Hamilton agst Atheism. teach us that in this world we should expect nothing like perfect happiness since the men who seemed to be most in the graces of Fortune and most deserved it, by their fortitude, wisdom & other heroic qualities, were not exempt from her frowns, but in proportion as they had tasted the sweets of this Life, they were oblig'd also to drink the bitter draught of the Cup of Good & Evil wch is mixed by providence for all men, and we who are but in comparatively in a lower station of Life should learn to be contented since we are not likely to feel as the greater do, the fierce pang of misfortune & the loss of former & dear bought glory. Mr Hamilton order'd to make a speech against Atheism saysthat were we to look no further than our own breath we should there find ample confutation of this absurd doctrine, for 'tis sufficient to prove the existence of a Deity that we made not ourselves, but on the first consideration of our own being must conclude wth Adam in Milton "Whence came These or how-not of myself, by some great Maker then1," but were we to look round the material world, there such eminent proofs of wisdom & power shine that he must be worse than mad who would dispute the being of a Creator, yet we now find some, who deny it wth their mouths, & many wth their actions, Nothing sure should be more discouraged than such opinion as they strike at the very Root of Morality, & p'haps are the cause of the flourishing state of wickedness amongst us-has approbation Ham. Mr Censor examines the Treasurers accounts & is satisfied concerning them He then examines Mr Buck's conduct, he finds that in his Secretaryship he committed many faults in writing the proceedings of the 1st night. he orders that eleven leaves be taken out, and 6 put in their stead, & that a Committee be appointed to shew him his faults, but declares that his care & exactness the 2nd night made ample amends for the faults of the 1st. Upon examining his whole conduct he declares it indifferent. Mr Hamilton on examination of his conduct gets the MINOR CENSURE. Of Mr Ardesoif Mr Censor observes that we have no other knowledge of his being a Member than by his frequent fines & censures, therefore he gives him the GRAND CENSURE. Tis thought convenient that the Censor should not be confin'd 1 Paradise Lost, Bk VIII, 273. prorogues ye to sit one night only, but that he be allowed to prorogue the Lustrum Lustrum. from night to night till the whole business is finished. ORDERD that Mr Dennis be allow'd 1 per fortnight to supply the Society wth paper, quills, & ink. ORDERD that whoever does not pay his debts to the Society in a week after notice be admonish'd. ORDERD likewise that if the Treasurer does not give them timely notice or on the elapsing of a week wthout payment does not accuse them, he shall himself be liable to Admonition. Mr Censor concludes wth wishing that the rewards & punishments of this Lustrum may have so good an effect that the next Censor should only have the agreeable task of conferring the former; that for his part he endeavour'd to perform the end of his office, and hopes they will be sensible of it. Assembly dismiss'd. THE END OF THE 2ND LUSTRUM Tuesday June 30th 1747. Pres speech. Dennis's Mr President harangues the Assembly & says that They should not think the worse of him for having whilst a private member been absent & neglected some of the business, for he will now take care to rectify such omissions both in himself & others by the strictest p'formance of his duty Mr Dennis then proposed by some order to enforce the Law wch proposal. requires the Members to meet at five. Oppos'd by Burke. Mr Burke opposes it because he conceives to multiply prests orders would be of as bad consequence, as to multiply Laws, & says Why. that even were there such an order it could be hardly put in execution because two of the members were excus'd till seven & one of the remaining three could not possibly come till six, so that there rems but two who by the Laws could do nothing & therefore he advises (the wtht making any order) that the prest shd according to custom excuse the members till six, & vigorously to punish the absentees. Dennis his inconvenience. Mr Dennis proposes to remedy this defect that two should be remedy for ye empowered to punish the Absentees & by that means oblige them to come early when they find that their staying away is no longer their safety, for as affairs now stand when there can be no punishment when three are not present, any may absent themselves