pofition to the State of Nature, fhould preferve itfelf by trampling upon the Law of Nature.

To prove, that these Sort of policed Societies are a Violation offered to Nature, and a Constraint upon the human Mind, it needs only to look upon the fanguinary Measures and Inftruments of Violence, which are every where used to support them. Let us take a Review of the Dungeons, Whips, Chains, Racks, Gibbets, with which every Society is abun dantly ftored, by which Hundreds of Victims are annually offered up to fupport a dozen or two in Pride and Madness, and Millions in an abject Servitude and Dependance. There was a Time, when I looked with a reverential Awe on these Myfteries of Policy; but Age, Experience, and Philofophy have rent the Veil; and I view this Sanctum Sanctorum, at least, without any enthufiaftick Admiration. I acknowledge indeed, the Neceffity of fuch a proceeding in fuch Inftitutions; but I must have a very mean Opinion of Inftitutions where fuch Proceedings are neceffary.

It is a Misfortune, that in no Part of the Globe natural Liberty and natural Religion 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 is picus, juft, fair, honeft, which no political Craft, nor learned Sophiftry, can entirely expel from our Breafts. By these we judge, and we cannot otherwife judge, of the feveral artificial Modes of Religion and Society, and determine of them as they approach to, or recede from, this Standard.

The fimpleft Form of Government is Defpotifm, where all the inferior Orbs of Power are moved merely by the will of the Supreme, and all that are fubjected to them directed in the fame Manner, merely by the occafional Will of the Magiftrate. This Form, as it is the moft fimple, fo it is infinitely the most general. Scarce any Part of the World is exempted from its Power. And in those few Places where Men enjoy what they call Liberty, it is continually in a tottering Situation, and makes greater and greater Strides to that Gulph of Defpotism which at laft swallows up every Species of Government, This manner of ruling, being directed merely by the Will of the weakest, and generally the worst Man in the Society, becomes the moft foolish and capricious Thing, at the fame time that it is the most terrible and deftructive that well can be conceived. In a Defpotism the principal Person finds, that let the Want, Mifery, and Indigence of his Subjects, be what they will, he can yet poffefs abundantly of every thing to gratify his most infatiable Wishes. He does more. He finds that these Gratifications increase in Proportion to the Wretchedness and Slavery of his Subjects. Thus encouraged both by Paffion and Intereft to trample on the public Welfare, and by his Station placed above both Shame and Fear, he proceeds to the moft horrid and fhocking Outrages upon Mankind. Their Perfons become Victims of his Sufpicions. The flightest Difpleasure is Death? and a difagreeable Aspect is often as great a Crime as High-treafon. In the

Court

Court of Nero a Perfon of Learning, of unquestioned Merit, and of unfufpected Loyalty, was put to Death for no other Reason than that he had a pedantick Countenance which displeased the Emperor. This very Monster of Mankind appeared in the Beginning of his Reign to be a Perfon of Virtue. Many of the greatest Tyrants on the Records of History have begun their Reigns in the faireft Manner, But the Truth is, this unnatural Power corrupts both the Heart and the Understanding. And, to prevent the leaft Hope of Amendment, a King is ever surrounded by a Crowd of infamous Flatterers, who find their Account in keeping him from the least Light of Reafon, till all Ideas of Rectitude and Juftice are utterly erased from his Mind. When Alexander had, in his Fury, inhumanly butchered one of his best Friends, and bravest Captains, on the Return of Reason he began to conceive a Horror fuitable to the Guilt of fuch a Murder. In this Juncture, his Council came to his Affiftance. But what did his Council? They found him out a Philofopher who gave him Comfort. And in what Manner did this Philofopher comfort him for the Loss of such a Man, and heal his Conscience, flagrant with the Smart of fuch a Crime? You have the Matter at Length in Plutarch. He told him; "that let a Sovereign de "what he will, all his Actions are juft and lawful, "because they are his." The Palaces of all Princes abound with such courtly Philofophers. The Confequence was fuch as might be expected. He grew every Day a Monster more abandoned to unnatural Luft, to Debauchery, to Drunkenness, and to Mur

der. And yet this was originally a great Man, of uncommon Capacity, and a strong Propenfity to Virtue. But unbounded Power proceeds Step by Step, until it has eradicated every laudible Principle. It has been remarked, that there is no Prince fo bad, whofe Favourites and Minifters are not worse. There is hardly any Prince without a Favourite, by whom he is governed in as arbitrary a Manner as he governs the Wretches fubject to him. Here the Tyranny is doubled. There are two Courts, and two Interests; both very different from the Interests of the People. The Favourite knows that the Regard of a Tyrant is as unconftant and capricious as that of a Woman; and, concluding his Time to be fhort, he makes hafte to fill up the Measure of his Iniquity, in Rapine, in Luxury, and in Revenge. Every Avenue to the Throne is fhut up. He oppreffes and ruins the People, whilft he perfuades the Prince, that thofe Murmurs, raifed by his own Oppreffion, are the Effects of Difaffection to the Prince's Government. Then is the natural Violence of Defpotifm inflamed and aggravated by Hatred and Revenge. To deferve well of the State is a Crime against the Prince. To be popular, and to be a Traitor, are confidered as fynonimous Terms. Even Virtue is dangerous, as an afpiring Quality, that claims an Efteem by itself, and independent of the Countenance of the Court. What has been faid of the chief, is true of the inferior Officers of this Species of Government; each in his Province exercifing the fame Tyranny, and grinding the People by an Oppreffion, the more feverely felt, as it is near them,

them, and exercised by base and fubordinate Perfons. For the Grofs of the People; they are confidered as a mere Herd of Cattle; and really in a little Time become no better; all Principle of honest Pride, all Senfe of the Dignity of their Nature, is loft in their Slavery. The Day, fays Homer, which makes a Man a Slave, takes away half his Worth; and in fact, he lofes every Impulfe to Action, but that low and bafe one of Fear.-In this kind of Government human Nature is not only abused and infulted, but it is actually degraded and funk into a Species of Brutality. The Confideration of this made Mr. Locke fay, with great Juftice, that a Government of this kind was worse than Anarchy; indeed it is fo abhorred and detefted by all who live under Forms that have a milder Appearance, that there is fcarce a rational Man in Europe, that would not prefer Death to Afiatick Defpotifm. Here then we have the Acknowledgment of a great Philofopher, that an irregular State of Nature is preferable to fuch a Government; we have the Confent of all fenfible and generous Men, who carry is yet further, and avow that Death itself is preferable; and yet this Species of Government, so juftly condemned, and fo generally detefted, is what infinitely the greater Part of Man-kind groan under, and have groaned under from the Beginning. So that by fure and uncontested Principles, the greatest Part of the Governments on Earth must be concluded Tyrannies, Impoftures, Violations of the Natural Rights of Mankind, and worse than the most disorderly Anarchies. How