A Vindication of Natural Society

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VINDICATION O F

NATURAL SOCIETY: O

R,

A View of the to

Miseries and Evils arifing Mankind from every Species of

ARTIFICIAL SOCIETY. Letter

In a

By

a late

to

Lord

****

Noble Writer.

LONDON: Printed for

[Price

M. Cooper

One

in Pater-nq/fer-Row,

Shilling

1756.

and Six-pence.]

ADVERTISEMENT.

TH

E

following Letter appears to

have been written about the Year

whom

1748, and the Perfon to

it is

ad-

As it Noble Writer had no De-

dreffed need not be pointed out. is

probable the

fign that

it

fhould ever appear in Publick,

having kept no

this will account for his

Copy of

it,

and confequently,

appearing amongft the

By what Means the Editor,

is

it

not

at'

into the

all

it's

not

of his Works.

reft

came

for

Hands of

material to the

Publick, any farther than

as

fuch an Ac-

count might tend to authenticate the Genuinenefs of it, and for this it

might

Evidence.

fafely

rely

on

it

it's

was thought

own

internal

']

r

A

LETTER T O

LORD SHALL our

****

I venture to fay,

that in

late

were inclined

my Lord,

Converfation,

to the Party

you

which you

adopted rather by the Feelings of your

good Nature, than by the Conviction of your Judgment ? We laid open the Foundations of Society

the

Curiofity

of

;

and you

this

feared, that

Search might en-

danger the Ruin of the whole Fabrick.

You would readily have allowed my ciple,

Prin-

but you dreaded the Confequences

-,

you thought, that having once entered upon

B

thefe

L.«] thefe Reafonings, fenfibly

we

and

we might

be carried in-

irrefiftably farther

than

at firft

could either have imagined or wifhed.

my part, my Lord,

But for

I

then thought,

and

am

ror,

and not Truth of any Kind,

ous

ftill

that

j

of the fame Opinion, that Eris

danger-

Conclufions can only flow

ill

that, to

know

whether any Proportion be true or

falfe,

from

it is

by

falfe

Propofitions

a prepoflerous

it's

and

>

y

Method

to

examine

it

apparent Confequences.

Thefe were the Reafons which induced

me to go

fo far into that

are the Reafons

Enquiries.

which

Enquiry; and they

direct

had indeed often

I

on that 'Subject before

I

They were

choly enough carry

us

Things

make

;

;

all

my

reflected

could prevail upon

myfelf to communicate

any body.

me in

my

Reflections to

generally melan-

as thofe ufually are

which

beyond the mere Surface of and which would undoubtedly

the Lives of

all

thinking

Men

ex-

tremely miferable, if the fame Philofophy

which

3

t

which caufed the

Time

On

1

Grief, did not at the

fame

adminifter the Comfort.

confidering political Societies, their

Origin, their Conftitution, and their Effects,

deal

I

have fometimes been

more than Doubt, whether

tor did ever really intend

He

of Happinefs. a

in

Number of

Man

a good

the Creafor a State

has mixed in his

Cup

natural Evils, (in Spite

of

the Boafts of Stoicifm they are Evils) and

every Endeavour which the Art and Policy

of Mankind has ufed from the Begin-

ning of the

World

Day,

to this

in order to

or cure them, has only ferved to

alleviate,

new

introduce

Mifchiefs,

and inflame the

Mind of Man

old.

itfelf is

a Principle ever to

of Quiet.

or to aggravate

Befides

the

too adlive and reftlefs

fettle

on the

difcovers every

It

this,

true Point

Day fome

craving Want in a Body, which really wants

but

little.

artificial if

It

every

Rule

left to

Day

invents

to guide that

itfelf

were the

B

2

fome new

Nature which beft

and

fureft

Guide.

;

[43 Guide.

It finds out

imaginary Beings pre*

imaginary Lawsj and then,

fcribing

it

imaginary Terrors to fupport a Be-

raifes

lief in the Beings,

and an Obedience to the

Many Things have been

Laws.

faid,

and

very well undoubtedly, on the Subje&iori in

which we fhould

preferve our Bodies

Government of our Underflanding but enough has not been faid upon the Reto the

ftraint

which our bodily

to lay

on the extravagant Sublimities, and

Neceflities

excentrick Rovings of our Minds.

Body, or

as

rior Nature,

is

wifer in

to call it's

it,

The

our infe-

own plain Way,

own Bufinefs more Mind with all it's

and attends than the

fome love

ought

it's

dire
boafted

Subtilty.

In the State of Nature, without Queftion,

Mankind was fubje&ed

great Inconveniencies.

to

Want

many and of Union,

Want of mutual Affiftance, Want common Arbitrator to refort to in Differences.

of a their

Thefe were Evils which they could

;

[5] could not but have

many

The

Occafions.

on

pretty feverely

felt

original Children of

the Earth lived with their Brethren of the

much

other Kinds in

Diet muft

have

been

confined almoft

wholly to the vegetable Kind

fame Tree, which

in

and the

-,

flourishing State

it's

produced them Berries, in

it's

Decay gave

The mutual Defires

them an

Habitation.

of the

Sexes uniting their

Bodies and

which

the Children,

Afte&ions,

Their

Equality.

were

the Refults of thefe Intercourfes, intro-

duced

firft

taught

it's

Notion of

the

Conveniences.

Society,

This Society,

founded in natural Appetites and

and not call

in

is,

not

Thus

Society.

went, and fucceeded farther.

Inftindts,

any pofitive Inftitution

Natural

;

but

and

far

I fhall

;

Nature

Man would

go

The great Error of our Nature to know where to flop, not to be

fatisfied

with any reafonable Acquirement;

not to

compound with our Condition

but to lofe

all

we

have gained by an infa-

tiablePurfuit after more. 1

Man found

a con-

fiderablc

;

t6] fiderable

Advantage by

ny Perfons

to

Union of ma-

this

form one Family

fore judged that

he would

he there-

;

Account

find his

many FaAnd as Na-

pfoportibnably in an Union of milies into one

ture has

them

Body

politick.

formed no Bond of Union

together,

he fupplied

this

to hold

Defedt by

Laws. This

is

the Sources of what States,

into

And

hence

ufually

called

Political Society,

civil

Societies,

are

or

Governments

fome Form of which, more extended

Of reftrainedj fallen*

that

And

We owe

Mankind have

all

fince

it

gradually

has fo happened, and

an implicit Reverence to

all

the Institutions of our Anceftors,

we

fhall

with

all

that

confider thefe

Inftitutions

Modefly with which we ought

to

condudl

ourfelves in examining a received Opinion

but with

all

that

which we owe find

own

it,

or

to

however

j

Freedom and Candour Truth wherever we it

may

Notions, or oppofe our

contradidl our

own

Interefts.

There

[7] There

is

a moft abfurd and audacious Me-*

thod of reafoning avowed by fbme Bigots

and Enthufiafts, and through Fear affented to

by fome wifer and

They

this.

Men

better

argue againft a

fair

5

it is

Difcuffion

of popular Prejudices, becaufe, fay they, tho'

they would be found without any

reafonable

Support,

the Difcovery

yet

might be productive of the moft danger^ ous Confequences.

mous Notion

!

Abfurd and blafphe* Happinefs was not

as if all

connected with the Practice of Virtue,

which

neceffarily

ledge of Truth

;

depends upon theKnow^ that

is,

upon the Know**

ledge of thofe unalterable Relations

which

Providence has ordained that every thing

Thefe Rela-

fhould bear to every other. tions,

which

are

tion of Virtue,

Truth

itfelf,

the

Founds

and confequently, the only

Meafures of Happinefs, fhould be likewif§ the only Meafures by which diredt our Reafoning.

conform

in

To

good Earneft

to force Nature,

and

thefe •

we we

fhoukl fhould

and not think

the. whole

Order of

Hz

;

[8] her Syftem, by a Compliance with our Pride, and Folly, to ficial

Regulations.

conform It is

Method we owe

to this

the few Truths

to our arti-

by a Conformity the Difcovery of

we know, and

Liberty and rational Happinefs

We

have fomething

fairer

the

we

little

enjoy.

Play than a

Reafoner could have expefted formerly

we

and

derive Advantages from

which

it

are very vilible.

The

Fabrick of Superflition has in

Age and Nation

our

Shocks than

it

received

had ever

felt

much before

this

ruder ;

and

through the Chinks and Breaches of our Prifon,

and

we fee

feel

fuch refrefhing Airs of Liberty, as

daily raife our feries

tion,

fuch Glimmerings of Light,

Ardor

derived to

under the

ecclefiaftical

for

more.

Mankind from

Name

The MiSuperfli-

of Religion, and of

Tyranny under the

Name

Church Government, have been and

ufefully expofed.

and

to a£t

We

of

clearly

begin to think

from Reafon and from Nature alone.

;

[9] This

alone.

by

far the

is

true of feveral, but

Majority in the fame old State

of Blindnefs and Slavery to be feared that lapfe, whilft all

ftill is

we

;

much

and

is it

(hall perpetually re-

the real productive Caufe of Folly, enthufiaftical

this fuperftitious

Nonfenfe, and holy Tyranny, holds a reverend Place thofe

who are

Civil

from

in

the Eftimation even of

otherwife enlightened.

Government borrows

ecclefiaftical

;

and

a Strength

arrificial

Laws

re-

ceive a Sanction from artificial Revelations.

The

Ideas of Religion and

are-clofely connected

ceive

Government

;

Government

as a

Thing

draw

re-

neceflary,

or even ufeful to our well-being, in fpite of us

we

and whilft

we

fhall

in, as a necefTary, tho'

undefirable Confequeflce, an artificial

Re-

To

this

ligion

of fome Kind or other.

the Vulgar will always be voluntary Slaves

and even thofe of a Rank of Underftanding fuperior,

will

now and

feel it's Influence.

C

then involuntarily

It is therefore

of the deepeft

10]

t

deepeft Concernment to us to be fet right in

Point

this

whether

natural

warm

and fuch a

Evils,

Nurfe and Increafer of of

fatisfied

Government be fuch a Pro-

civil

from

tedtor

and to be well

j

as thofe

Bleffings,

Imaginations promife. In fuch a

am

Difcuffion, far

I

from propofing

on our

leaft to reflect

mod

wife

Government ; no more than

my

the freer Parts of ings,

mean

and

Perfe&ion

in the

Form of would

I

philofophical Writ-

Truth

to objedl to the Piety,

of

Both

Church.

I

our

am

moft excellent have their

fenfible

No

Foundations on a Rock.

Difcovery

On

of Truth can prejudice them. contrary, the

more

in

the

clofely the Origin

of

Religion and Government are examined, ,

the

more

appear. Fire.

clearly their Excellencies

They come

My

Bufinefs

Having entered a tions

from

ence,

not

how

far

with them.

Proteft againft

thefe Quarters, I

freely enquire

from the

purified is

muft

all

may

Objec-

the

more

from Hiftory and ExperiPolicy has contributed in all

m

r all

Times

]

to alleviate thofe Evils

which

Providence, that perhaps has defigned us for a State of Imperfection, has

how

far

and whether,

;

new ones,

not have introduced

able perhaps

by no

Judgment on

cure-

Skill.

it

it ;

which

that Relation

it

fecond, that Relation

it's

States.

component

the governing, and the governed,

The

bear to each other. external

View of all

as Friends,

makes

Hiftory, that fords

The

bears in Point

of Friendfhip or Enmity to other

Parts,

two

prefents itfelf in

Lights, the external and the internal.

The

it

looking over any State to form a

In

firft,

;

our phyfical Skill has cured our

conftitutional Diforders

may

impofed

me

expatiate.

Nation to

1

but

am

Part of the

States, their

Relation

fo trifling a Figure in

very forry to fay,

little

it

af-

Matter on which to

The good it's

firft

Offices

Neighbour

(a)-,

done by one the Support

given (a)

Had

his Lordfhip lived to

noble Relief given by

this

our Days, to have feen the

Nation to the diftxeftedPortuguefe, " he C2

«3

[

]

given in publick Diftrefs

the Relief

-,

aft-

forded in general Calamity; the Protection

granted in emergent Danger

Return of Kindnefs and

But

jedl for Hiftory. all

Civility,

alas

!

Times, concerning

all

the Hif-

all

Nations,

does not afford Matter enough to Pages, though

it

Amplification

The

Guicciardini himfelf. is

of Enmity.

that

which the

or almoft

which we can Society,

is

in

only Actions, feen,

and

War

ftill

of

a

Side

glaring

the Matter

is

Hiftory, and confequently

fills all

only,

ten

fill

mould be fpun out by

Wire-drawing

the

would

ample and very pleafing Subr

afford a very

tory of

the mutual

;

the

only

to fee

in

of political

fee the external

a hoftile

View

Shape

;

and the

which we have always all

of

them

intent, are

fuch, as tend to the Deftru&ion of one another.

War,

fays Mackiavell,

ought to be

the only Study of a Prince; and by a Prince, |)e had perhaps owned this Part of his Argument a little •weakened, but we do not think ourfe'ves intitled to alter his Lordmip's Words, but that we are bound to follow him

cxadtly.

3

he .

13

[ lie

means every

He

ftituted.

fort of State

however eon-

ought, fays this great poli-

Do&or, only

tical

]

confider Peace as a

breathing Time, which gives

him

Leifure

to contrive, and furnifhes Ability to exe-

cute military Plans.

Conduct of

political

A Meditation on

the

made

old

Societies

War was the State of if a Man judged of the

Hobbes imagine, that

Nature

and

;

truly,

Individuals of our

Race by

duct

when

tions

and Kingdoms,

that every

their

Con-

united and packed into

fort

Na-

he might imagine

of Virtue was unnatural

and foreign to the Mind of Man.

