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Jealousy of the nobility and merchants.

THERE is scarce any thing more common than animosities between parties that cannot subsist but by their agreement: this was well represented in the sedition of the members of the human body in the old Roman fable. It is often the case of lesser confederate states against a superior power, which are hardly held together, though their unanimity is necessary for their common safety; and this is always the case of the landed and trading interests of Great Britain: the trader is fed by the product of the land, and the landed man cannot be clothed but by the skill of the trader; and yet those interests are ever jarring.

We had last winter an instance of this at our club, in Sir Roger de Coverly and Sir Andrew Freeport, between whom there is generally a constant, though friendly, opposition of opinions. It happened that one of the company, in an historical discourse, was observing, that Carthaginian faith was a proverbial phrase to intimate breach of leagues. Sir Roger said it could hardly be otherwise, that the Carthaginians were the greatest traders in the world; and as gain is the chief end of such a people, they never pursue any other: the means to it are never regarded : they will, if it comes easily, get money honestly;

Jalousie des nobles et des négocians.

Il n'y a rien de plus commun que de voir de l'animosité entre des parties qui ne peuvent subsister que par leur union: c'est ce que l'ancienne fable romaine nous représente dans la révolte des membres du corps humain. Tel est souvent le cas de plusieurs petits états ligués contre une puissance supérieure: ils ont de la peine à bien agir de concert, quoique leur salut en dépende. Il en est toujours de même dans la Grande-Bretagne, entre les propriétaires et les négocians; le négociant est nourri du produit des terres, et le propriétaire ne s'habille que par l'industrie du négociant; ils sont néanmoins toujours aux prises.

L'hiver dernier, les chevaliers Roger de Coverley et André Freeport, qui ne s'accordent presque jamais, quoique bons amis, nous en donnèrent un exemple dans notre société. Il arriva qu'une personne de l'assemblée dans une discussion historique observa que la foi carthaginoise passoit en proverbe, pour dire manquer de parole, ou violer une alliance. M. de Coverley ajouta que cela ne pouvoit pas être autrement; que les Carthaginois étoient les plus grands négocians du monde; et que, comme les négocians n'ont pour but que de gagner de l'argent, ils n'ont en vue que le gain, sans s'inquiéter des moyens qu'ils emploient

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but if not, they will not fail to attain it by fraud or cozenage and indeed, what is the whole business of the trader's account, but to overreach him who trusts to his memory? But were not that so, what can there great and noble be expected from him whose attention is ever fixed upon balancing his books, and watching over his expences? And at best, let frugality and parsimony be the virtues of the merchant, how much is his punctual dealing below a gentleman's charity to the poor, or hospitality among his neighbours?

Captain Sentry observed Sir Andrew very diligent in hearing Sir Roger, and had a mind to turn the discourse, by taking notice in general, from the highest to the lowest parts of human society, there was a secret, though unjust, way among men, of indulging the seeds of ill-nature and envy, by comparing their own state of life to that of another, and grudging the approach of their neighbour to their own happiness; and on the other side, he, who is the less at his ease, repines at the other, who he thinks has unjustly the advantage over him. Thus the civil and military lists look upon each other with much illnature; the soldier repines at the courtier's power,

pour l'obtenir: s'ils peuvent atteindre leur but par des voies honnêtes, ils les suivent; autrement, ils ne se font aucun scrupule d'avoir recours à la fraude et à la supercherie. A quoi servent en effet leurs livres de comptes? N'est-ce pas pour duper celui qui se fie à sa mémoire? Et d'ailleurs, quand il n'en seroit pas ainsi, quelle action noble ou généreuse peut-on attendre de celui qui est toujours occupé à balancer ses comptes et à examiner sa dépense? Que l'épargne et la frugalité soient les vertus du négociant, j'y consens; mais combien son exactitude, poussée jusqu'à la vétille, est audessous de la charité qu'un gentilhomme exerce envers les pauvres, ou de l'hospitalité qu'il pratique à l'égard de ses voisins.

Le capitaine Sentry, qui vit le chevalier Freeport très-attentif à ce discours, voulut détourner la conversation, en disant qu'en général, dans tous les rangs de la société, depuis le plus haut jusqu'au plus bas, il y avoit une envie injuste et secrète qui portoit les hommes à comparer leur état avec celui d'un autre; et que l'un murmuroit de voir son voisin rivaliser sou bonheur, tandis que l'autre, moins à son aise, étoit jaloux de celui qui, à son idée, avoit injustement l'avantage sur lui. « C'est ainsi, ajouta-t-il, que les officiers civils et militaires se regardent les uns les autres de fort mauvais ceil: le soldat envie de pouvoir du

and the courtier rallies the soldier's honour; or, to come to lower instances, the private men in the horse and foot of an army, the carmen and coachmen in the city streets, mutually look upon each other with ill-will, when they are in competition for quarters, or the way in their respective motions.'

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It is very well, good captain,' interrupted Sir Andrew: 'you may attempt to turn the discourse if you think fit; but I must however have a word or two with Sir Roger, who, I see, thinks he has paid me off, and been very severe upon the merchant. I shall not,' continued he, at this time remind Sir Roger of the great and noble monuments of charity and public spirit, which have been erected by merchants since the reformation, but at present content myself with what he allows us, parsimony and frugality. If it were consistent with the quality of so ancient a baronet as Sir Roger, to keep an account, or measure things by the most infallible way, that of numbers, he would prefer our parsimony to his hospitality. If to drink so many hogsheads is to be hospitable, we do not contend for the fame of that virtue; but it would be worth while to consider, whether so many artificers at work ten days together by my appointment, or so many peasants made merry on Sir Roger's charge, are the men

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