l6o EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BELOW. 



bellow a right to govern contrary to the natural law o f 

 man> and the fundamental laws of all human fociety 

 founded thereon ; that is, to domineer arbitrarily and 

 tyrannically. 



Menipp. Then I perceive we only differ in the man- 

 ner of expreillng ourfelves. The plenipotentiary, as 

 thou thyfelf maintained, is bound to govern according 

 to law, and the fubjects are jufrified in making off the 

 yoke, when they find it infupportable. The relation 

 then between the governor and the governed refts on 

 reciprocal rights and duties, the obfervance whereof on 

 both fides are the conditions of it. — Whether we call 

 it compact or not, the name does not at all affect the 

 matter : but the matter is exactly as if the compact 

 were at the bottom of it: " We will obey thee, if 

 * c thou govern us well ; but, when thou wilt not dif- 

 " charge thy duty towards us, we are not bounpL to ful- 

 <c fill ours towards thee." 



Xenoph. Said I not, that in the long run we mould 

 all three be of the fame opinion, if we could only bring 

 ourfelves to underftand each other properly ? — But it 

 feems to me, friend Menippus, as if thy focial com- 

 pact was ever and anon riling up between us, and that, 

 notwithstanding all I have been faying, I am ffill unin- 

 telligible to thee. To found the civil inftitution among 

 mankind on the notion of compact is materially im- 

 proper ; becaufe a compact implies, that it depends on 

 the choice of the parties, whether and how they will 

 agree on its conditions. But this, according to my 

 idea, is by no means the cafe in the civil inffitution. 

 This I confide j as a law of nature, as a necefTary con- 

 dition of his moll poffible developement and formation, 

 i grounded 