The firft Accounts we have

Accounts of their Butcheries of

are but

All Empires have been ce-

each other.

mented riods firft

in

Blood

when

to

of Mankind

the

;

and

in thofe early

Race of Mankind began

form themfelves into

Combinations, the bination,

Pe-

firft

Parties

Effect of the

and indeed the End

for

and

Com-

which

it

feems purpofely formed, and beft calculated,

[ lated,

their

is

14]

mutual Definition.

All

One

antient Hiftory

is

dark and uncertain.

thing however

is

clear.

There were Con-

and Conquefts,

querors,

and confequently,

by which they

all

in

that

are formed,

Days;

thofe

Devaftation,

and

that

all

Qppreffion by which theyare maintained.

We

know

little

of Sejb/lris, but that he led

out of Egypt an

Men

;

Coaft

that

of above 700,000

he overran the Mediterranean

as far as Colchis , that in

he met but flied

Army

lome

Refiftance, and of courfe

little

not a great deal of Blood

he found

Places,

in others, a People

but that

;

who knew

the Value of their Liberties, and fold dear.

Whoever

confiders the

them

Army

Conqueror headed, the Space he

this

traverfed,

and the Oppofition he frequently met

;,

with the natural Accidents of Sicknefs,

and the Dearth and Badnefs of Provifion

he ,

mud

rietv

have been fubjedt to in the Va-

of Climates and Countries his March

lay through, if

he knows any thing, he

muft know, that even the Conqueror's

Army

[i5l Army that,

muft have fuffered greatly; and

of this immenfe Number, but a very

fmall Part cou'd have returned to enjoy

the Plunder accumulated by the Lofs of fo

many of

their

Companions, and the

Devaftation of fo confiderable a Part of the

World.

If this

was the

muft have been quered, thofe

this at the leaft

that is

who

Nations

Liberty, and thofe

Lofs.

of the Vic-

and from the Circumftances,

torious,

gether,

State

who

j

it

Con-

the

their

loft

fought for

it

to-

muft have had a much heavier

They muft have Number, as the

loft at leaft

double

greateft Slaughter

always in the Flight, and great Carnage

did in thofe

tend the

Times and Countries ever

firft

Rage of Conqueft.

at-

This

we have on the Re(though, as we have

Conqueror, the oldeft cords of Hiftory,

obferved before, the Chronology of thefe

remote Times

is

extremely

uncertain),

opens the Scene by a Deftrudtion of at

1,800,000 of his

Species,

leaft

unprovoked

but by his Ambition, without any

Motives

i6]

[

tives

but Pride, Cruelty and Madnefs,

without any Benefit to himfelf; exprefsly

arid

(for Juftin

he did not maintain

tells us,

make

Conquefts) but folely to

fo

his

many

People, in fo diftant Countries, feel expe-

how

rimentally,

fevere a Scourge Provi-

dence intends for the

he

Man

gives one

and

arms

his

human

the

Race,

when

Power over many,

naturally impotent,

feeble Rage, with the

Hands

who know no common

and

of Millions, Principle

of

Action, but a blind Obedience to the Paffions

of their Ruler.

The

next Perfonage

who

Tragedies of

this ancient

ramis: For

we

figures in the

Theatre

is

Semi-

have no Particulars of

Ninus, but that he made immenfe and rapid Conquefts,

which

doubtlefs

were

not compafled without the ufual Carnage,

We

Army of above three employed in a War againft the

hear of her

Millions Indians. greater 5

We hear and of a

of their having a yet

War

continued with

much

17]

[

much

fury,

and with various Succefs.

This ends in an Account of her Retreat, with fcarce a third of the Troops employed in the Expedition at this rate

;

an Expedition, which

muft have

coft

of Souls on her part; and

two Millions

it is

not unrea-

sonable to judge that the Country

which

was the Seat of War, muft have been an equal Sufferer.

Its

Lofs muft in

this

way

of Computation be two Millions more.

So that

in this

other Wars) in

War

alone, (for ihe

this fingle

had

Reign, and in

this one Spot of the Globe, did four Mil-

lions

of Souls expire, with

all

the horrid

and {hocking Circumftances which attend all

Wars, and

in a Quarrel, in

which none

of the Sufferers cou'd have the tional

leaft ra-

Concern.

The

Babylonian, Affyrian, Median, and

Perjian Monarchies muft have poured out Seas of Blood in their Formation, and in their Deftrudtion.

The Armies and

Fleets

of Xerxes, their Numbers, the glorious

D

Stand

18]

C

made

Stand tuate

are

Event of all

known

and the unfor-

againft them, his

mighty Preparations,

of

dition, gleaning half AJia

he led an

tants,

Army

fatal

it's

Inhabi-

of about two Mil-

and wafted, by a

lions to be flaughtered,

thoufand

In this Expe-

to every body.

Accidents, in the fame Place

had before by a

where

his Predecefibrs

limilar

Madnefs confumed the Flower of

fo

many Kingdoms, and

wafted the Force

of fo extenfive an Empire.

It

is

a cheap

Calculation to fay, that the Perjian pire in

it's

Sythians,

Wars,

againft the Greeks,

threw away

in

and

four Mil-

at leait

fay nothing of

lions of their Subjefts, to their other

Em-

Wars, and the Loffes fuftained

them. Thefe were theirLoffes abroad

but the firft

War was

by

treat,

I

have

;

not,

nor

more than Hints

Lordfhip's Erudition.

to

is

to

You

by

this

Re-

make

very

in

it

3

them,

afterwards,

the Books neceffary to

exadt Calculations give

and

Agejilaus,

Alexander.

home

brought

neceffary to

one

of your

will recoiled his

*9

[

3

hia uninterrupted Series of Suecefs.

will run over his Battles.

to

mind

you

give a Glance of the

will agree

Hero no

lefs

me

with

will call

which was made.

the Carnage

You will

You

You

;

Whole, and

that to

form

this

than twelve hundred thoufand

Lives muft have been facrificed

;

but no

fooner had he fallen himfeif a Sacrifice to his

than

Vices,

thoufand Breaches

a

were made for Ruin the

laft

hand

Deftrudtion.

divided

•>

to enter*

and give

Scene of Mifery and

to this

His Kingdom was rent and

which

ferved to

employ the more

diftinc! Parts to tear

each other to Pieces,

and bury the whole

Blood and Slaughter.

The Kings

in

of Syria and of Egypt\ the

Kings of Pergamus and Macedon> without Intermiffion worried each other for above

two hundred Years

Power

until at laft a ftrong

5

Weft, rufhed

arlfing in the

them and volving

filenced their

all

in

upon

Tumuls, by

in-

the contending Parties in the

fame Deftrudtion.

It

is little

to fay, that

the Contentions between the Succeffors of

D

2

Alexander

;

[20] Alexander depopulated that Part of the

World of at lead

three Millions.

The Struggle between and Greeks, and before of

themfelves, riority,

that,

an

for

One

is

feffing five or fix

Men

fuch

fufficient

Ambition of pof-

thoufand more Acres, or

more

or three

how

aftonifhed

to facrifice to the pitiful

this

Supe-

unprofitable

a fmall Spot could furnifh

the

among

form one of the bloodieft Scenes

in Hiftory.

two

the Difputes

Commonwealths

Greek

the

the Macedonians

Acrimony and

Villages

Bitternefs

:

Yet

to fee

with which

was difputed between the Athenians

and Lacedemonians

what

Fleets

Number

;

and captived

But

!

fi:ch ever

in a real

;

one

to believe the Decifion

of the Fate of Mankind it

a

of Cities facked, and their Inha-

would be induced

upon

off;

and burnt; what

funk,

flaughtered,

bitants

what Armies cut

at leaft,

depended

thefe Difputes ended as all

have done, and ever will do

Weaknefs of all

Parties

;

a

mo-

mentary

mentary Shadow, and Dream of Power in

and the Subjection of all

fome one

;

Yoke of

a Stranger,

who knows how

of their Divifions.

profit

This

was the Cafe of the Greeks from the

earlieft

to the

$

to

at

leaft

and

fure,

Accounts of them, to their

Abforption into the Roman Empire,

we

cannot judge that their inteftine Divifions, to fay nothing of their foreign

fumed

lefs

Wars, con-

than three Millions of their In-

habitants.

What Blood

an Aceldama, what a Field of

Sicily has

whilft the

Mode

been in antient times, of

it's

Government was

controverted between the Republican and

Tyrannical Parties, ftruggled for

and

the Pofleffion

by the Natives, the Greeks, the

Carthaginians, and the Romans, yourLordfhip

will eafily

member

the

Bodies as an

recoiled;.

total

Army

You

will find every

dyed

in Blood,

You

Deftruftion

will re-

of fuch

of 300,000

Page of

it's

Men.

Hiftory

and blotted and confounded

by

[22] by Tumults, Rebellions, Maffacres, Aflaf* filiations,

and a Series of

Profcriptions,

Horror beyond the Hiftories perhaps of any other Nation in the World

made up of

the Hiftories of all Nations are I once

fimilar Matter.

point

felf in

Books. But

though

;

more excufe my-

of Exadtnefs for want of eftimate the Slaughters

I fhall

in this Iflajid but at

two Millions ; which

your Lordfhip will find

much

fhort of the

Reality.

Let us pafs by the Wars, and the Consequences of them, which wafted Grecian

Magna,

before the

Roman Power

in that Part of Italy.

exaggerated

them

at

-,

They

therefore I

one Million.

are perhaps

fhall

only rate

Let us haften to

open that great Scene which the

prevailed

Roman Empire, and forms

eftablifhes

the grand

Cataftrophe of the antient Drama.

Empire, whilft an EfTufion of dible.

The

in

it's

This

Infancy, began

human Blood neighbouring

by

fcarcely crelittle

States

teemed

teemed

newDeftrudtion

for

the Samnites,

Mqui, the

which had no

Slaughters

The Sabines>

fome hundreds of Years

which upon

all fides

the

Volfci,

were broken by a

HetrurianSy

for

the

:

of

Series

Interruption, ;

Slaughters

confumed more than

two Millions of the wretched People. The Gauls ruftiing into

added the

Italy

about

total Deftrudtion

this

of their

own

to thofe of the antient Inhabitants.

Armies

In fhort,

it

were hardly

poffible to

ceive a

more horrid and bloody

if that

which the Punic Wars

Here we

it.

find that

Devaftation, and Ruin,

con-

Pidture,

that enfued

foon after did not prefent one, that ceeds

Time,

ex-

far

Climax of

which feemed

to

The Extent of War which embraced fo many Na-

fhake the whole Earth. this

tions,

and both Elements, and the Havock

of the

human

aftonifhes

nakedly

which from

it,

Species caufed in both, really

beyond Expreffion, when confidered,

are

apt

it

is

and thofe Matters

to divert our Attention

the Characters, Anions, and

Defigns

figns of the Perfons concerned, are

taken into the Account.

mean

Thefe Wars,

I

thofe called the Punic Wars, cou'd

human Race

not have flood the

than

not

five

in lefs

And

Millions of the Species*

yet this forms but a Part only, and a very

fmall Part, of the

Havock caufed by the

Roman Ambition. The Mithridatick War was very little lefs bloody ; that Prince cut off at one Stroke 150,000 Romans

In that

a Maflfacre.

300,000

Men

Commander

at

War Sylla

deftroyed

The fame

Cheronea.

defeated Mithridates*

under DcrHaus, and flew 300,000.

fame Prince Cyzicum.

loft

by

Army The

another 300,000 before

In the courfe of the

War

he

had innumerable other Lofles

;

many

Intervals of Succefs,

he revenged

them

feverely.

overthrown

;

He

nexions with

The

at

and he crufhed

King of Armenia nefs of his

was

Ruin.

him

his

and having

laft

totally

to Pieces the

Ally by the great-

All

who had Con-

fhared the fame Fate.

mercilefs Genius of Sylla

had

it's

full

25]

C full

Scope ; and the

riot

the only ones

At

which ran with Blood.

this Period, the

Sword, glutted with

foreign Slaughter, turned

the Bowels of the

of Athens were

Streets

Edge upon

it's

Roman Republick

itfelf;

and prefented a Scene of Cruelties and Treafons enough almoft to obliterate the

Memory

of

all

the external Devaftations.

my Lord,

I intended,

to

have proceeded

Method in eftimating the Numbers of Mankind cut off in thefe Wars which we have on Record. But I a fort of

in

am

obliged to alter

my

Such a

Defign.

Uniformity of Havock and

Mur*

der would difguft your Lordfhip as

much

tragical

as

would

it

feel

my

obferve

$

and

I

confefs I already

eyes ake by keeping

on

intent

me

fo

little

them

bloody a Profpeft.

on the

Wars

fhall

1

the Social,

Servile,

the Gallic, and Spanijh

fo long

3

nor upon

thofe with Jugnrtha, nor Antiochus y nor

many

others equally important, and carried

on with equal Fury. Julius Cczfar alone,

E

The are

Butcheries of

calculated

by

fome

fome body

elfe

the

;

Numbers he

has been

a means of deftroying have been reckoned at

But to give your Lordfhip

1,200,000.

an Idea that

by which others

-,

may

fome degree, the

to meafure, in

you

Standard,

ferve as a

will turn

your Eyes on Judea-,

a very inconfiderable Spot of the Earth in

though ennobled by the fingular

itfelf,

El vents

which had

Rife

their

in

that

Country.

This Spot happened,

by what means,

it

matters not here

become

at feveral

times

extremely populous, and to fupply

Men

to

for Slaughters fcarcely credible, if other

well-known and given

them

well-attefted ones

a Colour.

The

had not

firft fettling

of the Jews here, was attended by an almoft entire Extirpation of Inhabitants.

Their

own

all

the former

civil

Wars, and

thofe with their petty Neighbours,

fumed for

vaft Multitudes almoft

feveral Centuries

-,

con-

every Year

and the Irruptions

of the Kings of Babylon and Jjjyria made

immenfe

;

f

27]

immenfe Ravages.

