A Vindication of Natural Society

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VINDICATION O F

NATURAL SOCIETY: O

R,

A View of the to

Miseries and Evils arifing Mankind from every Species of

ARTIFICIAL SOCIETY. Letter

In a

By

a late

to

Lord

****

Noble Writer.

LONDON: Printed for

[Price

M. Cooper

One

in Pater-nq/fer-Row,

Shilling

1756.

and Six-pence.]

ADVERTISEMENT.

TH

E

following Letter appears to

have been written about the Year

whom

1748, and the Perfon to

it is

ad-

As it Noble Writer had no De-

dreffed need not be pointed out. is

probable the

fign that

it

fhould ever appear in Publick,

having kept no

this will account for his

Copy of

it,

and confequently,

appearing amongft the

By what Means the Editor,

is

it

not

at'

into the

all

it's

not

of his Works.

reft

came

for

Hands of

material to the

Publick, any farther than

as

fuch an Ac-

count might tend to authenticate the Genuinenefs of it, and for this it

might

Evidence.

fafely

rely

on

it

it's

was thought

own

internal

']

r

A

LETTER T O

LORD SHALL our

****

I venture to fay,

that in

late

were inclined

my Lord,

Converfation,

to the Party

you

which you

adopted rather by the Feelings of your

good Nature, than by the Conviction of your Judgment ? We laid open the Foundations of Society

the

Curiofity

of

;

and you

this

feared, that

Search might en-

danger the Ruin of the whole Fabrick.

You would readily have allowed my ciple,

Prin-

but you dreaded the Confequences

-,

you thought, that having once entered upon

B

thefe

L.«] thefe Reafonings, fenfibly

we

and

we might

be carried in-

irrefiftably farther

than

at firft

could either have imagined or wifhed.

my part, my Lord,

But for

I

then thought,

and

am

ror,

and not Truth of any Kind,

ous

ftill

that

j

of the fame Opinion, that Eris

danger-

Conclufions can only flow

ill

that, to

know

whether any Proportion be true or

falfe,

from

it is

by

falfe

Propofitions

a prepoflerous

it's

and

>

y

Method

to

examine

it

apparent Confequences.

Thefe were the Reafons which induced

me to go

fo far into that

are the Reafons

Enquiries.

which

Enquiry; and they

direct

had indeed often

I

on that 'Subject before

I

They were

choly enough carry

us

Things

make

;

;

all

my

reflected

could prevail upon

myfelf to communicate

any body.

me in

my

Reflections to

generally melan-

as thofe ufually are

which

beyond the mere Surface of and which would undoubtedly

the Lives of

all

thinking

Men

ex-

tremely miferable, if the fame Philofophy

which

3

t

which caufed the

Time

On

1

Grief, did not at the

fame

adminifter the Comfort.

confidering political Societies, their

Origin, their Conftitution, and their Effects,

deal

I

have fometimes been

more than Doubt, whether

tor did ever really intend

He

of Happinefs. a

in

Number of

Man

a good

the Creafor a State

has mixed in his

Cup

natural Evils, (in Spite

of

the Boafts of Stoicifm they are Evils) and

every Endeavour which the Art and Policy

of Mankind has ufed from the Begin-

ning of the

World

Day,

to this

in order to

or cure them, has only ferved to

alleviate,

new

introduce

Mifchiefs,

and inflame the

Mind of Man

old.

itfelf is

a Principle ever to

of Quiet.

or to aggravate

Befides

the

too adlive and reftlefs

fettle

on the

difcovers every

It

this,

true Point

Day fome

craving Want in a Body, which really wants

but

little.

artificial if

It

every

Rule

left to

Day

invents

to guide that

itfelf

were the

B

2

fome new

Nature which beft

and

fureft

Guide.

;

[43 Guide.

It finds out

imaginary Beings pre*

imaginary Lawsj and then,

fcribing

it

imaginary Terrors to fupport a Be-

raifes

lief in the Beings,

and an Obedience to the

Many Things have been

Laws.

faid,

and

very well undoubtedly, on the Subje&iori in

which we fhould

preferve our Bodies

Government of our Underflanding but enough has not been faid upon the Reto the

ftraint

which our bodily

to lay

on the extravagant Sublimities, and

Neceflities

excentrick Rovings of our Minds.

