Reprint Of Scarce, Orcurious , Books On Freemasonry .

" affability could alone make her the ruler of the hearts of men . Vengeance " never so much as entered into her thoughts , but abandoning to those beneath " her the shame of embracing eA * ery opportunity of exercising their hatred , she , . " like the gods , pardoned , Avhen she had the power of punishing . She curbed the " rebellious , not so much because they opposed her Avill , as in consideration that " they were an obstacle to her g * qod designs . She submitted her judgment to " the counsel of the Avise , and every order of men in her kingdom to the equity

" of its laws . She subdued her enemies from Avithout by her courage , and a " strict observation of her engagements , and her domestic enemies by her forti" tude , and the happy success of her undertakings . She never suffered a secret , " or a falsity , to proceed out of her mouth ; and that dissimulation , which is so " inseparable from sovereignty , in her never extended beyond silence . She never « gaA'e way to the importunity of the ambitious ; nor did the assiduities of " parasites ever run away with the rewards due to the services of the absent . " Distinguished favourites Avere unknown in her reign : oven that friendship which

" she practised and cultivated , had never Avith her the ascendant over merit , " though often less affectionate and less engaging . She bestowed favours upon " her friends , and gaA c the most important employs to those Avho best Avere able " to discharge them . She heaped honours upon the great , without exempting " them from duty ; and eased tho burden of her people , Avithout taking away " that necessity ivhich was a spur to their industry . She has not , by creating " new offices , given an opportunity to others to take part Avith the prince , and

" unequally for him , of the public revenue ; and the meanest of the people have " paid the taxes rated and levied upon them , Avithout any regret , because they " have not served to render their equals more opulent , haughty , or Avieked . " Convinced , as she was , that the providence of heaven was not exclusiA'c of " the vigilance of man , she prevented public misery by a regular and timely " provision ; and thus rendering every year equal , her Avisdom , in some measure , " overruled the seasons and elements . Bher favourable reception of all those

y " whom the fame of her prudent government drew from other the most remote " countries , she facilitated negotiations , maintained peace , and raised her kingdom " to its highest pitch of opulency and glory ; and at the same time enforced , by " her example , that hospitality , Avhich till then Avas not enough cultivated among "the Egyptians . AA'hen any of the great maxims of Government Avere to be " put in practice , and it was necessary to pursue the public good , though

at" tended with private inconveniences , with Avhat-a generous indifference has she " not endured the murmurings of a populace , blind , and perhaps stirred up by " the secret calumnies of those Avho , though they knew better , might not find " their private advantage in the public felicity ? Putting frequently her own " glory to stake for the interest of an ungrateful people , she has Avaited the " event of time for her OAVH justification ; and though snatched away in the " very beginning of her course , the purity of her intention , the justness of her

" views , and her assiduity in the execution of them , have procured her the " advantage of a glorious memory , and an universal regret . To be in the " better capacity of Avatching over the Avhole of the kingdom , she confided the " several under branches of management to able ministers , who Avere obliged to " depute subalterns , and these others , for Avhose conduct she could be no Avays " ansAverable , as well because of their remoteness , as their number . I dare " therefore affirm before you her judges , and before those of her subjects , Avho

" now hear me , that if , among such a number of inhabitants as this city of " Memphis , and the other five thousand * cities of this dynasty are knoAvn to " contain , it may appear , that , contrary to her intention , any one has been " oppressed , the queen is not only excusable in regard of the impossibility of " providing for all , but is praiseworthy in , that knoAving the bounds of human " understanding , she has kept to the centre of public business , and has fixed " her whole attention upon the first causes and motions of things . Unhappy