Upon his EXCELLENT BROTHER, Pacator Orbis; or if They fhould chufe to ftand both together, like Caftor and Pollux, on one Medal, Bono Reipublicæ nati. Upon STANDING ARMIES, Fides Exercitus.-Upon the LAST PARLIAMENT, Genio Senatûs. -Upon the PRESENT AGE, Sæculum aureum.

But as there are feveral other great Subjects, worthy of publick Monuments, for which it cannot be expected that the Roman Age fhould furnish us with Legends, I will endeavour to fupply them, as well as my poor Stock of Latin will allow -For the BANK CONTRACT, Fallendo Fallacem, or the BITER'S BIT. -For the Fleet at SPITHEAD, cunctando non pugnando.- For the late - Application of the SINKING FUND, effunditur.-For a VOTE OF CREDIT, Ratio ultima,

*

Mr. Addison seems to condemn any Sort of Mirth, Raillery, or Satire upon Medals, because He can find no Authority for it among the antient Romans; though He is obliged to confefs that They run into moft abominable Flattery; and even feems to grant that one is, at least, as juftifiable as the other. However, the Reader will obferve that I have comply'd intirely with his Doctrine in this Particular, and have not recommended one Subject, or Infcription, which can be char ged with the leaft Tendency to Irony, or Sarcafm.

As for the Devices, I fhall not pretend to recommend any, though I am not altogether unprovided; because That would be incroaching on the Province of a learned Virtuofo, who is much better qualified for it than Myfelf, and will, I doubt not, be very ready to offer his Service, upon fuch an Occafion.

A.

I am, Sir, &c.

* See Confiderations concerning the publick Funds, &c. p. 93.

No 459. SATURDAY, April 19, 1735.

To CALEB D'ANVERS, Efq; Dear Caleb,

T is now a long Time fince You gave us any Difcourfe upon foreign Affairs, though You have been often call'd up to it by the minifterial Scribes, who reproach You with playing the Fool, whilft the Intereits of your Country are at Stake, and endeavouring to fhew your Wit, inftead of giving Them your Advice, in this critical Conjuncture. But, perhaps, You have not yet forgot the HAGUE LETTER; and, indeed, I think it a little unreasonable in any Men to expect your Affiftance a fecond Time, who have already ufed You fo fcurvily, for helping Them out at a dead Lift before. How many learned Papers were written upon that Occafion, to prove that foreign Affairs ought not to come under the Cognizance of the Prefs; and that a Reftraint upon fuch Writings is not infringing the Liberty of it? Since that Time therefore You have confined Yourself chiefly to Matters of a domeftick Nature, in tracing Corruption thro' all her dark lurking Holes, and laying open the fundamental Principles of our Conftitution. But this Way of Writing hath raised as great a Storm against You as the other; and the fame worthy Gentlemen, finding Themselves unable to invalidate your Arguments upon thofe Heads, have had Recourfe to their old Expedients of Billing fgate, and endeavouring to fpirit up Profecutions against You. Domeftick Affairs are now

grown improper Subjects for the Press, because They have fhuffled about them as long as They can; and therefore, in order to fhift the Scene a little, They very civilly defire You to look abroad again; though if You was to grant Them this Favour, and fpeak freely upon the prefent Conjuncture, They would foon lofe all Patience, and call upon the facular Arm to put a Stop to fuch Licentiousness. However, I wish You would now and then give us a few Hints upon this Subject, if it were only by way of Dream, Fable, or Allegory. There are many People, who long to know your Thoughts upon the prefent bleffed State of Europe, and the hopeful Profpect of a better. The Negotiations of that illuftrious Courier, who hath lately loft more Leather in the Service of Christendom than the famous Monfieur Bannieres ever did, will furnish You with ample Materials for Obfervation and Panegyrick. This excellent Perfon is continually paffing from one Court to another with this glorious View, and I heartily wish to see Him return, not only with the Olive-Branch in his Hand, but bestuck all round with Boughs of the fame pacifick Tree, as Bacchus is with Grapes, or a Christmas Pew with Holly and Ivy. Nay, I fhould be glad, methinks, to fee Him make his publick Entry through this City, in an open Chariot, adorn'd with all the Emblems of Peace, and receiving the Bleffings of a grateful People, whose Trade He had recover'd, whofe Loffes He had repair'd, and whofe Credit He had establish'd in all the Courts of Europe; to fay nothing of Afia, Africa and America.

