or elle giving in with all their Might, to thole very Practices that are working their Destruction. To see whole Bodies of Men breaking a Constitution by the very fame Errors that fo many have been broke before: To obferve oppofite Parties, who can agree in nothing elfe, yet firmly united in fuch Measures as must certainly ruin their Country: In fhort, to be encompaffed with the greatest Dangers from without; to be torn by many virulent Factions within; then to be fecure and fenfeless under all this, and to make it the very leaft of our Concern: These, and fome others that might be named, appear to me to be the most likely Symptoms in a State of a Sickness unto Death.

Quod procul à nobis flectat Fortuna gubernans,
Et ratio potius, quam res perfuadeat ipfa.

LUCR.

THERE are fome Conjunctures wherein the Death or Diffolution of Government is more lamentable in its Confequences than it would be in others. And, I think, a State can never arrive to its Period in a more deplorable Crifis, than at a Time when fome Prince in the Neighbourhood, of vaft Power and Ambition, lies hovering like a Vulture to devour, or at least difmember its dying Carcafe; by which Means, it becomes only a Province or Acquifition to fome mighty Monarchy, without Hopes of a Resurrection.

I KNOW very well, there is a Set of fanguine Tempers, who deride and ridicule in the Number of Fopperies, all fuch Apprehenfions as these. They have it ready in their Mouths, that the People of England are of a Genius and Temper, never to ad

mit Slavery among them; and they are furnished with a great many Common-Places upon that Subject. But it seems to me, that fuch Difcourfers do reafon upon fhort Views, and a very moderate Compass of Thought. For I think it a great Error to count upon the Genius of a Nation as a standing Argument in all Ages; fince there is hardly a Spot of Ground in Europe, where the Inhabitants have not frequently and entirely changed their Temper and Genius. Neither can I see any Reason, why the Genius of a Nation fhould be more fixed in the Point of Government than in their Morals, their Learning, their Religion, their common Humour and Conversation, their Diet and their Complexion; which do all notoriously vary, almost in every Age; and may every one of them have great Effects upon Men's Notions of Govern

ment.

SINCE the Norman Conqueft, the Ballance of Power in England hath often varied, and some Times been wholly overturned: The Part which the Commons had in it, that most difputed Point in its Original, Progrefs, and Extent, was, by their own Confeffions, but a very inconfiderable Share. Generally speaking, they have been gaining ever fince, although with frequent Interruptions, and flow Progrefs. The abolishing of Villanage, together with the Custom introduced (or permitted) among the Nobles of felling their Lands in the Reign of Henry the Seventh, was a mighty Addition to the Power of the Commons; yet I think a much greater happened in the Time of his Succeffor, at the Diffolution of the Abbies: For this turned the Clergy wholly out of the Scale, who had fo long filled it; and placed the Commons in their Stead ; who in a few Years became poffeffed of

vast

equl

or Purchase. About the Middle of Quee Eliz beth's Reign, I take the Power between the Nobl's and the Commons, to have been in more Ballance than it was ever before or fince, t then, or foon after, arofe a Faction in Englan which, under the Name of Puritan, began to gw popular, by molding up their new Schemes of eligion with Republican Principles in Governmet; who gaining upon the Prerogative, as well asthe Nobles, under feveral Denominations, for the Sace of about Sixty Years, did at last overthrow the Constitution; and, according to the usual Gurse of fuch Revolutions, did introduce a Tyranny first of the People, and then of a fingle Perfon.

IN a fhort Time after the old Governmat was revived. But the Progrefs of Affairs for almoft thirty Years, under the Reigns of two weak Irinces, is a Subject of a very different Nature; when the Ballance was in Danger to be overturned by the Hands that held it; which was, at last, very feafonably prevented by the late Revolution. However, as it is the Talent of humane Nature to run from one Extreme to another; fo, in a very few Years, we have made mighty Leaps from Prerogative Heights into the Depths of Popularity; and, I doubt, to the very laft Degree that our Conftitution will bear. It were to be wifhed, that the most august Affembly of the Commons, would please to form a Pandect of their own Power and Privileges, to be confirmed by the entire legislative Authority; and that in as folemn a Manner (if they please) as the Magna Charta. But to fix one Foot of their Compass wherever they think fit, and extend the other to fuch terrible Lengths, without defcribing any Circumference at all; is to leave us, and them

felves,

i

<reant on.

Elves in a very uncertain State, and in a Sort of Rotatin, that the Author of the Oceana never I believe the most hardy Tribune will Dt venture to affirm, at prefent, that any juft lars of Encroachment are given us from the ReEl Power, or the Few: And, is it then impoffib to err on the other Side? How far muft we pceed? Or where fhall we ftop? The raging of th Sea, and the Madness of the People, are put togher in Holy Writ; and it is GOD, alone, who caifay to either, Hitherto fhalt thou pass, and no farer.

HE Ballance of Power, in a limited State, is of ich abfolute Neceflity, that Cromwell himself, befor he had perfectly confirmed his Tyranny; having fome Occafions for the Appearance of a Parliament, was forced to create and erect an intire new Fouse of Lords, (fuch as it was) for a Counterpoife to the Commons. And, indeed, confidering the Vilenes of the Clay, I have fometimes wondered, that no Tribune of that Age, durft ever venture to ask the Potter, What doft thou make? But it was then about the laft Act of a popular Ufurpation; and Fate, or Cromwell, had already prepared them for that of a fingle Perfon.

I HAVE been often amazed at the rude, paffionate, and mistaken Refults, which have, at certain Times, fallen from great Affemblies, both antient and modern; and of other Countries, as well as our own. This gave me the Opinion I mentioned a while ago; that publick Conventions are liable to all the Infirmities, Follies, and Vices of private Men. To which, if there be any Exception, i must be of fuch Affemblies, who act by univerfa Concert, upon publick Principles, and for public Ends; fuch as proceed upon Debates without unbe

comin

s and Inflamers; fuch whofe Members, instead of anvassing to procure Majorities for their private Opi-· ions, are ready to comply with general fober Refults, though contrary to their own Sentiments. What

And

ver Affemblies act by these, and other Methods of he like Nature, must be allowed to be exempt rom feveral Imperfections, to which particular Men are fubjected. But, I think, the Source of noft Mistakes and Mifcarriages, in Matters debated by publick Affemblies, arifeth from the Influence of private Perfons upon great Numbers; ftiled in common Phrafe, leading Men and Parties. therefore, when we fometimes meet a few Words out together, which is called the Vote, or Refolution of an Affembly, and which we cannot poffibly reconcile to Prudence, or publick Good; it is most charitable to conjecture, that fuch a Vote hath been conceived, and born, and bred in a private Brain; afterwards raised and fupported by an obfequious Party; and then, with ufual Methods confirmed by an artificial Majority. For, let us fuppofe five hundred Men, mixed, in Point of Senfe and Honefty, as ufually Affemblies are; and let us fuppofe thefe Men propofing, debating, refolving, voting, according to the meer natural Motions of their own little, or much Reafon and Understanding; I do allow, that abundance of indigefted and abortive, many pernicious and foolish Overtures would arife, and float a few Minutes; but then they would die, and difappear. Because, this must be faid in Behalf of human Kind; that common Senfe, and plain Reason, while Men are difengaged from acquired Opinions, will ever have fome general Influence upon their Minds: Whereas, the Species of Folly and Vice are infinite, and fo different in every VOL. I. E Individual,