APOLOGUE


1. There is a vast empire, governed by a monarch, whose strange
conduct is to confound the minds of his subjects. He wishes to be
known, loved, respected, obeyed; but never shows himself to his subjects,
and everything conspires to render uncertain the ideas formed of his
character.

The people, subjected to his power, have, of the character and laws of
their invisible sovereign, such ideas only, as his ministers give them.
They, however, confess, that they have no idea of their master; that
his ways are impenetrable; his views and nature totally incomprehensible.
These ministers, likewise, disagree upon the commands which they pretend
have been issued by the sovereign, whose servants they call themselves.
They defame one another, and mutually treat each other as impostors and
false teachers. The decrees and ordinances, they take upon themselves
to promulgate, are obscure; they are enigmas, little calculated to be
understood, or even divined, by the subjects, for whose instruction
they were intended. The laws of the concealed monarch require
interpreters; but the interpreters are always disputing upon the
true manner of understanding them. Besides, they are not consistent
with themselves; all they relate of their concealed prince is only
a string of contradictions. They utter concerning him not a single
word that does not immediately confute itself. They call him supremely
good; yet many complain of his decrees. They suppose him infinitely
wise; and under his administration everything appears to contradict
reason. They extol his justice; and the best of his subjects are
generally the least favoured. They assert, he sees everything;