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VINDICATION O F
NATURAL SOCIETY: O
R,
A View of the to
Miseries and Evils arifi...
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s
-3%
•«
Po/.Sci
1
A
35594v
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