EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BFLOW. x6% 



xinnatural form of government at its firffc beginning,, 

 For it fprang up, almort as imperceptibly as a plant 

 grows out of its feed, from the primitive patriarchal 

 ltate of man. The father of a family became at length 

 the head of a tribe, of feveral tribes the mightieft over- 

 threw the weaker by degrees, and the head of it was 

 king. During the Courfe of time that was requifite to 

 this progrellion, there unobfervedly arofe among thefe 

 men a fort of civil government upon the model of the 

 natural family-monarchy, from whence they had de- 

 parted : the king was regarded as the father of the 

 people whom he governed, arid thefe as his children. 

 The former governed as tinlifhitedly, as a father in the 

 ftate of natural fociety over his family f it was is far 

 from entering the minds of thefe to make i compact 

 with their pfincesy as children would think of making 

 a compact with their parents, and of prefcribing them! 

 the terms whereon they would obey. This forni of 

 government, fo long as it kept near its origin, and un- 

 der all kinds of favourable circumliances, was for a 

 length of time able to render the nation happy; and we 

 find, even in later times, almoft throughout all the eafr^ 

 though groaning under the prerTure of an iron def- 

 potif'm, UMI here and there fame traces and remains of 

 the original humanity of this paternal government,: ' 

 But unhappily they are wanting in an impelling fpfing^ 

 which is natural, perfonal, and fo indifpeniible, that 

 the want of it turns even a bodily father into a tyfantcf 

 The natural family ceconomy is indeed, as well as its 

 civil imitation, founded on the children's feat* of the* 

 paternal authority : but nature has provided that this 5 

 fear mould be mitigated by the love which fhe has 



m 2 planted 



