one tyrant, whether the tyranny refide in a single perfon, or a fenate, cannot exercise oppreffion at so many places at the fame time, as it may be carried on by the dominion of a numerous nobility over their respective vaffals and dependents. Of all species of domination this is the most odious: the freedom and fatisfaction of private life are more conftrained and haraffed by it, than by the most vexatious laws, or even by the lawless will of an arbitrary monarch; from whose knowledge, and from whofe injuftice, the greatest part of his fubjects are removed by their dif tance, or concealed by their obfcurity.

Europe exhibits more than one modern example, where the people, aggrieved by the exactions, or provoked by the enormities, of their immediate fuperiors, have joined with the reigning prince in the overthrow of the aristocracy, deliberately exchanging their condition for the miseries of defpotifm. About the middle of the laft century, the commons of Denmark, weary of the oppreffions which they had long fuffered from the nobles, and exafperated by fome recent infults, prefented themfelves at the foot of the throne, with a formal offer of their confent to establish unlimited dominion in the king. The revolution in Sweden, ftill more lately brought about

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about with the acquiefcence, not to say the af fiftance of the people, owed its fuccefs to the fame cause, namely, to the profpect of deliverance, that it afforded, from the tyranny which their nobles exercifed under the old conftitution. In England the people beheld the depref fion of the Barons, under the house of Tudor, with fatisfaction, although they faw the crown acquiring thereby a power, which no limitations, that the conftitution had then provided, were likely to confine. The leffon to be drawn from fuch events is this, that a mixed government, which admits a patrician order into its conftitution, ought to circumfcribe the personal privileges of the nobility, especially claims of hereditary jurisdiction and local authority, with a jealousy equal to the folicitude with which it provides for its own prefervation. For nothing fo alienates the minds of the people from the government under which they live, by a perpetual fenfe of annoyance and inconveniency; or fo prepares them for the practices of an enterprifing prince, or a factious demagogue, as the abuse which almoft always accompanies the exiftence of feparate immunities.

Amongst the inferior, but by no means inconfiderable advantages of a DEMOCRATIC

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conftitution, or of a conftitution in which the people partake of the power of legislation, the following should not be neglected.

I. The direction which it gives to the education, ftudies, and pursuits of the fuperior orders of the community. The fhare which this has in forming the public manners and national character is very important. In countries, in which the gentry are excluded from all concern in the government, fcarce any thing is left which leads to advancement, but the profeffion of arms. They who do not addict themselves to this profeffion (and miferable muft that country be, which conftantly employs the military service of a great proportion of any order of its fubjects) are commonly loft by the mere want of object and destination; that is, they either fall, without referve, into the most fottish habits of animal gratification, or entirely devote themselves to the attainment of those futile arts and decorations, which compofe the business and recommendation of a court: on the other hand, where the whole, or any effective portion of civil power is poffeffed by a popular af fembly, more ferious purfuits will be encou raged, purer morals and a more intellectual character will engage the public esteem; thofe faculties,

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culties, which qualify men for deliberation and debate, and which are the fruit of fober habits, of early and long continued application, will be roufed and animated by the reward, which, of all others, most readily awakens the ambition of the human mind, political dignity and importance.

II. Popular elections procure to the common people courtesy from their fuperiors. That contemptuous and overbearing infolence, with which the lower orders of the community are wont to be treated by the higher, is greatly mitigated where the people have fomething to give. The affiduity, with which their favour is fought upon thefe occafions, ferves to generate fettled habits of condefcenfion and refpect; and as human life is more embittered by affronts than injuries, whatever contributes to procure mildness and civility of manners towards those who are moft liable to fuffer from a contrary behaviour, corrects, with the pride, in a great measure the evil of inequality, and deferves to be accounted amongst the moft generous inftitutions of focial life.

III. The fatisfaction which the people in free governments derive from the knowledge and agitation of political fubjects; fuch as the proceedings

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ceedings and debates of the fenate; the conduct and character of minifters; the revolutions, intrigues, and contentions of parties; and, in general, from the difcuffion of public meafures, questions, and occurrences. Subjects of this fort excite juft enough of intereft and emotion, to afford a moderate engagement to the thoughts, without rifing to any painful degree of anxiety, or ever leaving a fixed oppreffion upon the fpirits and what is this, but the end and aim of all thofe amufements, which compofe so much of the business of life and of the value of riches? For my part, and I believe it to be the cafe with most men, who are arrived at the middle age, and оссиру the middle claffes of life; had I all the money, which I pay in taxes to government, at liberty to lay out upon amufement and diverfion, I know not whether I could make choice of any, in which I fhould find greater pleasure, than what I receive from expecting, hearing, and relating public news; reading parliamentary debates, and proceedings; canvaffing the political arguments, projects, predictions, and intelligence, which are conveyed, by various channels, to every corner of the kingdom. Thefe topics, exciting univerfal curiofity, and being, such as almost every man is ready to form, and

prepared