Lys. — This I take to be a grand fundamental prejudice, as I doubt not, if I had time I could make appear. But S6 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. I.]
it is now late, and we will, if you think fit, defer this fubje£t till to-morrow. Upon which motion of Lyficlesy we put an end to our converfation for that evening.
THE SECOND DIALOGUE.
I. Vulgar Error, That Vice is hurtful. II. The Benefit of DrunkennefS) Gaming, and Whoring. III. Prejudice againjl Vice wearing off. IV. Its Uftfulnefs illujlrated in the Infiances o/" Callicles and Telefiila. V. The Re afoning c/*Lyficles in behalf of Vice examined. VI. Wrong to punijh Aclions ivhen the DoBrines, whence they flow, are tolerated. VII. Hazardous Experiment of the Minute Philofophers. VIII. Their Doclrine of Circulation and Revolution. IX. Their Senfe of a Reformation. X. Riches alone not the Public Weal. XI. Authority of Minute Philofophers: their Prejudice againjl Religion. XII. Effecls of Luxury: Virtue, whether notional P XIII. Pleafure of Senfe. XIV. What fort of Pleafure mofl natural to Man. XV. Dignity of Human Nature. XVI. Pleafure miflaken. XVII. Amufements, Mifery, and Cowardife of Minute Philofophers. XVIII. Rakes cannot reckon. XIX. Abilities and Succefs of Minute Philofophers. XX. Happy Effecls of the Minute Philofophy in particular Infiances. XX L Their free Notions about Government.
XXII. England the proper Soil for Minute Philofophy.
XXIII. The Policy and Addrefs of its Proffors. XXIV. Merit of Minute Philcjlphers towards the Public. XXV. Their Notions and Character. XXVI. Their Tendency towards Popery and Slavery.
L NT JL ^| EXT morning Alciphron and Lyfcles faid, the weather was fo fine, they had a mind to fpend the day abroad, and take a cold dinner under a fhade, in fome pleafant part of the country. Whereupon, after breakfad, we went down to a beach, about half a mile off; where we walked on the fmooth fand, with the ocean on H 58 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. II] one hand, and on the other wild broken rocks, intermixed with fhady trees and fprings of water, till the fun began to be uneafy. We then withdrew into a hollow glade, between two rocks, where we had no fooner feated ourfclves, but Lyficles, addreffing himfelf to Euphranor, faid, I am now ready to perform what I undertook laffc evening, which was to fhew, there is nothing in that necefiary connexion, which fome men imagine, between.thofe principles, you contend for, and the public good. I freely own, that if this queftion was to be decided by the authority of legiflators, or philofophers, it muft go againfc us. For thofe men generally take it for granted, that vice is pernicious to the public; and that men cannot be kept from vice, but by the fear of God, and the fenfe of a future ftate; whence they are induced to think, the belief of fuch things necefiary to the wellbeing of human kind. This falfe notion hath prevailed for many ages in the world, and done an infinite deal of mifchief, being, in truth, the caufe of religious eftablifhments, and gaining the protection and encourageme-nt of laws and magiftrates to the clergy and their fuperflitions.
Even fome of the wifeft among -the ancients, who agreed with our feci: in denying a Providence, and the immortality of the foul, had neverthelefs the weaknefs to lie under the common prejudice, that vice was hurtful to foeieties of men. But England hath, of late, produced great philofophers, who have undeceived the world, and proved to a demonftration, that private vices are public benefits. This difcovery was refenfed to our times, and our feci: hath the glory of it.
Cri. — It is poffible fome men, of fine underftandmg, might, in former ages, have had a glimpfe of this important truth: But, it may be prefumed, they lived in ignorant times, and bigoted countries, which were not ripe for fuch a difcovery.
Lys. — Men of narrow capacities and fhort fight, being able to fee no further than one link in a chain of confequences, are {hocked at fmall evils, which attend upon vice. But thofe, who can enlarge their view, and look through a long feries of events, may behold happineis refalting from vice, and good fpringing out of evil, in a thoufand inftances. To prove my point, I fhall not trouble you with authorities, or far-fetched arguments, but bring you to plain matter of fact. Do but take a view of each particular vice, and trace it through its effe&s and confequences, and then you will clearly perceive the advantage it brings to the public.
