And here we will make a conceffion, which would not perhaps have been expected from us: that no limited form of government is capable of rifing to the fame degree of perfection, or of producing the fame benefits to fociety with this. Mankind have never been fo happy, as when the greatest part of the then known world was under the domi nion of a fingle Master; and this state of their felicity continued during the reigns of five fucceffive Princes*. This was the true era of the golden age, and the only golden age which ever had any existence, unless in the warm imaginations of the poets, from the expulfion from Eden down to this day.

In reality, I know but of one folid objection to abfolute monarchy. The only defect in which excellent conftitution feems to be the difficulty of finding any man adequate to the office of an abfolute monarch: for this indifpenfably requires three qualities very difficult, as it appears from history, to be found in princely natures: first, a fufficient quantity of moderation in the Prince, to be contented with all the power which is poffible for him to have. Secondly, enough of wisdom to know his own happiness. And, thirdly, goodnefs fufficient to fupport the happiness of others when not only compatible with, but inftrumental to his own.

Now if an abfolute monarch, with all these

Nerva, Trajan, Adrian, and the two Antonini.

great and rare qualifications, fhould be allowed capable of conferring the greatest good on fociety: it must be surely granted, on the contrary, that abfolute power vefted in the hands of one who is deficient in them all, is likely to be attended with no less a degree of evil.

In fhort, our own religion furnishes us with adequate ideas of the bleffing, as well as curfe which may attend abfolute power. The pictures of Heaven and of Hell will place a very lively image of both before our eyes: for though the Prince of the latter can have no power, but what he originally derives from the Omnipotent Sovereign in the former; yet it plainly appears from Scripture, that abfolute power in his infernal dominions is granted to their diabolical ruler. This indeed is the only absolute power which can by Scripture be derived from Heaven. If therefore the feveral tyrannies upon earth can prove any title to a divine authority, it must be derived from this original grant to the Prince of darkness, and these fubordinate deputations must confequently come immediately from him whose ftamp they fo exprefsly bear.

To conclude, as the examples of all ages fhow us that mankind in general defire power only to do harm, and when they obtain it, ufe it for no other purpose; it is not confonant with even the leaft degree of prudence to hazard an alternative, where our hopes are poorly kept in countenance by only two or three exceptions out of a

thousand inftances to alarm our fears. In this cafe it will be much wifer to fubmit to a few inconveniences arifing from the difpaffionate deafness of laws, than to remedy them by applying to the paffionate open ears of a tyrant.

Nor can the example of the Gypfies, though poffibly they may have long been happy under this form of government, be here urged; fince we must remember the very material refpect in which they differ from all other people, and to which perhaps this their happiness is entirely owing, namely, that they have no false honors among them, and that they look on fhame as the most grievous punifhment in the world.

CHA P. XIII.

A Dialogue between Jones and Partridge.

THE honest lovers of liberty will, we doubt

not, pardon that long digreffion into which we were led at the close of the last Chapter, to prevent our History from being applied to the use of the most pernicious doctrine which priestcraft had ever the wickednefs or the impudence to preach.

We will now proceed with Mr. Jones, who, when the ftorm was over, took leave of his Egyptian Majefty, after many thanks for his courteous behaviour and kind entertainment, and fet out for

Coventry; to which place (for it was ftill dark) a Gypfy was ordered to conduct him.

Jones having, by reafon of his deviation, travelled eleven miles instead of fix, and most of those through very execrable roads, where no expedition could have been made in queft of a midwife, did not arrive at Coventry till near twelve. Nor could he poffibly get again into the faddle till past two; for post-horses were now not easy to get; nor were the hoftler or poft-boy in half fo great a hurry as himself, but chofe rather to imitate the tranquil difpofition of Partridge, who being denied the nourishment of fleep, took all opportunities to fupply its place with every other kind of nourishment, and was never better pleafed than when he arrived at an inn, more diffatisfied than when he was again forced to leave it.

nor ever

Jones now travelled poft; we will follow him therefore, according to our custom, and to the rules of Longinus, in the fame manner. From Coventry he arrived at Daventry, from Daventry at Stratford, and from Stratford at Dunstable, whither he came the next day a little after noon, and within a few hours after Sophia had left it; and though he was obliged to stay here longer than he wifhed, while a fmith, with great deliberation fhoed the post-horfe he was to ride, he doubted not but to overtake his Sophia before she should fet out from St. Albans; at which place he

2

concluded, and very reasonably, that his Lordfhip would ftop and dine.

And had he been right in this conjecture, he most probably would have overtaken his angel at the aforefaid place; but unluckily my Lord had appointed a dinner to be prepared for him at his own house in London, and in order to enable him to reach that place in proper time, he had ordered a relay of horses to meet him at St. Albans. When Jones therefore arrived there, he was informed that the coach and fix had fet out two hours before.

If fresh post-horfes had been now ready, as they were not, it seemed fo apparently impoffible to overtake the coach before it reached London, that Partridge thought he had now a proper opportunity to remind his friend of a matter which he seemed entirely to have forgotten; what this was the Reader will guefs, when we inform him that Jones had eat nothing more than one poached egg fince he had left the alehoufe where he had first met the guide returning from Sophia; for with the Gypfies, he had only feafted his understanding.

The landlord fo entirely agreed with the opinion of Mr. Partridge, that he no fooner heard the latter defire his friend to ftay and dine, than he very readily put in his word, and retracting his promife before given of furnishing the horses immediately, he affured Mr. Jones he would lofe