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A COMPANY of village players were acting a
pantomime. Harlequin represented a politician with
the people on his back. Incurvated and groaning, he
seemed to feel the pressure exceedingly.

I like burlesque very well, said a spectator. A
man must imagine himself Atlas, forsooth, with the
heavens on his shoulders! The people would walk on
their feet if he would let them alone. What matters
it, if by attempting to sustain them, he gets his rump
broke?

That is all the thanks a patriot ever got, said a
wise man.

Are not the people strong enough of themselves?
said the spectator.

Strength of mind is improvable, said the wise man.
Hence strength of mind differs more than strength of
body. The aggregate of mind is one thing and a
distinguished mind another. It is not so absurd, to
suppose that one mind, in a particular case, may excel
another. The social compact is a noble study.
He who has devoted himself greatly to it, may be
supposed to have made some progress. Why should
he not have credit for his good intentions? Why
make him the object of a public exhibition, because

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he thinks himself the support of the community?
Public spirit ought to be supported, and hints well
meant, well taken. It is but an innocent hypocondriasis
for a man to apprehend that he is doing good,
by his lucubrations. That he is a pillar of the commonwealth.

See how he grins, and balances, said the spectator,
speaking of the Harlequin, because the people, in his
opinion, are too much to the one side.

It is an easy thing to turn even virtue into ridicule,
said the wise man. But selfishness was never an amiable
quality. And can there be a nobler effort of benevolence
than to seek the public good? If one individual
misses it; another hits; and the principle is
salutary. It is not him that sails with the wind of
popular opinion that always consults the interest of
the populace. At the same time, I am for keeping
up the spirit of the people. It is the atmosphere of liberty.
And though this atmosphere is the region of
lightning and engenders storms, yet in it we breathe, and
have our being. But I speak of the angel that guides
the hurricane; the good man of more temperate
counsels, and who, from age, experience, or extent
of thought, sees the consequence of things, and applies
the prudence of restraint to the common mind
in the violence of its emotions.

Why shall we censure such a man should he indulge
the ambition of restraining the people; or rather
of supporting them by counselling moderation.
He is sometimes the best friend that reproves. A flatterer
never was a friend. The caricature of a man
having the people on his back, is an aristocratic fetch
to discourage a love for the people, and a disposition
to promote their real interest. This Harlequin is set
on by the enemies of the people, and with a view to
disparage republican exertions.

The spectator was silent.

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While the Harlequin was acting The Oppressed
Politician, as the pantomime was called, a pedlar had
thrown himself into nearly a similar position; and
though it may seem strange, an accidental conjunction
of attitude. He had got his stall on his back; and
gave out that he had taken an oath, not to set it down,
until the people at the fair, had bought off all his
goods. He was on his hands, and feet, and bellowing
like the bull of Phalaris, affecting to be overcome,
with the load of his pack. The people, out of humanity;
credulous to his distress, came from every quarter
to hear his complaint, and ease him of his goods.
A partner was handing out the merchandize, and disposing
to the customer, as fast as he could come at the
articles. The back-bent man, in the mean time, in
his inclined posture, was gathering up the dollars,
thrown upon the ground, and putting them into his
hat; not omitting, the groans necessary to attract a
continuance of commiseration.

Christian people, said he, ease me of my wares, or
I shall have to break my back, or to break my oath.

You had better break your oath than your back,
said a man passing by; I have no money to throw
away upon a rogue.

A rogue! Said the burthened man. If I were a
rogue I could break my oath; but it is conscience
keeps me here. I cannot break my oath; and my back
must be broke. Help good people help; buy my wares
and ease me of my load.

You son of a whore, said a rude man, cannot you
stand up, and your pack will fall off?

Ay but it is my oath, said the Pedlar, that keeps it
on, until all my goods be bought.

It ish a tam sheat, said an honest German; he ish
a liar and a rogue. His back ish not broke more ash
mine. His pack ish light ash a feather; wid shilks,

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and such tings, dat weigh nothing. He is a tam sheat
and a rogue.

I am muckle o' your way o' thinking, said Donald
Bain, the weaver; it is a' a stratagem, to get his hand
in folks pockets, and wile awa' the penny. The deel an
aith has he ta'en. It is a' a forgery.

It ish a devlish contrivance, said the German.

It is all de love of de monish, said a Jew. His conscience
is monish; I go anoder way to de exchange
dish morning.

Nevertheless credulity prevailed; and some continued
to purchase.

If at the hundreth edition of this work, a century
or two hence, it should be published with cuts, like
Don Quixotte, and other books of an entertaining
cast; the figure of the Pedlar and his pack may afford
a good drawing; and the Harlequin, at the same
time, with the people on his back.

The moral of the distressed politician is obvious to
every one. It is natural for us to suppose that the
world cannot do without us. O what will they do
when we are gone, is the language of almost every
man's heart in some way or other. I will venture to
say there are chimney sweepers, who think that all
will go to pot, when they drop off. Yet the world
goes on its gudgeons, and all things that are therein
revolve just as before!

What will we do for a general, said one to me,
when Fayette deserted to Sedan.

What? when Dumourier went off said another?

He may be yet in the ranks said I, who will termi

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nate the revolution. It came nearly to pass; for the
was at that time but in the low grade of what
we call a subaltern.

I have reflected with myself whence it is that men
of slow minds, and moderate capacities, and with less
zeal and perhaps less principle, execute offices, and
sustain functions with less exception, than others of
more vigour and exertion; and I find it owing to a
single secret; laissez nous faire; “let us be doing:”
that is, let subordinates, do a great deal themselves.
“He is right;” it is well; and if it is wrong, self-love
saves the error: men had rather be suffered to
be wrong, than to be set right against their wills.
What errors of stupidity have I seen in life, in the
small compass of my experience, and the sphere of
my information; and these errors the object of indulgence,
because there was nothing said or done to
wound the pride of the employer. This is a lesson to
human pride and vanity It is a lesson of prudence to
the impetuous. The sun lets every planet take its
course; and so did General Washington. That was
the happy faculty that made him popular.

His fort was, in some degree, the laissez nous faire;
“The not doing too much.”

Yet the lovers of an art, may be excused in being
hurt when they see the artist err. The lovers of the
public may deserve praise who wish to set the world
right and do a little towards it. It is the error of vigorous
minds, to say the least of it; and oftentimes,
the excess of virtue.

Sometimes, it is an instinctive impulse of spirit that
cannot be resisted Alcibiades superseded in the command
of the Athenian army, but remaining in the
neighbourhood could not avoid pointing out to the generals
who succeeded him and who were his enemies,
the errors they were about to commit, and which

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advice, neglecting, they were overthrown with their forces,
by the under the conduct of Lysander,
and disgraced. Moreau though superseded
by the directory, and serving only as a volunteer, stepped
forward to an unauthorized command, and saved
the army on the defeat, and death of Joubert.

The critic will say, what use can there be in such
representations? We do not write altogether for
grave, or even grown men; our book is not for a day
only. We mean it for the coming generation, as
well as the present; and intending solid observations,
we interlard to make the boys read.

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