For that reason, before we take from our establishment the
natural, human means of estimation and give it up to contempt, as
you have done, and in doing it have incurred the penalties you well
deserve to suffer, we desire that some other may be presented to us in
the place of it. We shall then form our judgment.
On these ideas, instead of quarrelling with establishments, as
some do who have made a philosophy and a religion of their hostility
to such institutions, we cleave closely to them. We are resolved to
keep an established church, an established monarchy, an established
aristocracy, and an established democracy, each in the degree it
exists, and in no greater. I shall show you presently how much of each
of these we possess.
It has been the misfortune (not, as these gentlemen think it,
the glory) of this age that everything is to be discussed as if the
constitution of our country were to be always a subject rather of
altercation than enjoyment. For this reason, as well as for the
satisfaction of those among you (if any such you have among you) who
may wish to profit of examples, I venture to trouble you with a few
thoughts upon each of these establishments. I do not think they were
unwise in ancient Rome who, when they wished to new-model their
laws, set commissioners to examine the best constituted republics
within their reach.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148