abfolute power of a fingle individual, who may prove a fool, an hypocrite, or a tyrant. The appellation admits of no other interpretation than that which is here given. France is therefore not a Monarchy; it is infulted when called by that name. The fervile fpirit which characterizes this fpecies of Government is banished from France, and this country, like America, can now afford to Monarchy no more than a glance of difdain.

Of the errors which monarchic ignorance or knavery has fpread through the world, the one which bears the marks of the most dexterous invention, is the opinion, that the fyftem of Republicanifm is only adapted to a fmall country, and that a Monarchy is fuited, on the contrary, to thofe of greater extent. Such is the language of Courts, and fuch the fentiments which they have caufed to be adopted in Monarchic countries; but the opinion is contrary, at the fame time, to principle and to experience.

The Government, to be of real use, should poffefs a complete knowledge of all the parties-all the circumftances-and all the interefts of a nation. The Monarchic fyftem, in confequence, inftead of being fuited to a Country of great extent, would be more admiffible in a small territory, where an individual may be fuppofed to know the affairs and the interefts of the whole. But when it is attempted to extend this individual knowledge to the affairs of a great country, the capacity of knowing bears no longer any propertion to the extent or multiplicity of the objects which ought to be known, and the Government inevitably falls from ignorance into tyranny. For the proof of this pofition we need only lock to Spain, Ruffia, Germany, Turkey, and the whole of the Eastern Continent-countries, for the deliverance of which I offer my molt fincere withes.

On the contrary, the true Republican Syftem, By Election and Reprefentation, offers the only means which are known, and in my opinion the only means which are poffible of proportioning the wisdom and the information of a Government to the extent of a country.

The fyttem of Representation is the strongest and most powerful centre that can be devifed for a Nation. Its attraction acts so powerfully, that men give it their approbation even without reafoning on the caufe, and France, however diftant its feveral parts, finds itfelf at this moment an subole in its central Reprefentation. The citizen is affored that his rights are protected, and the foldier feels that he is no longer the flave of a Defpet, but that he is become one of the Dation, and interested of courte in its defence.

The States at prefent ftyl.d Republican, as Holland, Genoa, Venice, Beine, &c. . are not only unworthy of the name, but are actually in oppofition to every principle of

But happily this dif

The Hereditary Succeffion can never exift as a matter of right; it is a nullity—a nathing. To admit the idea is to regard men as a fpecies of property belonging to fome individuals, either born or to be born! It is to confider our descendants, and all poste. rity, as mere animals without a Right or a Will! It is, in fine, the moit base and humiliating idea that ever degraded the buman fpecies, and which, for the honour of humanity, should he destroyed for ever.

The idea of Hereditary Succeffion is fo contrary to the Rights of Man, that if we were ou felves to be recalled to existence, inftead of being replaced by our posterity, we fhould not have the right of depriving ourfelves before-hand of thofe Rights which would then properly belong to us. On what ground then, or by what authority do we dare to deprive of their Rights those children who will foon be men? Why are we not ftruck with the injuftice which we perpetrate on our defcendants, by endeavouring to trausmit them as a vile herd to matters, whose vices are all that can be forefeen.

Whenever the French Constitution fhall be rendered conformable to its Declaration of Rights, we shall then be enabled to give to France, and with juftice, the appellation of a Civic Empire; for its Government will be the Empire of Laws founded on the great Republican Principles of Elective Reprefentation, and the Rights of Man.-But Monarchy and Hereditary Succeffion are incompatible with the basis of its Constitution.

hope that I have at prefent fufficiently proved to you that I am a good Republican -and I have fuch a confidence in the trath of these principles, that I donbt not they will foon be as univerfal in France as in America. The pride of human nature will affift their evidence, will contribute to their establishment, and men will be ashamed of Monarchy. I am, with refpect, Gentlemen, Your Friend, THOMAS PAINE, To the

Toujours brillante, toujours belle,
On ne la voit pas le flétrir.
Ce n'eft violette, ni rose,
Fleur de champs, ni fleur de jardin.
C'est dans le cœur qu'elle est éclofe;
Elle est toujours à fon matin,

Pour que l'on vous aime fans ceffe,
Pour toujours avoir des attraits,
Cultivez-là, jeune princeffe;
Elle ne fe flétrit jamais.

