People. The king has no will or pleasure of his own, in his political capacity, independent of the safety and welfare of the people; he can neither command nor ordain but according to the sovereign voice of the law, under which, like ourselves, he is a subject.

Civil Governors.-The law calls upon you for submission.

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People. The law is the general will;—and a reformation of abuses is our will.

Civil Governors.-Ye are, in that case, a rebellious people.

People.-Nations never revolt; tyrants only are rebels.

Civil Governors.-The king is on our side, and he enjoins you to submit.

People.-Kings cannot be separated from their respective nations, of which they form a constituent part or member. The king of ours cannot, of course, be on your side; ye can, therefore, have nothing but his bare shadow to substantiate your pretensions.

Then the military governors advanced, and said: "The people are timid; let us threaten them; there is no way of bringing them to obedience but by force.... Soldiers, chastise this insolent rabble !"

People." Soldiers, are not we all of one kindred and children of the same national family? Will you strike your own brethren?If the people be destroyed, who will support the army ?"

And the soldiers grounding their arms, said to their chiefs: "We too are a part of the people; show us the enemy."

Then the ecclesiastical governors said :"There is now but one resource left. The people are superstitious; we must awe and intimidate them with the names of God and of religion."

Priests. Our dearly beloved brethren! our faithful children! God has specially commissioned us to govern you.

People.-Produce the patent of his com

mission.

Priests. Ye must have faith; reason bewilders and leads men astray.

People. And would you govern without recourse to reason?

Priests. God is the God of peace;-religion enjoins you to obey.

People.-Peace naturally supposes justice; -and obedience implies the observance of an acknowledged and pre-existent law.

Priests.-Men are only sent into this world for trial and suffering.

People.-Show us then the example by suffering yourselves.

Priests. Would you live without Gods or kings?

People.-We wish to live without tyrants. Priests.-Ye cannot do without mediators to intercede and act in your behalf.

People.-Ye mediators with God, and with kings! Ye Courtiers and Priests! your services are too expensive;-henceforth we mean to take the management of our affairs into our own hands.

Then the small groupe exclaimed: We are lost, it is all over with us; the people is enlightened."

And the people replied: "No, no, by being lost, ye are saved; for, since we are enlightened, our power shall not be abused:-our desires extend not beyond our just rights. Resentment it were impossible not to feel, but we shall now bury it in the grave of oblivion : -we were slaves,-we can now command; but, our will is only to be free, and, by willing it, we are so."

CHAP. XVI.

A FREE AND LEGISLATIVE PEOPLE.

I NOW began to reflect with myself, that all public authority was suspended and at a stand, that the old government, to which the people were habituated, was annihilated, and

shuddered at the thought of their falling into the dissolution of anarchy. But the immediate promptitude, with which they entered into a discussion of the nature of their situation, quickly dispelled my apprehensions.

"It is not enough," said they, "to have emancipated ourselves from parasites and tyrants, we must guard against the resuscitation and revival of their power. We are but men, and we know, by dear-bought experience, that the wishes of every one of us, by the very polarity of our nature and passions, incessantly point towards authority and self-enjoyment at the expense of others. It is, therefore, necessary to provide beforehand against this universal propensity, which is the occasion of

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so much discord, and to establish certain rules, by which our conduct may be regulated, and our rights determined. But, in the investigation of these, abstruse and difficult questions are involved, which demand the whole time and faculties of every person concerned. Now, occupied as we necessarily are, in our respective callings, we have not sufficient leisure to bestow upon these studies; and even provided we had, we are not competent of ourselves to the exercise of such functions. Let us, therefore, select from among ourselves persons properly qualified for the task, who shall make it their entire business. Let us delegate the powers which we hold in common, to them, in order that they may frame for us a system of government and laws; let us make them the representatives of our interests and our wills; and, that this representation may be as perfect as possible, let the choice be numerous, and let them be citizens taken out of every class of society like ourselves, so as to include a diversity equivalent to that of our wills and our interests."

The selection being made accordingly, the people thus addressed their delegates :-"We have hitherto lived in a society fortuitously formed without fixed terms of agreement, without free conventional contracts, without any stipulation of rights, without reciprocal engagements; and a multitude of disorders and calamities have been the result of this precarious state of things. After maturely deliberating on these circumstances, we now resolve to frame a regular compact on a well

digested model; and we have made choice of you to draw up the articles of it. Examine, therefore, with care and discrect attention, what ought to be its basis and conditions. Inquire what is the object and principles of every association; observe well what are the rights, which every member brings along with him into it, the powers he stakes in the public concern, and the powers which he ought to reserve entire to himself. Point out to us equitable laws, and rules of conduct. Prepare for us a new system of government; for, we are feelingly sensible, that the principles, which to this hour have been our guide, are radically bad. Our forefathers have wandered in the paths of ignorance, and we, from blind imitation and habit, have trod in their steps. Every thing is conducted by violence, fraud, and corruption; and the genuine laws of morality and reason are still enveloped in darkness and obscurity. Shed light, therefore, upon this gloomy chaos; discover to us their principles and connective relations, and publish the code, and we will conform to it."

And the people raised an immense throne in the form of a pyramid, and, seating upon it the men they had chosen, said to them; "We elevate you this day above us, that you may take a more comprehensive view of our respective relations, and be exalted above the influence of our passions.

"But, remember that you are our co-citizens and co-equals; that the power, which we confer upon you, belongs to us; that we confide it to you as a trust or deposit, for