II. Drunkennefs, for inftance, is by your fober moralifts thought a pernicious vice; but it is for want of confidering the good effects that flow from it. Tor, ia the flrlt place, it increafes the malt tax, a principal branch of his majeily's revenue, and thereby promotes the fafety, ftrength, and glory of the nation. Secondly, it employs a great numberof hands, the brewer, the maltfter, the ploughman, the dealer in hops, the fmith, the carpenter, the bralier, the joiner, with all other artificers, hecefTary to fupply thofe enumerated, with their refpecfive inftruments and utenfils. All which advantages are procured from drunkennefs, in the vulgar way, by ftrong beer. — This point is fo clear, it will admit of no difpute. But while you are forced to allow thus much, I forefee you are ready to object againft drunkennefs, occafioned by wine and fpir,its, as exporting wealth into foreign countries. But do you not reflect on the number of hands, which even this fets on work at home: The diftillers, the vintners, the merchants, the failors, the fhipwrights, with all thofe who are employed towards victualing and fitting out fhips, which, upon a nice computation, will be found to include an incredible variety of trades and callings. Then for freighting our fhips, to anfwer thefe foreign importations, all our manufactures throughout the kingdom are employed, the fpinners, the weavers, <5o MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. II.]
the dyers, the wool-combers, the carriers, the packers: And the fame may be faid of many other manufactures, as well as the woollen. And if it be further confidered, how many men are enriched by all the forementioned ways of trade and bufinefs, and the expenfes of thefe men, and their families, in all the feveral articles of convenient and fafhionable living, whereby all forts of trades and callings, not only at home, but throughout all parts, wherever our commerce reaches, are kept in employment; you will be amazed at the wonderfully extended fcene of benefits which arife from the fmgle vice of drunkennefs, fo much run down and declaimed againft by all grave reformers. With as much judgment, your half-wiued folk are accuftomed to cenfure gaming. And indeed (fuch is the ignorance and folly of mankind) a gamefter and a drunkard are thought no better than public nuifances, when, in truth, they do, each in their way, greatly conduce to the public benefit. If you look only on the furface and firft appearance of things, you will no doubt think playing at cards a very idle and fruitlefs occupation. But dive deeper, and you mail perceive this idle amufement employs the card-maker, and he fets the paper-mills at work, by which the poor rag-man is fupported; not to mention the builders, and workers in wood and iron, that are employed in erecting and furnifhing thofe mills.
Look ftill deeper, and you fhall find that candles and chairhire, employ the induftrious and the poor, who, by thefe means, come to be relieved by (harpers and gentlemen, who would not give one penny in charity. But you will fay, that many gentlemen and ladies are ruined by play, without confidering, that what one man lofes, another gets, and that confequently as many are made as ruined: Mcney changeth hands, and in this circulation, the life of bufinefs and commerce confifts. When money is fpent, it is all one to the public who fpends it. Suppofe a fool of quality becomes the dupe of a man of mean birth and [Dial. II] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 61 circumftance, who has more wit. In this cafe, what harm doth the public fuftain? Poverty is relieved, ingenuity is rewarded, the money flays at home, and has a lively circulation, the ingenious (harper being enabled to fet up an equipage, and fpend handfomely, which cannot be done without employing a world of people. But you will perhaps object, that a man reduced by play may be put upon defperate courfes, hurtful to the public.
Suppofe the word, and that he turns highwayman, fuch a man hath a ihort life, and a merry. While he lives, he fpends, and, for one that he robs, makes twenty the better for his expenfe. And when his time is come, a poor family may be relieved by fifty or a hundred pounds fet upon his head. A vulgar eye looks on many a man as an idle or mifchievous fellow, whom a true philofopher, viewing in another light, confiders as a man of pleafant occupation, who diverts himfelf, and benefits the public: And that with fo much eafe, that he employs a multitude of men, and fets an infinite maehine in motion, without knowing the good he does, or even intending to do any; which is peculiar to that gentleman-like way of doing good by vice. I was confidering play, and that infenfibly led me to the advantages, which attend robbing on the highway. Oh the beautiful and never enough admired connexion of vices! It would take too much time to fliew how they all hang together, and what an infinite deal of good takes its rife from every one of them. One word for a favorite vice, and I fliall leave you to make out the reil yourfelf, by applying the fame way of reafoning to all other vices. A poor girl, who might not have the fpending of half a crown a week, in what you call an honed way, no fooner halt the good fortune to be a kept miftrefs, but (he employs milliners, laundreffes, tirewomen, mercers, and a number of other trades, to the benefit of her country. It would be endlefs to trace and purfue every particular vice through its confequences and 6z MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. II j effects, and fhew the vaft advantage they all are of to the public. The true fprings that actuate the great machine of commerce, and make a flourifhing ftate, have been hitherto little underftood. Your moralifts and divines have, for fo many ages, been corrupting the genuine fenfe of mankind, and filling their heads with fuch abfurd principles, that it is in the power of few men to contemplate real life with an unprejudiced eye. And fewer ftill have fufficient parts and fagacity to purfue a long train of confequences, relations and dependences; which mud be done, in order to form a juft and intire notion of the public weal. But, as I faid before, our fe£t hath produced men capable of thefe difcoveries, who have difplayed them in a full light, and made them public for the benefit of their country.