Body, or

as

rior Nature,

is

wifer in

to call it's

it,

The

our infe-

own plain Way,

own Bufinefs more Mind with all it's

and attends than the

fome love

ought

it's

dire,

duced which cannot be proved, and none

which has been produced

in

any wife

forced or ftrained. while thoufands have, for Brevity,

been omitted

a Difcuffion in

all

Refpe&s

what Bigot

fo paffive,

after fo

•

fo

Enthufiaft fo headlong, fo hardened, as to ftand

;

what Slave

what

blind,

what up

candid

in

Politician

Defence of

a Syftem calculated for a Curfe to

Man-

kind? a Curfe under which they fmart and

groan to

this

Hour, without thoroughly

knowing the Nature of

the Difeafe, and

wanting Underftanding or Courage ply the

I

to ap-

Remedy.

need not excufe myfelf to your Lord-

fhip, nor,

I

think, to any

the Zeal I have

fhewn

honeftMan,

in this Caufe

5

for for it

67

1

an honeft Zeal, and in a good Caufe.

it is

I

]

have defended Natural Religion againft a

Confederacy of Atheifts and Divines.

now

plead for Natural Society againft Po-

and

liticians, all

I

for Natural

When

three.

Reafon againft

World

the

in a fitter

is

Temper than it is at prefent to hear Truth, or when I fhall be more indifferent about it's Temper my Thoughts may become more publick. In the mean time, let them ;

my own of fuch Men

repofe in

Bofom, and

in

the

Bofoms

as are

be

ini-

the

in

tiated

and Reafon.

done

as

fober Myfteries

My Antagonifts

much

fit

as I

of Truth

have already

could defire.

and Politicks make

in Religion

to

Parties fufficient

Difcoveries concerning each other, to give a fober all.

Man

a proper

Caution againft them

The Monarchick,

Ariftocratical,

and

Popular Partizans have been jointly laying their

Axes

and have

to the in

Root of all Government,

their

Turns proved each

other abfurd and inconvenient.

you

tell

me

that Artificial

K

2

In vain

Government

is

good,

t 68 3 good, but that I

The Thing

Abufe.

the Abufe

out only with the

fall

Obferve,

!

the

Thing

itfelf is

my

Lord,

I

!

you, that grand Error upon artificial legiflative

Power

was obferved,

Men

Paffions,

that

which made

it

They

jver

them

for this

all

It

had ungovernable necefiary to guard

might

offer to

appointed Governors

Reafon

;

but a worfe

and more perplexing Difficulty to

which

founded.

is

againft the Violence they

each other.

pray

arifes,

how

be defended againft the Governors ? Qui$

cujiodiet ipfos cujiodes ?

from a

fingle

In vain they change

Perfon to a few.

Thefe

few have the Paffions of the one, and they unite

ftrengthen themfelves, and

to

to

fecure the Gratification of their lawlefs Paffions at the

Good.

The

Expence of the general

In vain do v/e

Cafe

is

worfe

;

fly to

the

Manyi

their Paffions are lefs

under the Government of Reafon, they are

augmented by the Contagion, and de-

fended againft

all

Mul-

Attacks by their

titude. I

have

69

r

j

t have purpofely avoided the

6f the mixed

mention

Form of Government,

for

Reafons that will be very obvious to your Lordfhip.

But

but

You

little.

me

againft

You

me

can avail

will not fail

to urge

it

in favour of Political Society.

will not

of the

my Caution

fhew

to

fail

how

Modes

feveral fimple

the Errors

are corrected

by a Mixture of all of them, and

a proper

Ballance of the feveral Powers in fuch a

my Lord,

I confefs,

State.

that

this

has been long a darling Miftake of

own

;

made

and that of all the

Sacrifices I

by

to Truth, this has been

greateft.

When

I confefs that I

Notion a Miftake, fpeaking > for

I

am

are like Liquors,

know

I

have

far

the

think this

whom I am

to

fatisfied

my

that Reafons

and there are fome of

fuch a Nature as none but ftrong Heads

can bear.

There

can communicate

are fo

few with freely as

whom

I

with Pope.

But Pope cannot bear every Truth. has a Timidity which hinders the

full

He Ex-

ertion of his Faculties, almoft as effe&ually as

;

[jo] Bigotry cramps thofe of the general

as

Herd of Mankind.

