ble to the nature of things, that fuch perfons ever fhould 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 pasfions. But though they often attempt it by arms, they will make no advances to the execution; they may change their masters, 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 splendour, and reestablish the government of antient Rome. For, inftead of fretting with vexation, 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 these is the fame as to be a flave, and it ufually happens by the appointment, and as it were retributive Juftice of the Deity, that that people which cannot govern themselves, and moderate their paffions, but crouch under the slavery of their lufts, should 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 constitution 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 least of all, fhould he be appointed 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, cease to be fools; if you think slavery an intolerable evil, learn obedience to reafon and the government of yourselves; and finally bid adieu to your diffentions, your jealoufies, your fuperftitions, fuperftitions, your outrages, your rapine and your lufts. Unless you will spare 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 refpect to myfelf, 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 bestowed, I hope that they have not been beftowed 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 ferve to exalt the glory of my country, and to excite the imitation of pofterity. If the conclufion do not anfwer to the beginning, that is their concern; I have delivered my teftimony, I would almost say, have erected a monument, that will not readily be destroyed, 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 describe the whole life of the hero whom he celebrates, but only fome particular action of his life as the refentment of Achilles at Troy, the return of Ulyffes, or the coming of Æneas into Italy; fo it will be fufficient, either for my juftification or apology, that I have heroically celebrated at least 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 basely 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 thofe were wanting who might have completed the structure. They will lament that perseverance was not conjoined with fuch exertions and fuch virtues. They They will fee 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 illustrious actors in fo glorious a scene. 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 refpect to myself, whatever turn things may take, I thought that my exertions on the prefent occafion would be serviceable to my country, and, as they have been cheerfully bestowed, 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 justice 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 ferve 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 destroyed, to the reality of those fingular and mighty achievements, which were above all praise. 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 Æneas 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 fuch a difplay 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 ftructure. They will lament that perfeverance was not conjoined with fuch exertions and fuch virtues. They They will fee 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 counfel, exhort, infpire, and bind an unfading wreath of praise round the brows of the illustrious actors in fo glorious a scene. |