When a General, amongst the old Romans, had conquer'd his Enemy without Bloodshed, He was generally honour'd by the Senate with what They call'd an Ovation; That is, an inferior Kind of Triumph. Now, as over-reaching an Enemy in the Cabinet is fomething of the fame Kind, I have often wish'd to fee this Custom introduced amongst us, as an Incite

ment for Gentlemen to fludy the Art of Negotiation. The Romans had likewife feveral other Rewards for military Services; fuch as the civic Crown, the mural Crown, the naval Crown, &c. I do not, indeed, remember that They had any pacifick Crown, or any other Honour for Those, who distinguish'd Themselves by Treaty making. Perhaps, the Reason might be, that as their Grandeur was intirely founded on their Bravery and Skill in making War, They did not care to encourage the Arts of Peace. But our Conftitution being quite different, in this Respect, I leave it to be confider'd whether fome fuch Badge of Honour would not be a proper Inftitution at prefent, when We have fo glorious an Opportunity of conferring it upon an Object, whom all the World must confefs to be deferving of it. I need not point out this Perfon, who wants no other Trumpet but That of common Fame to found his Praise. I fhall therefore proceed to afk You a few Questions, of a different Nature.

66

To whom is it owing* that the Succession to Parma and Tuscany is not now left open, as was once apprehended, to future Difputes; the Confequence of which would have been, that all Italy, confidering the Strength and Influence of thofe Dominions, which the Emperor hath already got Poffeffion of in that Country, muft in all Probability have fallen into "his Hands, or at least into fuch Hands, as must "have had an intire Dependence on Him? But that Danger is now pretty well removed, and the formidable Power of his Imperial Majefty in Italy fo far reduced, by the glorious Treaty of Seville, and the fubfequent Operations upon it, that We have the Plea

*See Obfervations on the Treaty of Seville, printed for J. Roberts in the Year 1729.

fure to fee Him ftruggling, with great and almoft infuperable Difficulties, to recover his own Dominions there, instead of attempting the Conqueft of any others. This Treaty hath likewise been attended with another good Effect, which I must not pass over without fome Notice; I mean the Acquifition of a NEW ALLY, who may hereafter be of great Service and Advantage to us; for it cannot be fuppofed that his prefent NEAPOLITAN and SICILIAN MAJESTY will ever forget his Obligations to Thofe, who first introduced Him into Italy, and upon whofe * PLAN OF POWER his late Conquefts are founded. The prophetical Infcription on a Medal, faid to be ftruck upon that Occafion, (MOX VENIET) is now fulfill'd; for the royal Crown, which then tempted his Eyes on the Reverse of a Medal, is actually come to Him, within three Years afterwards, and He wants only the Ceremony of a Coronation, to conftitute Him a compleat Monarch. In Him therefore We may confidently affure Ourselves of a cordial Friend and a faithful Ally, who will be always ready to ftand in the Gap for Us, in Time of Need, and fupport Us with his new-acquired Riches and Power against all our Enemies, both at home

and abroad.

To whom are We obliged for having kept France fo long in a State of Peace, as to give Her breathing Time, and enable Her to put her Projects against the Emperor in Execution, for better fecuring the Peace, Tranquillity and Ballance of Europe?

At the fame Time, who was it, that firft encouraged France to impofe a native King on the Republick of Poland, whenever the Contingency fhould happen ; and, when it did happen, very dextroufly engaged the

* See the natural Probability of a lafting Peace in Europe, printed for J. Peele in the Year 1732. P. 3.