Yet

Hiflory but fufed

partially, in

manner

;

we

an

have their

indiflindl

fo that I (hall only

con-

throw

the ftrong Point of Light upon that Part

which

with Roman Hiftory,

coincides

and of that Part only on the Point of

Time when

they

received the great and

made them no more a Nation a Stroke which is allowed to have cut off little lefs than two Millions of final

Stroke which ;

of the Loppings

that People.

I fay nothing

made from

that Stock whilft

it

flood

nor from the Suckers that grew out of the old Root ever fince.

But

if in this

inconfiderable Part of the Globe,

Carnage has been made fhort Reigns, as

it is,

the

and that

in

this

fuch a

two or three

Carnage, great

makes but a minute Part of what

Hiftories of that People inform

they fufFered; what fhall

we

us

judge of

more extended, and which have waged Wars by far more confiderable ?

Countries

Jnftances

of

Sort

this

E

2

comppfe the uniform

[28] uniform ofHiftory.

when no

Periods

But there have been than univerfal De-

lefs

finition to the Race of

Mankind feems

When

have been threatened.

to

the Goths,

the Vandals,

and the Huns poured into

Gaul, Italy,

Spain,

and Africa,

Greece,

them

carrying Deftru&ion before

as

they

advanced, and leaving horrid Defarts every

where behind them. lentium, fecreti ieEla

;

colles

Vajiutn ubique fi~ ;

fumantia procul

nemo exploratoribus obvius,

Tacitus calls fades Victoria. fo

;

but was here emphatically

is

It is

what

always

From

fo.

the North proceeded the Swarms of Goths, Vandals,

towards

Huns, the

OJlrogoths,

South

into Africa

which

fuffered as all to the

done.

About

this

who

ran itfelf,

North had

Time, another Torrent

of Barbarians, animated by the fame Fury,

and encouraged by

the

fame Succefs,

poured out of the South, and ravaged to the North-Eaft,

and Weft,

to

all

the re-

oiPerfa on one hand, and the Banks of the Loire or further on

rnoteft Parts

to

the

[ 29 ] the other curious

;

deftroying

all

the proud and

Monuments of human

not even the furvive of the

Art,

that

Memory might feem to former Inhabitants. What

has been done fince, and what will continue to be done whilft the

ments

to

upon.

War

I fhall

fame Induce-

continue, I fhall not dwell

only in one

Word

mention

the horrid Effedts of Bigotry and Avarice, the Conquefl of Spanijh America

in

a

;

Conqueft on a low Eflimation effedted

by the Murder of ten Millions of the

draw

Species.

I fhall

this Part,

by making

of the Whole.

I

to a Conclufion

a general Calculation

think I have actually

mentioned above forty Millions. not

particularized

any more.

pretend to Exadtnefs

-,

Sake of a general View, all

I I

have don't

therefore for the I fhall lay

thofe actually flain in Battles,

beginning of the

of

World

to this

together

from the Day, in

the four Parts of it, only at a thoufand times as

much

-,

a trifling Calculation, allowing for

[

for Time

3° J

and Extent.

We have not perhaps

lpoke of the Five Hundredth Part, I fure I have not of what

is

ed in Hiftory

how much of

;

but

am

adtually afcertain-

thefe

Butcheries are only expreffed in generals,

what part of time Hiftory has never reached,

and what

Globe

vaft Spaces

of the habitable

has not embraced,

it

mention

your Lordfhip.

to

need to exaggerate

;

and

I

I

need not

I

have no

have purpofely

avoided a Parade of Eloquence on this fhould defpife

Occafion.

I

Occafion

elfe in

ters,

it

;

is

might be

it

upon any

mentioning thefe Slaugh-

obvious

how much

the whole

by an affe&ing

heightened,

Defcription of the Horrors that attend the

Wafting of Kingdoms, Cities.

But

I

and Sacking of

do not w rite T

to the Vulgar,

nor to that which only governs the Vulgar, their Paffions. I

go upon a naked and mode-

rate Calculation, juft

enough,without a Pe-

dantical Exa&nefs, to give your Lordfhip

fome Feeling of the Effe&s of Political Society,

[3i ciety.

on

whole of thefe

I charge the

Political Society.

and

fhall prefently

]

avow

I

make

it

Effedts

the Charge,

good to your

Lordfhip's Satisfadlion.The Numbers I particularized are about

40 Millions. Ifuppofe

a Thoufand times as

many

killed in Battles.

But I muft make another Addition not lefs than the former, for the Confequences of

Wars,

Skirmifhes,

in

contagious Diforders,

which

my

So that allowing

Exuberance one way

War,

Numbers of Men now

moft.

are

computed

what you

this

which may lefs

at

500 Millions

Here the Slaughter of Man-

amounts

of Souls

one

Deftru&ion

I think the

kind, on

to

my De-

Eighty Thoufand Mil-

upon Earth

lation,

me

at

caufed by

at the

for

I rate the

ficiencies in others,

lions.

and the Famine

more deftru&ive than

attend them,

Battles themfelves.

in

the

Maffacres,

to

will call a fmall Calcu-

160 times the

Day on

the Globe.

Number

A

Point

furnifh matter of Refledtion

inclined to

draw Confequences

than your Lordfhip. I

now

to fhew,

that Political

juftly chargeable

with much the

now come

I

Society

is

Part of this Deftruftion of the

greateft

But to give the

Species.

every fide of the Queftion, I will there

is

own that

a Haughtinefs, and Fiercenefs in

human

Nature,

merable

you

Play to

faireft

Broils,

pleafe

which place

Men

but owning

j

will caufe innuin

this,

what I

State

ftill infift

Regulations, that in charging to Political fo cruel, thefe Broils are fo frequent,

and attended with

In a State of Nature,

quences.

be impoffible to join together a of Men,

Confe-

fo deplorable

fufficiently

it

would

Number

agreed in the fame

ver^ bloody Defign, neceffary to make a and if extenfive Havock of their .Species ;

come

they would

to fuch an

Agreement,

the (an impoffible Suppofition) yet

Means

fupplied them with, that fimple Nature has to fuch a Purare by no Means adequate Scratches, many Bruifes un~

pofe

5

many

aoubtedly

hands

;

would be received upon

but only

a few,

all

a very few

Deaths.

t

Society,

Deaths.

33

]

and

which

Politicks,

given us thefe deftruftive Views,

have

have given us too the Means of them.

From

licy to

this

the earlieft

fatisfying

Dawnings of Po-

the Invention of

Day,

Men

has been fharpening and improving the

Myftery of Murder, from the

firft

rude

Eflays of Clubs and Stones, to the prefent

Perfection of

Gunnery,

Cannoneering,

Bombarding, Ruining, and cies

of

artificial,

Cruelty, at

all

learned,

which we

are

thefe Spe*

and refined

now

fo

expert,

and which make a principal Part of what have taught us to believe

Politicians

is

our principal Glory,

How

mere Nature would have carwe may judge by the Example of far

ried us,

who

thofe Animals,

and even thofe ^pofitions terrible

ufe.

there

more

follow her Laws,

whom fhe has

fierce,

is

given Dif-

and Arms more

than ever (he intended

It is

to

ftill

we

fhould

an inconteftible Truth, that

more Havock made

F

in

one Year

by

[

by Men,

by

]

of Men, than has been made

the

all

34

Lions,

Tygers,

Panthers,

Ounces, Leopards, Hyenas, Rhinocerofes, Elephants, Bears, and Wolves, feveral Species, fince the

World

;

with each other, and have a

Compofition than

we

their

Beginning of the

though thefe agree

Proportion of Rage

upon

much greater

and Fury have.

enough

ill

their

in

But with re-

fpedi to you, ye Legiflators, yeCivilizers

of Mankind

!

Thefeufes,

Solons,

nofes,

Numas

!

Mi-

ye Orpheus's, Mofefes,

Lycurgufes,

with Refpedt to you be

it

fpoken,

your Regulations have done more Mifchief in cold Blood, than all the fierceft

Animals

Rage of the

in their % greateft Terrors,

Or Furies, has ever done, or ever could

do!

Thefe Evils are not

accidental.

Who-

ever will take the pains to confider the

Na-

ture of Society, will find they refult

di-

redlly

from

it's

Conftitution.

ordination, or in other

For

as

Sub-

Words, the Reciprocation

r

35]

procation of Tyranny, and Slavery,

is

re-

the In-

quifite to fupport thefe Societies,

theAmbition,the Malice, or the Re-

tereft,

nay even the

venge,

of one ruling

Whim

Man among

and Caprice

them,

is

enough

arm all the reft, without any private Views of their own, to the worft and

to

blacked Purpofes

;

and what

is

at

once

la-

mentable, and ridiculous, thefe Wretches

engage under thofe Banners with a Fury greater than if they

venge

for their

It is

no

artificial

lefs

proper Wrongs,

Divifion of is

that this

Mankind,

fe-

a perpetual Source in

The Names which enough

are

and Rage.

diftinguifh

blow up Hatred,

to

Examine Hiftory

prefent Experience;

feveral Nations,

other Occafion,

•

confult

and you will

that far the greater Part of the

between

into

Hatred and Diffention among

of

them.

them

own

worth obferving,

parate Societies, itfelf

were animated by Re-

find,

Quarrels

had fcarce any

than that they were ano-

F

2

iher

[•3*3 thcr Combination of People, and called

another

Name;

—

to an

Name of a Frenchman, much more

lian, raife

the

Englijloman,

a Spaniard, an Ita-

a Turk, or

Tartar,

a

of courfe Ideas of Haired, and Con-

Would you

tempt. triot

by

infpire this

Compa-

of ours with Pity or Regard, for one

of thefe

?

ftindtion?

Would you not hide that DiYou would not pray him to

companionate the poor Frenchman, or the

unhappy German.

Far from

would fpeak of him Accident to which

would

reprefent

him

is

and

fubjedt. to

you

;

an

as a Foreigner,

all

You

are liable.

as a

Man

taking with us of the fame ture,

it

;

one par-

common Na-

the fame

Law. There

fomething fo averfe to Nature in thefe

artificial

Political

Diftin&ions,

that

we

need no other Trumpet to kindle us to

War, and Deflru&ion. But

there

is

fome-

thing fo benign and healing in the general

Voice of Humanity, that maugre

our Regulations to prevent applied properly, never falutary Effect

it,

fails

the to

all

Name

work

a

This

;

[

37

3

natural unpremeditated Effedt

This

of

Policy on the unpoffefTed Paffions of Mankind, appears

very

Name

on other Occafions.

of a

The,

Politician, a Statefman,

fure to caufe Terror and Hatred

always connected

with

it

the

;

it

is

has

Ideas of

Treachery, Cruelty, Fraud and Tyranny

and thofe Writers

who

veiled the Myfteries

have faithfully un-

of State-freemafonty,

have ever been held in general Deteftation, for even

knowing

The

deteftable. at

firfl

fpedt.

fo perfectly a

Theory

Cafe of Machiavel feems

Sight fomething hard in that

He

is

fo

Re-

obliged to bear the Iniquities

of thofe whofe Maxims and Rules of Go-

vernment he is

publiflied.

more abhorred than But

if

His Speculation

their Pra&ice.

there were no other

Arguments

againft Artificial Society than this I

ing to mention, methinks

by

that

one only.

it

am go-

ought to

fall

All Writers on the Sci-

ence of Policy are agreed, and they agree

with

[38] with Experience, that

all

Governments

muft frequently infringe the Rules of Juftice

to fupport themfelves

muft give way

to Diffimulation

to Convenience

Myftery of Iniquity It

is

is

this

tained culars is

is

called the

a Reafon,

What

not penetrate.

itfelf

The Whole

the reigning Intereft.

State.

Honefty

•

and Humanity

;

Truth

that

;

which

I

of

to

this

Reafon of

own

I

can-

Sort of a Protedion is

main-

by infringing the Rights of

Parti-

of the general 'Right, that

?

What

Sort of Juftice

inforced by Breaches of

Thefe Paradoxes

I leave

is

it's

to

which

this,

own Laws ? be folved by

the able Heads of Legiflators and Politicians.

For

my Part,

I fhould fay

what a

plain

Man

I can

never believe, that any Inftitution

would

fay

on fuch an Occafion.

agreeable to Nature, and proper for

kind, could find

it

Man-

neceflary, or even expe-

dient in any Cafe whatfoever to do,

what

the beft and worthieft Inftinfts of

Man-

kind warn us to avoid.

But no wonder, that

[39] that

what

is

fet

up

in Oppofition to the

State of Nature, fhould preferve itfelf

trampling upon the

To

Law

by

of Nature.

prove, that thefe Sort of policed

Societies are a Violation offered to Nature,

and a Conftraint upon the human Mind, it

needs only to look upon the fanguinary

and Inftruments of Violence

Meafures,

which

are

every where ufed to fupport

them.

Let us take a Review of the Dun-

geons,

Whips, Chains, Racks, Gibbets,

with which every Society

abundantly

is

y which hundreds of Vi
two

in Pride

and Madnefs, and Millions

in an abjeft Servitude,

There was reverential licy

-

y

a

and Dependence.

Time, when

Awe

I

looked with a

on thefe Myfleries of Po-

but Age, Experience, and Philofo-

phy have

rent the Veil

SanEium SanBorum^

,

and

at leaft,

enthuliaftick Admiration.

I

I

view

this

without any

acknowledge

indeed, the Neceflity of fuch a Proceeding in

[40] fuch Inftitutions

ill

but I can have but

;

a very humble Opinion of Inftitutions

where fuch Proceedings are

It

neceffary.

a Misfortune, that in no Part of the

is

Globe

natural Liberty

and natural Reli-

gion are to be found pure and free from the Mixture

of Political Adulterations,

Yet we have implanted in us by Providence Ideas,

Axioms, Rules, of what

juft, fair, honeft,

which no

is

pious,

Political Craft,

nor learned Sophiftry, can entirely expel

from our

we

By

Breafts.

thefe

we judge, and

cannot otherwife judge of the feveral

Modes of Religion and Society, and determine of them as they approach

artificial

to, or

recede from this Standard.

