What might not the Beaumonts and the Nevilles hope from the justice of a
Prince for whom they had bled and suffered! Such agreeable reveries as
these supported Mrs. Mellicent's spirits during that long period of
suspense, in which (for fiction must not anticipate the slow progress of
history) she expected their realization. And if hope invested the
enlivening phantom of royal gratitude in too gorgeous colours, may we
not bless, rather than censure, the fortunate delusion? We are to
consider, that the venerable spinster having passed her days in privacy,
was ignorant of the chicanery of courts, and disposed to believe, that
honour, gratitude, and sincerity, are the inseparable concomitants of
illustrious birth. She herself never forgot either her benefactors or
her enemies; and she knew not how early Princes are taught to consider
the sacrifice of life and fortune as positive debts due to them from
their subjects. She was not aware how often expediency compels them to
smile on a potent enemy, and to overlook an inefficient friend; how
necessary it is for them to employ, as instruments, the able and
enterprising, rather than the amiable; and in fine, how much more apt
the great are to shower their favours on those whom they oblige by
unexpected munificence, than to discharge the claims of justice; to seek
praise for liberality, instead of being contented with the merit
resulting from a mere performance of duty.
Pages:
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653