wth impunity when they think there are not many met Mr Pres. says that as a Delinquent it should seem odd in him to proceed wth rigour, he therefore would be far from forceing them to come at five, that 5 indeed had been the hour appointed by the Laws, but so many were the exceptions to it that few of the Members Dennis speaks. could meet at that hour. He will make no order but will take care to punish the Members proportionable to their delay-and then desired the papers due. Mr Hamilton had not his thro' default of the former President. Mr Buck punished for not bringing in his paper-Mr Pres orders all to bring in the papers due on next friday. Mr Burke order'd to make a speech agst Caesar in the character of a Roman Senator, at the time he went to command in Gaul—Burke Conscript Fathers, I never heard so much talk of Liberty as now, & this I take to be a bad omen to it, for had it been secure men would be satisfied to enjoy it in Silence, without having anything to discourse concerning it, but now it makes many bright flashes wthout any great effect. The nature of all departing lights; but this is not the only reason ye have to suspect your Freedom in danger. I think ye should as in a common distress endeavour to find out some means to secure yourselves. How much were you alarm'd when a parcel of desperate young fellows, who by the badness of their lives & the ill state of their fortunes conspired to mend them by the ruin of their country; but how ought ye be ashamed when now there are apparently united for your Destruction the three most powerful members of the Republic-the Conqueror of Asia, the richest man, & the most crafty man in Rome. from the last ye have most to fear. this his artifice wch has combin'd the other two.-safety let us cut him off & then ye dissolve that union wch strikes at the root of yr Constitution, nor be amazed that I compare this with the Conspiracy of Catiline. The Chief of it, Caesar, ye dont forget was not backward openly to defend & privately to abett it, but he has carried his wickedness still furtherto intimidate any honest man from standing in the way of his ambition he has by his instrument Clodius got Cicero the father of his country condemned, and in consequence banish'd, the supporter of its Liberty who he fear'd might oppose designs so like those he so lately quelled. I hope I have now convinced ye of his evil designes & therefore I trust ye will take proper measures to prevent it; the most fitting seem immediately to banish Caesar, lest coming to Rome his power & interest may prevent his punishm⭑. Dennis speaks for him Conscript Fathers-I cannot sufficiently express my indignation when I hear the great Caesar compar'd wth Cataline. On what O most wicked man do you found the parity between them? What has Caesar hitherto done not for the good of his Country? Is this like Catiline? Does the conquest of Spain for-bode the destruction of Rome? But he says Caesar is popular and has entered into the Triumvirate a mighty matter this to found an accusation of treason on. They would have enmity & civil Commotion flourish among ye. Is private friendship the destruction of the Public Good. I dont know what more Caesar has done unless ye will think his reduction of Spain & late Success in Gaul were crimes-I wish Caesar were here -his enemies & those of Rome take advantage of his absence to calumniate him. Were he here these wretches would be silent & tremble who now insult him, for what Roman would dare mutter anything agst him in the Forum! But he says banish him & banish him unheard-unheard of advice! Do not yr worst criminals plead for themselves? but what has Caesar done to forfeit that right? Ay, but Caesar has large interest & is crafty, true he has great interest & wants not prudence! Whence came he by that interest but by his virtues? & how has he used that prudence but for the reduction of yr enemies. Let all this then at least induce ye to hear him but I begin to think the accuser in the right, if ye banish him O never let him come to Rome to see your baseness and ingratitude. Mr President observes that the event has shewn Mr Burke's opinion best, & happy for the Romans had they given such a Detirmination as this Society would now give in their cause. Hamilton to give in an Oration to p'suade the Duke of Cumberland not to expose his p'son too much in the approaching battle. Ardesoif to bring a Moral paper on Craft-also a paper onArdesoif censured for absence. Pres. speech. Dennis speech from Milton. Mr Pres says he