The

fimpleft

Defpotifm,

Power

are

Form of Government

where

them, directed

by the

the inferior Orbs of

all

moved merely by

the Supreme, and

all

in the

is

the Will of

that are fubjedted to

fame Manner, merely

occafional Will of the Magiftrate.

This

Ui This Form, is

as

it is

infinitely the

Power.

Men

And

general. is

continually

it

Scarce any

exempted from

in thofe

what they

enjoy

makes

the moft fimple, fo

moft

World

Part of the

1

it's

few Places where call Liberty,

in a tottering

it

is

and

Situation,

greater and greater Strides to that

Gulph of Defpotifm which

at laft

fwallows

up every Species of Government.

Manner of ruling

This

being directed merely by

the Will of the weakeft, and generally the

worftMan

moft

foolifh

in the Society,

becomes the

and capricious Thing,

fame time that

it is

the moft terrible and

definitive that well

can

be conceived.

In a Defpotifm the principal Perfon that let the Want,Mifery, his Subjects,

at the

finds,

and Indigence of

be what they will, he can

yet poffefs abundantly of every thing to his

moft

does more.

He

gratify

cations

increafe

infatiable

Wifhes.

He

finds that thefe Gratifi-

in

Proportion

to

the

Wretchednefs and Slavery of his Subjects.

So that neglecting the publick Welfare,

G

and

42]

!

£nd by

his Station placed

and Fear, he proceeds

above both Shame

to the

moft horrid

and (hocking Outrages upon Mankind.

Their Perfons become Victims of his Sus-

The

picions.

and a

flighteft

a difagreeable

Crime

as

Anger

Afpect

is

High Treafon.

is

Death;

often as great

In the Court

of Nero a Perfon of Learning, of unqueftioned Merit, and of unfufpected Loyalty,

was put that he

to Death for

no other Reafon than

had a pedantick Countenance which

difpleafed the

Emperor.

ger of Mankind appeared

This very in the

Mon-

Beginning

of his Reign to be a Perfon of Virtue.

Many

of the greatefl Tyrants on the

Re-

cords of Hiftory have begun to rule in the fairefl

But the Truth

Manner.

unnatural

Power

corrupts both the Heart,

and the Underftanding. the

And

to prevent

Amendment, a King is furrounded by a Crowd of infamous

leaft

ever

Hope

this

is,

Flatterers,

of

who find

their Account in

keep-

ing

him from

all

Ideas of Rectitude and Juftice are ut-

the leaft Light of Reafon,

till

terly

43

I

from

terly erafed

his

1

When

Mind.

Alex-

ander had in his Fury inhumanly butchered one of his beft Friends, and braved

Captains

on the Return of Reafon he

->

begun to conceive an Horror

fuitable to

the Guilt of fuch a Murder. In this Juncture,

Council came to his Affiitance.

his

But what did

him

his

a Philofopher

out

And

Comfort.

Man, and

?

what Manner did

in

him

Philofopher comfort

fuch a

They found who gave him

Council

this

for the Lofs

of

heal his Confcience, fla-

grant with the Smart of fuch a Crime

You have the Matter at Length

He told him " he will) " becaufe

iC ;

all hi

that

let

sABions

?

in Plutarch.

a Sovereign do 'what are jujl a?id lawful,

The

they are his''

Palaces of

all

Princes abound with fuch courtly Philofophers.

The Confequence was

He grew

might be expected. a Monfter

more abandoned

fuch

every

as

Day

to unnatural

Luft, to Debauchery, to Drunkennefs, and

And yet this was originally Man, of uncommon Capacity, and

to Murder. a great

G

2

aflrong

[44] a ftrong Propenfity to Virtue.

But un-

bounded Power proceeds Step by

Step,until

it

It

has eradicated every laudable Principle. has been remarked, that there

Prince fo bad, whofe Favourites and nifters are

not worfe. There

is

governed in

as arbitrary a

Mi-

hardly any

Prince without a Favourite, by is

no

is

whom

Manner

as

he he

governs the Wretches fubjected to him.

Here

two

Courts, and

different

The

Tyranny

the

a Tyrant

Time

doubled.

two

Interefts

from the

Favourite

as that

is

as

is

of a

Interefts

knows

There ;

are

both very

of the People.

that the

Regard of

unconftant and capricious

Woman

to be fhort,

;

and concluding his

he makes Hafte to

fill

up^the Meafure of his Iniquity, in Kapine, in

Luxury,

Avenue

and

to the

oppreffes,

in

Throne

Revenge. is

fhut up.

fects

by

his

own

Murmurs

OppreiTion are the Ef-

of Difaffedion to the Prince's

vernment.

He

and ruins the People, whilft he

perfuades the Prince, that thofe raifed

Every

Then

is

Go-

the natural Violence

of

;

[45] ofDefpotifm inflamed, and aggravated

To

Hatred, and Revenge.

of the State

To

is

a

Crime

"by

deferve well

againft the Prince.

be popular, and to be a Traitor, are

Nay,

confidered as fynonimous Terms.

even Virtue

is

dangerous, as an afpiring

Efteem by

Quality, that claims an

itfelf,

and independent of the Countenance of the Court. chief,

is

What

has been faid of the

true of the inferior Officers of this

Species of

Government

;

each in his Pro-

vince exercifing the fame Tyranny, and

grinding the People by an Oppreffion, the

more

feverely

exercifed

felt,

as

it is

near them, and

by bafe and fubordinate Perfons.

For the Grofs of the People confidered as a really in a little all

mere Herd of

Time become no

the Dignity of their Nature,

makes

Worth

a ;

they are

Cattle

Principle of honeft Pride,

Slavery.

;

is

all

;

and

better

Senfe of

loft in their

The Day, fays Homer, which Man a Slave, takes away half his and in Fact, he

pulfe to Action, but

that

lofes

every

low and

Imbafe

one

;

[46] In this Kind of Govern-

one of Fear.

ment human Nature and

infulted, but

it is

not only abufed,

is

a&ually degraded and

funk into a Species of Confideration of this

with great this

The

Brutality.

made Mr. Locke fay,

Juitice, that a

Government of

Kind was worfe than Anarchy

in-

;

and detefted by

deed

it is

fo abhorred,

who

live

under Forms that have a milder

Appearance, that there

Man we

fcarce a rational

is

Europe, that would not prefer

in

Death

all

to Afiatick Defpotifm.

Here then

have the Acknowledgement of a great

NaGovernment

Philofopher, that an irregular State of preferable to fuch a

ture

is

we

have the Confent of

all fenfible

and

Men, who carry it yet further, and avow that Death itfelf is preferable ; generous

and yet juftly tefted,

this

Species of

condemned, and is

what

Government, fo generally

fo

de-

infinitely the greater Part

of Mankind groan under, and have groaned under from the Beginning. fure

So that by

and uncontefted Principles, the greateft

[47] eft

Part of the Governments on Earth

muft be concluded, Tyrannies, Impoftures, Violations of the Natural Rights of

Man-

kind, and worfe than the moft diforderly

How much other Forms ex-

Anarchies.

ceed

this,

In

we

fhall confider

Parts of the

all

however debafed, Feeling

;

World, Mankind,

retains

ftill

the Senfe of

Weight of Tyranny,

the

becomes infupportable is

immediately.

not fo eafy

;

but the

at laft,

Remedy

in general, the only

;

Re-

medy by which

they attempt to cure the

Tyranny,

change the Tyrant ;

is,

is

to

and always was the Cafe

this

for the greater

Part.

In fome Countries however, were

found

Men of more Penetration

covered,

" was

They thod,

" that

to live

the Caufe

of

all

by one

-

9

who dis-

Man's

Men's Mifery."

therefore changed their former

and affembling the

feveral Societies,

Will,

Men

Me-

in their

moft refpedlable for

their

Underftanding, and Fortunes, they confided to

them the Charge of the Publick Welfare,

;

[48] This

Welfare. is

formed what

originally

They hoped,

called an Ariftocracy.

would be impoffible

that fuch a

it

Number

could ever join in any Defign againft the general

Good

;

and they promifed them*

felves a great deal nefs,

of Security and Happi-

from the united Counfels of fo many But

able and experienced Perfons.

it

is

i)ow found by abundant Experience, that

an Ariftocracy, and a Defpotifm, in

Name

;

and that a People,

general excluded

much

Slaves,

when

felt,

who are

in

and Purpofes^

twenty, independ-

ent of them, govern,

domineers.

but

from any Share of the

Legiflative, are to all Intents as

differ

as

when

The Tyranny

as every Individual

is

but one

even more

of the Nobles has

the Haughtinefs of a Sultan; the People are

more

miserable, as they feem on the

Verge

of Liberty, from which they are for ever debarred a vain

5

this Profpeft, whilft

Shadow of Happinefs

it

prefents

to the Subject,

binds fafler the Chains of their Subje&ion

what

is left

undone, by the natural Avarice

;

[49 rice

who

and Pride of thofe

above the others, Suspicions, and rity,

3

compleated by their

is

Dread of lofing an Autho-

which has no Support

Venetian Republick, fpotifm

where you

j

in the

A

of the Nation.

Utility

are railed

common

Genoefe,

or a

a concealed

is

De-

fame Pride of

find the

the Rulers, the fame bafe Subje&ion of the

In one refpcdt the

Policy.

fufpicious

Arijiocracy

A

is

worfe than the Defpotifm.

Body

Politick, whilft

thority,

never changes

Defpotifm, a

Maxims of a

the fame bloody

People,

which

it's

Au-

Maxims Day horrible

it's

this

is

retains

it

;

a to

fupreme Degree, by the Caprice natural

to the

Heart of Man,

Caprice otherwife the next

-,

may, by the fame

exerted,

in a Succeffion,

be

it is

as lovely

poffible to

meet with fome good Princes. If there have been Tiberius' s, Caligulas, Nero's, there have been likewife the

ferener

Vejpafians, Titus's, Trajans,

but a Body Politick Caprice or

Whim,

is it

H

Days of

and Antonines

not influenced by

proceeds in a regular

Manner j

[So] Manner every

;

it's

Man

as

Succeffion

is

he enters

it,

infenfible

j

and

either has, or

foon attains the Spirit of the whole Body.

Never was

it

known,

that an Arijlocracy,

which was haughty and Century, next.

became

eafy,

and mild in the

Yoke of

In Effect, the

of Government

tyrannical in one

that

fo galling,

is

this Species

when-

ever the People have got the leaft Power,

they have fhaken Indignation,

Form

off with the utmoft

it

and eftablifhed a Popular

and when they have not had

-,

Strength enough to fupport themfelves,

they have thrown

Arms of

themfelves into

Defpotifm, as the

of the two

Evils.

Cafe of Denmark,

This

who

more

latter

eligible

was the

fought a Refuge

from the Oppreffion of it's Nobility, flrong

Hold of Arbitrary Power.

has atprefent the it is it is

this

Name

known,

that the

Government,

is

in the

Poland

of Republick, and

one of the Ariflocratick well

the

Form

little

heavier

5

but

Finger of than

the

Loins of Arbitrary Power in moft Nations.

The

5*

[

The

\

People are not only Politically, but

and treated with the

Perfonally Slaves,

The Republick

utmoft Indignity. Venice

fomewhat more moderate $ yet

is

even here, fo heavy

Yoke,

of

that the

the Ariftocratick

is

Nobles have been obliged

by

to enervate the Spirit of their Subje&s

every Sort

of Debauchery;

have

they

denied them the Liberty of Reafon, and

have recompenfed ing,

by not only allow-

it,

them

but encouraging

corrupt

to

themfclves in the moft fcandalous Manner.

They confider their does the holds to

Hog he

him

wallow

Subje&s, as the Farmer

keeps to

faft in his Stye,

as

much

as

upon.

He

but allows

him

feaft

he pleafes

in his

beloved Filth and Gluttony. Sofcandaloufly

debauched a People to be

as that

met with no where

Low, Men, Women, are all alike. lefs afraid

of Venice^ elfe.

is

High,

Clergy, and Laity,

The Ruling

Nobility are

no

of one another, than they are of

the People

;

and

for that Reafon, politi-

cally enervate their

H

own Body by 2

the fame

effeminate

;

t 52 3

effeminate Luxury,

by which they cor-

rupt their Subjects.

They

are

impo verifi-

ed by every means which can be invented

and they are kept

in a perpetual

the Horrors of a State Inquifition

you

fee a

People deprived of

;

Terror by

all

;

here

rational

Freedom, and tyrannized over by about

two Thoufand Men \ and yet this Body of two Thoufand, are fo far from enjoying any Liberty by the Subjection of the that they are in an

reft,

State

of Slavery

;

they

the moft degenerate,

Mankind, they

may

to the

for

the

infinitely

make and

feverer

themfelves

unhappy of

no other Purpofe than

more

effe&ualiy contribute

Mifery of an whole Nation,

ihort, the regular

that

In

and methodical Proceed-

ings of an Ari/locracy y are

more

intolerable

than the very Exceffes of a Defpotifm> and in general,

Thus,

much further from any Remedy,

my

Lord,

Jtriihcracy through

we

it's

we

have purfued

whole Progrefs

have fcta the Seeds, the Growth, and the

[53 the Fruit.

It

3

could boaft none of the

AcU

vantages of a Defpotifm, miferable as thofe

Advantages were, and

was overloaded

it

with an Exuberance of Mifchiefs, unknown

even

to Defpotifm

no more than a

Form

itfelf.