III., Oh! Said Euphranor, who heard this difcourfe with great attention, you Ly fides are the very man I wanted, eloquent and ingenious, knowing in the principles of your feci:, and willing to impart them. Pray tell me, do thefe principles find an eafy admiflion in the world?
Lys. — They do among ingenious men, and people of faihion, though you will fometimes meet with ftrong prejudices againft them in the middle fort, an effecT; of ordinary talents and mean breeding.
Euph. — I mould wonder if men were not fhocked at notions of fuch a furprifing nature, fo contrary to all laws, education and religion.
Lys. — They would be fhocked much more, if it had not been for the fkilful addrefs of our Philofophers; who, confidering that moft men are influenced by names, rather than things, have introduced a certain polite way of fpeaking, which leffens much of the abhorrence and prejudice againft vice.
Euph. — Explain me this.
Lys.— Thus, in our dialect, a vicious man, is a man of pleafure: A fharper is one that plays the whole game: A lady is faid to have an affair: A gentleman to be gallant: A rogue in bufinefs, to be one that knows the world. By this means, we have no fuch things as fots, debauchees, whores or rogues, in the beau monde, who may enjoy their vices without incurring difagreeable appellations.
Euph. — Vice then is, it feems, a fine thing with an ugly name.
Lys. — Be afiured it is.
Euph. — It fhould feem then, that Plato's fearing left youth might be corrupted, by thofe fables which represented the gods vicious, was an effecT: of his weakness and ignorance.
Lys. — It was, take my word for it.
Euph. — And yet Plato had kept good company, and lived in a court. And Cicero, who knew the world well, had a profound efteem for him.
Cri. — I tell you, Euphranor, that Plato and Tully might, perhaps, make a figure in Athens, or Rome: But were they to revive here in our days, they would pafs but for underbred pedants, there being at moft coffee-houfes in London f feveral able men, who could convince them they knew nothing in, what they are valued fo much for, morals and politics.
Lys. — How many long-headed men do I know, both in the court-end and the city, with five times Plato's fenfe, who care not one ftraw what notion their fohs have of God or virtue!
IV. Cri. — I can illuftrate this do&rine of Lyficles, by examples, that will make you perceive its force. Cleophon, a Minute Philofopher, took ftri<St care of his fon's education, and entered him betimes in the principles of his feci". Callicles (that was his fon's name) being a youth of parts, made a notable progrefs; infomuch that, before he became 64 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. II] of age, he killed his old covetous father with vexation, and foon after ruined the eftate he left behind him; or, in other words, made a prefent of it to the public, fpreading the dunghill, collected by his anceftors, over the face of the nation, and making cut of one overgrown eftate, feveral pretty fortunes for ingenious men, who live by the vices of die great. Tele/i/Ia, though a woman of quality and fpirit, made no figure in the world, till fhe was inftru£ted by her hufband in the tenets of the Minute Philofophy, which he wifely thought would prevent her giving any thing in charity. From that time fhe took a turn towards expenfive diverfions, particularly deep play: by which means fhe foon transferred a confiderable fhare of his fortune, to feveral acute men, fkilled in that myftery, who wanted it more, and circulate it quicker than her hufband would have done, who, in return, hath got an heir to his eftate, having never had a child before. That fame Tekfilla, who was good for nothing fo long as fhe believed her catechifm, now fhines in all public places, is a lady of gallantry and fafhion, and has by her extravagant parade in lace, and fine clothes, raifed a fpirit of expenfe in other ladies, very much to the public benefit, though it muft be owned, to the mortification of many frugal hufbands.
