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inclined to follow him in that particular. This is carrying the matter too far; but still it must be owned, that the opinion of right to property has a great influence in this fubject.

UPON these three opinions, therefore, of public intereft, of right to power, and of right to property, are all governments founded, and all authority of the few over the many. There are indeed other principles, which add force to thefe, and determine, limit, or alter their operation; fuch as self-interest, fear, and ajfection: But ftill we may affert, that thefe other principles can have no influence alone, but fuppofe the antecedent influence of thofe opinions above-mentioned. They are, therefore, to be esteemed the fecondary, not the original principles of government. >

FOR, first, as to felf-intereft, by which I mean the expectation of particular rewards, diftinct from the general protection which we receive from government, 'tis evident, that the magiftrate's authority must be antecedently established, or, at least be hoped for, in order to produce this expectation. The hope of reward may augment the authority with regard to fome particular perfons; but can never give birth to it, with regard to the public. Men naturally look for the greateft favors from their friends and acquaintance;, and therefore, the hopes of any confiderable number of the ftate, would never center in any particular fet of men, if thefe men had no other title to magiftracy, and had no feparate influence over the opinions of mankind. The fame obfervation may be extended to the other two principles of fear and affection. No man would have any reason to fear the fury of a tyrant, if he had no authority over any but from fear; fince, as a fingle man, his bodily force can reach but a small way, and all farther power he poffeffes must be founded either on our own opinion, or on the presumed opinion of others. And tho' affection to wisdom and virtue in a fovereign extends very far, and has great influence; yet he must be antecedently fuppofed invested with a public character, otherwife the public esteem will ferve him in no stead, nor will his virtue have any influence beyond a narrow sphere.

A GOVERNMENT may endure for feveral ages, tho' the balance of power, and the balance of property do not agree. This chiefly happens, where any rank or order of the state has acquired a large fhare of the property; but, from the original conftitution of the government, has no fhare of the power. Under what pretext would any individual of that order pretend to intermeddle in public affairs? As men are commonly much attached to their ancient government, it is not to be expected, that the public would ever favor fuch ufurpations. But where the original conftitution allows any fhare of power, tho' fmall, to an order of men, who poffefs a large fhare of the property, 'tis eafy for them gradually to ftretch their authority, and bring the balance of power to coincide with that of property. This has been the cafe with the house of commons in ENGLAND.

Most writers, who have treated of the BRITISH government, have fuppofed, that as the houfe of commons reprefents all the commons of GREAT BRITAIN & fo its weight in the fcale is proportioned to the property and power of all whom it reprefents. But this principle muft not be received as abfolutely true. For tho' the people are apt to attach themselves more to the house of commons, than to any other member of the conftitution; that houfe being chofen by them as their representatives, and as the public guardians of their liberty; yet are there inftan

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ces where the houfe, even when in oppofition to the crown, has not been followed by the people; as we may particularly obferve of the tory houfe of commons in the reign of king WILLIAM. Were the members of the house obliged to receive inftructions from their conftituents, like the DUTCH deputies, this would entirely alter the cafe; and, if fuch immenfe power and riches, as thofe of the whole commons of BRITAIN, were brought into the fcale, 'tis not eafy to conceive, that the crown could either influence that multitude of people, or withstand that overbalance of property. 'Tis true, the crown has great influence over the collective body of BRITAIN in the elections of members; but were this influence which at prefent is only exerted once in feven years, to be employed in bringing over the people to every vote, it would foon be wafted; and no fkill, popularity or revenue, cou'd fupport it. I muft, therefore, be of opinion, that an alteration, in this particular, would introduce a total alteration in our government, and would. foon reduce it to a pure republic; and, perhaps, to a republic of no inconvenient form. For tho' the people collected in a body like the ROMAN tribes, be quite unfit for government, yet when difperfed in fmall bodies, they are more fufcep-. tible both of reason and order; the force of popular currents and tides is, in a great measure, broke; and the public intereft may be pursued with fome method and conftancy. But 'tis needless to reafon any farther concerning a form of government, which is never likely to have place in BRITAIN, and which feems not to be the aim of any party amongst us. Let us cherish and improve our ancient government as much as poffible, without encouraging a paffion for fuch dangerous novelties.