But whoever

is

a

genuine Follower of Truth, keeps his Eye fteady

he

is

upon

led,

his

provided that fhe

And, my Lord, it

were

Guide, indifferent whither is

the Leader.

if it be properly

infinitely better to

confidered,

remain poffeffed

by the whole Legion of vulgar Miftakes, than to rejedt fome, and

at

the fame time

to retain a Fondnefs for others altogether

and

as abfurd

The

irrational.

at leaft a Confiftency, that

makes

however erroneoufly, uniform but the

latter

firft

Man,

a

at

way of proceeding

has

leaft is

fuch

an inconfiftent Chimaera and Jumble of Philofophy and

vulgar

Prejudice,

that

hardly any thing more ridiculous can be

Let us therefore

freely,

and

without Fear or Prejudice, examine

this

conceived.

laft

Contrivance of Policy.

And

without

how near the Quick our Inmay come, let us fearch it to

confidering

ftruments

the Bottom.

Firft

[7*

Men

Firft then, all this

]

are agreed, that

of Regal,

Jundtion

Ariftocratick,

and Popular Power, muft form a very and

complex, nice,

Machine,

intricate

which being compofed of fuch of

a variety

with fuch oppofite Tendencies

Parts,

and Movements, Accident

it

be

to

muft be

liable

on every

To

difordered.

fpeak

without Metaphor, fuch a Government

muft be

liable

to frequent Cabals,

mults, and Revolutions, from ftitution.

it's

veryCon-

Thefe are undoubtedly

Effedts, as can

in fuch a Cafe,

Community,

happen

Tu-

as

in a Society

ill

for

;

the Clofenefs acquired

inftead of ferving for

by

mutual

Defence, fervesonly to increafe the Danger.

Such a Syftem

is

like a City,

where Trades

that require conftant Fires are ercifed,

where the Houfes

much

are

built

ex-

of

combuftible Materials, and where they ftand extremely clofe.

In the fecond Place, the feveral conftituent Parts

having their I

diftindt Rights,

and

72

[

]

and thefe many of them fary to be determined

at

once

fo necef-

with Exadtnefs, are

yet fo indeterminate in their Nature, that it

becomes a new and conftant Source of

Hence

Debate and Confufion. whilft the Bufinefs of

that

it is,

Government fhould

be carrying on, the Queftion

is,

who

has

3 Right to exercife this or that Fundtior*

Men

of it, or what their this

Offices

have Power to keep

any Function.

in

Conteft continues,

and whilft the

Ballance in any fort continues,

any Remiffion

;

all

Whilft

it

has never

manner of Abufes and

Villainies in Officers

remain unpunifhed,

the greateft Frauds and Robberies in the

Publick Revenues are committed in Defiance of Juftice

Time and

$

and Abufes grow, by

Impunity, into Cuftoms

they prefcribe againfl the Laws, and

until

j

grow

too inveterate often to admit a Cure, unlefs

fuch as

may

be

as

bad

as the Difeafe,

Thirdly, the feveral Parts of this Species

of Government, though united, preferve the

[73] which each Form has

the Spirit

feparately.

Kings are ambitious ; the Nobility haughty; and

Populace tumultuous and

the

Each

ungovernable.

however

Party,

in

appearance peaceable, carries on a Defign

upon the others that in

all

;

and

it is

owing

to this,

Queftions, whether concerning

foreign or domeftick Affairs, the

generally turns

Whole

more upon fome Party

Matter than upon the Nature of the Thing

Whether fuch

itfelf.

or augment the

a Step will diminiffy

Power of

the

Crown, or

of the

SubjecT: are

how

far the Privileges

like

to

And

thefe Queftions are

be extended or restricted by

it.

conftantly re-

without any Consideration of the

fblved,

Merits of the Caufe, merely as the Parties

who uphold

thefe jarring Interefts

chance to prevail the Ballance

now upon is

is

^

and

overfet,

the other.

as

may

they prevail,

now upon one fide, The Government

one Day, arbitrary Power in a fingle

Perfon

;

another, a juggling Confederacy

of a few to cheat the Prince and enflav^

L

the

[74] the People;

and the

third, a frantick

The great In-

unmanageable Democracy. ftrument of

infufes a peculiar is

Party.

and what

thefe Changes,

all

Venom

and

them,

into all of

of no Confequence what

It is

the Principles of any Party, or what their Pretenfions are all Parties is

the fame

;

bition, of Self-Intereft,

Treachery.

This

Am-

of Oppreffion, and entirely reverfes

which

benevolent

a

Nature has[erefted within us all

actuates

the Spirit of

Spirit

the Principles

all

which

the Spirit

;

;

Honefty,

all

equal Juftice, and even the Ties of

Natural ArTedlions.

