Firt then, I think that the vat Torrent of Luxury which of late Years hath poured itelf into this Nation, hath greatly contributed to produce, among many others, the Michief I here complain of. I am not here to atirize the Great, among who Luxury is probably rather a moral than a political Evil. But Vices no more than Dieaes will top with them; for bad Habits are as infectious by Example, as the Plague itelf by Contact. In free Countries, at leat, it is a Branch of Liberty claimed by the People to be as wicked and as profligate as their Superiors. Thus while the Nobleman will emulate the Grandeur of a Prince; and the Gentleman will apire to the proper State of the Nobleman; the Trademan teps from behind his Counter into the vacant Place of the Gentleman, Nor doth the Confuion end here: It reaches the very Dregs of the People, who apiring till to a Degree beyond that which belongs to them, and not being able by the Fruits of honet Labour to upport the State which they affect, they didain the Wages to which their Indutry would entitle them; and abandoning themelves to Idlenes, the more imple and poor-spirited betake themelves to a State of Starving and Beggary, while thoe of more Art and Courage become Thieves, Sharpers, and Robbers.
Could Luxury be confined to the Palaces of the Great, the Society would not perhaps be much affected with it; at leat, the Michiefs, which I am now intending to obviate can never be the Conequence. For tho', perhaps, there is not more of real Virtue in the higher State, yet the Sene of Honour is there more general and prevalent. But there is a much tronger Reaon. The Means bear no Proportion to the End: For the Los of Thouands, or of a great Etate, is not to be relieved or upplied by any Means of common Theft or Robbery. With regard to uch Evils therefore the Legilature might be jutified in leaving the Punihment, as well as the pernicious Conequences, to end in the Miery, Ditres, and ometimes utter Ruin of a private Family. But when this Vice decends downward to the Trademan, the Mechanic, and the Labourer, it is certain to engender many political Michiefs, and, among the ret, it is mot evidently the Parent of Theft and Robbery, to which not only the Motive of Want but of Shame conduces: For there is no greater Degree of Shame than the Trademan generally feels at the firt Inability to make his regular Payments; nor is there any Difficulty which he would not undergo to avoid it. Here then the Highway promies; and hath, I doubt not, often given Relief. Nay, I remember very lately a Highwayman who confesed everal Robberies before me, his Motive to which, he asured me, (and o it appeared) was to pay a Bill that was hortly to become due. In this Cae therefore the Public becomes intereted, and conequently the Legilature is obliged to interpoe.
To give a final Blow to Luxury by any general Prohibition, if it would be adviable, is by no means posible. To ay the Truth, bad Habits in the Body Politic, epecially if of any Duration, are eldom to be wholly eradicated. Palliatives alone are to be applied; and thee too in a free Contitution mut be of the gentlet Kind, and as much as posible adapted to the Tate and Genius of the People.
The gentlet Method which I know, and at the ame Time perhaps one of the mot effectual, of topping the Progres of Vice, is by removing the Temptation. Now the two great Motives to Luxury, in the Mind of Man, are Vanity and Voluptuounes. The former of thee operates but little in this Regard with the lower Order of People. I do not mean that they have les of this Pasion than their Betters; but the apparent Imposibility of gratifying it this Way deters them, and diverts at leat this Pasion into another Channel; for we find it puts them rather on vying with each other in the Reputation of Wealth, than in the outward Appearance of Show and Grandeur. Voluptuounes or the Love of Pleaure is that alone which leads them into Luxury. Here then the Temptation is with all posible Care to be withdrawn from them.
Now what greater Temptation can there be to Voluptuounes, than a Place where every Sene and Appetite of which it is compounded, are fed and delighted; where the Eyes are feated with Show, and the Ears with Muic, and where Gluttony and Drunkennes are allured by every Kind of Dainty; nay where the finet Women are expoed to View, and where the meanet Peron who can dres himelf clean, may in ome degree mix with his Betters, and thus perhaps atify his Vanity as well as his Love of Pleaure?