his dog? Only the people have a lion, the king, who consents to act the
dog. How kind of him! But why are the people ignorant? because it is
good for them. Ignorance is the guardian of Virtue. Where there is no
perspective there is no ambition. The ignorant man is in useful
darkness, which, suppressing sight, suppresses covetousness: whence
innocence. He who reads, thinks; who thinks, reasons. But not to reason
is duty; and happiness as well. These truths are incontestable; society
is based on them.

Thus had sound social doctrines been re-established in England; thus had
the nation been reinstated. At the same time a correct taste in
literature was reviving. Shakespeare was despised, Dryden admired.
"_Dryden is the greatest poet of England, and of the century_," said
Atterbury, the translator of "Achitophel." It was about the time when M.
Huet, Bishop of Avranches, wrote to Saumaise, who had done the author
of "Paradise Lost" the honour to refute and abuse him, "_How can you
trouble yourself about so mean a thing as that Milton?_" Everything was
falling into its proper place: Dryden above, Shakespeare below; Charles
II. on the throne, Cromwell on the gibbet. England was raising herself
out of the shame and the excesses of the past. It is a great happiness
for nations to be led back by monarchy to good order in the state and
good taste in letters.

That such benefits should be misunderstood is difficult to believe. To
turn the cold shoulder to Charles II., to reward with ingratitude the
magnanimity which he displayed in ascending the throne--was not such
conduct abominable? Lord Linnæus Clancharlie had inflicted this vexation
upon honest men. To sulk at his country's happiness, alack, what
aberration!