Revival of Literatures 
bferves), towards impartiality, is that 
Faculty of ‘the imagination, by which a 
fan places himfelf in any rank of life, 
im the midft of any nation, any circum- 
ftances, or any age; and fairly and equi- 
tably appreciates the miferies that each 
may be fuppofed to feel, and the advan- 
tages that each may enjoy. | 
_ “ Such a man always eftimates, as 
Much as poflible, (cateris paribus ) acctord- 
ing to the intrinfc nature of the thing, 
Not according to the party, the rank, the 
ation, or the age it is corineéted with. 
He thinks that the welfare and happinefs 
of the majority (without refpet to rank 
or title). is to be the ultimate aim of all 
éur actions: that as the welfare of the 
prince and the peafant are of equal im- 
portance in the eyes ot the Creator of 
both, they ought to be equally fo in the 
€yes of men.---Hence, he eftimates all 
actions by an arithmetical calculation of 
the quantity of happinefs cr milery 
Which they produce; and he confider 
that law, or that conftitution, as indeferi- 
fible which, without any advantage to 
the community, facrifices the welfare 
and happinefs of two peafants to the un- 
reafonable gratification of any one man, 
however high his rank may be.”---Is 
this to entorce the pernicious maxim of 
« doing evil that good may come?’ ---Buty 
what is ftill more extraordinary, ‘they 
cannot eafily difcern the connection of 
thefe affertions, tnlefs they refer them 
to the French Revolution, wheréas, the 
autlior’s meaning is fully explained in a 
note at the end of the chapter, which is 
Gefionedty paffed over, without notice ; 
befides, had the author’s preface been at- 
tended to (but the preface is, perhaps, 
féldom noticed by Reviewers) they would 
there have been informed, that ‘* his 
obfervations have no view to the fitua- 
tion of public affairs, more immedi- 
ately prefent.” “It is evident, (con- 
tmues he,) that his arguments do not at 
all apply to the. prefent, circumfances; 
but to fituations in which Wwe have been, 
and in which foine of us may live to be 
Cot) the ia a 
“In the next remark, the author is 
charged with ¢ountenancing ‘ low-born 
démagogues; when they quarrel among 
themlelves and confifcate property ;”” but 
this furely is a profs and wilful mifre- 
fefentation,---Lhe author, argving 
opel againit prejudice; fays,; that the 
man whole mind ts under its tifluense 
t¢. believes that Miirder is no murder, 
becaufe it is commanded by a petion 
bearing the tide of 2 prices oy an cm: 
99 
peror; and that crimes. are. no, crimes, 
provided they are committed under the 
aufpices of government: but, if a fet of 
low-bern demagogues quarrel amon 
themfelves, and butcher fome thoufands, 
and confifcate property, according . as 
one faction or the ether happens to pre- 
Vail, an outcry is immediately raifed.”” 
A very flight perufal of the above fen. 
tence muft convince an unprejudiced rea- 
der, that this is not the doétrine incul- 
cated by the author, but condemned by | 
him, as natural to the mind of. thofe 
who are under the influence of prejudice. 
R.M.C.’s obfervation on the injufs 
tice of charging the defeéts of govern 
ment upon the individual who happens 
to be born to the adminiftration of it is 
certainly juft; for, as he fays, “* if the 
government were not an arbitrary one, 
the perfon who adminifters it would not 
have the temptation, nor the power, t@ 
commit fo many crimes.’’---He brings, 
incontrevertible arguments to prove, that 
a king muft almoft inevitably be cor- 
rupted by the very nature of his fitua- 
tion: and, although he is chatged with 
profound filence, on the_ tranfcendant 
praife of thofe who have refifted that cor- 
ruption; it is certainly unjuft to attribute 
that filence to any infidiotis defigns a- 
gainft regal government. It is no more 
than a juft tribute to the memory of the 
author, to inform the public, that if 
zeal for peace, order, and obedience to 
the laws of his country, few (if any) 
could furpafs him.. Hae 
Carlifle,, Feb: 59 479%- CANDIDUS. 
a 
{o the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
: SIR, , m 3 A 5, 
Pee ¥f hiftory has been cultivated 
I. ‘with coanfiderable fuccefss fince the 
middle of the prefent century, partica- 
larly ip this country; and though many 
obicure periods have been ilfuiirated_ by 
the labours of a ROBERTSON, a Gin« 
BON, and Oiners, there is one fubject yet. 
untouched, or at leaft touched very im 
perigctly, which might afcrd a fine field | 
to genius and induftry., I here allude to. 
Ue Lif ory of the Kewival of Literature,’* 
from, its firfi dawh in Italy, im the tine. 
of Peirarch, tili its complete triumph 
over igmorance and fuperftition.  Phié.. 
would comprehend a period’or no breat 
length ; bet the execution of fuck a work, 
would be attended with difficulties that. 
tould be farmountedionly by great talents 
and perfeyerence.. Some. ot ihe works 
whith cobteih maigtials for it arée.exceed- 
ingly 
U2 
= 
” 
a 