I SHALL Conclude this fubject with obferving, that the prefent political controverfy, with regard to inftructions, is a very frivolous one, and can never be brought to any decifion, as it is managed by both parties. The country-party pretend not, that a member is abfolutely bound to follow inftructions, as an ambaffador or general is confined by his orders, and that his vote is not to be received in the house, but fo far as it is conformable to them. The court-party again, pretend not, that the fentiments of the people ought to have no weight with each member; much lefs that he ought to defpife the fentiments of thofe whom he reprefents, and with whom he is more particularly connected. And if their fentiments be of weight, why ought they not to exprefs these fentiments? The question, then, is only concerning the degrees of weight which ought to be placed on inftructions. But fuch is the nature of language, that 'tis impoffible for it to express diftinctly thefe different degrees; and if men will carry on a controverfy on this head, it may well happen, that they differ in their language, and yet agree in their fentiments; or differ in their fentiments, and yet agree in their language. Befides, how is it poffible to fix these degrees, confidering the variety of affairs which come before the house, and the variety of places which members reprefent? Ought the instructions of TOTNESS to have the fame weight as thofe of LONDON? or inftructions, with regard to the Convention, which refpected foreign politics, to have the fame weight as those with regard to the excife, which refpected only our domeftic affairs?

ESSAY

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ESSAY
A Y VI.

OF LOVE AND MARRIAGE.

KNOW not whence it proceeds, that women are fo apt to take amifs every thing which is faid in difparagement of the married ftate; and always confider a fatyr upon matrimony as a fatyr upon themfelves. Do they mean, that they are the parties principally concerned, and that if a backwardnefs to enter into that ftate fhould prevail in the world, they would be the greateft fufferers? Or, are they fenfible, that the misfortunes and mifcarriages of the married state are owing more to their fex than to ours? I hope they do not intend to confefs either of these two particulars, or to give fuch an advantage to their adversaries, the men, as even to allow them to fufpect it.

I HAVE often had thoughts of complying with this humor of the fair fex, and of writing a panegyric upon marriage: But, in looking around for materials, they seemed to be of fo mixed a nature, that at the conclufion of my reflections, I found that I was as much difpofed to write a fatyr, which might be placed on. the oppofite pages of the panegyric: And I am afraid, that as fatyr is, on most occafions, thought to contain more truth than panegyric, I should have done their cause more harm than good by this expedient. To mifreprefent facts is what, I know, they will not require of me. I must be more a friend to truth, than even to them, where their interefts are oppofite.

I SHALL tell the women what it is our fex complains of moft in the married ftate; and if they be difpofed to fatisfy us in this particular, all the other differences will easily be accommodated. If I be not mistaken, 'tis their love of dominion, which is the ground of the quarrel; tho' 'tis very likely, that they will think it an unreasonable love of it in us, which makes us infift fo much upon that point. However this may be, no paffion feems to have more influence on female minds, than this for power; and there is a remarkable instance in hiftory of its prevailing above another paffion, which is the only one that can be fuppofed a proper counterpoife for it. We are told that all the women in SCYTHIA once confpired against the men, and kept the fecret fo well, that they executed their defign before they were fufpected. They furprised the men in drink, or afleep; bound them all faft in chains; and having called a folemn council of the whole fex, it was debated what expedient should be used to improve the prefent advantage, and prevent. their falling again into flavery. To kill all the men did not seem to the relish of any part of the affembly, notwithstanding the injuries formerly received; and they were afterwards pleased to make a great merit of this lenity of theirs. It was, therefore, agreed to put out the eyes of the whole male fex, and thereby refign in all future time the vanity which they could draw from their beauty, in order to fecure their authority. We muft no longer pretend to dress and show, say they; but then we shall be free from flavery. We fhall hear no more tender fighs; but

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in return we shall hear no more imperious commands. Love must for ever leave us; but he will carry subjection along with him.

'Tis regarded by fome as an unlucky circumftance, fince the women were refolved to maim the men, and deprive them of fome of their fenfes, in order to render them humble and dependent, that the fenfe of hearing could not ferve their purpose, fince 'tis probable the females would rather have attacked that than the fight And I think it is agreed among the learned, that, in a married ftate, 'tis not near fo great an inconvenience to lose the former fenfe as the latter. However this may be, we are told by modern anecdotes, that fome of the SCYTHIAN women did fecretly fpare their husband's eyes; prefuming, I fuppofe, that they could govern them as well by means of that fenfe as without it. But so incorrigible and intractable were thefe men, that their wives were all obliged, in a few years, as their youth and beauty decayed, to imitate the example of their fifters ; which it was no difficult matter to do in a state where the female fex had once got the fuperiority.

