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ESSAY II.

OF THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS.

NOT

OTHING is more apt to furprise a foreigner, than the extreme liberty, which we enjoy in this country, of communicating whatever we please to the public, and of openly cenfuring every measure, entered into by the king or his minifters. If the adminiftration refolve upon war, 'tis affirmed, that either wilfully or ignorantly they mistake the intereft of the nation, and that peace, in the present fituation of affairs, is infinitely preferable. If the paffion of the minifters lie towards peace, our political writers breathe nothing but war and devaftation, and reprefent the pacific conduct of the government as mean and pufillanimous. As this liberty is not indulged in any other government, either republican or monarchical; in HOLLAND and VENICE, no more than in FRANCE or SPAIN; it may very naturally give occafion to these two questions, How it happens that GREAT BRITAIN enjoys fuch a peculiar privilege? and Whether the unlimited exercife of this liberty be advantageous or prejudicial to the public?

As to the first queftion, Why the laws indulge us in fuch an extraordinary liberty? I believe the reafon may be derived from our mixed form of government, which is neither wholly monarchical, nor wholly republican. It will be found, if I mistake not, a true obfervation in politics, that the two extremes in government, liberty and flavery, commonly approach nearest to each other; and that as you depart from the extremes, and mix a little of monarchy with liberty, the government becomes always the more free; and on the other hand, when you mix a little of liberty with monarchy, the yoke becomes always the more grievous and intolerable. I fhall endeavor to explain myself. In a government, fuch as that of FRANCE, which is entirely abfolute, and where laws, cuftom, and religion concur, all of them, to make the people fully fatisfied with their condition, the monarch cannot entertain the least jealousy against his subjects, and therefore is apt to indulge them in great liberties both of speech and action. In a government altogether republican, fuch as that of HOLLAND, where there is no magiftrate fo eminent as to give jealousy to the state, there is also no danger in intrusting the magiftrates with very large difcretionary powers; and tho' many advantages refult from fuch powers, in the preservation of peace and order, yet they lay a confiderable restraint on men's actions, and make every private fubject pay a great refpect to the government. Thus it feems evident, that the two extremes. of abfolute monarchy and of a republic, approach very near to each other in the moft material circumftances. In the first, the magiftrate has no jealoufy of the people In the fecond, the people have no jealoufy of the magiftrate: Which want of jealoufy begets a mutual confidence and truft in both cafes, and produces a fpecies of liberty in monarchies, and of arbitrary power in republics.

To juftify the other part of the foregoing obfervation, that in every government the means are moft wide of each other, and that the mixtures of monarchy and liberty render the yoke either more eafy or more grievous; I must take no

tice of a remark of TACITUS with regard to the ROMANS under the emperors, that they neither could bear total flavery nor total liberty, Nec totam fervitutem, nec totam libertatem pati poffunt. This remark a celebrated poet has tranflated and applied to the ENGLISH, in his lively description of queen ELIZABETH'S policy and

government.

Et fit aimer fon joug a l'Anglois indompté,

Qui ne peut ni fervir, ni vivre en liberté.

HENRIADE, Liv. 1,

ACCORDING to thefe remarks, we are to confider the ROMAN government under the emperors as a mixture of defpotism and liberty, where the defpotism prevailed; and the ENGLISH government as a mixture of the fame kind, but where the liberty predominates. The confequences are exactly conformable to the foregoing obfervation; and fuch as may be expected from thofe mixed forms of government, which beget a mutual watchfulness and jealousy. The ROMAN emperors were, many of them, the most frightful tyrants that ever difgraced human nature; and 'tis evident their cruelty was chiefly excited by their jealousy, and by their obferving, that all the great men of ROME bore with impatience the dominion of a family, which, but a little before, was no ways fuperior to their own. On the other hand, as the republican part of the government prevails in ENGLAND, tho' with a great mixture of monarchy, 'tis obliged, for its own prefervation, to maintain a watchful jealoufy over the magiftrates, to remove all difcretionary powers, and to fecure every one's life and fortune by general and inflexible laws. No action must be deemed a crime but what the law has plainly determined to be fuch: No crime must be imputed to a man but from a legal proof before his judges; and even these judges must be his fellow-fubjects, who are obliged, by their own intereft, to have a watchful eye over the encroachments and violence of the minifters. From these caufes it proceeds, that there is as much liberty, and even, perhaps, licentiousness in BRITAIN, as there were formerly flavery and tyranny in ROME.

