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THE Captain had now leisure to reflect on the
predicament in which he left Teague; and thinking
he might have had what was sufficient to cure him
of his folly, or at least restrain it, thought of making
a visit to the house of employment, or sending to liberate
the valet.

This thought running in his head, he naturally
suggested it to a gentleman with whom he was, at
this time, in conversation, on indifferent subjects;
the gentleman lodging at the same inn, or public
house, and seeming to be a person of considerable
shrewdness and discernment, not only of the affairs
of men in general, but of the special spirit and character
of these times.

Said the gentleman; The folly of your man has
certainly been very great, to suppose, that he could
be qualified to sustain the profession of an advocate,
and to practise law: For, though in this, as in most
other professions, “the race is not always to the swift,
nor the battle to the strong;” but the people that sheweth
favour; that is, take up an opinion of abilities,
where there are none; yet your servant, having so
little, even of the semblance of qualification, it would
be counting too much on the circumstance, to

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promise great success in his case. His prospect of advancement
would be much more certain in the political
career. You seem, by your account, to have discouraged
him in taking a seat in the legislature; and
would not wish now to contradict yourself: yet why
not indulge him in taking a place in the executive of
some government. As far as I see, with that ambition
which is natural to him, you will find him but
of little use, as a waiter: and you may as well let
him do something for himself, as not. If appointed
in the department of finance, he can use clerks; and,
in a very short time, he may learn to write his name,
so as to give his signature to any paper; and this,
with the help of clerks to do the accountant business,
would be sufficient: At least, there have been
those in these departments, who have been approved,
and yet could do little more. Should he even become
a governor; furnished with a secretary, he can be at
no loss to compose his messages, or other communications,
to individuals, or public bodies.

But what I would propose, and will suit him best,
will be to go into the general government; and, under
this, the diplomatic line will be eligible. He
might be appointed consul to the port of Cork or
Dublin; or the Barbary States; or other places: Or
he might go as ambassador to the grand Mogul; or
envoy extraordinary to the king of England; or other
princes or potentates in Europe.

If you should think of favouring him in this career,
it will be necessary for him to appear at the
levee of the president, that he may be introduced with
a certain gradual etiquette of advancement.

What! said the Captain, introduce a ragged bog-trotter
to the president of the United States!

Not ragged, said the gentleman; you can have a
pair of breeches made for him; and put shoes upon

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his feet: a sword will be necessary; and some other
articles of equipment. And when you bring this into
view with his making his fortune, you will not
consider it as advancing much for a person whom
you wish to serve.

The Captain began to think there was weight in
the observations of this gentleman; and that it might
be proper to let the bog-trotter have a chance of doing
what he could: Accordingly, he wrote a note to
the keeper of the house of employment, to liberate
him for the present.

The state of politics at this time, and the prospect
of Teague's advancement, we shall leave to the Second
Volume of this work.

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IT is well for men in office, that my pen has
taken this turn; and that I employ myself in writing
harmless nonsense, rather than strictures on their
conduct. In the case of the famous Gordon, who,
with Trenchard, was an author of what were stiled
Cato's Letters, it is well known that the shrewd minister
of that day, Walpole, dreading the effects of
these writings, wisely laid a plan to free his administration
from them; by affecting to admire the stile;
and saying, that it were a pity so noble a genius were
not employed in giving a sample of good language,
where there would be no occasion to invent, but merely
to clothe ideas. For this reason, he would consider
it as a great happiness, could he be induced to
translate some work of merit; and give it in the
beautiful garb of his expression. By this address,
and the addition of a pension, the author was induced
to undertake the translation of Tacitus.

Now, what government, with great art, got Gordon
to do, I have done of my own accord; that is, to
amuse myself in abstract composition; regarding
words only, and letting men of place alone. Nevertheless,
as the sale of these is not certain; and if I
should find it an expense, rather than a profit, to

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proceed in the work, I may quit it, and fall foul of the
public measures, those who discharge the public
trust, at the present time, may not be altogether
safe. It were, therefore, wise policy in such, to assist
the sale as much as possible; and it might not be
amiss, in the first instance, to buy up, each of them,
a number of copies. I do not know that I have any
thing to say of the president of the United States;
or that I would say it, if I had; nevertheless, it might
not be amiss for him, on the principle of preservation,
and, agreeably to that universal prudence he
has ever shewn, to take a few; perhaps fifty might
suffice. The secretary of the treasury, and the secretary
at war, might take between them, about five
hundred. As to the secretary of state, he is such a
skin-dried philosopher, that an author would make
as little out of him, as a fly would out of a weatherbeaten
bone; and so, it is of little consequence to him,
whether he buys one at all; for I believe I shall not
trouble my head about him. As to the Congress
that have sat since the adoption of the federal constitution,
they need not put themselves to the expence,
individually or collectively of purchasing one pamphlet;
as I am determined not to be bought off by
them; but in a work which I shall by and by publish,
will canvas, freely, the respective demerit of their
votes. I have not yet written any part of this work;
but I have it all in my mind; and if I had a ready
amanuensis, to take it down, could give a volume in
a short time.

The whole gradation of officers and place-men,
under government, are a good deal in my power.
Not that I would descend to attack them; but I might
affect the system by which they are supported. A
pretty liberal purchase, therefore, on their part, might
be money not ill laid out.

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The men that are upon the government of Pennsylvania,
would find their account, in making it worth
my while to let my fingers run in this way, a while
longer. Peream ne scribam; I must write; and if I
should break out upon them, I know not where I
might end.