In

Effecft,

it

is

Tyranny. This

diforderly

therefore could be

little

approved,

even in Speculation, by thofe

who were

capable of thinking, and

born in Practice by any ble

could be

who were

lefs

capa-

However, the fruitful was not yet exhaufted. He

of feeling.

Man

Policy of

had yet another Farthing Candle the Deficiencies of the Sun. the third Form,

under the

Name

of Democracy. all

Laws were made by

only.

fecured

by

In this

all

own

Perfons

:

themfelves, and

upon any Failure of Duty, were accountable

Here the

Publick Bufinefs, or

the greater Part of it, in their

them

This was

known by Political Writers

People tranfadted

their

to fupply

their Officers

to themfelves,

and to

appearance, they had

Method

the Advantages

of Order and good Government, without

paying

1

r 54 paying their Liberty for

the Purchafe.

Now, my

come

we

Lord,

are

to the

Mafter-piece of Grecian Refinement, and

Roman

The of

earlieftand

this

Popular Government.

Solidity, a

moft celebrated Republick

Model, was that of Athens.

conftru&ed by no celebrated

Poet and Philofopher,

Solon.

this Political

launched from the Stocks, than

Veflcl it

over-

even in the Life-time of the Builder.

fet,

by

was

an Artift, than the

lefs

But no fooner was

A

It

Tyranny immediately fupervened

5

not

by Accident,

a foreign Conqueft, not

but by the very Nature and Confutation of a Democracy.

An

artful

popular, the People had

hands,

Man became

Power

in

their

and they devolved a confiderable

Share of their Power upon their Favourite;

and the only ufe he made of was,

to

Slavery.

plunge thofe

who

this

gave

Power, it

Accident reftored their Liberty,

and the fame good Fortune produced of

into

uncommon

Abilities

and

Men

uncommon

Virtues amongft them. But thefc Abilities

were

[55] were

fuffered to be

of

little

Service either

to their Pofleffors or to the State.

others they imprifonsd,

they banifhed,

and

all

Ckcum-

they treated with various

ftances of the

moft fhameful Ingratitude.

Republicks have

many things

of abfolute Monarchy, than this

;

Some

but none more

Merit

a fhining

in the Spirit

is

ever hated

or fufpe&ed in a Popular Affembly, as well as in a

Court

State, are

and

->

Services

all

done the

looked upon as dangerous to the

The

Rulers, whether Sultans or Senators.

Ojlracijm at Athens was built Principle.

The

giddy People

upon

whom

this

we-

have

now

elated

with fome Flafhes of Succefs, which

they

owed

under Conlideration,

to nothing lefs than

being

any Merit

of their own, began to tyrannize over their

Equals,

them

for their

their

who had common

affociated

Defence.

Prudence they renounced

ance of Juflice. rafhly

They

and wantonly.

fuccefsful, inflead

all

With

Appear-

entered into If they

with

Wars

were un-

of growing wifer by their

Mif-

[56] Misfortune, they threw the whole Blame of their

own Mifcondudt on

who had

and the Generals

advifed,

had conduced thofe Wars grees they had cut off

them at

the Minifters

all

until

;

who

who

by De-

could ferve

in their Councils or their Battles.

any time thefe Wars had an happier

Iffue,

it

was no

lefs

difficult to deal

with

them on account of

their Pride

knee.

their Adverfity,

Furious in

a

rannical in their Succeffes,

had more trouble

and Info-

to concert his

rations

of the Campaign.

enough

for a General,

Defpotifm of the

It

ty-

Commander Defence

before the People, than to plan the

ill

If

Ope-

was frequent

under the horrid

Roman Emperors,

to

be

received in Proportion to the Greatnefs

of his Services. fiance of this.

No Man

is

a ftrong In-

had done greater

nor with an honefler Ambition.

things,

Yet on

Agricola

his

to enter

Return to Court, he was obliged

Rome with

Criminal.

He w ent

like a victorious

T

all

to

the Secrecy of a

the Palace,

not

Commander who had merited

57

[

demand

merited and might

Rewards, but

come

J

the greateft

an Offender

like

who had

to fupplicate a Pardon for his

His Reception was anfwerable

Crimes.

" Brevi

:

&

" ofculo, nullo fermone except usy turba u firvientium immiftuseji" Yet in that

word

Seafon of this worft of monarchical

* Tyrannies, Modefty, Difcretion, and a Coolnefs of Temper,

formed fome Kind

of Security even for the higheft Merit.

But

Athens, the niceft and beft ftudied

at

Behaviour was not a

Man

of great Capacity.

braveft

for a

Some of

their

Commanders were

their Country,

vice of

Guard

fufficient

it's

fome

obliged to fly

to enter into the Ser-

Enemies, rather than abide a

popular Determination on their Condudt, left,

as

one of them

faid, their

Giddinefs

might make the People condemn where they meant to acquit

Bean, even

when

;

to

throw

in a black

they intended a white

one. * Sciant quibus moris malis principibus

magnos

illicita

I

ctlam fub 42 to the End of it.

mifari, poffe

viros, &c. Sec

The

The

mod

]

made

Athenians

grefs to the

58

L

.

a very rapid Pro-

enormous Excefles. The

People under no Reftraint foon grew

dif-

They

re-

folute,

luxurious,

nounced

They loft Honour or

idle.

Labour, and began

all

themfelves

and

to fubfift

from the publick Revenues. all

Concern

Safety,

for their

common

and could bear no Ad-

At

vice that tended to reform them.

Time Truth became

offenfive

to

this

thofe

Lords the People, and moft highly dangerous to the Speaker.

The

Orators no

longer afcended the Roflrum, but to corrupt

them

Adulation.

by

moft fulfome

Thefe Orators were

foreign Princes

other. this

further with the

And

all

bribed

on the one Side or the

befides

it's

own

Parties,

in

City there were Parties, and avowed

ones too, for the Perjians, Spartans and

Macedonians^ fupported each of them by

one or more? Demagogues penfioned and bribed to this iniquitous Service. People, forgetful of Spirit,

all

The

Virtue and publick

and intoxicated with the

Flatteries

of

[59] of

their Orators (thefe Courtiers of Repub-

and endowed with the diftinguifh-

licks,

ing Chara&ers of

all

other Courtiers) this

People, I fay, at

laft

arrived at that Pitch

of Madnefs, that they coolly and deliberately,

for

any

the

by an exprefs Law, made

Man

to propofe

it

capital

an Application of

immenfe Sums fquandered

in publick

Shows, even to the moft neceffary Purpofes of the

People

of

murdering

State.

this

When

you

fee the

Republick banifhing or

their beft

and

ableft Citizens,

diffipating the publick Treafure

with the

Extravagance, and fpending

moft

fenfelefs

their

whole Time,

as Spectators or Arbors,

in playing, fidling,

dancing and finging,

does

it

not,

my Lord,

nation with the

plex Nero ? the greater

one

Man

ftrike

Image of

your Imagi-

a Sort

of a com-

And does it not ftrike you with Horror, when you obferve, not

only, but a

whole City, grown

drunk with Pride and Power, running with a Rage of Folly into the fame mean

and

fenfelefs

Debauchery and ExtravaI 2

gance

?

[6o] gance

But

?

if this

People refembled Nero

in their Extravagance,

much more did

referable and even exceed

and

Time

In the

Iiijuftice.

him

they

in Cruelty

of Pericles t

one of the moft celebrated Times

in the

Hifiory of that Commonwealth, a King of

them a Donation of Corn. This they were mean enough to accept. And had Egypt

fent

the Egyptian Prince intended the Ruin of this

City of wicked Bedlamites, he could

not have taken a more effectual to

do

The

Method

than by fuch an enfnaring Largefs.

it,

Distribution of this Bounty caufed a

Quarrel

the Majority

-

y

fet

on foot an En-

quiry into the Title of the Citizens, and

upon

Pretence

of

Illegitimacy,

newly and occasionally

fet

up, they de-

a

vain

prived of their Share of the royal tion

no

lefs

than five thoufand of their

They went

Body.

franchifed

them

;

with an Aft of L

Bounds

them

to

Dona-

it.

further;

own

they dif-

and having once begun juftice,

Not

they could

fet

no

content with cutting

off from the Rights of Citizens, they

plundered

[6i

]

plundered thefe unfortunate Wretches of all their Subftance$and to

crown

this

Mafter-

piece of Violence and Tyranny, they adtually fold every

Man

as Slaves in the

publick Market. Obfervc,

my Lord, fpeak

of,

of the

thoufand

five

that the five thoufand

we

here

were cut off from a Body of no

more than nineteen thoufand

;

for the entire

Number of Citizens was no greater at that Time. Could the Tyrant who wifhed the Roman People but one Neck, could

the

Tyrant himfelf have done, nay, he could Scarcely wifh for a greater Mifchief, than to

have cut

his People Series

?

off, at

Or

one Stroke, a fourth of

has the Cruelty of that

of fanguine Tyrants, the Ccefars^

ever prefented fuch a Piece of flagrant cxtenfive Wickednefs

?

The whole

tory of this celebrated Republick

is

and

Hif-

but one

Tiffue of Rafhnefs, Folly, Ingratitude, injuftice,

Tumult, Violence, and Tyranny,

and indeed of every Species of Wickednefs that can well be imagined.

This was

a City of Wifemen, in which a Minifter

could

[62] could not exercife his Functions like People,

amongft

whom

a war-

;

a General did

not dare either to gain or lofe a Battle learned Nation, in

which

;

a

a Philofopher

could not enter on a free Enquiry.

was the City which banifhed

This

Tbemijlocles,

ftarved Ariflides^ forced into Exile Milti-

drove out Anaxagoras, and poifoned

adeS)

This was a City which changed

Socrates.

the

Form

Moon daily,

;

of

it's

eternal

Government with the

Confpiracies, Revolutions

A Re-

nothing fixed and eftablifhed.

publick, as an antient Philofopher has obferved,

is

no one Species of Government,

but a Magazine of every Species

you

find every Sort

As

worft Form.

Change, one

you have licy,

all

rifing

of

and that

it,

there

>

is

here

j

in the

a perpetual

and the other

falling,

the Violence and wicked Po-

by which a beginning Power muft

always acquire

Weaknefs by

it's

Strength, and

which

falling

all

States

the are

brought to a complete Deftru&ion.

Rome

C

63 1

more venerable Afpedt than and fhe condu&ed her Affairs, Athens fo far as related to the Ruin and Oppreflion

Rome

has a

;

of the greateft Part of the World, with

more Wifdom and Uniformity. But domeftick Oeconomy was nearly or gether the fame.

An

their alto-

internal Diffention

conftantly tore to Pieces the Bowels of this

Commonwealth. You fufion,

find the

the fame Factions

at Athens,

fame Con-

which

the fame Tumults,

fubfifted

the fanje

Revolutions, and in fine, the fame Slavery, If perhaps their former Condition did not

deferve that

Name altogether as

well.

All

other Republicks were of the fame Charadler. Florence

And

the

was a Tranfcriptof Athens,

modern Republicks,

proach more or

lefs

to the

as

they ap-

Democratick

Form, partake more of lefs of the Nature of thofe

which

I

have defcribed.

We are now at the Clofe of our Review of the three fimple Forms of Artificial Society,

and

we have fhewn them, however they

64

r

may

they

differ in

Name,

Circumftances, to be

we

or in

fome

were inclined

ample Conceflions

let

;

flight

alike in Effedt

all

make

to

j

But fup-

to be all Tyrannies.

ia Effett,

pofe

]

the moft.

us concede Athens,

Rome, Carthage, and two or three more of the antient, and

Commonwealths, free

many of to

have been, or to be

and happy, and to owe

and Happinefs

fence does this

Freedom

their

to their Political Conftitu-

Yet allowing

tion.

modern,

the

make

all

what De-

this,

for Artificial Society

in general, that thefe inconfiderable Spots

of the Globe have for fome

Time

But when

?

free, or

we

call thefe

different

if

we

Govern-

concede that their Citizens

were happier than thofe which

tia.

Space of

flood as Exceptions to a Charge fo

general

ments

fliort

Forms,

it

is

lived under

merely ex Abundan-

For we fhould be greatly miftaken, really

the People

thought that the Majority of

which

filled

joyed even that nominal

of which

I

thefe Cities, enPolitical

have fpoken fo

Freedom

much

already.

In

[ 6S

]

In Reality, they had no Part of it. InAthens there were ufually from ten to thirty thou-

fand Freemen

:

This was the utmoft. But

the Slaves ufually amounted to four hun-

dred thoufand, and fometimes to a great

many more. The Freemen of Sparta and Rome were not more numerous in Proportion to thofe

whom they held

even more

terrible

Therefore

ftate the

in a Slavery,

than the Athenians.

Matter

fairly:

The

free

never formed, though they were

States

taken altogether, the thoufandth Part of the habitable Globe; the Freemen in thefe

were never the twentieth Part of

States

the People, and the is

Time

of Duration in which are fo

Time and

nearly commenfurate.

call thefe free States,

$

Slavery

Therefore

or popular

ments, or what you pleafe sider

they fubfifted

immenfe Ocean

fcarce any thing in that

Govern-

when we con-

the^Majority of their

Inhabitants,

and regard the natural Rights of Mankind, jthey

muft appear in Reality and Truth,

[

;no better than

66

pitiful

]

and oppreffive Oli-

garchies.

