future reward, and dread of future punishment, will be moved to act
with justice and integrity?

This is not to be accomplished any other way, but by introducing
religion, as much as possible, to be the turn and fashion of the age;
which only lies in the power of the administration; the prince with
utmost strictness regulating the court, the ministry, and other persons
in great employment; and these, by their example and authority,
reforming all who have dependence on them.

It is certain, that a reformation successfully carried on in this great
town, would in time spread itself over the whole kingdom, since most of
the considerable youth pass here that season of their lives, wherein the
strongest impressions are made, in order to improve their education, or
advance their fortune, and those among them, who return into their
several counties, are sure to be followed and imitated, as the greatest
patterns of wit and good breeding.

And if things were once in this train, that is, if virtue and religion
were established as the necessary titles to reputation and preferment,
and if vice and infidelity were not only loaded with infamy, but made
the infallible ruin of all men's pretensions, our duty, by becoming our
interest, would take root in our natures, and mix with the very genius
of our people, so that it would not be easy for the example of one
wicked prince to bring us back to our former corruptions.

I have confined myself (as it is before observed) to those methods for
the advancement of piety, which are in the power of a prince, limited
like ours, by a strict execution of the laws already in force. And this
is enough for a project, that comes without any name or recommendation,
I doubt, a great deal more than will suddenly be reduced into practice.
Though, if any disposition should appear towards so good a work, it is
certain, that the assistance of the legislative power would be necessary
to make it more complete. I will instance only a few particulars.

In order to reform the vices of this town, which, as we have said, hath
so mighty an influence on the whole kingdom, it would be very
instrumental to have a law made, that all taverns and alehouses should
be obliged to dismiss their company at twelve at night, and shut up
their doors, and that no woman should be suffered to enter any tavern or
alehouse, upon any pretence whatsoever. It is easy to conceive what a
number of ill consequences such a law would preven