24 HUME I 



change from the Silurian epoch till now ; and, so 

 long as terrestrial conditions remain approxi- 

 mately similar to what they are at present, there 

 is no more reason why it should cease to exist in 

 the next, than in the past, hundred million years 

 or so. The true ground for doubting the possi- 

 bility of the establishment of absolute monarchy 

 in Britain is, that opinion seems to have passed 

 through, and left far behind, the stage at which 

 such a change would be possible ; and the true 

 reason for doubting the permanency of a republic, 

 if it is ever established, lies in the fact, that a 

 republic requires for its maintenance a far higher 

 standard of morality and of intelligence in the 

 members of the state than any other form of 

 government. Samuel gave the Israelites a king 

 because they were not righteous enough to do 

 without one, with a pretty plain warning of what 

 they were to expect from the gift. And, up to 

 this time, the progress of such republics as have 

 been established in the world has not been such, 

 as to lead to any confident expectation that their 

 foundation is laid on a sufficiently secure subsoil 

 of public spirit, morality, and intelligence. On 

 the contrary, they exhibit examples of personal 

 corruption and of political profligacy as fine as any 

 hotbed of despotism has ever produced ; while 

 they fail in the primary duty of the administra- 

 tion of justice, as none but an effete despotism 

 has ever failed. 



