Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

the prejudices with which it is inoculated, and from the bondage, which it has thus passively imposed upon itself, would require nothing less than a miraculous concurrence of the most fortunate circumstances. It would be necessary, that a whole nation, cured of the delirium of superstition, should be no longer wedded, or in any shape accessible to the impressions of fanaticism; that, freed from the yoke of a false doctrine, it should voluntarily embrace the genuine system of morality and reason; that it should have the firmness to become at once bold and prudent, wise and docile; that every individual, being made acquainted with his rights, should have the resolution and integrity not to transgress the liinits of his duty; that the poor should know how to resist seduction, and the rich the allurements of avarice; that there should be found upright and disinterested chiefs: that tyrants should be seized with a spirit of madness and frenzy; that the people, recovering their powers, should be fully apprized of their inability to exercise them, and consent to appoint delegates; that having the creation of their magistrates, they should know how both to judge and to respect them; that, in the sudden renovation and reform of a whole nation living upon abuses, each individual, on being hastily weaned from his former habits, should suffer with patient fortitude the painful privations and self-denials connected with the rapid change; in fine, that the nation. should have the resolution to conquer its liberty, the wisdom to secure it, the power to

defend it, and the generosity to share it with distributive impartiality. But, can sober reason look forward with any feasible expectation to such an extraordinary combination of circumstances? Or, should the die of fortune, in the infinite variety of chances, happen to produce this very contingency, is it likely, that I should ever live to see that day? And, will not this mortal frame, long before that, have mouldered away in the grave ?"

Here my heart, convulsed with grief, deprived my tongue of utterance.... The Genius made no reply ;-but, I heard him say to himself in a low tone of voice: "Let us revive the hopes of this man: for, if he, who sincerely loves his fellow-creatures, be suffered to despond, what is to become of the nations at large? The past is, perhaps, but too much calculated to discourage. Let us then anticipate the future; let us disclose the astonishing age that is about to appear, that virtue, seeing in perspective the distant object of its wishes, and animated with new vigour, may redouble its efforts in hastening its approach.

[ocr errors]

CHAP. XV.

NEW AGE.

No sooner had the Genius uttered to himself these words, than an immense noise issued from the West; when, directing my attention to that quarter, I remarked, at the extremity of the Mediterranean, in the country of one of

the European nations, a prodigious movement, similar to what exists in the bosom of a large city amid the turbulent storm of sedition, where innumerable crowds of people, like boisterous waves, are driven in tumultuous disorder along the streets and public squares. My ear, struck with their cries, which ascended to the very heavens, distinguished at intervals, these sentences:

"What can be the meaning of this novel and strange phenomenon? Whence this cruel pest, this latent scourge? We are a numerous people, and yet we are in want of hands! We have an excellent soil, and yet there is a scarcity of provisions! We are active and laborious, and yet we live in indigence! We pay enormous taxes and imposts, and yet we are told, that they are insufficient! We are externally at peace, and yet our persons and property are not safe even at home! What then, in the name of wonder, can be the secret enemy, that thus devours us?"

Several voices, proceeding from the midst of the throng, replied aloud: "Erect a standard in token of distinction, and let all those, who, by their useful labours, contribute to the necessary support and maintenance of society, gather round it, and it will not be long before ye discover the latent enemy that preys upon you."

And, on the standard being erected, the nation found itself all on a sudden divided into two distinct but disproportionate bodies, the disparity betwixt them affording a striking contrast. The one, not to be numbered, and nearly

constituting the whole, exhibited, in the general poverty of their dress, and in their meagre and swarthy complexions, the evident marks of toil and indigence; the other, a petty groupe, and no more, arithmetically speaking, than an insignificant fraction compared with the former, presented, in their rich attire glittering with gold and silver, and in their plump and ruddy countenances, the general symptoms and physiognomy of leisure and fortune. On observing these people more attentively, I perceived, that the large body was constituted of labourers, artisans, tradesmen, in fine, of every profession, that can be considered as useful to society; and that in the small groupe, there were none but bishops, priests, and clergy of every rank and denomination, officers of the revenue, commanders of troops, men with badges, armorial equipage, and other marks of distinction-in a word, the civil, military, and religious agents of government.

The two bodies, stationed in sight, front to front, eyed one another with astonishment, when I perceived the feelings of indignation and resentment begin to shew themselves in the one, and a sort of panic in the other; and the large body said to the small one:

66

Why do ye stand thus apart from us? Are not ye of our number ?"

"No," replied the other; "ye are the people; but, we are quite of a different order: we are a dignified and privileged class; we have separate laws, customs, and rights peculiar to ourselves."

People. And what species of labour is it, that ye have a share in performing in this society of ours?

Privileged Class.-None: we are not made to labour.

People.-How then have ye acquired your wealth?

Privileged Class.-By taking the pains to go

vern you.

People.-To govern us, to be sure! a pretty kind of governing truly! We have the toil, and you the enjoyment; we produce, and you spend ; wealth flows from the sweat of our brows, and you engross it to yourselves, Go, ye dignified and privileged who are not of the people, go and form a nation apart, and govern yourselves. (62.)

:-

Then, deliberating on their novel and critical situation, some among the groupe said :"Let us at once join the people, and voluntarily share their burthens and their toils; for they are surely men as well as ourselves."-Others, on the contrary, rejoined :—" To mix and place ourselves on a level with the common people, would be beyond all measure degrading and vilifying. What! are they not born to serve us? and are we not men of a totally distinct blood and superior pedigree?" And the civil governors said: the people are mild and tractable, and naturally servile; we must speak to them in the name of the king and the law, and they will shortly return to their duty.... People! It is the royal will and pleasure of our sovereign lord the King, he commands and graciously ordains.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
« EdellinenJatka »