THESE principles account for the great liberty of the prefs in these kingdoms, beyond what is indulged in any other government. 'Tis fufficiently known, that arbitrary power would steal in upon us, were we not extremely watchful to prevent its progrefs, and were there not an easy method of conveying the alarum from one end of the kingdom to the other. The spirit of the people muft frequently be rouzed in order to curb the ambition of the court; and the dread of roufing this fpirit, must be employed to prevent that ambition. Nothing so effectual to this purpose as the liberty of the prefs, by which all the learning, wit and genius of the nation may be employed on the fide of liberty, and every one be animated to its defence. As long, therefore, as the republican part of our government can maintain itself against the monarchical, it must he extremely jealous of the liberty of the prefs, as of the utmost importance to its preserva

tion.

fo

SINCE therefore the liberty of the press is so effential to the support of our mixed government; this fufficiently decides the fecond question, Whether this liberty be advantageous or prejudicial; there being nothing of greater importance in every ftate than the prefervation of the ancient government, especially if it be a free

But I would fain go a step farther, and affert, that fuch a liberty is at

tended

tended with fo few inconveniencies, that it may be claimed as the common right of mankind, and ought to be indulged them almoft in every government: except the ecclefiaftical, to which indeed it would prove fatal. We need not dread from this liberty any fuch ill confequences as followed from the harangues of the popular demagogues of ATHENS and tribunes of ROME. A man reads a book. or pamphlet alone and coolly. There is none prefent from whom he can catch the paffion by contagion. He is not hurried away by the force and energy of action. And fhould he be wrought up to ever fo feditious a humor, there is no violent resolution prefented to him, by which he can immediately vent his paffion. The liberty of the prefs, therefore, however abused, can scarce ever excite popular tumults or rebellion. And as to thofe murmurs or fecret difcontents it may occafion, 'tis better they fhould get vent in words, that they may come to the knowlege of the magiftrate before it be too late, in order to his providing a remedy against them. Mankind, 'tis true, have always a greater propenfion to believe what is faid to the difadvantage of their governors, than the contrary but this inclination is infeparable from them, whether they have liberty or not. A whisper may fly as quick, and be as pernicious as a pamphlet. Nay, it will be more pernicious, where men are not accustomed to think freely, or diftinguish betwixt truth and falfhood.

IT has also been found, as the experience of mankind increafes, that the people are no fuch dangerous monfter as they have been represented, and that 'tis in every refpect better to guide them, like rational creatures, than to lead or drive them, like brute beafts. Before the United Provinces fet the example, toleration was deemed incompatible with good government; and it was thought impoffible, that a number of religious fects could live together in harmony and peace, and have all of them an equal affection to their common country, and to each other. ENGLAND has fet a like example of civil liberty; and tho' this liberty feems to occafion fome finall ferment at prefent, it has not as yet produced any pernicious effects; and it is to be hoped, that men, being every day more accuftomed to the free difcuffion of public affairs, will improve in their judgment of them, and be with greater difficulty feduced by every idle rumor and popular clamor.

'Tis a very comfortable reflection to the lovers of liberty, that this peculiar privilege of BRITAIN is of a kind that cannot easily be wrefted from us, but must laft as long as our government remains, in any degree, free and independent. 'Tis feldom, that liberty of any kind is loft all at once. Slavery has fo frightful an afpect to men accuftomed to freedom, that it muft fteal in upon them by degrees, and must disguise itself in a thoufand fhapes, in order to be received. But, if the liberty of the prefs ever be loft, it must be loft at once. The general laws againft fedition and libelling are at prefent as ftrong as they poffibly can be made. Nothing can impofe a farther reftraint, but either the clapping an IMPRIMATUR upon the prefs, or the giving to the court very large difcretionary powers to punish whatever difpleases them. But these conceffions would be fuch a barefaced violation of liberty, that they will probably be the laft efforts of a defpotic government. We may conclude, that the liberty of Britain is gone for ever when thefe attempts fhall fucceed.

ESSAY

ESSAY III.

OF IMPUDENCE AND MODEST Y.

AM of opinion, That the common complaints against Providence are illgrounded, and that the good or bad qualities of men are the caufes of their good or bad fortune, more than what is generally imagined. There are, no doubt, inftances to the contrary, and thefe too pretty numerous; but few, in comparison of the inftances we have of a right diftribution of profperity and adverfity nor indeed could it be otherwife from the common course of human affairs. To be endowed with a benevolent difpofition, and to love others, will almost infallibly procure love and efteem; which is the chief circumftance in life, and facilitates every enterprize and undertaking; befides the fatisfaction, which immediately refults from it. The cafe is much the fame with the other virtues. Profperity is naturally, tho' not neceffarily attached to virtue and merit; and adversity, in like manner, to vice and folly.