Natural Society, the

In a word,

and

my

Lord, we have

all

feeny

any outward Confiderations were

if

worthy the

lafting

Concern of a wife

Man, we have fome of us preffion

felt,

fuch

from Party Government

other Tyranny can parallel.

Op-

as

no

We behold daily

the moft important Rights, Rights upon

which

all

the others depend,

thefe Rights determined in fort,

without the

leaft

we

the

behold

laft

Re-

Attention even to the

[75

]

we

be-

without Emotion, becaufe

we

Appearance or Colour of Juftice hold

this

;

have grown up in the conflant View of fuch Practices prifed to

a

hear a

Knave and a

Indifference

Man

are

with

the

if

as

not

refuied,

fur-

be

to

as

much

moft

ordinary

we

hear this

and

;

not

requefted

Traitor,

Favour were afked Requeft

we

and

;

becaufe

is

it

a

moft unjuft~and unreafonable Defire, but that this

Worthy

has already engaged his

Thefe and many

Injuftice to another.

more Points

I

am

far

You

their full Extent.

do not put forth half you cannot be

A Man

from fpreading to

at a

are fenfible that I

my

Strength

;

and

Lofs for the Reafon.

Freedom of Thought, provided he knows how to is

allowed fufficient

chufe his Subjed: properly. ticife freely

upon the

and obferve with pleafe tive

Chinefe Conftitution,

much

Severity as

you

upon the abfurd Tricks, or deftruc-

Bigotry of

Scene

as

You may cri-

is

changed

the Bonzees. as

But the

you come homeward,

L

2

and

(j6) and Atheifm or Treafon

Names

be

thajr

thb

given in Britain, to what would

be Reafon and Truth I fubmit to

if afferted

of China.

the Condition, and though

me,

I have a notorious Advantage before

wave the it is

For

Purfuit.

my

elfe,

Lord,

very obvious what a Picture might be

drawn of the Excefles of Party even

bwn

Nation.

I

in

bur

could {hew, that the fame

Faction has in one Reign promoted popular Seditions,

and

Tyranny;

tron of

been a Pa-

in the next I

could fhew,

them betrayed

that

they have

all

of

Safety at

all

Times, and have very

quently with equal Perfidy

of their

own

ciates. I

could fliew

have

the publick

made

Caufe, and their

how

a

fre-

Market

own

Aflb-

vehemently they

contended for Names, and

how

filently

they have paffcd over Things of

the

Importance.

laft

ftrate, that

of doing

And

I

could demon-

they have had the Opportunity

all this

Mifchief, nay,

that they

themfelves had their Origin and

Growth

from that complex Form of Government

which

[77 which we

1

are wifely taught to look

as fo great a Blefling. Revolve,

our Hiftory fcarce ever

my Lord,

from the Conqueft.

We

who by

Fraud,

had a Prince,

made fome

or Violence, had not

ment on

upon

Infringe*

We fcarce ever

the Conftitution.

had a Parliament which knew, when attempted to thority,

Evils

fet

how

Limits to the Royal

to fet Limits to

we have had

Reformation,

it's

it

Au-

own.

continually calling for

and

Reformations

more

Our boafted Lifometimes trodden down, fometimes

grievous than any Evils. berty

giddily fet up,

and ever precarioufly fluc-

tuating and urifettled alive

by the

-,

Blafts

it

has been only kept

of continual Feuds,

Wars, and Confpiracies. in

In no Country

Europe has the Scaffold

with the Blood of cations, tions,

it's

fo often blufhed

Nobility.

Confif-

Banifhments, Attainders, Execu-

make

a large Part of the Hiftory of

fuch of our Families tinguifhed

as are

by them.

not utterly ex-

Formerly indeed

Things had a more ferocious Appearance than

[78] than they have

this

at

Day.

In thefe

and unrefined Ages, the jarring Parts

early

of a certain Chaotic Conftitution fupported their feveral Pretenfions

by the Sword.

Experience and Policy have fince taught other Methods.

Res vero nunc agitur tenui pulmone rubefy

how

But

far

Corruption, Venality,

Contempt of Honour, the Oblivion of

Duty

to our Country,

doned publick the

to

more

of Faction, mine.

Sure

all

and the moft aban-

Proftitution, are preferable

glaring

I will not I

the

am that

and violent Effects

prefume

to deter-

they are very great

Evils.

