26 above account be a true one. I confess I fhall affent to it with great reluctance, and only on the compulfion of the cleareft and firmeft proofs; because their account refolves itself into this short, but difcouraging propofition, "That we "have a very good Ministry, but that we are a very bad people;" that we fet ourselves to bite the hand that feeds us; that with a malignant infanity we oppofe the measures, and ungratefully vilify the perfons, of those, whose fole object is our own peace and profperity. If a few puny libellers, acting under a knot of factious politicians, without virtue, parts, or character (fuch they are conftantly reprefented by thefe gentlemen), are fufficient to excite this difturbance, very perverse must be the difpofition of that people, amongst whom fuch a disturbance can be excited by fuch means. It is befides no fmall aggravation of the public misfortune, that the difeafe, on this hypothefis, appears to be without remedy. If the wealth of the nation be the caufe of its turbulence, I imagine it is not proposed to introduce poverty, as a conftable to keep the peace. If our dominions abroad are the roots which feed all this rank luxuriance of fedition, it is not intended to cut them off in order to famifh the fruit. If our liberty has enfeebled the executive power, there is no defign, I hope, to call in the aid of defpotism, to fill up the deficiencies of law. Whatever may be intended, these things are not yet profeffed. We feem therefore to be driven to abfolute defpair; for we have no other materials to work work upon, but those out of which God has been pleafed to form the inhabitants of this ifland. If these be radically and effentially vitious, all that can be faid is, that those men are very unhappy, to whofe fortune or duty it falls to adminifter the affairs of this untoward people. I hear it indeed fometimes afferted, that a steady perfeverance in the prefent measures, and a rigorous punishment of those who oppose them, will in courfe of time infallibly put an end to thefe disorders. But this, in my opinion, is faid without much obfervation of our present difpofition, and without any knowledge at all of the general nature of mankind. If the matter of which this nation is compofed be fo very fermentable as these gentlemen describe it, leaven never will be wanting to work it up, as long as discontent, revenge, and ambition, have exiftence in the world. Particular punishments are the cure for accidental distempers in the State; they inflame rather than allay those heats which arife from the fettled mifmanagement of the Government, or from a natural ill disposition in the people. It is of the utmost moment not to make mistakes in the use of ftròng measures; and firmness is then only a virtue when it accompanies the most perfect wisdom. In truth, inconftancy is a fort of natural corrective of folly and ignorance. I am not one of those who think that the people are never in the wrong. They have been fo, frequently and outrageously, both in other countries and in this. But I do fay, that in all B 4 disputes difputes between them and their rulers, the prefumption is at leaft upon a par in favour of the people. Experience may perhaps justify me in going further. Where popular discontents have been very prevalent; it may well be affirmed and fupported, that there has been generally fomething found amifs in the conftitution, or in the conduct of Government. The people have no intereft in diforder. When they do wrong, it is their error, and not their crime. But with the governing part of the State, it is far otherwise. They certainly may act ill by defign, as well as by mistake. "Les revolutions 66 qui arrivent dans les grands etats ne font point "un effect du bazard, ni du caprice des peuples. "Rien ne revolte les grands d'un royaume "comme un Gouvernement foible et derangé. "Pour la populace, ce n'est jamais par envie d'attaquer qu'elle fe fouleve, mais par impatience "de fouffrir" Thefe are the words of a great man; of a Minifter of ftate; and a zealous affertor of Monarchy. They are applied to the fyftem of Favouritifm which was adopted by Henry the Third of France, and to the dreadful confequences it produced. What he fays of revolutions, is equally true of all great disturbances. If this prefumption in favour of the subjects against the trustees of power be not the more probable, I am fure it is the more comfortable fpeculation; because it is more easy to change. an administration than to reform a people. Mem. de Sully, vol. I, p. 133. Upon Upon a fuppofition, therefore, that in the opening of the caufe the prefumptions ftand equally balanced between the parties, there feems fufficient ground to entitle any perfon to a fair hearing, who attempts fome other scheme beside that easy one which is fashionable in some fashionable companies, to account for the prefent difcontents. It is not to be argued that we endure no grievance, because our grievances are not of the fame fort with thofe under which we laboured formerly; not precifely those which we bore from the Tudors, or vindicated on the Stuarts: A great change has taken place in the affairs of this country. For in the filent lapfe of events as material alterations have been infenfibly brought about in the policy and character of governments and nations, as those which have been marked by the tumult of public volutions. It is very rare indeed for men to be wrong in their feelings concerning public misconduct; as rare to be right in their fpeculation upon the cause of it. I have conftantly obferved, that the generality of people are fifty years, at leaft, behind-hand in their politicks. There are but very few, who are capable of comparing and digefting what paffes before their eyes at different times and occafions, fo as to form the whole into a distinct fyftem. But in books every thing is fettled for them, without the exertion of any confiderable diligence or fagacity. For which reafon men are wife with but little reflexion, and good with little felfdenial, denial, in the business of all times except their own. We are very uncorrupt and tolerably enlightened judges of the tranfactions of paft ages; where no paffions deceive, and where the whole train of circumftances, from the trifling cause to the tragical event, is set in an orderly feries before us. Few are the partizans of departed tyranny; and to be a Whig on the bufinefs of an hundred years ago, is very confiftent with every advantage of present fervility. This retrospective wisdom, and historical patriotifm, are things of wonderful convenience; and serve admirably to reconcile the old quarrel between speculation and practice. Many a ftern republican, after gorging himself with a full feaft of admiration of the Grecian commonwealths and of our true Saxon conftitution, and discharging all the fplendid bile of his virtuous indignation on King John and King James, fits down perfectly fatisfied to the coarseft work and homelieft job of the day he lives in. I believe there was no profeffed admirer of Henry the Eighth among the inftruments of the laft King James; nor in the court of Henry the Eighth, 'was there, I dare say, to be found a fingle advocate for the favourites of Richard the Second. No complaifance to our Court, or to our age, can make me believe nature to be fo changed, but that public liberty will be among us, as among our ancestors, obnoxious to fome perfon or other; and that opportunities will be furnifhed, for attempting at leaft, fome alteration to the prejudice of our conftitution. These attempts |