1791' ON THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION. Kjy 



In other cafes, however, v/here accidental circum- 

 ftanccs of ufurpation, or competition have taken place, 

 fo as to render it necefiary for the competitors for pow- 

 er to court the popular favour, this great evil has been 

 avoided ; and to this peculiarity Britain in particular 

 owes that fortunate confLitution of government, which 

 fo happily diftinguifli^s her from all other nations. — 

 Some of the moffc Jtricking features of this conltitution 

 I {haU endeavour to delineate in a fucceeding eflay, 

 and mark the changes that have taken place with re- 

 fpedl to this objedl, within tlie rera of certain hiftory ; 

 an object that ought to attracl the attention of every 

 Britifli fubjeft, if he wiflies to reafon confidently on 

 many of the topics of public difcuffion that daily occur, 

 or acl with propriety in endeavoring to fecure to pof- 

 terity thofe invaluable privileges on which we with fo 

 much juftice plume ourfelves. 



In the mean while, it was judged proper to give 

 this fketch of the natural progreffion of government, 

 not only to point out the remote origin of many of 

 thofe inflltutlons we now fo properly value, but alfo 

 to give fome flight notion of the caufes of thofe ftrick- 

 ing differences in the forms, and efientials of the vari- 

 ous governments in Europe, which are evidently now 

 fo diverfified in their tendency with regard to the liber- 

 ties of the people, and the powers of the king, though 

 they all mofl ojjvloufly derive their origin from one com- 

 mon fource, as It tends ftrongly to inculcate a maxim 

 that never ought to be loft fight of by any people v/ho 

 value their liberties, viz. 27n7/ it is by cnrefully luatch- 

 ing the progrefs of the ruling poiuers at prefcnt, and by 

 guarding ogninjl the effects of modern encroachments that 

 the circumflamcs of the times may not render very unpopu- 

 lar y and by this alone, that the ejfentials of freedom can 

 ever be preferved. It would be eafy to fhow, did 

 our limits permit, that every ftep in the progrefs of 

 defpotifm has been efFecled by encouraging changes, 

 that the indolence of the people, or the particular bias 