I

have done with the Forms of Go-

vernment. quiry you rial

During the Courfe of

may have

my En-

obferved a very mate-

Difference between

Reafoning and that which

my Manner is

in

of

Uk amongft

the Abbetors ofArtificial Society. They form their

[79] their Plans

to their

mod

upon what feems

Imaginations,

of Mankind.

for

the

I difcover the

thofe Plans, from the real

eligible

ordering

Miftakes in

known

Confe-

quences which have refulted from them.

They have

and employ

itfelf,

that

inlifted

it is

Reafon to

it's

whole Force

to

prove

an infufficient Guide to them in

the Conducft of their Lives. pily for us, in Proportion as

viated

light againft

But unhap-

we

have de-

from the plain Rule of our Nature,

and turned our Reafon againft Proportion have

we

itfelf,

in that

increafed the Follies

and Miferies of Mankind.

The more deeply

we penetrate into the Labyrinth of Art, the further we find ourfelves from thofe Ends for which we entered it. This has happened

almoft every Species of Artificial So-

in

ciety,

we

and

thought

in all

we found,

having every Caufe. firft

Times.

Man

We found,

or

an Inconvenience in

the Judge of his

Therefore Judges were

fet

with difcretionary Powers.

was foon found a miferable Slavery

own

up, at

But to

it

have our

r

so]

our Lives and Properties precarious, and

hanging upon the arbitrary Determination

of any one Man, or Set of Men.

We flew

Laws as a Remedy for this Evil. By thefe we perfuaded ourfelves we might to

know

with fome Certainty upon what

Ground we

flood.

But

lo

Differences

!

arofe

upon the Senfe and

thefe

Laws. Thus we were brought back

Interpretation of

New

Laws were made to expound the old ; and new Difficulties arofe upon the new Laws as Words to our old Incertitude.

,

multiplied, Opportunities of cavilling

them

multiplied

was had

alfo.

to Notes,

upon

Then Recourfe

Comments,

Glofles,

ReportSyRe/ponfaPrudentum, learned Read-

Eagle flood againfl Eagle.

ings

:

rity

was

were

fet

allured

up

againfl Authority.

Autho-

Some

by the modern, others reve-

The new were morg

renced the antient.

enlightened, the old were

more

Comment,

Some adopted

the

to the Text.

The

venerable.

others fluck

Confufion increafed,

the Mift thickened, until

it

could be dis-

covered

I8i

]

covered no longer what was allowed or forbidden,

what Things were

and what common.

in Property,

In this Uncertainty,

(uncertain even to the Profeflbrs, an /Egyp-

Darknefs to the

tian

the contending Parties effectually ruined

of Mankind)

reft

themfelves

felt

more

by the Delay than they

could have been by the Injuftice of any

Our

Decifion.-

Inheritances are

a Prize for Difputation Litigations are

of

ways walked hand of

feflbrs

End,

in

Artificial

his

actly the fame, to

fimilar.

Inheritance.

Artificial

Law

have al-

hand with the Pro-

in

Theology.

As

their

confounding the Reafon of Man,

and abridging

Means

and Difputes and

;

become an

The Profeflbrs

become

that

The

Natural Freedom,

is

ex-

they have adjufted the

End

in a

Divine

Way

entirely

thunders out his

Anathemas with more Noife and Terror againft

the Breach of one of his pofitive

Inftitutions, or the trivial

Neglect of fome of his

Forms, than againft the Negleft or

M

Breach

[

8»]

Breach of thofe Duties and

Command-

ments of Natural Religion, which by thefe

Forms and

Inftitutions lie pretends to en-

The Lawver

force.

has his Forms, and

his pofitive Inftitutions too,

to

them with

a Veneration altogether as

The

religious.

and he adheres

worft Caufe cannot be fo

prejudicial to the Litigant, as his Advocate's

or Attorney's Ignorance or Negledl of thefe

Forms.

A

Law-fuit

is

Difpute, in which the

like firft

an ill-managed Objedt

is

foon

out of Sight, and the Parties end upon a

Matter wholly foreign to that on which they began. In a Law-fuit the Queftion

who has a Right to a certain Houfe or Farm And this Queftion is daily deteris,

?

mined, not upon the Evidences of the Right, but upon the Obfervance or le decides

my Liberty and

from the Court ing I

my

Family

am innocent, it

Beggary and Famine.

Gentlemen, of the Darknefs

from any Share

I

in the

with Chicane excluded

Conduct of my

fo intricate, it

:

You

for^vour Errors.

but

it,

even for yourfelves

loft in

never

the Science was too deep for

acknowledged

way

it

You have

and Sophiftry.

