But were this religion ever fo advantageous to fociety, it is contrary to that which is established among us, and which is likely to keep poffeffion, for a long time, of the minds of the people. And though it is much to be hoped, that the progress of reason will, by degrees, abate the acrimony of oppofite religions all ever EUROPE; yet the spirit of moderation has, as yet, made too flow advances to be entirely trufted.

Thus, upon the whole, the advantages of the fettlement in the family of STUART, which frees us from a difputed title, feem to bear fome proportion with those of the fett'ement in the family of HANOVER, which frees us from the claims of prerogative: But at the fame time, its difadvantages, by placing on the throne a Roman Catholic, are greater than thofe of the other establishment, in fettling the crown on a foreign prince. What party an impartial patriot, in the reign of K. WILLIAM or Q ANNE, would have chofen amidst these oppofite views, may, perhaps, to fome appear hard to determine.

But the fettlement in the house of HANOVER has actually taken place. The princes of that family, without intrigue, without cabal, without folicitation on their part, have been called to mount our throne, by the united voice of the whole legislative body. They have, fince their acceffion, difplayed, in all their actions, the utmoft mildness, equity, and regard to the laws and conftitution. Our own minifters, our own parliaments, ourselves have governed us; and if aught ill has befallen us, we can. only blame fortune or ourselves. What a reproach must we become among nations, if, difgufted with a fettlement fo deliberately made, and whofe conditions have been fo religiously observed, we fhould throw every thing again into confufion; and by our levity and rebellious difpo fition,

fition, prove ourselves totally unfit for any flate but that of abfolute flavery and subjection?

The greatest inconvenience, attending a difputed title, is, that it brings us in danger of civil wars and rebellions. What wife man, to avoid this inconvenience, would run directly upon a civil war and rebellion? Not to mention, that fo long poffeffion, fecured by fo many laws, must, ere this time, in the apprehenfion of a great part of the nation, have begot a title in the houfe of HANOVER, independent of their prefent poffeffion: So that now we should not, even by a revolution, obtain the end of avoiding a difputed title.

No revolution made by national forces, will ever be able, without some other great neceffity, to abolish our debts and incumbrances, in which the intereft of fo many perfons is concerned. And a revolution made by foreign forces, is a conqueft: A calamity, with which the pre carious balance of power threatens us, and which our civil diffentions are likely, above all other circumftances, to bring upon us.

ESSAY XVI.

I

IDEA of a PERFECT COMMONWEALTH.

T is not with forms of government, as with other artificial contrivances; where an old engine may be rejected, if we can discover another more accurate and commodious, or where trials may fafely be made, even though the fuccefs be doubtful. An eftablished government has an infinite advantage, by that very circumftance of its being established; the bulk of mankind being governed by authority, not reason, and never attributing authority to any thing that has not the recommendation of antiquity. To tamper, therefore, in this affair, or try experiments merely upon the credit of fuppofed argument and philofophy, can never be the part of a wife magiftrate, who will bear a reverence to what carries the marks of age; and though he may attempt some improvements for the public good, yet will he adjust his innovations, as much as poffible, to the ancient fabric, and preserve entire the chief pillars and supports of the conftitution.

The mathematicians in EUROPE have been much divided concerning that figure of a fhip, which is the most commodious for failing; and HUYGENS, who at last determined this controverfy, is juftly thought to have obliged the learned, as well as commercial world; though L1 2 COLUMBUS

1

COLUMBUS had failed to AMERICA, and Sir FRANCIS DRAKE made the tour of the world, without any fuch discovery. As one form of government must be allowed more perfect than another, independent of the manners and humours of particular men; why may we not enquire what is the moft perfect of all, though the common botched and inaccurate governments feem to ferve the purposes of fociety, and though it be not so easy to eftablish a new fyftem of government, as to build a veffel upon a new plan? The fubject is furely the most worthy curiofity of any the wit of man can poffibly devise. And who knows, if this controverfy were fixed by the univerfal confent of the wife and learned, but, in fome future age, an opportunity might be afforded of reducing the theory to practice, either by à diffolution of some old government, or by the combination of men to form a new one, in fome diftant part of the world? In all cafes, it must be advantageous to know what is most perfect in the kind, that we may be able to bring any real conftitution or form of government as near it as pof-. fible, by fuch gentle alterations and innovations as may not give too great disturbance to fociety.

All I pretend to in the prefent effay is to revive this subject of speculation; and therefore I fhall deliver my fentiments in as few words as poffible. A long differtation on that head would not, I apprehend, be very acceptable to the public, who will be apt to regard fuch difquifitions both as ufelefs and chimerical.

All plans of government, which suppose great reformation in the manners of mankind, are plainly imaginary. Of this nature, are the Republic of PLATO, and the Utopia of Sir THOMAS MORE. The OCEANA is the only valuable model of a commonwealth, that has as yet been offered to the public.

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