I MUST, however, confefs, that this rule admits of an exception, with regard to one moral quality; and that modefty has a natural tendency to conceal a man's talents, as impudence difplays them to the utmoft, and has been the only cause why many have risen in the world, under all the difadvantages of low birth and little merit. Such indolence and incapacity is there in the generality of mankind, that they are apt to receive a man for whatever he has a mind to put himself off for; and admit his over-bearing airs as proofs of that merit which he affumes to himfelf. A decent affurance feems to be the natural attendant of virtue; and few men can diftinguish impudence from it: As, on the other hand, diffidence, being the natural refult of vice and folly, has drawn difgrace upon modefty, which in outward appearance so nearly resembles it.

As impudence, tho' really a vice, has the fame effects upon a man's fortune, as if it were a virtue; fo we may obferve, that it is almoft as difficult to be at tained, and is, in that refpect, diftinguished from all the other vices, which are acquired with little pains, and continually encreafe upon indulgence. Many a man, being fenfible that modefty is extremely prejudicial to him in making his fortune, has refolved to be impudent, and to put a bold face upon the matter: But, 'tis obfervable, that fuch people have feldom fucceeded in the attempt, but have been obliged to relapfe into their primitive modefty. Nothing carries a man thro' the world like a true genuine natural impudence. Its counterfeit is good for nothing, nor can ever fupport itself. In any other attempt, whatever faults a man commits and is fenfible of, he is fo much the nearer his end. But when he endeavours, at impudence, if he ever failed in the attempt, the remembrance of that failure will make him blufh, and will infallibly difconcert him : After which every blufh is a caufe for new blushes, 'till he be found out to be an arrant cheat, and a vain pretender to impudence.

If any thing can give a modeft man more affurance, it must be fome advan÷ tages of fortune, which chance procures, to him. Riches naturally gain a man

C

a fa

a favourable reception in the world, and give merit a double luftre, when a perfon is endowed with it; and fupply its place, in a great measure, when it is abfent. 'Tis wonderful to obferve what airs of fuperiority fools and knaves, with large poffeffions, give themselves above men of the greatest merit in poverty. Nor do the men of merit make any ftrong oppofition to these ufurpations; or rather seem to favor them by the modefty of their behaviour. Their good fenfe and experience make them diffident of their judgment, and cause them to examine every thing with the greatest accuracy: As, on the other hand, the delicacy of their fentiments makes them timorous left they commit faults, and lose in the practice of the world that integrity of virtue, fo to fpeak, of which they are fo jealous. To make wifdom agree with confidence, is as difficult as to reconcile vice and modefty.

THESE are the reflections which have occurred upon this fubject of impudence and modefty; and I hope the reader will not be difpleased to fee them wrought into the following allegory.

JUPITER, in the beginning, joined VIRTUE, WISDOM, and CONFIDENCE together; and VICE, FOLLY, and DIFFIDENCE: And thus connected, fent them into the world. But tho' he thought he had matched them with great judgment, and said that Confidence was the natural companion of Virtue, and that Vice deferved to be attended with Diffidence, they had not gone far before diffenfion arose among them. Wisdom, who was the guide of the one company, was always accuftomed before the ventured upon any road, however beaten, to examine it carefully; to enquire whither it led; what dangers, difficulties and hindrances might poffibly or probably occur in it. In thefe deliberations she usually confumed fome time; which delay was very difpleafing to Confidence, who was always inclined to hurry on, without much forethought or deliberation, in the first road he met. Wisdom and Virtue were infeparable: But Confidence one day, following his impetuous nature, advanced a confiderable way before his guides and companions; and not feeling any want of their company, he never enquired after them, nor ever met with them more. In like manner, the other fociety, tho' joined by JUPITER, difagreed and separated. As folly faw very little way before her, fhe had nothing to determine concerning the goodness of roads, nor could give the preference to one above another; and this want of resolution was encreased by Diffidence, who, with her doubts and fcruples, always retarded the journey. This was a great annoyance to Vice, who loved not to hear of difficulties and delays, and was never fatisfied without his full career, in whatever his inclinations led him to Folly, he knew, tho' fhe hearkened to Diffidence, would be easily managed when alone; and therefore, as a vicious horfe throws his rider, he openly beat away this controller of all his pleafures, and proceeded in his journey with Folly, from whom he is infeparable. Confidence and Diffidence being, after this manner, both thrown loofe from their respective companies, wandered for fome time; till at laft chance led them at the fame time to one village. Confidence went directly up to the great house, which belonged to WEALTH, the lord of the village; and without ftaying for a porter, intruded himself immediately into the innermoft apartments, where he found Vice and Folly well received before him. He joined the train; recommended himself very quickly to his landlord; and entered into fuch familiarity with Vice, that he was enlifted in the fame

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