148 EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BELOW. 



thus fpared us the pains of relating to him the matter 

 of our debate. We were thinking, faid I, that no one 

 is better qualified for bringing us to an agreement than 

 the author of Hiero and the Cyropaedia. 



Xenophon. I think there can be no great difficulty 

 in that, or I mult not properly have underftood your 

 fentiments. 



Menippus. I thought that my opinion was as far 

 from his, ( nodding towards me J as right from arbitrary 

 power, that is, about as far as heaven is from earth, as 

 they fay in the world above. 



Xenoph. to Menipp. Thou maintained, that the right 

 of kings, or of potentates in general, is founded on a 

 compact between the obeying and the commanding 

 parts of the commonwealth ? 



Menipp. That is what 1 maintain. The compact 

 may be either expreffly drawn up and formally execu- 

 ted with all the ceremonies and folemnities obferved in 

 public tranfactions, or tacitly entered into, A com- 

 pact, however, muft always be prefuppofed, as the 

 only condition poffible under which rational and free- 

 born beings, as men are, can be fubjected with juftice 

 to one of their equals. 



Xenoph. to me. And thou maintainelt a natural right 

 of the frronger to govern the weaker, and founder! there- 

 on the right of fovereignty ? 



i". I maintain neceffity to be the fource of natural 

 law, and natural law the fource of right. Mankind 

 cannot fubfifi without government. Nature, therefore, 

 does not leave it to depend on their own option, or on 

 a compact which is only fo long in force as they chufe 

 to allow it, or oil accident, or on the froward humour 



of 