While Crito related thefe facls with a grave face, I could not forbear fmiling; which Lyficles obferving, fuperficial minds, faid he, may perhaps find fomething to ridicule in thefe accounts: But all, who are mafters of a juft way of thinking, muft needs fee, that thofe maxims, the benefit whereof is univerfal, and the damage only particular to private perfons or families, ought to be encouraged in a wife commonwealth. For my part, faid Euph-anor^ I profefs myfelf to be rather dazzled and confounded, than convinced by your reafoning, which, as you obferved yourfelf, taking in the connexion of many diftant points, requires great extent of thought to comprehend it. I muft therefore intreat you to bear with my defects, fufFer me to take [Dial. II.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 6$ to pieces what is too big to be received at once: And where I cannot keep pace with you, permit me to follow you, ftep by ftep, as fa ft as I can.
Lys. — There is reafon in what you fay. Every one cannot fuddenly take a long concatenation of argument.
V. Euph. — Your feveral arguments feem to center in this, that vice circulates money, and promotes induftry, which caufeth a people to flouriftu Is it not fo?
Lys. — It is.
Euph.— *And the reafon that vice produceth this effect, is, becaufe it caufeth an extravagant confumption, which is the moll beneficial to the manufacturers, their encouragement confifting in a quick demand and high price.
Lys.— True.
Euph.— Hence you think, a drunkard moil beneficial to the brewer and the vintner, as caufing a quick confumption of liquor, inafmuch as he drinks more than other men.
Lys. — Without doubt.
Euph. — Say, Lyficks> who drinks mod, a fick man or a healthy?
Lys.— A healthy?
Euph. — And which is healthieft, a fober man or a drunkard?
Lys. — A fober man.
Euph. — A fober man therefore, in health, may drink more than a drunkard when he is fick.
Lys. — He may.
Euph. — What think you, will a man confume more meat and drink in a long life or a fhort one?
Lys. — In a long.
Euph. — A fober healthy man, therefore, in a long life, may circulate more money, by eating and drinking, than a glutton or drunkard, in a fhort one.
Lys. — What then?
Euph. — Why then, it mould feem, that he may be I more beneficial to the public, even in this way of eating and drinking.
Lys.- — I fhall never own that temperance is the way to promote drinking.
Euph. — But you will own that ficknefs leflens, and death puts an end to all drinking. The fame argument will hold, for aught I can fee, with refpect to all other vices that impair men's health, and fhorten their lives. And, if we admit this, it will not be fo clear a point, that vice hath merit towards the public.
Lys. — But admitting that fome artificers, or traders, might be as well encouraged by the fober men as the vicious; what (hall we fay of thofe, who fubfift altogether by vice and vanity?
Euph.— If fuch there are, may they not be otherwife employed without lofs to the public? Tell me, LyJicleS) is there any thing in the nature of vice, as fuch, that renders it a public bleffing, or is it only the confumption it occafions?
Lys. — I have already (hewn how it benefits the nation, by the confumption of its manufactures.
Euph. — And you have granted, that a long and healthy life confumes more than a fhort and fickly one; and you will not deny, that many confume more than one. Upon the whole then, compute and fay, which is moft likely to promote the induftry of his countrymen, a virtuous married man, with a healthy numerous offspring, and who feeds and clothes the orphans in his neighborhood, or a fafhionable rake about town. I would fain know, whether money fpent innocently, doth not circulate as well as that fpent upon vice. And if fo, whether, by your own rule, it doth not benefit the public as much?
Lys. — What I have proved, I proved plainly, and there is no need of more words about it.
Euph. — You feem to me, to have proved nothing, unlefs you can make it out, that it is impoffible to fpend a fortune innocently. I fhould think the public weal of a nation confifts in the number and good condition of its inhabitants: Have you any thing to object to this?
Lys. — I think not.
Euph. — To this end which would moft conduce, the employing men in open air, and manly exercife, or in fedentary bufinefs within doors?
Lys.-— The former, I fuppofe.
Euph. — Should it not feem therefore, that building, gardening, and agriculture, would employ men more ufefully to the public, than if tailors, barbers, perfumers, diftillers, and fuch arts were multiplied.
Lys. — All this I grant; but it makes againft you. For what moves men to build and plant but vanity, and what is vanity but vice?
Euph. — But if a man mould do thofe things for his convenience or pleafure, and in proportion to his fortune, without a foolifh oflentation or overrating them beyond their due value, they would not then be the effect of vice; and how do you know but this may be the cafe?