;

I

with abfurd and contradictory

Notions, nor confounded

Caufe

me

and adjudg-

and Uncertainty of your Science. darkened

once

Property, fending

to a Prifon, to

at

:

own me 5

was too deep

You have made

that err,

it

me

the

you are yourfelves

me The

and you punifh

The Delay of the Law is, your Lordfhip will it's

me, a

tell

Topick, and which of

trite

Abufes have not been too feverely

not to be often complained of?

Property

is

A

felt

Man's

to ferve for the Purpofes of his

Support; and therefore to delay a Determination concerning that, juftice,

becaufe

and Purpofe

it

for

the worft In-

is

End

cuts off the very

which

I

applied to the

Quite contrary in

Judicature for Relief.

Cafe of a Man's Life, there the Determi-

much

nation can hardly be too

protradted.

Miftakes in this Cafe are as often fallen into as in any other, and if the is

Judgement

fudden, the Miftakes are the mofl irre-

trievable

men

of all others.

of the

Robe

Of this

are themfelves fenfible,

and they have brought

De But

morte hominis nulla

what

could

to reverfe the

that Reafon

the Gentle-

eft

have

Rules,

which

it

into a

cunSiatio longa.

induced

them

and to contradict

dictated

utterly unable to guefs.

Maxim.

A

them,

I

am

Point concern-

ing Property,which ought, for the Reafons Ijuft

[86] I juft

mentioned, to be moft fpeedily de-

cided, frequently exercifes the ceffions

Wit of Suc-

of Lawyers, for manyGenerations.

Multa virum volvem durandofacula vincit. But the Queftion concerning a Man's that

great Queftion in

which no Delay

ought to be counted tedious,

is

commonly

determined in Twenty-four Hours utmoft. Injuftice

rable

It is

not to be wondered

at the

at,

that

and Abfurdity fhould be infepa-

Companions.

End

Afk of Politicians Laws were originally

defigned

will anfwer,

Laws were

that the

as a Protection for

Powerful.

for $

which

and they defigned

the Poor and

Weak,

But furely no Pretence can be

Man might as well tell taken off my Load, becaufe he

fo ridiculous

he has

the

Oppreffion of the Rich and

againft the

me

Life,

;

a

has changed the Burthen.

If the poor

Man is not able to fupport his Suit,

accord-

ing to the vexatious and expenfive

manner

eftablifhed in civilized Countries,

has not

i

the

[8 7

]

him

the Rich as great an Advantage over

Weak in

as the Strong has over the

of Nature State

?

But we

God, in competition with

which In a

of Nature,

of fuperior Force it is

true,

it is

that I

am

make

of Man.

which

I

may be

or rob

at full

me

;

way.

Reprifal

a rich I

but

Liberty to

by Sur-

fuperior to him.

in Political Society, in another

Man

true, that a

by any other way

prize or by Cunning, or

me

the Reign of

Political Society,

may beat

defend myfelf, or

in

is

the abfurd Usurpation

is

State

then

not place the

will

of Nature, which

a State

But

Man may

cannot defend

rob

my-

Money is the only Weapon with which we are allowed to fight. And if I felf ;

for

attempt

to

avenge

Force of that Society

my

the

myfelf, is

whole

ready to compleat

Ruin.

A

good Parfon once

faid,

that

Myftery begins, Religion ends. of

fay,

as

tbat

where Myftery begins^

truly at lead,

where

Cannot

I

human Laws, Juftice ends

?

It

[

It

hard to

is

Law

fay,

88

whether the Do&ors of

made

or Divinity have

Advances

Lawyers,

as

well as the

My-

Theo-

have eredted another Reafon be-

logians,

Natural Reafon another

been,

the greater

in the lucrative Bufinefs of

The

ftery.

fides

]

-

y

befides Natural

Juftice

They have

Juftice.

and the Refult has

bewildered the

fo

World and themfelves in unmeaning Forms and Ceremonies, and fo perplexed Matters with metaphyseal

the plaineft Jargon, that to a

Man

it

carries the higheft

Danger

out of that Profeffion, to

make

the leaft Step without their Advice and

Thus by

Affiftance.

confining to them-

felves the

Knowledge of the Foundation of

Mens

Lives and Properties, they have

all

reduced

and

fervile

into the

Dependence.

moft

5

and

abje

and

it

is

no

[9°] no

lefs

Number

obvious, that the

of the

former bear a great Difproportion to thofe

of the

The whole

latter.