After fo

fair

an Examen, wherein no-

thing has been exaggerated

no Fadl pro-

>,

duced which cannot be proved, and none

which has been produced

in

any wife

forced or ftrained. while thoufands have, for Brevity,

been omitted

a Difcuffion in

all

Refpe&s

what Bigot

fo paffive,

after fo

•

fo

Enthufiaft fo headlong, fo hardened, as to ftand

;

what Slave

what

blind,

what up

candid

in

Politician

Defence of

a Syftem calculated for a Curfe to

Man-

kind? a Curfe under which they fmart and

groan to

this

Hour, without thoroughly

knowing the Nature of

the Difeafe, and

wanting Underftanding or Courage ply the

I

to ap-

Remedy.

need not excufe myfelf to your Lord-

fhip, nor,

I

think, to any

the Zeal I have

fhewn

honeftMan,

in this Caufe

5

for for it

67

1

an honeft Zeal, and in a good Caufe.

it is

I

]

have defended Natural Religion againft a

Confederacy of Atheifts and Divines.

now

plead for Natural Society againft Po-

and

liticians, all

I

for Natural

When

three.

Reafon againft

World

the

in a fitter

is

Temper than it is at prefent to hear Truth, or when I fhall be more indifferent about it's Temper my Thoughts may become more publick. In the mean time, let them ;

my own of fuch Men

repofe in

Bofom, and

in

the

Bofoms

as are

be

ini-

the

in

tiated

and Reafon.

done

as

fober Myfteries

My Antagonifts

much

fit

as I

of Truth

have already

could defire.

and Politicks make

in Religion

to

Parties fufficient

Difcoveries concerning each other, to give a fober all.

Man

a proper

Caution againft them

The Monarchick,

Ariftocratical,

and

Popular Partizans have been jointly laying their

Axes

and have

to the in

Root of all Government,

their

Turns proved each

other abfurd and inconvenient.

you

tell

me

that Artificial

K

2

In vain

Government

is

good,

t 68 3 good, but that I

The Thing

Abufe.

the Abufe

out only with the

fall

Obferve,

!

the

Thing

itfelf is

my

Lord,

I

!

you, that grand Error upon artificial legiflative

Power

was obferved,

Men

Paffions,

that

which made

it

They

jver

them

for this

all

It

had ungovernable necefiary to guard

might

offer to

appointed Governors

Reafon

;

but a worfe

and more perplexing Difficulty to

which

founded.

is

againft the Violence they

each other.

pray

arifes,

how

be defended againft the Governors ? Qui$

cujiodiet ipfos cujiodes ?

from a

fingle

In vain they change

Perfon to a few.

Thefe

few have the Paffions of the one, and they unite

ftrengthen themfelves, and

to

to

fecure the Gratification of their lawlefs Paffions at the

Good.

The

Expence of the general

In vain do v/e

Cafe

is

worfe

;

fly to

the

Manyi

their Paffions are lefs

under the Government of Reafon, they are

augmented by the Contagion, and de-

fended againft

all

Mul-

Attacks by their

titude. I

have

69

r

j

t have purpofely avoided the

6f the mixed

mention

Form of Government,

for

Reafons that will be very obvious to your Lordfhip.

But

but

You

little.

me

againft

You

me

can avail

will not fail

to urge

it

in favour of Political Society.

will not

of the

my Caution

fhew

to

fail

how

Modes

feveral fimple

the Errors

are corrected

by a Mixture of all of them, and

a proper

Ballance of the feveral Powers in fuch a

my Lord,

I confefs,

State.

that

this

has been long a darling Miftake of

own

;

made

and that of all the

Sacrifices I

by

to Truth, this has been

greateft.

When

I confefs that I

Notion a Miftake, fpeaking > for

I

am

are like Liquors,

know

I

have

far

the

think this

whom I am

to

fatisfied

my

that Reafons

and there are fome of

fuch a Nature as none but ftrong Heads

can bear.

There

can communicate

are fo

few with freely as

whom

I

with Pope.

But Pope cannot bear every Truth. has a Timidity which hinders the

full

He Ex-

ertion of his Faculties, almoft as effe&ually as

;

[jo] Bigotry cramps thofe of the general

as

Herd of Mankind.

But whoever

is

a

genuine Follower of Truth, keeps his Eye fteady

he

is

upon

led,

his

provided that fhe

And, my Lord, it

were

Guide, indifferent whither is

the Leader.

if it be properly

infinitely better to

confidered,

remain poffeffed

by the whole Legion of vulgar Miftakes, than to rejedt fome, and

at

the fame time

to retain a Fondnefs for others altogether

and

as abfurd

The

irrational.

at leaft a Confiftency, that

makes

however erroneoufly, uniform but the

latter

firft

Man,

a

at

way of proceeding

has

leaft is

fuch

an inconfiftent Chimaera and Jumble of Philofophy and

vulgar

Prejudice,

that

hardly any thing more ridiculous can be

Let us therefore

freely,

and

without Fear or Prejudice, examine

this

conceived.

laft

Contrivance of Policy.

And

without

how near the Quick our Inmay come, let us fearch it to

confidering

ftruments

the Bottom.

Firft

[7*

Men

Firft then, all this

]

are agreed, that

of Regal,

Jundtion

Ariftocratick,

and Popular Power, muft form a very and

complex, nice,

Machine,

intricate

which being compofed of fuch of

a variety

with fuch oppofite Tendencies

Parts,

and Movements, Accident

it

be

to

muft be

liable

on every

To

difordered.

fpeak

without Metaphor, fuch a Government

muft be

liable

to frequent Cabals,

mults, and Revolutions, from ftitution.

it's

veryCon-

Thefe are undoubtedly

Effedts, as can

in fuch a Cafe,

Community,

happen

Tu-

as

in a Society

ill

for

;

the Clofenefs acquired

inftead of ferving for

by

mutual

Defence, fervesonly to increafe the Danger.

Such a Syftem

is

like a City,

where Trades

that require conftant Fires are ercifed,

where the Houfes

much

are

built

ex-

of

combuftible Materials, and where they ftand extremely clofe.

In the fecond Place, the feveral conftituent Parts

having their I

diftindt Rights,

and

72

[

]

and thefe many of them fary to be determined

at

once

fo necef-

with Exadtnefs, are

yet fo indeterminate in their Nature, that it

becomes a new and conftant Source of

Hence

Debate and Confufion. whilft the Bufinefs of

that

it is,

Government fhould

be carrying on, the Queftion

is,

who

has

3 Right to exercife this or that Fundtior*

Men

of it, or what their this

Offices

have Power to keep

any Function.

in

Conteft continues,

and whilft the

Ballance in any fort continues,

any Remiffion

;

all

Whilft

it

has never

manner of Abufes and

Villainies in Officers

remain unpunifhed,

the greateft Frauds and Robberies in the

Publick Revenues are committed in Defiance of Juftice

Time and

$

and Abufes grow, by

Impunity, into Cuftoms

they prefcribe againfl the Laws, and

until

j

grow

too inveterate often to admit a Cure, unlefs

fuch as

may

be

as

bad

as the Difeafe,

Thirdly, the feveral Parts of this Species

of Government, though united, preferve the

[73] which each Form has

the Spirit

feparately.

Kings are ambitious ; the Nobility haughty; and

Populace tumultuous and

the

Each

ungovernable.

however

Party,

in

appearance peaceable, carries on a Defign

upon the others that in

all

;

and

it is

owing

to this,

Queftions, whether concerning

foreign or domeftick Affairs, the

generally turns

Whole

more upon fome Party

Matter than upon the Nature of the Thing

Whether fuch

itfelf.

or augment the

a Step will diminiffy

Power of

the

Crown, or

of the

SubjecT: are

how

far the Privileges

like

to

And

thefe Queftions are

be extended or restricted by

it.

conftantly re-

without any Consideration of the

fblved,

Merits of the Caufe, merely as the Parties

who uphold

thefe jarring Interefts

chance to prevail the Ballance

now upon is

is

^

and

overfet,

the other.

as

may

they prevail,

now upon one fide, The Government

one Day, arbitrary Power in a fingle

Perfon

;

another, a juggling Confederacy

of a few to cheat the Prince and enflav^

L

the

[74] the People;

and the

third, a frantick

The great In-

unmanageable Democracy. ftrument of

infufes a peculiar is

Party.

and what

thefe Changes,

all

Venom

and

them,

into all of

of no Confequence what

It is

the Principles of any Party, or what their Pretenfions are all Parties is

the fame

;

bition, of Self-Intereft,

Treachery.

This

Am-

of Oppreffion, and entirely reverfes

which

benevolent

a

Nature has[erefted within us all

actuates

the Spirit of

Spirit

the Principles

all

which

the Spirit

;

;

Honefty,

all

equal Juftice, and even the Ties of

Natural ArTedlions.

Natural Society, the

In a word,

and

my

Lord, we have

all

feeny

any outward Confiderations were

if

worthy the

lafting

Concern of a wife

Man, we have fome of us preffion

felt,

fuch

from Party Government

other Tyranny can parallel.

Op-

as

no

We behold daily

the moft important Rights, Rights upon

which

all

the others depend,

thefe Rights determined in fort,

without the

leaft

we

the

behold

laft

Re-

Attention even to the

[75

]

we

be-

without Emotion, becaufe

we

Appearance or Colour of Juftice hold

this

;

have grown up in the conflant View of fuch Practices prifed to

a

hear a

Knave and a

Indifference

Man

are

with

the

if

as

not

refuied,

fur-

be

to

as

much

moft

ordinary

we

hear this

and

;

not

requefted

Traitor,

Favour were afked Requeft

we

and

;

becaufe

is

it

a

moft unjuft~and unreafonable Defire, but that this

Worthy

has already engaged his

Thefe and many

Injuftice to another.

more Points

I

am

far

You

their full Extent.

do not put forth half you cannot be

A Man

from fpreading to

at a

are fenfible that I

my

Strength

;

and

Lofs for the Reafon.

Freedom of Thought, provided he knows how to is

allowed fufficient

chufe his Subjed: properly. ticife freely

upon the

and obferve with pleafe tive

Chinefe Conftitution,

much

Severity as

you

upon the abfurd Tricks, or deftruc-

Bigotry of

Scene

as

You may cri-

is

changed

the Bonzees. as

But the

you come homeward,

L

2

and

(j6) and Atheifm or Treafon

Names

be

thajr

thb

given in Britain, to what would

be Reafon and Truth I fubmit to

if afferted

of China.

the Condition, and though

me,

I have a notorious Advantage before

wave the it is

For

Purfuit.

my

elfe,

Lord,

very obvious what a Picture might be

drawn of the Excefles of Party even

bwn

Nation.

I

in

bur

could {hew, that the fame

Faction has in one Reign promoted popular Seditions,

and

Tyranny;

tron of

been a Pa-

in the next I

could fhew,

them betrayed

that

they have

all

of

Safety at

all

Times, and have very

quently with equal Perfidy

of their

own

ciates. I

could fliew

have

the publick

made

Caufe, and their

how

a

fre-

Market

own

Aflb-

vehemently they

contended for Names, and

how

filently

they have paffcd over Things of

the

Importance.

laft

ftrate, that

of doing

And

I

could demon-

they have had the Opportunity

all this

Mifchief, nay,

that they

themfelves had their Origin and

Growth

from that complex Form of Government

which

[77 which we

1

are wifely taught to look

as fo great a Blefling. Revolve,

our Hiftory fcarce ever

my Lord,

from the Conqueft.

We

who by

Fraud,

had a Prince,

made fome

or Violence, had not

ment on

upon

Infringe*

We fcarce ever

the Conftitution.

had a Parliament which knew, when attempted to thority,

Evils

fet

how

Limits to the Royal

to fet Limits to

we have had

Reformation,

it's

it

Au-

own.

continually calling for

and

Reformations

more

Our boafted Lifometimes trodden down, fometimes

grievous than any Evils. berty

giddily fet up,

and ever precarioufly fluc-

tuating and urifettled alive

by the

-,

Blafts

it

has been only kept

of continual Feuds,

Wars, and Confpiracies. in

In no Country

Europe has the Scaffold

with the Blood of cations, tions,

it's

fo often blufhed

Nobility.

Confif-

Banifhments, Attainders, Execu-

make

a large Part of the Hiftory of

fuch of our Families tinguifhed

as are

by them.

not utterly ex-

Formerly indeed

Things had a more ferocious Appearance than

[78] than they have

this

at

Day.

In thefe

and unrefined Ages, the jarring Parts

early

of a certain Chaotic Conftitution fupported their feveral Pretenfions

by the Sword.

Experience and Policy have fince taught other Methods.

Res vero nunc agitur tenui pulmone rubefy

how

But

far

Corruption, Venality,

Contempt of Honour, the Oblivion of

Duty

to our Country,

doned publick the

to

more

of Faction, mine.

Sure

all

and the moft aban-

Proftitution, are preferable

glaring

I will not I

the

am that

and violent Effects

prefume

to deter-

they are very great

Evils.

I

have done with the Forms of Go-

vernment. quiry you rial

During the Courfe of

may have

my En-

obferved a very mate-

Difference between

Reafoning and that which

my Manner is

in

of

Uk amongft

the Abbetors ofArtificial Society. They form their

[79] their Plans

to their

mod

upon what feems

Imaginations,

of Mankind.

for

the

I difcover the

thofe Plans, from the real

eligible

ordering

Miftakes in

known

Confe-

quences which have refulted from them.

They have

and employ

itfelf,

that

inlifted

it is

Reafon to

it's

whole Force

to

prove

an infufficient Guide to them in

the Conducft of their Lives. pily for us, in Proportion as

viated

light againft

But unhap-

we

have de-

from the plain Rule of our Nature,

and turned our Reafon againft Proportion have

we

itfelf,

in that

increafed the Follies

and Miferies of Mankind.

The more deeply

we penetrate into the Labyrinth of Art, the further we find ourfelves from thofe Ends for which we entered it. This has happened

almoft every Species of Artificial So-

in

ciety,

we

and

thought

in all

we found,

having every Caufe. firft

Times.

Man

We found,

or

an Inconvenience in

the Judge of his

Therefore Judges were

fet

with difcretionary Powers.

was foon found a miferable Slavery

own

up, at

But to

it

have our

r

so]

our Lives and Properties precarious, and

hanging upon the arbitrary Determination

of any one Man, or Set of Men.