Cri.— One thing I know, that the readieft way to quicken that fort of induftry, and employ carpenters, mafons, fmiths, and all fuch trades, would be to put in practice the happy hint of a celebrated Minute Philofopher; who, by profound thinking, has difcovered, that burning the city of London would be no fuch bad action, as filly prejudiced people might poflibly imagine; inafmuch as it would produce a quick circulation of property, transferring it from the rich to the poor, and employing a great number of artificers of all kinds. This, at leaft, cannot be denied, that it hath opened a new way of thinking to our incendiaries, of which the public hath of late begun to reap the benefit.
Euph. — I cannot fufficiently admire this ingenious thought.
6S MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. II.]
VI. But methinks it would be dangerous to make fuch notions public.
Cri. — Dangerous! to whom?
Euph. — In the firft place, to the publifher.
Cri. — That is a miftake; for fuch notions have been publiflied and met with due applaufe, in this moft wife and happy age of free- thinking, free-fpeaking, free-writing, and free-acting.
Euph. — How! may a man then publifh and practife fuch things with impunity?
Cri. — To fpeak the truth, I am rot fo clear as to the practical part. An unlucky accident now and then befals an ingenious man. The Minute Philofopher, Magirus, being defirous to benefit the public, by circulating an eftate poffefTed by a near relation, who had not the heart to fpend it, foon convinced himfelf, upon thefe principles, that it would be a very worthy action to difpatch out of the way fuch a ufelefs fellow, to whom he was next heir. But for this laudable attempt, Ke had the misfortune to be hanged by an under-bred judge and jury. Could any thing be more unjuft?
Euph. — Why unjuft?
Euph. — Why unjuft?
Cri. — Is it not unjuft to punifh actions, when the principles, from which they directly follow, are tolerated and applauded by the public? can any thing be more inconfiftent, than to condemn in practice, what is approved in fpeculation? truth is one and the fame j it being impoffible a thing fhould be practically wrong, and fpeculatively right. Thus much is certain, Magirus was perfect mafter of all this theory, and argued moft acutely about it with a friend of mine, a little before he did the fact, for* which he died.
Lys. — The beft on't is, the world every day grows wifer; though it muft be owned, the writers of our feet have not yet fhaken off all refpect for human laws, whatever they may do as to divine. It feems they venture no further, than to recommend an inward principle of vice, operating under an outward reftraint of human laws.
[Dial. II] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 6> Cri. — That writer, who confiders man only as an inftrument of paflion, who abfolves him from all ties of conscience and religion, and leaves him no law to refpe& or to fear, but the law of the land, is to be fure a public benefit. You miflake, Euphranor, if you think the Minute Philofophers idle theorilts: They are men of practical views.
Euph. — As much as I love liberty, I mould be afraid to live among fuch people: it would be, as Seneca fomewhere exprefleth it, in libertate bcllis ac tyrannis f&viore.
Lys. — What do you mean by quoting Plato and Seneca? Can you imagine a free-thinker is to be influenced by the authority of fuch old-fafhioned writers?
Euph. — You, Lyficles, and your friend, have quoted to me ingenious moderns, profound fine gentlemen, with new names of authors in the Minute Philofophy, to whofe merits I am a perfect ftranger. Suffer me, in my turn, to cite fuch authorities as I know, and have pafTed for many ages upon the world.
VII. But, authority apart, what do you fay to experience? My obfervation can reach as far as a private family: and fome wife men have thought, a family may be confidered as a fmall kingdom, or a kingdom as a great family. Do you admit this to be true?
Lys. — If I fay yes, you will make an inference; and if I fay no, you will demand a reafon. The bed way is, to fay nothing at all. There is, I fee, no end of anfwering.
Euph. — If you give up the point you undertook to prove, there is an end at once: But if you hope to convince me, you mull anfwer my qucftions, and allow me the liberty to argue and infer.
Lys. — Well, fuppofe I admit that a kingdom may be confidered as a great family.
Eufii.— I (hall alk you then, whether ever you knew private families thrive by thofe vices you think fo beneficial to the public?
Lys. — Suppofe I have not?
Euph. — Might not a man, therefore, by a parity of reafon, fufpe£t, their being of that benefit to the public?
Lys.—- Fear not, the next age will thrive and flourifh.
Euph. — Pray tell me, Lyjicks, Suppofe you faw a fruit of a new untried kind; would you recommend it to your own family to make a full meal of?
Lys. — I would not.
Euph. — Why then would you try, upon your own country, thefe maxims, which were never admitted in any other?
