82 EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BELOW. 



/. All men, and efpecially uncivilized men, who 

 every where, and in all times, compofe the greateft 

 number, will be led by cuftom. He that has fo often 

 been preffed by neceffity to be their leader, will be ta- 

 citly acknowledged as the chief on all occalions. How- 

 ever, as we do not difpute about words, call it election 

 if thou wilt ; what wilt thou gain by it ? 



Menipp. Very much. Men who fubjedt themfelves 

 to one, of their own equally free accord, can and will 

 do fo no otherwife than on account of their own bene- 

 fit, and therefore under certain conditions : both par- 

 ties, the new leader, or king (as we will now call him), 

 and his fubjecls, make themfelves bound alike to th^ 

 fulfilment of thefe conditions : and this is called -a 

 compact. The main concernment in the compact be- 

 tween the firft king and his fubjects was, that the latter 

 ftiould find themfelves better under the government of 

 his majefty, than without it. Which concernment 

 continues to be the ground of the compact with all 

 fucceeding kings and people. But now do men find 

 themfelves, as we have feen it to happen, in the fupe- 

 rior world, not well with their kings : the compact is 

 then at an end, and the contracting parties are free 

 whenever they pleafe. 



/. I have long feen thee coming to this point. But 

 I deny the whole of it, the major, the minor, and the 

 confequence. Mankind have never voluntarily, but 

 always from neceffity, put themfelves in fubjection 

 never to one of their equals, but always to one whom 

 nature had formed for fomething more than them ; 

 never by means of a previous compact, which here is 



not 



