World be a Fire. Which is not unlike the Old Tyrannical Axiom; Let my Friends perish, so my Enemies fall along with them. [Footnote:  Me mortuo terra misceatur incendio.  Pereant amici dum una inimici intercidant.] But in gentle Dispositions, there is a certain inbred Love of their Country, which they can no more divest themselves of, than of Humanity it self.  Such a Love as Homer describes in Ulysses, who preferred Ithaca, tho’ no better than a Bird’s Nest fix’d to a craggy Rock in the Sea, to all the Delights of the Kingdom which Calypso offer’d him.

  Nescio qua natale Solum dulcedine cunctos
  Ducit, & immemores non finit esse sui: 

Was very truly said by the Ancient Poet; When we think of that Air we first suck’d in, that Earth we first trod on, those Relations, Neighbours and Acquaintance to whose Conversation we have been accustomed.

But a Man may sometimes say, My Country is grown mad or foolish, (as Plato said of his) sometimes that it rages and cruelly tears out its own Bowels.—­We are to take care in the first Place, that we do not ascribe other Folks Faults to our innocent Country. There have been may cruel Tyrants in Rome and in other Places; these not only tormented innocent good Men, but even the best deserving Citizens, with all manner of Severities:  Does it therefore follow, that the Madness of these Tyrants must be imputed to their Country?  The Cruelty of the Emperor Macrinus is particularly memorable; who as Julius Capitolinus writes, was nicknamed Macellinus, because his House was stained with the Blood of Men, as a Shambles is with that of Beasts.  Many such others are mention’d by Historians, who for the like Cruelty (as the same Capitolinus tells us) were stil’d, one Cyclops, another Busiris, a 3d Sciron, a 4th Tryphon, a 5th Gyges. These were firmly persuaded, that Kingdoms and Empires cou’d not be secur’d without Cruelty:  Wou’d it be therefore reasonable, that good Patriots shou’d lay aside all Care and Solicitude for their Country?  Certainly they ought rather to succour her, when like a miserable oppressed Mother, she implores her Childrens Help, and to seek all proper Remedies for the Mischiefs that afflict her.

But how fortunate are those Countries that have good and mild Princes! how happy are those Subjects, who, thro’ the Benignity of their Rulers may quietly grow old on their Paternal Seats, in the sweet Society of their Wives and Children!  For very often it happens, that the Remedies which are made use of prove worse than the Evils themselves.  ’Tis now, most Illustrious Prince, about Sixteen Years since God Almighty has committed to your Rule and Government a considerable Part of Germany situate on the Rhine. During which time, ’tis scarce conceivable what a general Tranquility,