Lys. — The experiment mull begin fomewhere; and we are refolved our own country fhall have the honor and advantage of it# Euph. — O Lyficles! hath not Old England fubfifted for many ages without the help of your notions?
Lys. — -She has.
Euph. — And made fome figure?
Lys. — I grant it.
Euph. — Why then mould you make her run the rifk of a new experiment, when it is certain (he may do without it?
Lys. — But we would make her do better. We would produce a change in her, that never was feen in any nation.
Euph. — Salluft obferves, that a little before the downfall of the Roman greatnefs, avarice (the effecl: of luxury) had erafed the good old principles of probity and juftice, had produced a contempt for religion, and made every thing venal: while ambition bred diflimulation, and caufed men to unite in clubs and parties, not from honorable motives, but narrow and iriterefted views. The fame hiftorian obferves, of that ingenious free-thinker, Catiline^ that he made it his bufinefs to infinuate himfelf into the acquaintance of young men, whofe minds, unimproved [Dial. II.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 7r by years and experience, were more eafily feduced. I know not how it happens, but thefe paffages have occurred to my thoughts more than once during this converfation.
Lys. — Sallujl was a fententious pedant.
Euph. — But confult any hiftorian: look into any writer. See, for inftance, what Xenophon and Livy fay of Sparta and Romey and then tell me, if vice be not the likelieft way to ruin and enflave a people.
Lys. — When a point is clear by its own evidence, I never think it worth while to confult old authors about it.
Cri. — It requires much thought and delicate obfervation, to go to the bottom of things. But one who hath come at truth with difficulty, can impart it with eafe. I will therefore, Euphranor., explain to you in three words (what none of your old writers ever dreamed of) the true caufe of ruin to thofe ftates. You muil know, that vice and virtue, being oppofite and contradictory principles, both working at once in a Hate, will produce contrary effects, which interline difcord mull needs tend to the diffolution and ruin of the whole. But it is the de-Ggn of our Minute Philofophers, by making men wicked upon principle, a thing unknown to the ancients, fo to weaken and deftroy the force of virtue, that its effedh (hall not be felt in the public. In which cafe, vice being uncontrouled, without let or impediment of principle, pure and genuine, without allay of virtue, the nation muft doubtlefs be very flourifhing and triumphant.
Euph. — Truly, a noble fcheme!
Cri. — And in a fair way to take effect. For our young proficients in the Minute Philofophy, having, by a rare felicity of education, no tincture of bigotry or prejudice, do far outgo the old ftanders and profeffors of the feci;; who, though men of admirable parts; yet, having had the misfortune to be imbued in their childhood withfome religious notions, could never after get entirely rid of them; but dill retain fome (mail grains of confcience and fuperftition, which are a check upon the nobleft genius. In proof of this, I remember that the famous Minute Philofopher, old Demodicmy came one day from converfation upon bufinefs with Timander, a young gentleman of the fame fe£t, full of aftonifhment. I am furprifed, faid he, to fee fo young, and withal fo complete a villain, and, fuch was the force of prejudice, fpoke of Timandery with abhorrence, not confidering that he was only the more egregious and profound philofopher of the two.
VIII. Euph.— Though much may be hoped from the unprejudiced education of young gentlemen, yet, it feems, we are not to expecl: a fettled and entire happinefs, before vice reigns pure and unmixed: Till then, much is to be feared from the dangerous ftruggle between vice and virtue, which may perchance overturn and diflblve this government, as it hath done others.
Lys. — No matter for that, if a better comes in its place. We have cleared the land of all prejudices towards government or conftitution, and made them fly like other phantafms before the light of reafon and good fenfe. Men, who think deeply, cannot fee any reafon, why power ihould not change hands,^ as well as property: or, why the fafhion of a government fhould not be changed as eafily as that of a garment. The perpetual circulating and revolving of wealth and power, no matter through what or whofe hands, is that which keeps up life and fpirit in a Hate. Thofe who are even fiighrly read in our philofophy, know that, of all prejudices, the filliefl is an attachment to forms.
Cri. — To fay no more upon fo clear a point, the overturning a government may be juftified upon the fame principles as die burning a town, would produce parallel effe£ts, and equally contribute to the public good. In both cafes, the natural fprings of action are forcibly exerted j And in this general induftry, what one lofes another gets, a quick circulation of wealth and power making the fum total to flourifh.
Euph. — And do the Minute Philofophers publifti thefe things to the world?
Lys. — It mult be confefled, our writers proceed in politics with greater caution, than they think neceffary, with regard to religion.