Elmina was filent; all the garlands were finished, and her companions rofe up. "What shall we do?" faid they; "we have a great many crowns and garlands, let us play at the Maid in the Ring." It was one of the sports of the little girls of that country: they were to chufe the most beautiful, to decorate her with flowers and a crown, and then to fing and dance round her. But among fo fplendid a company of young ladies, to fix upon the handfomeft was a very delicate talk, and which I fhould not have wished to undertake. Many were defirous of crowning Elmina, but the was too modelt to fuppofe herself the most beautiful, and the faw that many of her companions were lovely: for the felt no jealoufy at the beauty of others. "My friends," faid the to them," an idea comes into my head, by which we may fix our choice. Let each of us gather a favourite flower, and place it in our hats; we will then throw our flowers into the air, and the maiden whole flower fhall go higheft, the shall be the beauty of the ring." They all approved of the plan, and they difperfed to gather their flowers.

Among the companions of Elminawas a young Princefs called Malinette, who was very mischievous and very proud. She ran to a neighbouring field, and plucked a bluebottle, which the placed in her hat, having first adroitly twilted the talk round a fimall pebble.

It is eafy to guess why the little cheat did fo: by this ftratagem her flower was heavier,

Verdurina. "My children," faid fhe, "I have interrupted your mirth, but I heard Elmina fing of a flower that never fades; I faw her gather an eglantine in the wood, and from her choice I judge her to be worthy of the valuable prefent I am going to make her. My child," continued fhe, addreffing the young Princefs, who heard her with astonishment, "take this ftalk, on which there are four flowers and two buds; it is the flower that never fades; and I make you a prefent of it. Cultivate it with care; but know, my. child, that it is not by watering it that you can preferve it. Look at this flower, which is of fo fine a vermillion, it is called the flower of modefty. As long as your cheeks are of this lovely colour, it will retain all its luftre. The fecond flower is of the pureft white; it is called the flower of virtue, and it will be foiled the moment you fall in your duty. The third is of a fplendid yellow; it is called the flower of beneficence: if you are always good, it will be always beautiful. The fourth is of a fine celeftial blue; it is the flower of gentleness: whenever Elmina lofes her temper, or is angry, this charming flower will droop. This bud which begins to open," continued the old woman, "wili produce the flower of the mind: it will blow in proportion to the knowledge you acquire, and will thus mark your improvement. The other bud contains the flower of the graces: it will open without your thinking of it, and will give a luftre to all the other flowers."

"Ah! Madam," cried the Princefs as fhe took the flower, "what return can I make for fo valuable a gift? I entreat you to go along with me: Lidoriana will prove to you both her gratitude and mine."

"My child," faid Verdurina, "you cannot better teftify your gratitude than by fhowing me one day the flower I leave you in all its freshness. I will return in three years, and if it be then pure, you and the flower will remain fo for ever."

As the faid this, Verdurina appreached the other damfels, and gave them alfo fome flowers from her enchanted tree; to one five, to another four, according to the good difpofitions the faw in them to cultivate her gifts. It is affirmed that the Princefs Malinette received only a bud; and that he could never make t blow. I fpeak however from report only; for as this young lady had a very bad character, no one has undertaken to write her history.

The fairy (for it was plain that Verdurina was one), having diftributed her

gifts, ran into the wood and difappeared. The young maidens were all aftonished at this apparition; they abandoned their fports and the flowers they had gathered, to think on thofe which they had received. Every one was eager to fhow them to her relations; and the young Elmina, as foon as the returned home, placed her ineftimable flower in a fine china jar, and related to Lidoriana every thing that had happened. Lidoriana appeared to be very much astonished at the adventure: it has fince, however, been difcovered, that Lidoriana and Verdurina were the fame fairy.

