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For Modes of Faith let graceless zealots fight; 305 His can't be wrong whofe life is in the right:

NOTES.

In

and another? and, Whether every form may not become good or bad, according as it is well administered? Were it once admitted, that all Governments are alike, and that the only difference confifts in the character and conduct of the governors, most political disputes would be at an end, and all zeal for one conftitution above another, must be esteemed mere bigotry and folly. But, though a friend to moderation, I cannot forbear condemning this fentiment, and should be very sorry to think that human affairs admit of no greater stability than what they receive from the casual humours and characters of particular men.

" "Tis true, those who maintain that the goodness of all Government consists in the goodness of the administration, may cite many particular instances in history, where the very fame Government, in different hands, has varied fuddenly into the oppofite extremes of good and bad. Compare the French Government under Henry III. and under Henry IV. Oppreffion, levity, artifice, on the part of the rulers: faction, fedition, treachery, rebellion, disloyalty, on the part of the subjects: these compose the character of the former miferable æra. But when the patriot and heroic prince, who succeeded, was once firmly seated on the throne, the government, the people, every thing feemed to be totally changed, and all from the difference of the temper and sentiments of these two sovereigns. An equal difference of a contrary kind may be found on comparing the reigns of Elizabeth and James, at least with regard to foreign affairs: and instances of this kind may be multiplied, almoft without number, from ancient as well. as modern hiftory.

"But here I would beg leave to make a distinction. All abfolute Governments (and fuch that of England was, in great meafure, till the middle of the last century, notwithstanding the numerous panegyrics on ancient English liberty) must very much depend on the administration: and this is one of the great inconveniencies of that form of Government. But a republican and free Government would be a moft obvious abfurdity, if the particular checks and controuls, provided by the conftitution, had really no influence, and made it not the intereft, even of bad men, to ope

rate

In Faith and Hope the world' will difagree,
But all Mankind's concern is Charity:

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rate for the public good. Such is the intention of these forms of Government, and fuch is their real effect where they are wifely conftituted: As, on the other hand, they are the fources of all disorders, and of the blackest crimes, where either skill or honesty has been wanting in their original frame and institution.

"So great is the force of laws, and of particular forms of Government, and fo little dependance have they on the humours and temper of men, that confequences almoft as general and certain may be deduced from them, on most occafions, as any which the mathematical fciences afford us."

Hear also the opinion of the Cambridge Profeffor, Dr. Rutherforth, on this subject, which is an important one: "Politicians are very well employed in comparing and balancing the advantages and inconveniencies of each form of Government with one another. For though the refult of their inquiries will never determine what form it is which any particular nation has agreed to establish, yet it may serve to fhew every nation what is the moft defireable form, and may lead them, as they have opportunity, to make fuch alterations in their own as will bring them nearer to that point, if they cannot quite reach it. Certainly our English Poet has but little reafon on his fide, when he represents such an inquiry as the bufinefs of fools; and maintains, that the only difference between civil conftitutions of Government confifts in the better or worse administration of them: for that conftitution is, in his judgment, to be called the best, let it be what it will, which is best administered. Whatever public benefit depends upon the character of the perfons in power, it is derived from their wifdom and goodnefs, and not from the nature of the form of government. that to call that form the beft, which is beft administered, feems to be speaking improperly. Or if we will call it the best, we must in the mean time allow, that it is the best by accident only, and not in its own nature. In the common courfe of human affairs it is almoft impoffible to prevent the civil power from coming into the hands of weak and bad men, whatever the conftitution is. That form of Government, therefore, is beft in itself, which guards most effectually againft this evil; or if this evil ever does happen,

14

So

All must be falfe that thwart this One great End;

And all of God, that bless Mankind or mend.

NOTES.

310

Man,

happen, which lays the perfons in power under fuch checks and reftraints as are most likely to prevent them from abufing their trust; or, lastly, if this trust is abused, which has provided the readieft means for correcting the abuses. An abfolute monarchy is a constitution which has fo little title to these characters, that it can have no pretenfion to be thought the only natural, and much less the only poffible, form of Government, upon account of its being the best form." In that elegant and valuable publication, intitled Athenian Letters, written by fome of the most refpectable perfons of the prefent age, and in which fubjects of literature, philofophy, and politics are treated with uncommon candour and penetration, is an excellent difcourfe on Forms of Government, by the honourable Charles Yorke, p. 216. London. 4to. 1781.

A penetrating writer has well obferved, "that all Forms of Government, in fact, mutually approach each other, or recede, by many, and often infenfible gradations?" Ariftotle is of opinion, in the seventh chapter of the seventh book of his Politics, that there are fome nations who cannot live under a free Govern

ment.

VER. 305. For Modes of Faith let gracelefs zealots fight;] Thefe latter ages have feen fo many fcandalous contentions for modes of faith, to the violation of Christian Charity, and dishonour of facred Scripture, that it is not at all strange they should become the object of fo benevolent and wife an Author's refentment. W.

He borrowed this from Cowley; who, extolling the piety of his friend Crashaw, the Poet, who went over to the Romish Church, and died a Canon of Loretto, fays,

"Pardon, my Mother Church, if I confent

That Angels led him, when from thee he went;
For e'en in error fure no danger is,

When join'd to fo much piety as his :

His Faith, perhaps, in fome nice tenets might

Be wrong; his life, I'm fure, was in the right.”

Cowley alfo, poffibly, might take the hint from Lord Herbert of Cherbury; who hath this diftich in his works: 3

"Digladient

Man, like the gen'rous vine, fupported lives;

The strength he gains is from th' embrace he gives. On their own Axis as the Planets run,

Yet make at once their circle round the Sun;

So two confiftent motions act the Soul;

And one regards Itfelf, and one the Whole.

Thus God and Nature link'd the gen❜ral frame, And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.

315

NOTES.

"Digladient alii circa res religionis :

Quod credas nihil eft, fit modo vita proba."

But " digladient is a barbarism; he should have faid, digladientur, or contendant," fays Dr. Jortin.

VER. 313. On their own Axis] This illuftration is plainly taken from the Spectator, No. 588, faid to be written by Mr. Grove: "Is therefore Benevolence inconfiftent with Self-love? Are their motions contrary? No more than the diurnal rotation of the earth is opposed to its annual; or its motion round its own centre; which might be improved as an illuftration of Self-love; that whirls it about the common centre of the world, answering to univerfal benevolence. Is the force of Self-love abated, or its intereft prejudiced by benevolence? So far from it, that benevolence, though a diftinct principle, is extremely serviceable to Selflove, and then doth most service when it is leaft defigned."

VER. 315. At the Soul;] It fhould certainly be actuate, or act upon. He has used this expreffion again, Iliad xv. v. 487.

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Such inaccuracies are not worth remarking, but in writers fo correct and eminent as our author, least they should give a fanction to errors. Dr. Lowth in his Grammar has pointed out several in our Author's Works.

VER. 318. And bade Self-love] The Remarks of Warburton on the Effay on Man, on the Moral Epiftles, and the Alliance betwixt Church and State, were tranflated into French by M. De Silhouette; for which tranflation, supposing it contained opinions unfavourable to the defpotic government of France, he was much

cenfured,

NOTES.

cenfured, and had nearly been prosecuted, when he became Controller General of the Finances; and he immediately bought up and destroyed all the copies of this work that could be found.

Voltaire, writing to M. De Cideville, in June 1759, says of M. De Silhouette, "Le genie de M. De Silhouette eft Anglais, calculateur, et courageux; mais fi on nous prend des Guadeloupe, fi ces mandits Anglois ont plus de vaiffeaux que nous, et meilleurs, fi les frais de la vifite qu'on veut leur rendre font perdus, fi les depenfes immenfes d'une guerre jufte, mais ruineuse, absorbent les revenus de l'état, ni M. De Silhouette, ni Pope, n'y pourront fuffire."

In this paffage, (Ver. 318.) Pope uses the very words of Bolingbroke: "Thus it happens that Self-love and Social are divided, and fet in oppofition to one another in the conduct of particular men, whilst in the making laws, and the regulation of government, they continue the fame." Minutes of Effays, fection 51. addreffed to Pope.

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