my
Side for keeping up this Correspondence and Union with them, for
whom I have as little Esteem as they can have for me. Then, in a
Word it is, I can't do without them. This you'll easily comprehend
when you understand the Nature of our Government; for you'll know,
that this Power here is lodged in the many, not in the few: It is
they who can abolish old Laws, and make new; the Power of Life and
Death is in them, and from their Decrees there is no Appeal; and
tho' I do all, and command all, nay, command even them, yet the
Right is theirs, and they might exert it all times if they had
Virtue enough to break off their Correspondence with me.
"Things being in this Situation, no doubt, you'll think my
Establishment well fix'd; but I am not without my Fears and my
Dangers, and there is no judging of the Power of one in my Station,
by the Flattery that is paid him, for Flatterers take things
frequently by outward Appearances; and notwithstanding my arbitrary
manner of treating some Persons, my Safety is depending upon the
Breath of others, and I am obliged to pay a more servile Court to
some behind the Curtain, than is paid to me without.
"Those upon whom my Fate and Fortune depend, are the _Squabbaws_ of
the Court (the Reader is to understand, that this is a Name for
certain Females, who are maintain'd for the Emperor's Luxury and
Pleasure, and always sojourn at Court) and it is to their Avarice
that I owe my Grandeur, as well as its Continuance so long. There
was a Time, when I foolishly mistook my own Interest so far, as by
my Conduct to give some Offence to these _Squabbaws_ for which I
suffered a severe Disgrace: I then endeavour'd to shelter my self
among those who are stiled the Patriots, but they would neither
receive me into their Counsels, nor put the least Trust in me. I had
then Leisure to reflect on the Folly of this Conduct, and had Time
to compute how much I was a Loser, by putting on the Mask of the
Patriot and, I confess, it had such an Effect upon me, and gave me
such an Aversion to Patriotism, that I could never prevail upon
myself to do any thing for the publick Good ever since.
"I then immediately apply'd all my Thoughts towards making my Peace,
and there fell out a Chain of lucky Incidents, which happily brought
it about. One of these was the Death of several great Personages,
who were too mighty for me at that time in Rank and Dignity, and
whose Parts eclipsed mine in the Opinion of the Publick, tho' I
always thought otherwise.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|