Elmina went to bed very happy, but her mind was full of the objects that had occupied her during the day, and all night long fhe could dream of nothing but meadows, garlands, fairies, and enchanted flowers. Her first care when the aweke was to examine if her flower had undergone any change; fhe ran to the jar in which he had placed it; but as the approached the window the heard a noife in the ftreet, and faw a crowd of boys hooting and tormenting a poor woman.Their tricks and their gibes amufed the Princefs, and made her laugh: it was not till they were out of fight that the withdrew from the window to examine her flower-Good God! how great was her furprife and grief to fee the flower of beneficence drooping, and the flower of modefty lofing its beautiful vermilion. Lidoniana entered, found the Princefs dejected, and afked her the reafon. "Ah!" faid Elmina," look at my flowers, and yet I have done nothing to occafion it."

Elmina was in reality innocent; for the perceived not that there was aify harm in what had excited her laughter; but the flower of modefty had reafon to be tar nifhed, and the flower of beneficence to droop its head, because a young lady ought never to fhew an indifcreet curiofity, and ftill leis to laugh when any perfon is fcoffed at and ill treated.

It was thus that Lidoriana explained the circumftance to the Prince's. Elmina confetied her fault, and was fo amiable, that before the clofe of the day the flowers became more beautiful than ever. This little leffon rendered Elmina more attentive and circumfpect, and enabled her in a manner to judge how much care and affiduity it required to preferve the flower that never fades. Meanwhile, after this evat, it coft her but little to keep the yellow flower in all its brilliance. Elmina was fenfible and good to be beneficent, the had only to liften to the fuggestions of

:

her heart but the flower of a celestial blue it was much more difficult to preferve. Elmina was of a lively temper, and on the leaft anger, the most trifling impatience, the flower of gentleness never failed to langush and upbraid her with her fau.ts. The Princefs repaired them in the beft mar ner fhe could, for the knew that not to repai a fault, was as bad as to commit it.

As to the white flower, it is faid to have always preferved its purity. It is true that Elmina faw one day a little spot upon it, but a tear which the dropped upon it totally effaced it Nor is it known of what little weak nefs he had been guilty, for every body is ready to forget a fault over which they have feen the perfon who committed it fhed tears.

The bud inclofing the flower of the mind grew larger every day. Whenever the Princefs had been docile and attentive to her leffons, the always confulted it, and commonly found that it had thrown out fome new leaf. This flower was the moft furprifing of all, as it encreased during the whole life of Elmina. Nothing could be more various than the form and colour of its leaves. Upon one you faw pretty little landicapes; upon another, plans of rich embroidery; upon a third, reprefentations of hiftory or geography; and upon many a golden lyre, or an ivory harp; in fhort, there were emblems of whatever could adorn the inind of a young lady.

As to the flower of the graces, it flourished, as Verdurina had foretold, almost without its being perceived. Elmina had even occafion to remark, that if the attempted to haften its ripeness, by giving herfelf airs in her looking-glafs, or elfewhere, this fingular flower immediately clofed up; and it opened not again till the thought no more of it. It had only three leaves, but they were fo beautiful, fo graceful, that by fome frange charm they communicated afplendor to all the other flowers that made them till more captivating.

You may well fuppofe that Elmina, poffeffing the flower that never fades, and cultivating it with fuch care, became the most accomplished Princess of her time. The report of her amiable and excellent qualities fpread everywhere: for you must know that there is a little fairy called Renown, who goes about the world telling every thing the knows good or bad of people, and especially of young Princeffes, Kenown then did not fail to publish the virtues and graces of Elmina, and all the nations of the earth wifhed to

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