Chap. IX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 1^9 



their manners ^ — and made them a people quite different from their 

 ancejlors.—'Th'ir po'vernment a inojl compleat democracy ^ ivhere 

 Libeitv and Eq;i itv nvere in the highejl perjenion. — No other ex- 

 ample necejfary to p'ove ho-u> bad a government democracy is, than 

 the example of France before our eyes; — more folly, madnefs, and 

 crimes-, committed under that goHjernment by the French, than there 

 is any example (f in any other nation in the fame fhortjpace of time. 

 —Afonarchy the bcfi form of government. — It is the government of 

 the Univerfe, and the frfl government among men—fo much found- 

 ed in nature^ that it takes place occafionally even in confitutions of 

 ii'hich it is no part,— as in the cafe of the DiBator among the 

 Remans. — Of the perpetual Diclator in Rome, and then of their 

 Emperors. — One effential difference betivixt the democratical and 

 monarchical government s , that the democratical never can be a good 

 government, but the monarchical, though not reftrained by laves, may 

 be a good government ; — Ivjo chances for that, if the King be a 

 good King, or his Minifer a good Minifer — The particular hap- 

 pinefs of Britain is to have both good. — Nothing can make men de- 

 firous of a change offuch a government^ but the infciion of ths 

 French madntfs ; — proper means vfed to prevent that. 



THE chief thing to be confidered In government is, which of 

 all the various forms of it that have been ufed by men, is the 

 bert. From what I have faid in the preceding chapter, the reader 

 will fuppofe that I think the democratical form is the word: And 

 indeed I am fo much of that opinion, that I hold it to be impofuble, 

 by the nature of things, that a democracy fhould be a good govern- 

 ment, or even that it ihould not be the worfl: that has been ufed by 

 men. That there have been virtuous people, and that a good go- 

 vernment, and good inflitutions with proper education may make 

 them to, there is no reafon to doubt. But that there fhould be a 



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