were to be wifh'd, that the most August Affembly of the Commons would please to form a Pandect of their own Power and Privileges, to be confirmed by the entire Legislative Authority, and that in as folemn a manner (if they pleafe) as the Magna Charta. But to fix one Foot of their Compafs where-ever they think fit, and extend the other to fuch terrible Lengths, without difcribing any Circumference at all, is to leave us and themfelves in a very uncertain State, and in a sort of Rotation, that the Author of the Oceana never dreamt on. I believe the most hardy Tribune will not venture to affirm at prefent, that any juft Fears of Encroachment are given us from the Regal Power or the Few: And, is it then impoffible to err on the other fide? How far muft we proceed, or where fhall we ftop? The Raging of the Sea, and the Madness of the People are put together in Holy Writ; and 'tis God alone who can fay to either, Hitherto balt thou pass, and no further.

THE Ballance of Power in a limited State is of fuch abfolute Neceffity, that Cromwell himfelf, before he had perfectly confirmed his Tyranny, having fome Occafions for the Appearance of a Parliament, was forced to create and erect an entire new Houfe of Lords (fuch as it was) for a Counterpoife to the Commons. And indeed, confidering the vileness of the Clay, I have fometimes wonder'd, that nơ Tribune of that Age durft ever venture to afk the Potter, What doft thou make? But it was then about the laft Act of a Popular Ufurpation, and Fate or Cromwell had already prepared them for that of a fingle Perfon.

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I have been often amazed at the rude, paffionate and mistaken Results which have at certain Times fallen from great Affemblies both Antient and Modern, and of other Countries as well as our own. This gave me the Opinion I mentioned a while ago, That publick Conventions are liable to all the Infirmities, Follies and Vices of private Men. To which, if there be any Exception, it must be of fuch Affemblies who act by univerfal Concert, upon Publick Principles, and for Publick Ends; fuch as proceed upon Debates without unbecoming Warmths, or Influ ence from particular Leaders and Inflamers, fuch whofe Members inftead of canvaffing to procure Majorities for their private Opinions, are ready to comply with general fober Results, tho' contrary to their own Sentiments. Whatever Affemblies act by thefe and other Methods of the like Nature, must be allowed to be exempt from feveral Imperfections to which particular Men are fubjected. But I think the Source of moft Miftakes and Mifcarriages, in Matters debated by Publick Affemblies, arifes from the Influence of private Perfons upon great Numbers; ftiled in common Phrafe Leading Men and Parties. And therefore when we fometimes meet a few Words put together, which is called the Vote or Refolution of an Affembly, and which we cannot poffibly reconcile to Prudence or Publick Good, it is moft charitable to conjecture, that fuch a Vote has been conceived, and born and bred in a private Brain, afterwards raifed and fupported by an obfequious Party, and then with ufual Methods confirmed by an artificial Majority. For, let us fuppofe five hundred Men, mixt in point of Senfe and Honefty, as ufually Affemblies are:

And

And let us fuppofe thefe Men, propofing, debating, refolving, voting, according to the meer natural Motions of their own little or much Reafon and Understanding; I do allow, that abundance of indigested and abortive, many pernicious and foolish Overtures would arife and float a few Minutes; but then they would die and difappear. Becaufe, this must be faid in behalf of Human-kind, that common Senfe and plain Reafon, while Men are difengaged from acquired Opinions, will ever have fome general Influence upon their Minds; whereas the Species of Folly and Vice are infinite, and fo different in every Individual, that they could never procure a Majority, if other Corruptions did not enter to pervert Mens Understandings, and mifguide their Wills.

To defcribe how Parties are bread in an Af fembly, would be a Work too difficult at prefent, and perhaps not altogether fafe. Periculofe plenum opus alea. Whether thefe who are Leaders, ufually arrive at that Station more by a fort of Instinct, or fecret Compofition of their Nature, or Influence of the Stars, than by the Poffeffion of any great Abilities, may be a point of much Difpute. But when the Leader is once fixed, there will never fail to be Followers. And Man is fo apt to imitate; fo much of the nature of Sheep (Imitatores, fervum Pecus) that whoever is fo bold to give the first great Leap over the Heads of thofe about him, (tho' he be the worst of the Flock) fhall be quickly fol lowed by the reft. Befides, when Parties are once formed, the Stragglers look fo ridiculous, and become fo infignificant, that they have no other way, but to run into the Herd, which E 2

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at leaft will hide and protect them; and where to be much confidered, requires only to be very violent.

Bur there is one Circumftance with relation to Parties, which I take to be of all others moft pernicious in a State; and I would be glad any Partizan would help me to a tolerable Reafon, that because Clodius and Curio happen to agree with me in a few fingular Notions, I must therefore blindly follow them in all: Or, to ftate it at beft, that becaufe Eibulus the Party Man is perfwaded that Clodius and Curio do really propofe the Good of their Country as their Chief End; therefore Bibulus fhall be wholly guided and governed by them, in the Means and Meafures towards it. Is it enough for Bibulus and the rest of the Herd to fay without further examining, I am of the fide with Clodius, or I vote with Curio? Are thefe proper Methods to form and make up what they think fit to call the United Wisdom of the Nation? Is it not poffible, that upon fome Occafions Clodius may be bold and infolent, born a way by his Paffion, malicious and revengeful; that Curio may be corrupt, and expofe to Sale his Tongue or his Pen. I conceive it far below the Dignity both of Human Nature, and Human Reafon, to be engaged in any Party, the most plaufible foever, upon fuch fervile Conditions.

THIS Influence of One upon Many, which feems to be as great in a People Reprefented, as it was of old in the Commons Collective, together with the Confequences it has had upon the Legiflature; has given me frequent occafion to reflect upon what Diodorus tells us of one Charondas, a Law-giver to the Sybarites, an Antient People of Italy; who was fo averfe to all Innovation, efpe

tially when it was to proceed from particular Perfons: And I fuppofe that he might put it out of the Power of Men fond of their own Noti ons, to difturb the Conftitution at their Pleafures, by advancing private Schemes; that he provided a Statute, that whoever propofed any Alteration to be made, would ftep out and do it with a Rope about his Neck: if the Matter propofed, were generally approved, then it fhould pafs into a Law; if it went in the Negative, the Propofer to be immediately hang'd. Great Minifters may talk of what Projects they please but I am deceived, if a more effectual one could ever be found for taking off (as the prefent Phrafe is) thofe hot unquiet Spirits, who difturb Affemblies, and obftruct Publick Affairs, by gratifying their Pride, their Malice, their Ambition, or their Avarice.

THOSE Who in a late Reign began the Diftinction between the Perfonal and Politick Capacity, feem to have had Reafon, if they judged of Princes by themselves; for, I think, there is hardly to be found through all Nature, 2 greater difference between two Things, than there is between a Representing Commoner in the Function of his Publick Calling, and the fame Perfon, when he acts in the common Offices of Life. Here he allows himself to be upon a Level with the reft of Mortals: Here he follows his own Reason, and his own Way; and rather affects a Singularity in his Actions and Thoughts, than fervilely to copy either from the wifest of his Neighbours. In fhort, here his Folly, and his Wifdom, his Reafon and his Paffions, are all of his own Growth, not the Eccho or Infufion of ether Men. But when he is got near the Walls of

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