from our taverns and our brothels, from our towns and villages to the rank and dignity of fenators. For, should the management of the republic be entrusted to perfons to whom no one would willingly entrust the management of his private concerns; and the treasury of the ftate be left to the care of thofe who had lavifhed their own fortunes in an infamous prodigality? Should they have the charge of the public purfe, which they would foon convert into a private, by their unprincipled peculations Are they fit to be the legiflators of a whole people who themselves know not what law, what reason, what right and wrong, what crooked and ftraight, what licit and illicit means? who think that all power consists in outrage, all dignity in the parade of infolence? who neglect every other confideration for the corrupt gratification of their friendships, or the profecution of their refentments? who difperfe their own relations and creatures through the provinces for the fake of levying taxes and confifcating goods; men, for the greater part, the most profligate and vile, who buy up for themfelves what they pretend to expofe to fale, who thence collect an exorbitant mafs of wealth, which they fraudulently divert from the public fervice; who thus fpread their pillage through the country, and in a moment emerge from penury and rags, to a ftate of fplendour and of wealth? Who could endure fuch thievith fervants, fuch vicegerents of their lords? Who could believe that the mafters and the patrons of a banditti could be the proper guardians of liberty? or who would fuppofe that he fhould ever be made one hair more free by fuch a fet of public func tionaries (though they might amount to five hundred elected in this manner from the counties and boroughs) when among them who are the very guardians of liberty, and to whofe cuftody it is committed, there mufl be fo many, who know not either how to ufe or to enjoy liberty, who either underftand the principles or merit the poffeffion? But what is worthy of remark, thofe who are the most unworthy of liberty, are wont to behave most ungratefully towards their deliverèrs. Among fuch perfons, who would be willing either to fight for liberty, or to encounter the leaft peril in its defence? It is not agreea

ble

ble to the nature of things, that such persons ever should be free. However much they may brawl about liberty, they are flaves, both at home and abroad, but without perceiving it, and when they do perceive it, like unruly horses, that are impatient of the bit, they will endeavour to throw off the yoke, not from the love of genuine liberty, (which a good man only loves and knows how to obtain,) but from the impulfes of pride, and little paffions. But though they often attempt it by arms, they will make no advances to the execution; they may change their mafters, but will never be able to get rid of their fervitude. This often happened to the ancient Romans, wafted by excefs, and enervated by luxury and it has ftill more fo been the fate of the moderns; when after a long interval of years they afpired under the aufpices of Crefcentius, Nomentanus, and afterwards of Nicolas Rentius, who had affumed the title of Tribune of the People, to restore the fplendour, and reestablish the government of antient Rome. For, inftead of fretting with yexation, or thinking that you can lay the blame on any one but yourselves, know that to be free is the fame thing as to be pious, to be wife, to be temperate and juft, to be frugal and abftinent, and lastly, to be magnanimous and brave; fo to be the oppofite of all thefe is the fame as to be a flave, and it usually happens by the appointment, and as it were retributive Juftice of the Deity, that that people which cannot govern themselves, and moderate their paflions, but crouch under the flavery of their lufts, fhould be delivered up to the fway of those whom they abhor, and made to fubmit to an involuntary fervitude. It is alfo fanctioned by the dictates of justice and by the conftitution of nature, that he, who from the imbecility or derangement of his intellect is incapable of governing himself, fhould like a minor be committed to the government of another; and leaft of all, fhould he be pointed to fuperintend the affairs of others or the interest of the state. You therefore, who wish to remain free, either inftantly be wife or, as foon as foon as poffible, ceafe to be fools; if you think flavery an intolerable evil, learn obedience to reafon and the government of yourselves; and finally bid adieu to your diffentions, your jealoufies, your fuperftitions,

ap

fuperftitions, your outrages, your rapine and your lufts. Unless you will fpare no pains to effect this, you must be judged unfit, both by God and mankind, to be entrusted with the poffeffion of liberty and the administration of the government; but will rather, like a nation in a state of pupillage, want fome active and courageous guardian to undertake the management of your affairs. With respect to myself, whatever turn things may take, I thought that my exertions on the prefent occafion would be ferviceable to my country, and, as they have been cheerfully beftowed, I hope that they have not been bestowed in vain. And I have not circumfcribed my defence of liberty within any petty circle around me, but have made it fo general and comprehenfive, that the juftice and the reasonableness of fuch uncommon occurrences explained and defended, both among our my countrymen and among foreigners, and which all good men cannot but approve, may serve to exalt the glory of my country, and to excite the imitation of pofterity. If the conclufion do not answer to the beginning, that is their concern; I have delivered my teftimony, I would almost fay, have erected a monument, that will not readily be deftroyed, to the reality of those fingular and mighty achievements, which were above all praife. As the Epic Poet, who adheres at all to the rules of that fpecies of compofition, does not profefs to defcribe the whole life of the hero whom he celebrates, but only some particular action of his life as the refentment of Achilles at Troy, the return of Ulyffes, or the coming of ZEneas into Italy; fo it will be fufficient, either for my juftification or apology, that I have heroically celebrated at leaft one exploit of my countrymen; I pafs by the rest, for who could recite the achievements of a whole people? If after such a display of courage and of vigour, you bafely relinquish the path of virtue, if you do any thing unworthy of yourselves, pofterity will fit in judgment on your conduct. They will fee that the foundations were well laid; that the beginning (nay it was more than a beginning) was glorious; but, with deep emotions of concern will they regret, that those were wanting who might have completed the structure. They will lament that perfeverance was not conjoined with fuch exertions and fuch virtues.

They

They will see that there was a rich harvest of glory, and an opportunity afforded for the greatest achievements, but that men only were wanting for the execution; while they were not wanting who could rightly counsel, exhort, infpire, and bind an unfading wreath of praise round the brows of the illuftrious actors in fo glorious a fcene.