We flew

Laws as a Remedy for this Evil. By thefe we perfuaded ourfelves we might to

know

with fome Certainty upon what

Ground we

flood.

But

lo

Differences

!

arofe

upon the Senfe and

thefe

Laws. Thus we were brought back

Interpretation of

New

Laws were made to expound the old ; and new Difficulties arofe upon the new Laws as Words to our old Incertitude.

,

multiplied, Opportunities of cavilling

them

multiplied

was had

alfo.

to Notes,

upon

Then Recourfe

Comments,

Glofles,

ReportSyRe/ponfaPrudentum, learned Read-

Eagle flood againfl Eagle.

ings

:

rity

was

were

fet

allured

up

againfl Authority.

Autho-

Some

by the modern, others reve-

The new were morg

renced the antient.

enlightened, the old were

more

Comment,

Some adopted

the

to the Text.

The

venerable.

others fluck

Confufion increafed,

the Mift thickened, until

it

could be dis-

covered

I8i

]

covered no longer what was allowed or forbidden,

what Things were

and what common.

in Property,

In this Uncertainty,

(uncertain even to the Profeflbrs, an /Egyp-

Darknefs to the

tian

the contending Parties effectually ruined

of Mankind)

reft

themfelves

felt

more

by the Delay than they

could have been by the Injuftice of any

Our

Decifion.-

Inheritances are

a Prize for Difputation Litigations are

of

ways walked hand of

feflbrs

End,

in

Artificial

his

actly the fame, to

fimilar.

Inheritance.

Artificial

Law

have al-

hand with the Pro-

in

Theology.

As

their

confounding the Reafon of Man,

and abridging

Means

and Difputes and

;

become an

The Profeflbrs

become

that

The

Natural Freedom,

is

ex-

they have adjufted the

End

in a

Divine

Way

entirely

thunders out his

Anathemas with more Noife and Terror againft

the Breach of one of his pofitive

Inftitutions, or the trivial

Neglect of fome of his

Forms, than againft the Negleft or

M

Breach

[

8»]

Breach of thofe Duties and

Command-

ments of Natural Religion, which by thefe

Forms and

Inftitutions lie pretends to en-

The Lawver

force.

has his Forms, and

his pofitive Inftitutions too,

to

them with

a Veneration altogether as

The

religious.

and he adheres

worft Caufe cannot be fo

prejudicial to the Litigant, as his Advocate's

or Attorney's Ignorance or Negledl of thefe

Forms.

A

Law-fuit

is

Difpute, in which the

like firft

an ill-managed Objedt

is

foon

out of Sight, and the Parties end upon a

Matter wholly foreign to that on which they began. In a Law-fuit the Queftion

who has a Right to a certain Houfe or Farm And this Queftion is daily deteris,

?

mined, not upon the Evidences of the Right, but upon the Obfervance or le
of fome Forms of Words

amongft them,amongft which there amongft themfelves fuch

Neg-

in

Ufe

is

even

a Difagreement,

that the moft experienced Veterans in the Profeffion can never be pofitively affured that they are not miftajten.

Let

a

1

83

r

Let us expoflulate with thefe learned Sages, thefe Priefts of the facred

of

Are we Judges of our own

Juftice.

Property are

By no Means. You

?

blindfold Goddefs,

have a Right

inform

by the hazard of my

my Brow The ?

reafons

I

do

me

?

An

Life, or the

The

Negative

I

thefe three

My

Sweat of

me

the learned Bar-

and upon the

fide

ftarts

What

up and

enter the Field,

Perfons to defend

Caufe, which

I

reverend Serjeant

;

upon one

Antagonift

hard.

whether

have earned

other, and concludes nothing. I

who

grave Dodlor anfwers

in the Affirmative. replies in the

me

Bread

to eat the

then,

Myfteries of the

the

into

initiated

rifter

Temple

mail

preffes

and return

my

Caufe.

two Farmers from the

Plough could have decided

in half an hour,

takes the Court twenty Years.

I

am how-

ever at the end of my Labour, and have in

Reward

Judgment fagacious

Army

my Toil and Vexation, a my Favour. But hold—

for all in

Commander,

has found a

Flaw

M

in the Adverfary's

in the Proceeding.

2

My

84

r.

My

Tritimph

is

]

turned into Mourning.

I

have ufed or y inftead of and, or fome Miftake, fmall in Appearance, but dreadful in it's

Confequences, and have the whole of

my

Writ of Error. I from Court to

Succefs quafhed in a

remove

my

Court

I fly

;

Suit

I

;

fhift

from Equity

to

Law, and

Law to Equity equal Uncertainty attends me every where And a Miftake from

;

:

in

which

upon

I

had no Share> decides

my Liberty and

from the Court ing I

my

Family

am innocent, it

Beggary and Famine.

Gentlemen, of the Darknefs

from any Share

I

in the

with Chicane excluded

Conduct of my

fo intricate, it

:

You

for^vour Errors.

but

it,

even for yourfelves

loft in

never

the Science was too deep for

acknowledged

way

it

You have

and Sophiftry.

;

I

with abfurd and contradictory

Notions, nor confounded

Caufe

me

and adjudg-

and Uncertainty of your Science. darkened

once

Property, fending

to a Prifon, to

at

:

own me 5

was too deep

You have made

that err,

it

me

the

you are yourfelves

me The

and you punifh

The Delay of the Law is, your Lordfhip will it's

me, a

tell

Topick, and which of

trite

Abufes have not been too feverely

not to be often complained of?

Property

is

A

felt

Man's

to ferve for the Purpofes of his

Support; and therefore to delay a Determination concerning that, juftice,

becaufe

and Purpofe

it

for

the worft In-

is

End

cuts off the very

which

I

applied to the

Quite contrary in

Judicature for Relief.

Cafe of a Man's Life, there the Determi-

much

nation can hardly be too

protradted.

Miftakes in this Cafe are as often fallen into as in any other, and if the is

Judgement

fudden, the Miftakes are the mofl irre-

trievable

men

of all others.

of the

Robe

Of this

are themfelves fenfible,

and they have brought

De But

morte hominis nulla

what

could

to reverfe the

that Reafon

the Gentle-

eft

have

Rules,

which

it

into a

cunSiatio longa.

induced

them

and to contradict

dictated

utterly unable to guefs.

Maxim.

A

them,

I

am

Point concern-

ing Property,which ought, for the Reafons Ijuft

[86] I juft

mentioned, to be moft fpeedily de-

cided, frequently exercifes the ceffions

Wit of Suc-

of Lawyers, for manyGenerations.

Multa virum volvem durandofacula vincit. But the Queftion concerning a Man's that

great Queftion in

which no Delay

ought to be counted tedious,

is

commonly

determined in Twenty-four Hours utmoft. Injuftice

rable

It is

not to be wondered

at the

at,

that

and Abfurdity fhould be infepa-

Companions.

End

Afk of Politicians Laws were originally

defigned

will anfwer,

Laws were

that the

as a Protection for

Powerful.

for $

which

and they defigned

the Poor and

Weak,

But furely no Pretence can be

Man might as well tell taken off my Load, becaufe he

fo ridiculous

he has

the

Oppreffion of the Rich and

againft the

me

Life,

;

a

has changed the Burthen.

If the poor

Man is not able to fupport his Suit,

accord-

ing to the vexatious and expenfive

manner

eftablifhed in civilized Countries,

has not

i

the

[8 7

]

him

the Rich as great an Advantage over

Weak in

as the Strong has over the

of Nature State

?

But we

God, in competition with

which In a

of Nature,

of fuperior Force it is

true,

it is

that I

am

make

of Man.

which

I

may be

or rob

at full

me

;

way.

Reprifal

a rich I

but

Liberty to

by Sur-

fuperior to him.

in Political Society, in another

Man

true, that a

by any other way

prize or by Cunning, or

me

the Reign of

Political Society,

may beat

defend myfelf, or

in

is

the abfurd Usurpation

is

State

then

not place the

will

of Nature, which

a State

But

Man may

cannot defend

rob

my-

Money is the only Weapon with which we are allowed to fight. And if I felf ;

for

attempt

to

avenge

Force of that Society

my

the

myfelf, is

whole

ready to compleat

Ruin.

A

good Parfon once

faid,

that

Myftery begins, Religion ends. of

fay,

as

tbat

where Myftery begins^

truly at lead,

where

Cannot

I

human Laws, Juftice ends

?

It

[

It

hard to

is

Law

fay,

88

whether the Do&ors of

made

or Divinity have

Advances

Lawyers,

as

well as the

My-

Theo-

have eredted another Reafon be-

logians,

Natural Reafon another

been,

the greater

in the lucrative Bufinefs of

The

ftery.

fides

]

-

y

befides Natural

Juftice

They have

Juftice.

and the Refult has

bewildered the

fo

World and themfelves in unmeaning Forms and Ceremonies, and fo perplexed Matters with metaphyseal

the plaineft Jargon, that to a

Man

it

carries the higheft

Danger

out of that Profeffion, to

make

the leaft Step without their Advice and

Thus by

Affiftance.

confining to them-

felves the

Knowledge of the Foundation of

Mens

Lives and Properties, they have

all

reduced

and

fervile

into the

Dependence.

moft

5

and

abje
We are Tenants

Will of theie Gentlemen

at the

thing

Mankind

all

a metaphyfical

for every

Quibble

is

to

decide whether the greateft Villain breathing fhall meet his Deferts,

or efcape with

Impunity, or whether the beft

Man

in the

Society

['«9

J

Society fhall not be reduced to the loweft

and moft defpicable Condition In a word,

my Lord,

Puerility,

falfe

Myftery of the

who envy

the

affords,.

the InjuHice^ Delay*

Refinement, and affedled

Law

under

live

it

an; fuch, that

come

it

Expedition,

to

many

admire and

and

Simplicity*

Equality of Arbitrary Judgments. I need infift

the

lefs

on

this Article to

your Lord-

you have frequently lamented the

ihip, as

Miferies derived to us from Artificial

and your Candor mired

is

more

the

and applauded in

this,

Law,

to be adas

your

Lordfhip's noble Houfe has derived

Wealth and

it's

Honours from

it's

that Pro-

fefiion.

Before tificial

we finifh

Society,

I

our Examination of Ar-

fhall lead

your Lordfhip

into a clofer Confideration of the Relations

which if

it

gives Birth to, and the Benefits,

fuch they are, which

Relations.

Society

is

The moft into

refult

obvious Divifion of

Rich and Poor

N

from thefe

>

and

it

is

no

[9°] no

lefs

Number

obvious, that the

of the

former bear a great Difproportion to thofe

of the

The whole

latter.

Poor is to adminifter

to the Idlenefs, Folly,

and Luxury of the Rich Rich, in return,

is

Bufinefs of the

-

y

and that of the

to find the beft

Methods

of confirming the Slavery and increafing the Burthens of the Poor.

Nature,

is

it

an invariable Law, that a

Man's Acquifitions

a

Law

thofe

that

are in proportion to his

In a State of Artificial Society,

Labours. it is

In a State of

as conftant

who

and

as invariable,,

labour moft, enjoy the

feweft things ; and that thofe

not at

all,

have the greateft

A

Enjoyments, this,

ftrange and ridiculous

preffion.

we

Conftitution

We

are told

fore our

it,

who labour Number of of things

beyond Ex-

fcarce believe a thing

which we

when

adlually fee be-

Eyes every Day without being in

the leaft furprized.

I fuppofe that there

are in Great Britain

upwards of an hun-

dred thoufand People employed in Lead, Tin, Iron, Copper, and Coal Mines > thefe

unhappy

[9i unhappy Wretches

]

fcarce ever fee the Light

of the Sun; they are buried

of the Earth

and

difmal

there they

;

in the

work

at a fevere

without

Tafk,

the

Profpedt of being delivered from fubfift

upon the

of Fare

$

coarfeft

Bowels

leaft

they

it ;

and worft

fort

they have their Health miferably

impaired, and their Lives cut fhort,

by

being perpetually confined in the clofe

Vapour of

thefe malignant Minerals

hundred thoufand more at without

Remiffion

Smoak,

intenfe Fires,

leaft are

by the

tortured

fuffocating

and conftant Drud-

gery neceflary in the refining and naging the Products of thofe Mines.

any

Man

An

maIf

informed us that two hundred

innocent Perfons were condemned to fo

how

intolerable Slavery,

the unhappy Sufferers,

would be our thofe

who

and

Indignation

juft

againft

infli&ed fo cruel and ignomi-

nious a Punifliment

?

This

I could not wifh a ftronger, berlefs

we pity how great

fhould

Things which

N

2

we

i$

an Inftance,

of the

pafs

by

num-

in their

common

common

which fhock

Drefs, yet

us

when

they are nakedly reprefented.

But

Number,

and the

considerable as

Slavery, with

what the

at

Home,

of Lead,

is

nothing to

of the World affords of the

reft

fame Nature. Millions poifonous

is,

Bafenefs and Horror,

all it's

which we have

it

this

Damps and

Silver,

daily bathed in the

deftru<3ive Effluvia

Copper, and Arfenick.

fay nothing of thofe other

To

Employments,

thofe Stations of Wretchednefs and

Con-

which Civil Society has placed the numerous Enfans perdus of her Army, tempt

in

Would any

rational

Man

fubmit to one

of the moft tolerable of thefe Drudgeries for all

the

Policy has

artificial

made

By no Means.

to

And

Enjoyments which refult

are not at fidering

all

the

who

who

find the

arrive at the

the fame Perfons. ftrange

?

yet need I fuggeft to

your Lordfhip, that thofe

Means, and thofe

from them

On

End, con-

and unaccountable

Fancies and Contrivances of Artificial Reafpn s I have

fomewhere

called this Earth

the

[93

]

the Bedlam of our Syftem.

upon the

Effects of

may we

Looking now

fome of

thofe Fancies,

not with equal Reafon

call

it

likewife the Newgate, and the Bridewell

of the Univerfe.

