sagacity. If they brought out their right ideas somewhat in a disorderly
manner, it must be remembered that great zeal produces some
irregularity; but when greatly in the right, it must be pardoned by
those who are very regularly and temperately in the wrong. The master
Jacobins had told me this a thousand times. I never believed the
masters; nor do I now find myself disposed to give credit to the
disciple. I will not much dispute with our author, which party has the
best of this Revolution,--that which is from thence to learn wisdom, or
that which from the same event has obtained power. The dispute on the
preference of strength to wisdom may perhaps be decided as Horace has
decided the controversy between Art and Nature. I do not like to leave
all the power to my adversary, and to secure nothing to myself but the
untimely wisdom that is taught by the consequences of folly. I do not
like my share in the partition: because to his strength my adversary may
possibly add a good deal of cunning, whereas my wisdom may totally fail
in producing to me the same degree of strength. But to descend from the
author's generalities a little nearer to meaning, the security given to
liberty is this,--"that governments will have learned not to precipitate
themselves into embarrassments by speculative wars. Sovereigns and
princes will not forget that steadiness, moderation, and economy are the
best supports of the eminence on which they stand." There seems to me a
good deal of oblique reflection in this lesson. As to the lesson itself,
it is at all times a good one. One would think, however, by this formal
introduction of it as a recommendation of the arrangements proposed by
the author, it had never been taught before, either by precept or by
experience,--and that these maxims are discoveries reserved for a
Regicide peace. But is it permitted to ask what security it affords to
the liberty of the subject, that the prince is pacific or frugal? The
very contrary has happened in our history. Our best securities for
freedom have been obtained from princes who were either warlike, or