came at six o'clock but finding none of the members he had gone and finish'd a little business, but now that he was come he was pleas'd to find them Assembled, that he need not tell them he would act to the satisfaction of the Society, and in observance of the Laws for they had heard him promise it, and he believ'd he would never be charged with a breach of that promise. ORDERS the Secretary to declare the business of the night— he does. Mr Dennis speaks his speech from Milton, Order'd to speak it more perfect Tuesday next. Mr Buck punish'd for not having his Buck on Satyr. Oration-reads his paper on Satyr, promises to give it in more Burke's Oration. correctly. Mr Burke gives in his Oration. Order'd to speak it on Monday. Mr Pres reminds the Society to give Mr Burke thanks for his Burke declines conduct when Pres-Mr Burke declines it as his behaviour was not thanks for his worthy of it, on account of the scarcity of business; but proposes Presidency. giving thanks to Mr Dennis for his sitting so often in the Chair, and his excellent conduct in his whole course of administration. Mr Dennis thanks Mr Burke for his proposal, and moves for thanks to him for his Censorship, which he accordingly recieves, as does Mr Dennis for his Presidency's. Burke Dennis Buck on Charity. Mr Buck gives in his paper on Charity, esteem'd not so good as the one on Satyr. The Pres requests that Mr Burke when his time Burke on ye to give in a Missc: paper may write on the Earthquake at Lima1. Earthquake. Consents. Mr Hamilton gives in his Oration. excus'd for not having Papers for it by heart but promises to speak it a Tuesday-Dennis appointed next week. to write on the political state of Italy on Tuesday, and on Austere and chearfull religion for a Moral paper on Friday, when Mr Burke Debate about is to speak Othello's speech to the Senate. Mr Pres. proposes desheep stealers. bating whether the Law that makes sheep stealing death be repeal'd Dennis speaks necessity of repealing the Law. Crimes. Murder escapes. -Mr Dennis says, The end of our meeting here is to redress the grievances of our Country, and the law which you have pass'd that makes sheep stealing Death must necessarily be repeal'd if we wou'd answer that end. All crimes are not equal, why shou'd the punishments then be equal? Inequality of Murder is the greatest of Crimes, yet sheep stealing is equally punish'd, surely the punishment should be adequate to the Crime, Imitate Heaven. Or even less, for we should imitate our Creator in being mercifull rather than severe; but we basely punish this small Crime with the highest punishment and instead of lesening have increas'd it. While Murder back'd by Power and Fortune often escapes punishment, which is left to the less wicked, who are constrain'd to steal thro' poverty. But shall the Murderer, richely secure, escape while the Mend the law. poverty of the sheep stealer hangs him? No, let us repeal this law and form another, more just tho' less rigorous-Mr Burke says Burke's speech. When we are to repeal a standing law we are not to do it lightly; Law once good our Ancestors saw the wisdom of this Law, or they would not enact always so. it; why then is it less good? Has all the benefits our Ancestors have receiv'd rendered it now useless? No, a man's property's his life. The Law of Nature gives a man power to kill offenders. Now he that seizes my property would seize my life. The Law cannot be cruel, for rich men might thro' a love of rapine plunder the poor past reparation. When Murder was made Death, so was Theft, & justly, since it destroys bad men who by their wantonness wou'd destroy Society & ruin Society. If we repeal this so necessary a Law future Parliaments may follow our Example and overthrow the most fundamental Laws in the Constitution 2-Debate unfinished. the Constitution. Pres speech. Mr Dennis accuses Mr Ardesoif whose fine and censure is suspended. Mr Pres. says that sitting in the Chair had hitherto depriv'd the Members of speaking but he now recommends that for the future they would not only speak on the entrance into that office but also at their quitting it, and not as usual to repeat two or three sentences, but that they wou'd take heads on paper and make an orderly speech, and not indulge a bashful silence which might hurt the Society, but by their speech enliven the proceedings, and shew themselves fit 1 On 26th October, 1746, Lima was visited by a terrible earthquake. 5000 people lost their lives and the Port of Callao was destroyed. 2 See ante p. 156. |