Indeed the Blindnefs of

one Part of Mankind co-operating with the Frenzy

and Villainy of the other,

has been the real Builder of this refpectable Fabrick

of Political Society

:

And

as

their Blindnefs has caufed their Slavery,

Return their State of Slavery

in

is

made a

aPretence for continuing them in a State

of Blindnefs ; for the Politician will

you

tell

gravely, that their Life of Servitude

them

difqualifies

for a Search

of Truth,

and fupplies them with no other than

mean and too true

inefficient Ideas.

and

;

which

for

In a

I

this is

ing

fome few

t>ut

a few,

of

but

Inftitutions,

this

Lenities,

nine

is

one of the Reafons

blame fuch

Mifery

This

Sort,

and

Parts in

admit-

thofe too

ten

of the

whole Race of Mankind drudge through Life.

[94] Life. It

may be

of this.,

that, at leaft, the

urged perhaps, in palliation

confiderable and

real

Rich

Few find a

Benefit

from the

Wretchednefs of the Many. fo in fadl

a

little

more Attention.

two

this

is

Let us examine the Point with

?

the Rich in into

But

For

Societies

all

Claffes.

The

this

may

firft is

purpofe

be thrown

who

of thofe

are Powerful as well as Rich, and conducft

Ma-

the Operations of the vaft Political chine. their

The

other

is

Riches wholly

Pleafure.

As

to the

of thofe

who employ

in the Acquifition of firft

tinual Care, Anxiety, their toilfome

and

fleeplefs Nights, are

Thefe Circumftances

con*

Sort, their

Days

next to Proverbial.

are fufficient almoft

to level their Condition to that of the

happy Majority

;

un-

but there are other Cir-

cumftances which place them in a far

lower Condition.

Not only

ftandings labour continually, fevereft

Under-

which

is

the

Labour, but their Hearts are torn

1>y the worft, fatiable

their

of

all

moft troublefome, and Paffions,

in-

by Avarice, by Ambition^

95 1

[

Ambition, by Fear and Jealoufy. part of the extirpates

and

No

Mind has Reft. Power gradually from the Mind every humane Pity, Benevolence,

gentle Virtue.

Friendship are Things almoft

unknown

in high Stations.

Vera

inveniuntur in

qui in honoribus reipub-

licee

its

amicitice rarijjime

verfantur, fays Cicero*

Courts are the

Schools

And

indeed,

where Cruelty,

Pride, Diffimulation and

Treachery are

ftudied and taught in the moft vicious

This

Perfe&ion.

a Point fo clear and

is

acknowledged, that

my

a neceflary Part of pafs

me

it

by

at

not

Subjedt,

And

entirely.

from drawing

if it did

this has

full length,

the moft ftriking Colours,

this

I

make Should

hindered

and in Shocking

Pidlure of the Degeneracy and Wretchednefs of is

human

Nature, in that Part which

vulgarly thought

amiable

State.

Originals

I

it's

happieft and moft

You know from what

could

copy fuch Pictures.

who know enough of them to know their littleValue, and who

Happy

are

they

have

[96] have been fnatched from that Poll of

Danger with the Remains of

their Virtue

j

Lofs of Honours, Wealth, Titles and even the Lofs of one's Country

nothing in

is

Ballance with fo great an Advantage.

Let us the Rich,

now view the other Species of thofe who devote their Time

and Fortunes

Idlenefs

to

and Pleafure.

How much

happier are they

which

are agreeable to

fiires

The Plea-

?

Nature are

within the reach of all, and therefore can

form no Diftindlion

The is

which Art

Pleafures

feldom

fincere,

worfe,

this

Pleafure takes

in favour

and never

of the Rich.

forces

up

fatisfying.

are

What

conftant Application to

away from the Enjoyment,

or rather turns

it

into

the Nature of a

very burthenfome and laborious Bufinefs. It

has Confequences yet worfe.

duces a

weak

It

pro-

valetudinary State of .Body,

attended byall thofe horrid Diforders, and yet

more horrid Methods of Cure, which

are the Refult of Luxury

on one hand, and the

97]

C the

weak and

ridiculous Efforts of

human

Art on theother.TheirPleafuresare fcarcely felt as

Pleafures;

at

tne fame time that

P

ins

and Difeafes, which

they bring on

The Mind

are felt but too feverely. it's

Share of the Misfortune

grows

it

;

has

lazy and enervate, unwilling and unable to fearch for Truth, and utterly uncapable

of knowing, much

of relifhing real

lefs

The Poor by

Happinefs.

Labour, and the Rich by

Luxury, are

fet

upon

View

difmal

to

enormous

their

a Level

equally ignorant of any

might conduce

their exceffive

and made

Knowledge which Happinefs.

their

of the Interior of

A Civil

all

The lower Part broken and ground down by the moft cruel OpprefSociety.

fion

;

and

the Rich

Method of Life themfelves, poffibly

Very tural

different State,

is

their

on

artificial

Tyranny could

thofe

below them.

the Profpedi of the

Here

which Nature

their

bringing worfe Evils on

than

inflidl

by

there

gives,

O

is

no

*

Na-

want

and they can be fenfible

[98] no other Wants, which

fenfible of

to be fupplied

of Labour Neither

is

Man

fingle

Life

is

therefore there

is

there any Luxury,

no Slavery. becaufe no

can fupply the Materials of

unequal State

it.

happy.

it is

my Lord,

confcious,

Politician will urge this

not

a very moderate degree

Ample, and therefore

am

I

j

by

is

r

your

that

in his Defence, that

highly

is

That

ufefiil.

without dooming fome Part of Mankind to extraordinary Toil, the Arts tivate Life could not

demand of this came

to

which cul-

be exercifed.

Politician,

be neceflary

?

how

He

But

I

fuch Arts

anfwers, that

Civil Society could not well exift without

So that thefe

them.

Arts' are neceflary to

Civil Society, and Civil Society neceflary

again to thefe Arts.

without

Circle,

out

Thus running

Modefty, and

in a

with-

End; and making one Error and

Extravagance an Excufe for the other. Sentiments about thefe Caufe,

I

Arts

My

and their

have often difcourfed with

my

Friends

[99} Friends at large. Pope has expreffed them

good Verfe, where he

in

much

with fo

talks

Force of Reafon and Elegance of

Language

of the State of Nature.

in Praife

Then was

not Pride, nor Arts that Pride

to aid,

Man

walk'd with Beaft, Joint-tenant of

the Shade.

On

the whole,

my Lord,

Society, in whatever

Many

the

if Political

Form, has

ftill

Few

the Property of the

made ;

if it

has introduced Labours unneceflary, Vices

and Difeafes unknown, and Pleafures incompatible with Nature tries

it

;

and miferable,

fhall

fo deftrudive an Idol, to

it

Peace

our Health, ?

Coun-

abridges the Lives of Millions, and

renders thofe of Millions je<3:

if in all

Or

Heap of Frattices,

fhall

more

we

utterly ab-

ftill

worfhip

and daily

facrifice

our Liberty,

we

pafs

by

this

and our monftrous

abfurd Notions, and abominable thinking

we have

Oz

fufficiently

difcharged

!

[

ioo

]

difcharged our Duty in expofing the trifling Cheats, and ridiculous Juggles of a few

mad dcfigning, or ambitious Priefts ? Alas my Lord, we labour under a mortal Confumption, whilft we are fo anxious about the Cure of a fore Finger. this

For has not

Leviathan of Civil Power overflowed

the Earth with a Deluge of Blood, as

were made

We have

he

and play therein

to difport

fhewn, that

if

Political Society,

a moderate Calculation,

has

been

?

on the

Means of murdering an hundred and forty times the

upon

Number of

the Earth, during

now

Inhabitants

it's

fhort Exiftence,

not upwards of four thoufand Years in any

Accounts

to be

depended on. But we have

faid nothing of the other,

and perhaps as bad

Confequence of thefe Wars, which

fpilled

fuch Seas of Blood, and reduced fo

many

Millions to a mercilefs Slavery.

But thefe

are only the Ceremonies performed in the

Porch of the

Political

Temple.

Much

more

horrid ones are feen as you enter

The

feveral Species

of Government

it.

vie

with

[

ioi ]

with each other in the Abfurdity of their Conftitutions,

make

they

and the Oppreffion which

them under what Form you are

Take

their Subjects endure.

in Effect

pleafe,

they

but a Defpotifm, and

fall,

both in Effect an Appearance too,

after

a

very (hort Period, into that cruel and deteftable Species

ther call

of Tyranny 5 which

becaufe

it,

we have been

under another Form, than that

I ra-

educated this

is

of

worfe Confequences to Mankind. For the free

Governments, for the Point of their

Space, and the

have

felt

more

Moment

of their Duration,

more Confufion, and committed of Tyranny, than the

flagrant Acts

mod perfect defpotick Governments which we

Turn your Eye Labyrinth of the Law, and the

have ever known.

next to the

Iniquity conceived ceflfes.

in the

in

it's

intricate

Re-

Confider the Ravages committed

Bowels of

all

Commonwealths by

Ambition, by Avarice, Envy, Fraud, open Injuftice,

and pretended Friendship; Vices

which could draw

little

Support from a State

*°2

[

State of Nature, but flourifh in the

which bloflbm and

Ranknefs of

Political Soci-

Revolve our whole Difcourfe

ety.

to

]

it all

thofe Reflections

good Underftanding

make

a

ftrenuous

$

add

which your own

(hall

fuggeft,

and

Effort

beyond

the

Reach of Vulgar Philofophy, to

confefs that

the Caufe of Artificial Society

is

fencelefs

even than that of

gion; that

it

is

as

more de-

Artificial Reli-

derogatory from the

Honour of the Creator, as fubverfive of human Reafon, and productive of infinitely more Mifchief to the human Race. If pretended Revelations

Wars

where

have caufed

they were oppofed,

and

Slavery where they were received, the pre-

tended wife Inventions of Politicians have

done the fame.

much

But the Slavery has been

heavier, the

Wars

far

more bloody,

and both more univerfal by many Degrees.

Shew me any Mifchief produced by

the

Madnefs or Wickednefs of Theologians, and

I will

fhew you an hundred,

refulting

from

[103

]

from the Ambition and Villainy of Con-

Shew me an Ab-

querors and Statefmen. furdity in Religion,

I will

lhew you an hundred

Laws and

is

one in

Political

If you fay, that

Inftitutions.

Religion

Natural

for

undertake to

Guide

a fufficient

without the foreign Aid of Revelation,

on what Principle fhould

Laws

Political

become neceffary t Is not the fame Reafon available in Theology and in Politicks ? If the

God,

dom

Laws of Nature is it

Laws of

are the

confident with the Divine

to prefcribe Rules to us,

Wif-

and leave

the Enforcement of them to the Folly of

human

Inftitutions?

Will you follow Truth

but to a certain Point

?

We are

indebted

for all our Miferies to our Diftruft

of that

Guide, which Providence thought

fuffici-

ent for tural

our

Reafon,

Human

Condition,

own Na-

which reje&ing both

and Divine

things,

given our Necks to the tical

our

in

we have

Yoke of

Poli-

We

have

and Theological Slavery.

renounced the Prerogative of Man, and

it is

io 4

[

greater, as the

all

is

much

Crime we commit

jecting the lawful

in

the re-

Dominion of our Reafon

If after

greater.

fhould be treated

But our Mifery

like Beafts.

is

we

not wonderful that

is

1

all,

you fhould confefs

thefe things, yet plead the Neceffity of

weak and wicked

Political Inftitutions,

they

are,

as

can argue with equal, perhaps

I

fuperior Force concerning the Neceffity of Artificial Religion

5

and every Step you ad-

your Argument,

vance in

Strength to mine. folved

to

So that

you add a if

we

are re-

fubmit our Reafon and

Liberty to Civil Ufurpation,

we

our

have no-

thing to do but to conform as quickly as

we

can to the vulgar Notions which are

up

their

well as their Politicks.

But

connected with

Theology

as

this,

and, take

we think this Neceffity than real, we fhould

if

Dreams of

Society,

Vifions of Religion,

rather imaginary

renounce

their

together with their

and vindicate our-

felves into perfect Liberty.

You

*°S

r

You

my Lord,

are,

into the

]

World ;

am

I

but juft entering

going out of it.

I

have played long enough to be heartily tired

of the Drama.

adted

my

will

Part in

it

Whether

well or

ill,

I have Pofterity

judge with more Candor than

than the prefent Age,

it

The

For

my

without a Sigh, and fubmit

to the Sovereign Order without ing.

or

with our prefent

Paffions, can poffibly pretend to.

Part, I quit

I,

murmur-

we approach to the the better we begin to under-

nearer

Goal of Life,

ftand the true Value of our Exiftence, and

Weight of our Opinions. We out much in Love with both ; but we

the real fet

leave iirft

much behind

us as

we

advance.

We

throw away the Tales along with the

Rattles of our Nurfes.

keep

their

hold a

Thofe of the Prieft

little

longer

our Governors the longeft of Paffions

which prop

withdrawn one (hews us what a

all.

But the

and the cool

at the Setting

falfe

thofe of

thefe Opinions are

after another,

Light of Reafon

;

of our Life

Splendor played upon

P

thefe

io6]

[

thefe

Obje&s during our more fanguine

Scafons.

Happy,

my

Lord,

if

by my Experience, and even by early to

of things,

as

to your Life.

Comfort

my Errors,

make fuch an Eftimate may give Freedom and Eafe

you come

me

inftru&ed

I at

am happy

my

that

Death.

FINIS.

it

promifes

u

I

.•^i

m