Poor is to adminifter

to the Idlenefs, Folly,

and Luxury of the Rich Rich, in return,

is

Bufinefs of the

-

y

and that of the

to find the beft

Methods

of confirming the Slavery and increafing the Burthens of the Poor.

Nature,

is

it

an invariable Law, that a

Man's Acquifitions

a

Law

thofe

that

are in proportion to his

In a State of Artificial Society,

Labours. it is

In a State of

as conftant

who

and

as invariable,,

labour moft, enjoy the

feweft things ; and that thofe

not at

all,

have the greateft

A

Enjoyments, this,

ftrange and ridiculous

preffion.

we

Conftitution

We

are told

fore our

it,

who labour Number of of things

beyond Ex-

fcarce believe a thing

which we

when

adlually fee be-

Eyes every Day without being in

the leaft furprized.

I fuppofe that there

are in Great Britain

upwards of an hun-

dred thoufand People employed in Lead, Tin, Iron, Copper, and Coal Mines > thefe

unhappy

[9i unhappy Wretches

]

fcarce ever fee the Light

of the Sun; they are buried

of the Earth

and

difmal

there they

;

in the

work

at a fevere

without

Tafk,

the

Profpedt of being delivered from fubfift

upon the

of Fare

$

coarfeft

Bowels

leaft

they

it ;

and worft

fort

they have their Health miferably

impaired, and their Lives cut fhort,

by

being perpetually confined in the clofe

Vapour of

thefe malignant Minerals

hundred thoufand more at without

Remiffion

Smoak,

intenfe Fires,

leaft are

by the

tortured

fuffocating

and conftant Drud-

gery neceflary in the refining and naging the Products of thofe Mines.

any

Man

An

maIf

informed us that two hundred

innocent Perfons were condemned to fo

how

intolerable Slavery,

the unhappy Sufferers,

would be our thofe

who

and

Indignation

juft

againft

infli&ed fo cruel and ignomi-

nious a Punifliment

?

This

I could not wifh a ftronger, berlefs

we pity how great

fhould

Things which

N

2

we

i$

an Inftance,

of the

pafs

by

num-

in their

common

common

which fhock

Drefs, yet

us

when

they are nakedly reprefented.

But

Number,

and the

considerable as

Slavery, with

what the

at

Home,

of Lead,

is

nothing to

of the World affords of the

reft

fame Nature. Millions poifonous

is,

Bafenefs and Horror,

all it's

which we have

it

this

Damps and

Silver,

daily bathed in the

deftruut

a few,

of

but

Inftitutions,

this

Lenities,

nine

is

one of the Reafons

blame fuch

Mifery

This

Sort,

and

Parts in

admit-

thofe too

ten

of the

whole Race of Mankind drudge through Life.

[94] Life. It

may be

of this.,

that, at leaft, the

urged perhaps, in palliation

confiderable and

real

Rich

Few find a

Benefit

from the

Wretchednefs of the Many. fo in fadl

a

little

more Attention.

two

this

is

Let us examine the Point with

?

the Rich in into

But

For

Societies

all

Claffes.

The

this

may

firft is

purpofe

be thrown

who

of thofe

are Powerful as well as Rich, and conducft

Ma-

the Operations of the vaft Political chine. their

The

other

is

Riches wholly

Pleafure.

As

to the

of thofe

who employ

in the Acquifition of firft

tinual Care, Anxiety, their toilfome

and

fleeplefs Nights, are

Thefe Circumftances

con*

Sort, their

Days

next to Proverbial.

are fufficient almoft

to level their Condition to that of the

happy Majority

;

un-

but there are other Cir-

cumftances which place them in a far

lower Condition.

Not only

ftandings labour continually, fevereft

Under-

which

is

the

Labour, but their Hearts are torn

1>y the worft, fatiable

their

of

all

moft troublefome, and Paffions,

in-

by Avarice, by Ambition^

95 1

[

Ambition, by Fear and Jealoufy. part of the extirpates

and

No

Mind has Reft. Power gradually from the Mind every humane Pity, Benevolence,

gentle Virtue.

Friendship are Things almoft

unknown

in high Stations.

