secret testimony of the soul, whereby it gives its approbation to things that are naturally good, and condemns those that are evil. See Moral Philosophy.

A man of integrity will never listen to any reason, or give way to any measure, or be misled by any inducement, against conscience.—The inhabitants of a great town offered Martial de Turenne 100,000 crowns, upon condition he would take another road, and not march his troops their way. He answered them, "As your town is not in the road I intend to march, I cannot accept the money you offer me."—The earl of Derby, in the reign of Edward III. making a descent

ancestors has two descendants who increase in a duplicate ratio, it will follow, that the ratio in which all the descendants increase downwards, must be double to that in which the ancestors increase upwards: but we have seen, that the ancestors increase in a duplicate ratio: therefore, the descendants must increase in a double duplicate; that is, in quadruple ratio.

| Collateral Degrees | Number of Kindred | |-------------------|------------------| | 1 | 1 | | 2 | 4 | | 3 | 16 | | 4 | 64 | | 5 | 256 | | 6 | 1024 | | 7 | 4096 | | 8 | 16384 | | 9 | 65536 | | 10 | 262144 | | 11 | 1048576 | | 12 | 4194304 | | 13 | 16777216 | | 14 | 67108864 | | 15 | 268435456 | | 16 | 1073741824 | | 17 | 4294967296 | | 18 | 17179869184 | | 19 | 68719476736 | | 20 | 27487796944 |

This calculation may also be formed by a more compendious process, viz. by squaring the couples, or half the number of ancestors, at any given degree; which will furnish us with the number of kindred we have in the same degree, at equal distance with ourselves from the common stock, besides those at unequal distances. Thus in the tenth lineal degree, the number of ancestors is 1024; its half, or the couples, amounts to 512; the number of kindred in the tenth collateral degree amounts therefore to 262144, or the square of 512. And, if we will be at the trouble to recollect the state of the several families within our own knowledge, and observe how far they agree with this account; that is, whether, on an average, every man has not one brother or sister, four first-cousins, sixteen second cousins, and so on, we shall find, that the present calculation is very far from being overcharged. scent in Guinne, carried by storm the town of Ber- gerac, and gave it up to be plundered. A Welch knight happened by chance to light upon the receiver's office. He found there such a quantity of money that he thought himself obliged to acquaint his gene- ral with it, imagining that so great a booty naturally belonged to him. But he was agreeably surprized when the earl told him, with a pleafant countenance, that he wished him joy of his good fortune; and that he did not make the keeping of his word to depend upon the great or little value of the thing he had pro- mised.—In the siege of Falifci by Camillus general of the Romans, the schoolmaster of the town, who had the children of the senators under his care, led them abroad under the pretext of recreation, and carried them to the Roman camp, saying to Camillus, that by this artifice he had delivered Falisci into his hands. Camillus, abhorring this treachery, obferved, "That there were laws for war as well as for peace; and that the Romans were taught to make war with inte- grity not less than with courage." He ordered the schoolmaster to be stripped, his hands to be bound be- hind his back, and to be delivered to the boys to be lashed back into the town. The Falerians, formerly obfinate in refiftance, struck with an act of justice so illuftrious, delivered themselves up to the Romans; convinced that they would be far better to have the Romans for their allies than their enemies.

It is a faying, That no man ever offended his own conscience, but firft or laft it was revenged upon him. The power of conscience indeed has been remarked in all ages, and the examples of it upon record are innum- erable. The following is related by Mr Fordyce, in his Dialogues on Education *, as a real occurrence which happened in a neighbouring state not many years ago. A jeweller, a man of good character and considerable wealth, having occasion in the way of his business to travel at some distance from the place of his abode, took along with him a servant, in order to take care of his portmanteau. He had with him some of his best jewels, and a large sum of money, to which his servant was likewise privy. The master having oc- casion to dismount on the road, the servant watching his opportunity, took a pistol from his master's saddle and shot him dead on the spot; then rifed him of his jewels and money, and hanging a large stone to his neck, he threw him into the nearest canal. With this booty he made off to a diltant part of the country, where he had reafon to believe that neither he nor his master was known. There he began to trade in a very low way at firft, that his obfcurity might screen him from obfervation, and in the course of a good many years seemed to rise, by the natural progres of business, into wealth and confideration; fo that his good fortune appeared at once the effect and reward of induftry and virtue. Of these he counterfeited the appearance fo well, that he grew into great credit, married into a good family, and by laying out his hid- den stores difcreetly, as he faw occasion, and joining to all an universal affability, he was admitted to a share of the government of the town, and rofe from one poft to another, till at length he was chosen chief magistrate. In this office he maintained a fair cha- racter, and continued to fill it with no small applause, both as a governor and a judge; till one day as he sat on the bench with fome of his brethren, a criminal Conscience was brought before him who was accused of murder- ing his master. The evidence came out full, the jury brought in their verdict that the prisoner was guilty, and the whole assembly waited the sentence of the pre- ident of the court (which he happened to be that day) with great fuppofe. Meanwhile he appeared to be in unual disorder and agitation of mind, and his colour changed often; at length he arose from his seat, and coming down from the bench, placed him- self juft by the unfortunate man at the bar. "You fee before you (said he, adrefing himfelf to thofe who had fat on the bench with him), a striking in- stance of the juft rewards of heaven, which this day, after 30 years concealment, prefents to you a greater criminal than the man juft now found guilty." Then he made an ample confefion of his guilt, and of all its aggravations. "Nor can I feel, (continued he) any relief from the agonies of an awakened conscience, but by requiring that juftice be forthwith done againft me in the moft public and solemn manner." We may easily fuppofe the amazement of all the assembly, and efpecially of his fellow-judges. However, they pro- ceeded, upon this confefion, to pafs fentence upon him, and he died with all the symptoms of a penitent mind.

Courts of Consciences, are courts for recovery of small debts, conftituted by act of parliament in Lon- don, Westminster, &c. and other populous and trading districts.