Chap. IX. A N T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I C S. 197 



there was the moft perfe£t Liberty and Equality; two things, of 

 which we have heard fo much of late. 



I think no other evidence is neceflary to prove from fa£t and ex- 

 perience, as well as from theory, that the democratical form of go- 

 vernment is the worft of all. It is a form which naturally puts an 

 end to itfelf without any external violence : Nor is there any ex- 

 ample in the hiftory of man, of that form of government lading for 

 any confiderable time. But we need not go back to ancient hifto- 

 ry, to feek for examples of the pernicious confequences of fuch a 

 government; we have an example of it at prefent before our eyes, fuf- 

 ficient to convince every man of common fenfe and obfervation, that 

 it is produdive not only of the greateft folly and madnefs, but of the 

 greateft crimes. The republic of France has not yet lafted a year, 

 now while I am writing ; and in that fhort time, it has produced 

 more diforders, more folly, and madnefs, and alfo more crimes, than 

 ever happened in any nation fmce the beginning of the world, in 

 the fame ihort fpace of time ; the confequence of which has been 

 the forming an union againft them, of more nations in Europe, 

 than ever were united againft one nation. To deliberate how they 

 are to defend themfelves againft thefe combined powers, they meet 

 in an aflembly, which they call the national convention; where, be- 

 fides the conduft of the war, they have before them that moft im- 

 portant bufinefs, the forming a conftitutionj and regulating the in- 

 ternal government of the country. But things are there conduded 

 with fo much diforder, noife, and tumult, and what may often be 

 called mobbing, that there neither is, nor I believe ever was, an ex- 

 ample of the like in any aflembly met to deliberate on public bufi- 

 nefs. This alone convinces me, that they are utterly incapable of 

 carrying on any kind of government even in the moft quiet times. 



Having 