Vera

inveniuntur in

qui in honoribus reipub-

licee

its

amicitice rarijjime

verfantur, fays Cicero*

Courts are the

Schools

And

indeed,

where Cruelty,

Pride, Diffimulation and

Treachery are

ftudied and taught in the moft vicious

This

Perfe&ion.

a Point fo clear and

is

acknowledged, that

my

a neceflary Part of pafs

me

it

by

at

not

Subjedt,

And

entirely.

from drawing

if it did

this has

full length,

the moft ftriking Colours,

this

I

make Should

hindered

and in Shocking

Pidlure of the Degeneracy and Wretchednefs of is

human

Nature, in that Part which

vulgarly thought

amiable

State.

Originals

I

it's

happieft and moft

You know from what

could

copy fuch Pictures.

who know enough of them to know their littleValue, and who

Happy

are

they

have

[96] have been fnatched from that Poll of

Danger with the Remains of

their Virtue

j

Lofs of Honours, Wealth, Titles and even the Lofs of one's Country

nothing in

is

Ballance with fo great an Advantage.

Let us the Rich,

now view the other Species of thofe who devote their Time

and Fortunes

Idlenefs

to

and Pleafure.

How much

happier are they

which

are agreeable to

fiires

The Plea-

?

Nature are

within the reach of all, and therefore can

form no Diftindlion

The is

which Art

Pleafures

feldom

fincere,

worfe,

this

Pleafure takes

in favour

and never

of the Rich.

forces

up

fatisfying.

are

What

conftant Application to

away from the Enjoyment,

or rather turns

it

into

the Nature of a

very burthenfome and laborious Bufinefs. It

has Confequences yet worfe.

duces a

weak

It

pro-

valetudinary State of .Body,

attended byall thofe horrid Diforders, and yet

more horrid Methods of Cure, which

are the Refult of Luxury

on one hand, and the

97]

C the

weak and

ridiculous Efforts of

human

Art on theother.TheirPleafuresare fcarcely felt as

Pleafures;

at

tne fame time that

P

ins

and Difeafes, which

they bring on

The Mind

are felt but too feverely. it's

Share of the Misfortune

grows

it

;

has

lazy and enervate, unwilling and unable to fearch for Truth, and utterly uncapable

of knowing, much

of relifhing real

lefs

The Poor by

Happinefs.

Labour, and the Rich by

Luxury, are

fet

upon

View

difmal

to

enormous

their

a Level

equally ignorant of any

might conduce

their exceffive

and made

Knowledge which Happinefs.

their

of the Interior of

A Civil

all

The lower Part broken and ground down by the moft cruel OpprefSociety.

fion

;

and

the Rich

Method of Life themfelves, poffibly

Very tural

different State,

is

their

on

artificial

Tyranny could

thofe

below them.

the Profpedi of the

Here

which Nature

their

bringing worfe Evils on

than

inflidl

by

there

gives,

O

is

no

*

Na-

want

and they can be fenfible

[98] no other Wants, which

fenfible of

to be fupplied

of Labour Neither

is

Man

fingle

Life

is

therefore there

is

there any Luxury,

no Slavery. becaufe no

can fupply the Materials of

unequal State

it.

happy.

it is

my Lord,

confcious,

Politician will urge this

not

a very moderate degree

Ample, and therefore

am

I

j

by

is

r

your

that

in his Defence, that

highly

is

That

ufefiil.

without dooming fome Part of Mankind to extraordinary Toil, the Arts tivate Life could not

demand of this came

to

which cul-

be exercifed.

Politician,

be neceflary

?

how

He

But

I

fuch Arts

anfwers, that

Civil Society could not well exift without

So that thefe

them.

Arts' are neceflary to

Civil Society, and Civil Society neceflary

again to thefe Arts.

without

Circle,

out

Thus running

Modefty, and

in a

with-

End; and making one Error and

Extravagance an Excufe for the other. Sentiments about thefe Caufe,

I

Arts

My

and their

have often difcourfed with

my

Friends

[99} Friends at large. Pope has expreffed them

good Verfe, where he

in

much

with fo

talks

Force of Reafon and Elegance of

Language

of the State of Nature.

in Praife

Then was

not Pride, nor Arts that Pride

to aid,

Man

walk'd with Beaft, Joint-tenant of

the Shade.

On

the whole,

my Lord,

Society, in whatever

Many

the

if Political

Form, has

ftill

Few

the Property of the

made ;

if it

has introduced Labours unneceflary, Vices

and Difeafes unknown, and Pleafures incompatible with Nature tries

it

;

and miferable,

fhall

fo deftrudive an Idol, to

it

Peace

our Health, ?

Coun-

abridges the Lives of Millions, and

renders thofe of Millions je