Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents .... |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 28
Page 7
... 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 ...
... 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 ...
Page 12
... most known devotion to the will and pleasure of a Court , have at the fame time been most forward in afferting an high authority in the House of Commons . When they knew who were to use that authority , and how it was to be employed ...
... most known devotion to the will and pleasure of a Court , have at the fame time been most forward in afferting an high authority in the House of Commons . When they knew who were to use that authority , and how it was to be employed ...
Page 15
... most fanguine partizans of the Court could poffibly defire . Government might then be carried on without any concurrence on the part of the people ; without any attention to the dignity of the greater , or to the affections of the lower ...
... most fanguine partizans of the Court could poffibly defire . Government might then be carried on without any concurrence on the part of the people ; without any attention to the dignity of the greater , or to the affections of the lower ...
Page 22
... most of them have religiously kept their faith . Such a change could not however be made without a mighty fhock to Government . To reconcile the minds of the people to all these movements , principles correfpondent to them had been ...
... most of them have religiously kept their faith . Such a change could not however be made without a mighty fhock to Government . To reconcile the minds of the people to all these movements , principles correfpondent to them had been ...
Page 26
... most ardent lover of his country cannot wish for Great Britain an happier fate than to continue as he was then left . A people emulous as we are in affec- tion to our present Sovereign , know not how to form a prayer to Heaven for a ...
... most ardent lover of his country cannot wish for Great Britain an happier fate than to continue as he was then left . A people emulous as we are in affec- tion to our present Sovereign , know not how to form a prayer to Heaven for a ...
Common terms and phrases
Adminiſtration againſt anſwer becauſe bufinefs buſineſs Cabal caufe cauſe chofen circumftances Civil Lift confequence confidence confideration conftitution conftruction confufion connexion controul corruption courſe Court Crown debt defign deftroy diforder difpofition diftinguiſh duty eſtabliſhed Faction fame favour fecurity feem felves ferve fervice fervitude fettled fhall fhew fhould fince firft firſt fituation fole fome fomething foon fpirit ftand ftate ftrength fubject fuch fuffer fufficient fuppofed fupport fure fyftem Government greateſt himſelf honour Houfe Houſe of Commons impoffible increaſe influence inftitution inftrument intereft itſelf King's men leaft leaſt lefs liament Lord Lord Bute Lord Rochford Lord Shelburne means meaſures ment Minifters Miniftry moft moſt muft muſt nation natural neceffary neceffity obfervation opinion oppofition Parliament party perfons pleaſure poffeffed poffibly politicks popular prefent principle puniſhed purpoſe queftion racter reafon Reprefentatives ſcheme thefe themſelves theſe thing thofe thoſe truft uſe Whig whilft whole wiſdom
Popular passages
Page 110 - Party is a body of men united, for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.
Page 3 - Nations are governed by the same methods, and on the same principles, by which an individual without authority is often able to govern those who are his equals or his superiors; by a knowledge of their temper, and by a judicious management of it...
Page 110 - I find it impossible to conceive, that any one believes in his own politics, or thinks them to be of any weight, who refuses to adopt the means of having them reduced into practice. It is the business of the speculative philosopher to mark the proper ends of government. It is the business of the politician, who is the philosopher in action, to find out proper means towards those ends.
Page 13 - ... in itself a perpetual principle of growth and renovation ; and which the distresses and the prosperity of the country equally tended to augment, was an admirable substitute for a prerogative that, being only the offspring of antiquated prejudices, had moulded in its original stamina irresistible principles of decay and dissolution. The ignorance of the people is a bottom but for a temporary system ; the interest of active men in the state is a foundation perpetual and infallible.
Page 8 - When popular discontents have been very prevalent, it may well be affirmed and supported that there has been generally something found amiss in the constitution or in the conduct of Government. The people have no interest in disorder. 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 design, as well as by mistake.
Page 114 - Men thinking freely, will, in particular instances, think differently. But still as the greater part of the measures which arise in the course of public business are related to, or dependent on, some great leading general principles in government, a man must be peculiarly unfortunate in the choice of his political company if he does not agree with them at least nine times in ten.
Page 12 - The power of the crown, almost dead and rotten as Prerogative, has grown up anew, with much more strength, and far less odium, under the name of Influence.
Page 68 - The virtue, spirit, and essence of a House of Commons consists in its being the express image of the feelings of the nation. It was not instituted to be a control upon the people, as of late it has been taught, by a doctrine of the most pernicious tendency. It was designed as a control for the people.
Page 115 - To model our principles to our duties and our situation. To be 'fully persuaded that all virtue which is impracticable is spurious ; and rather to run the risk of falling into faults in a course which leads us to act with effect and energy, than to loiter out our days without blame and without use.
Page 115 - ... virtue which is impracticable is spurious; and rather to run the risk of falling into faults in a course which leads us to act with effect and energy than to loiter out our days without blame and without use. Public life is a situation of power and energy; he trespasses against his duty who sleeps upon his watch, as well as he that goes over to the enemy.