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92 TRAVELS
regency the young king kept himfelf in a ftate of total infignifi-
cance. He never of his own accord appeared before the people,
nor did any thing without afking leave of the duke: it feemed as
if he confidered himfelf as nobody during his. minority, for the
fole purpofe of making the regent feel the whole weight of his
authority, when the period fhould arrive of exercifing it in its
full extent. The leading features in this young prince’s character,
as I conceive, are an ambition of governing without minitters, or
any interference that might fet bounds to his abfolute {way, and
a fincere wifh at the fame time to do as much good as lies within
the narrow {phere of his powers and knowledge. Under the in-
fluence of two priefts, and ftrongly impreffed with an abhorrence
of what 1s called the new philofophy, he has become a deter-
mined bigot, and hence is influenced by a fuperftition that throws
every poffible obftacle in the way of progreflive improvement.
Thofe two priefts are Bifhop Fleddin and Bithop M***, The
firft was the king’s preceptor in religious inftruction : he is a man
of no learning, but of an af{piring temper, and ready to make any
facrifice to his private intereft. The religion of Luther, under
his aufpices, degenerates into the rites and ceremonies of popery.
It is by his advice that the foldiers have received orders on Good-
Friday to turn the muzzles of their fire-arms downwards, and to
have their drums flackened and deadened, as at Rome and in
other catholic countries. Bifhop M***, in his earlier years was
a friend to democracy: he was firft brought into notice by a
treatife
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