Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

husband, who had marry'd a woman from the Es fhould be watchful to prevent her infidelity. PLL A affairs, in fuch a conftitution, muft necefy go to confufion, by whatever hands they are conducted; and the zeal of patriots is much lefs requifite in that cafe than the patience and fubmiffion of php The virtue and good intentions of Cats and Brutas are highly laudable; but, to what purpofe dad ther zeal ferve? To nothing, but to haten the fara! riod of the Roman government, and render a cra vulfions and dying agonies more viclent and painrul.

I wou'd not be understood to mean, that po. affairs deferve no care and attention at all men be moderate and confiftent, their da

be admitted; at leaft might be examir. 4 try-party might fill affert, that our conft.com, “YO excellent, will admit of mal-admirit

[ocr errors]

tain degree; and therefore, if ther 'tis proper to oppofe him with a rubu see a zeal. And, on the other hard, the

be allow'd, upon the fuppofiton that he were good, to defend, and with me. administration. I would only reade contend, as if they were hotan and change a good contitat.on the violence of their factions *.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

I HAVE not here confider'd any thing that is perfonal in the prefent controverfy. In the beft conftitution

vaffed, than those of the prefent minifter, who, having govern'd a learn'd and free nation for fo long a time, amidst fuch mighty oppofition, may make a large library of what has been wrote for and against him, and is the fubject of above half the paper that has been blotted in the nation within thefe twenty years. I wish, for the honour of our country, that any one character of him had been drawn with such judgment and impartiality, as to have some credit with pofterity, and to fhew, that our liberty has, once at leaft, been employ'd to good purpose. I am only afraid of failing in the former quality of judgment: But if it should be fo, 'tis but one page more thrown away, after an hundred thousand, upon the same subject, that have perish'd, and become useless. In the mean time, I fhall flatter myfelf with the pleafing imagination, that the following character will be adopted by future historians.

SIR ROBERT WALPOLE, prime minister of Great Britain, is a man of ability, not a genius; good natur'd, not virtuous; conftant, not magnanimous; moderate, not equitable †. His virtues, in fome inftances, are free from the allay of those vices, which usually accompany fuch virtues: He is a generous friend, without being a bitter enemy. His vices, in other instances, are not compensated by those virtues which are nearly ally'd to them: His want of enterprife is not attended with frugality. The private character of the man is better than the public: His virtues more than his vices: His fortune greater than his fame. With many good qualities he has incurr'd the public hatred: With good capacity he has not efcap'd ridicule. He would have been esteem'd more worthy of his high station, had he never poffefs'd it; and is better qualify'd for the second than for the first place in any government. His miniftry has been more advantageous to his family than to the public, better for this age than for pofterity, and more pernicious by bad

+ Moderate in the exercise of power, not equitable in engrosEng it.

precedents

ftitution of the world, where every man is reftrain'd by the most rigid laws, 'tis eafy to discover either the good or bad intentions of a minifter, and to judge, whether his perfonal character deserves love or hatred. But fuch queftions are of little importance to the public, and lay thofe who employ their pens upon them, under a juft fufpicion either of malevolence or of flattery.

precedents than by real grievances. During his time trade has flourish'd, liberty declin'd, and learning gone to ruin. As I am a man, I love him; as I am a scholar, I hate him; as I am a Briton, I calmly with his fall. And were I a member of either houfe, I would give my vote for removing him from St. James's; but should be glad to see him retire to Houghton-Hall, to pafs the remander of his days in eafe and pleasure.

The author is pleased to find, that after animofities are laid, and calumny has ceas'd, the whole nation almost have return'd to the fame moderate fentiments with regard to this great man; if they are not rather become more favourable to him, by a very natural tranfition, from ne extreme to another. The author would no oppose these bumane fentiments towards the dead; tho' be cannot forbear obferving, that the not paying more of our public debts was, as binted in this character, a great, and the only greats error in that long administration.

ESSAY

ESSAY

V.

Of the first PRINCIPLES of Go

NOTH

VERNMENT.

OTHING is more furprizing to thofe, who confider human affairs with a philofophical eye, than to fee the easiness with which the many are govern'd by the few; and to obferve the implicite fubmiffion with which men refign their own fentiments and paffions to those of their rulers. When we enquire by what means this wonder is brought about, we shall find, that as FORCE is always on the fide of the govern'd, the governors have nothing to fupport them but OPINION. "Tis therefore, on opinion only that government is founded; and this maxim extends to the moft defpotic and most military governments, as well as to the moft free and most popular. The foldan of Egypt, or the emperor of Rome, might drive his harmless fubjects, like brute beafts, against their fentiments and inclination: But he muft, at leaft, have led his mamalukes, or prate. rian bands, like men, by their opinion.

OPINION is of two kinds, viz. opinion of INTEREST, and opinion of RIGHT. By opinion of. intereft,

intereft, I chiefly understand the fenfe of the public advantage which is reap'd from government; along with the perfuafion, that the particular government, which is eftablifh'd, is equally advantageous with any other that could easily be fettled. When this opinion prevails among the generality of a state, or among those who have the force in their hands, it gives great fecurity to any government.

RIGHT is of two kinds, right to POWER, and right to PROPERTY. What prevalence opinion of the firft kind has over mankind, may easily be underftood by obferving the attachment which all nations have to their ancient government, and even to those names which have had the sanction of antiquity. Antiquity always begets the opinion of right; and whatever difadvantageous fentiments we may entertain of mankind, they are always found to be prodigal both of blood and treasure in the maintenance of public juftice. This paffion we may denominate enthusiasm, or we may give it what appellation we pleafe; but a politician, who fhould overlook its influence on human affairs, would prove himself to have but a very limited understanding. There is, indeed, no particular, in which, at first fight, there may appear a greater contradiction in the frame of the human mind than the prefent. When men act in a faction, they are apt, without any shame or remorse, to neglect all the ties of honour and morality, in order to serve their party; and yet, when a faction is form'd upon a point of right or principle, there is no occafion, where men discover a greater obftinacy,

and

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »