SECT. II.

The Hiftory of political Establishments.

WE

E have hitherto obferved mankind, either united together on terms of equality, or difpofed to admit of a fubordination founded merely on the voluntary respect and attachment which they paid to their leaders; but, in both cafes, without any concerted plan of government, or fyftem of laws.

THE favage, whose fortune is comprised in his cabin, his fur, and his arms, is fatisfied with that provifion, and with that degree of security, he himfelf can procure. He perceives, in treating with his equal, no fubject of difcuffion that should be referred to the decision of a judge; nor does he find in any hand the badges of magistracy, or the enfigns of a perpetual command.

THE barbarian, though induced by his admiration of perfonal qualities, the luftre of a heroic race, or a fuperiority of fortune, to follow the banners of a leader, and to act a subordinate part in his tribe, knows not, that what he performs from choice, is to be made a fubject of obligation. He acts from affections unacquainted with forms; and when provoked, or when engaged in difputes, he

recurs

recurs to the fword, as the ultimate means of decifion, in all questions of right. stron

HUMAN affairs, in the mean time, continue their progrefs. What was in one generation a propenfity to herd with the fpecies, becomes, in the ages which follow, a principle of national union, What' was originally an alliance for common defence, be comes a concerted plan of political force; the care of fubfiftence becomes an anxiety for accumulating wealth, and the foundation of commercial arts.

MANKIND, in following the prefent fense of their minds, in striving to remove inconveniencies,” or to gain apparent and contiguous advantages S arrive at ends which even their imagination could not anticipate, and pafs on, like other animals, in the track of their nature, without perceiving its end. He who first faid, "I will appropriate this "field; I will leave it to my heirs;" did not per-i ceive, that he was laying the foundation of civil laws and political establishments. He who first ranged himself under a leader, did not perceive, that he was setting the example of a permanent fub ordination, under the pretence of which, theirapa-i cious were to feize his poffeffions, and the arrogant to lay claim to his service 1 fil sw I sdio st

MEN, in general are fufficiently difpofed to occupy themselves in forming projects and schemes. But he who would fcheme and project for others,

will find an opponent in every perfon who is disposed to fcheme for himself. Like the winds, that come we know not whence, and blow whitherfoever they lift, the forms of fociety are derived from an obfcure and distant origin; they arife, long before the date of philosophy, from the instincts, not from the fpeculations, of men. The croud of mankind, are dircted in their establishments and measures, by the circumstances in which they are placed; and feldom are turned from their way, to follow the plan of any fingle projector.

EVERY ftep and every movement of the multitude, even in what are termed enlightened ages are made with equal blindness to the future; cand nations fumble upon establishments, which are in-s deed the refult of human action,bbut not thenexecution of any human defign. If Cromwell faid That a man never mounts higher, than when he knows not whithen he is going; it may with more reafon be affirmed of communities that they sad.. mit of the greatest revolutions where no change is! intended, and that the most refined politicians do not always know whither they are leading the state by their projectsw lo some q Fun on 10

gon odt bar Audio If we listen to the testimony of modern hiftory, and to that of the most authentic parts of the ancient; if we attend to the practice of nations in every quarter of the world, and in every condition, 2191 De Retz Memoir

whether

whether that of the barbarian or the polished, we fhall find very little reafom to retract this affertion No constitution is formed by concert, no government is copied from a plan. The members of a fmall state contend for equality; the members of a greater, find themselves claffed in a certain man-ner that lays a foundation for monarchy. They proceed from one form of government to another; by easy tranfitions, and frequently under old names adopt a new constitution The feeds of every form are lodged in human nature; they spring up and ripen with the season. The prevalence of a particular species is often derived from an imperceptible ingredient mingled in the foil. go #31-d

16/380 fɔlod olan bas vods! adr as nol We are therefore to receive, with caution, the traditionary histories of ancient legiflators, and foun ders of ftates. Their names have long been cele brated their fuppofed plans have been admired; and what were probably the confequences of an eard ly fituation, is, in every inftance, confidered as an effect of defign. An author and a work, like cause and effect, are perpetually coupled together. This is the fimpleft form under which we can confider the establishment of nations and we afcribe to a previous defign, what came to be known only by experience, what no human wisdom could forefee, and what, without the concurring humour and difpofition of his age, no authority could enable an individual to executen oli 2 door as fi stad, wod

If men, during ages of extenfive reflection, and employed in the search of improvement, are wedded to their inftitutions; and, labouring under many acknowledged inconveniencies, cannot break loofe from the trammels of custom; what fhall we fup pose their humour to have been in the times of Romulus and Lycurgus? They were not furely more difpofed to embrace the schemes of innovators, or to shake off the impreffions of habit: They were not more pliant and ductile, when their knowledge was lefs; not more capable of refinment, when their minds were more circumfcribed.

2

WE imagine, perhaps, that rude nations muft have so strong a fenfe of the defects under which they labour, and be fo confcious that reformations are requifite in their manners, that they must be ready to adopt, with joy, every plan of improvement, and to receive every plaufible proposal with implicit compliance. And we are thus inclined to believe, that the harp of Orpheus could effect, in one age, what the eloquence of Plato could not produce in another. We mistake, however, the characteristic of fimple ages: mankind then appear to feel the feweft defects, and are then least defirous to enter on reformations.

THE reality, in the mean time,

blifhments at Rome and at Sparta,

puted

1:25

of certain efta

cannot be dif

but it is probable, that the government of

both these states took its rife from the fituation and