rigg'd a Piece of Cork, made
Sails of fine Linnen, and brought it to his Excellency in a Bason of
Water. I told him, we were a civiliz'd Nation, and govern'd by a King,
who however did nothing without the Advice of his Great Council, which
consisted of Grandees born to that Honour, and _Quityardo's_ elected by
the People to represent them. That, to these Representatives the People
had delegated the Power of acting for them, and entrusted their Liberty
and Estates to their Probity; consequently nothing could be supposed to
be done by the Prince, but by the universal Consent of the Nation, and
the People could bear no Burthens, but what they voluntarily took upon
themselves for the common Good.

I have never, _answer'd he_, read, that any of your Species was seen
in this Kingdom before you; but it is certain you must have copy'd
your Policy from us. But, said he, are all these Representatives
publick-spirited, zealous for the common Welfare, Proof against
Preferments, Titles, and private Advantages? Have they always the
Good of the Nation at Heart so far, as to prefer it to that of their
Families? Do they sollicite the People to chuse them, or are they
their free Choice? If the latter, what Amends do the People make to
these Representatives, who neglect their private Affairs, to apply
themselves to those of the Publick?

I told his Excellency, that I did not doubt their being such Men as he
spoke them; that I was very young when I left my Country, and beside I
was not born in a Rank which, had I been of riper Years, permitted me to
meddle with State Affairs: However, I had heard from my Elders, that
none were elected, till the King sent his Mandates to the several
Provinces, ordering them to chuse the wisest among them to assist his
Majesty with their Advice: And as the Interest of each Province in
particular, and of the whole Nation in general, turn'd upon the Probity
and Judgment of the Representatives, to whom an unlimited Power was
delegated, it did not stand to Reason, that they would make Choice of
any, whose Love for his Country, whose Sagacity and Honour they had not
made Proof of; or at least, whose Life did not give them Hopes, that he
would prove a real Patriot.

That they were the free Choice of the People, was plain, by the
Backwardness shewn by those elected to undertake so weighty a Charge,
which had no other Recompence than the Applause of the Publick, for the
faithful Execution of