I KNOW not if our SCOTTISH ladies derive any thing of this humor from their SCYTHIAN ancestors; but, I muft confefs that I have often been furprized to fee a woman very well pleased to take a fool for her mate, that the might govern with the lefs controul; and could not but think her fentiments, in this refpect, ftill more barbarous than thofe of the SCYTHIAN Women above-mentioned; as much, as the eyes of the understanding are more valuable than those of the body. BUT to be juft, and to lay the blame more equally, I am afraid it is the fault of our fex, if the women be fo fond of rule, and that if we did not abuse our authority, they would never think it worth while to difpute it. Tyrants, we know, produce rebels; and all history informs us, that rebels, when they prevail, are apt to become tyrants in their turn. For this reafon, I could wish there were no pretenfions to authority on either fide; but that every thing was carried on with perfect equality, as between two equal members of the fame body. And to induce both parties to embrace thofe amicable fentiments, I fhall deliver to them PLATO's account of the origin of love and marriage.

MANKIND, according to that fanciful philofopher, were not, in their original, divided into male and female, as at prefent; but each individual perfon was a compound of both fexes, and was in himself both husband and wife, melted down into one living creature. This union, no doubt, was very entire, and the parts very well adjusted together, fince there refulted a perfect harmony betwixt the male and female, altho' they were obliged to be infeparable companions. And fo great was the harmony and happiness flowing from it, that the ANDROGYNES (for fo PLATO calls them) or MEN-WOMEN, became infolent upon their profperity, and rebelled against the Gods. To punish them for this temerity, JUPITER could contrive no better expedient, than to divorce the male-part from the female, and make two imperfect beings of the compound, which was before so perfect. Hence the origin of men and women, as diftinct creatures. But notwithstanding this divifion, fo lively is our remembrance of the happiness which we enjoyed in our primæval ftate, that we are never at reft in this fituation; but each of thefe halves is continually fearching thro' the whole fpecies to find the other half, which was broken from it: And when they meet, they join again with the greatest fondnefs and sympathy. But it often happens, that they are mistaken in this parti

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cular; that they take for their half what no way correfponds to them; and that the parts do not meet nor join in with each other, as is ufual in fractures. In this cafe the union is foon diffolved, and each part is fet loofe again to hunt for its loft half, joining itfelf to every one whom it meets, by way of trial, and enjoying no reft till its perfect fympathy with its partner fhews, that it has at laft been fuccefsful in its endeavours.

WERE I difpofed to carry on this fiction of PLATO, which accounts for the mutual love betwixt the fexes in fo agreeable a manner, 1 would do it by the following allegory.

WHEN JUPITER had feparated the male from the female, and had quelled their pride and ambition by fo fevere an operation, he could not but repent him of the cruelty of his vengeance, and take compaffion on poor mortals, who were now become incapable of any repofe or tranquillity. Such cravings, fuch anxieties, fuch neceffities arofe, as made them curfe their creation, and think exiftence itself a punishment. In vain had they recourfe to every other occupation and amusement. In vain did they feek after every pleafure of fenfe, and every refinement of reafon. Nothing could fill that void, which they felt in their hearts, or fupply the lofs of their partner, who was fo fatally feparated from them. To remedy this disorder, and to bestow fome comfort, at leaft, on human race in their forlorn fituation, JUPITER fent down Love and HYMEN to collect the broken halves of human kind, and piece them together in the beft manner poffible. Thefe two deities found fuch a prompt difpofition in mankind to unite again in their primæval ftate, that they proceeded on their work with wonderful fuccefs for fome time; till at laft, from many unlucky accidents, diffenfion arofe betwixt them. The chief counsellor and favorite of HYMEN was CARE, who was continually filling his patron's head with profpects of futurity; a fettlement, family, children, fervants; fo that little elfe was regarded in all the matches they made. On the other hand, Love had chofen PLEASURE for his favorite, who was as pernicious a counsellor as the other, and would never allow Love to look beyond the prefent momentary gratification, or the fatisfying of the prevailing inclination. Thefe two favorites became, in a little time, irreconcileable enemies, and made it their chief bufinefs to undermine each other in all their undertakings. No fooner had Love fixed upon two halves, which he was cementing together, and forming. to a clofe union, but Care infinuates himfelf, and bringing HYMEN along with him, diffolves the union produced by love, and joins each half to fome other half, which he had provided for it. To be revenged of this, Pleafure creeps in upon a pair already joined by HYMEN; and calling Love to his affiftance, they under-hand contrive to join each half by fecret links, to halves, which HYMEN was wholly unacquainted with. It was not long before this quarrel was felt in its pernicious confequences; and fuch complaints arofe before the throne of JUPITER, that he was obliged to fummon the offending parties to appear before him, in order to give an account of their proceedings. After hearing the pleadings on both fides, he ordered an immediate reconcilement betwixt Love and HYMEN, as the only expedient for giving happiness to mankind: And that he might be fure this reconcilement fhould be durable, he laid his strict injunctions on them never to join any halves without confulting their favorites Care and Pleasure, and obtaining the confent of both to the conjunction. Where this order is strictly ob

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