thoughts on the present discontents-第11节

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account　of　their　abilities　in　the　array　of　riot；　and　the　discipline
of　confusion。　　Government　is　put　under　the　disgraceful　necessity　of
protecting　from　the　severity　of　the　laws　that　very　licentiousness；
which　the　laws　had　been　before　violated　to　repress。　　Everything
partakes　of　the　original　disorder。　　Anarchy　predominates　without
freedom；　and　servitude　without　submission　or　subordination。　　These
are　the　consequences　inevitable　to　our　public　peace；　from　the　scheme
of　rendering　the　executory　Government　at　once　odious　and　feeble；　of
freeing　Administration　from　the　constitutional　and　salutary　control
of　Parliament；　and　inventing　for　it　a　new　control；　unknown　to　the
constitution；　an　INTERIOR　Cabinet；　which　brings　the　whole　body　of
Government　into　confusion　and　contempt。


After　having　stated；　as　shortly　as　I　am　able；　the　effects　of　this
system　on　our　foreign　affairs；　on　the　policy　of　our　Government　with
regard　to　our　dependencies；　and　on　the　interior　economy　of　the
Commonwealth；　there　remains　only；　in　this　part　of　my　design；　to　say
something　of　the　grand　principle　which　first　recommended　this　system
at　Court。　　The　pretence　was　to　prevent　the　King　from　being　enslaved
by　a　faction；　and　made　a　prisoner　in　his　closet。　　This　scheme　might
have　been　expected　to　answer　at　least　its　own　end；　and　to　indemnify
the　King；　in　his　personal　capacity；　for　all　the　confusion　into　which
it　has　thrown　his　Government。　　But　has　it　in　reality　answered　this
purpose？　　I　am　sure；　if　it　had；　every　affectionate　subject　would
have　one　motive　for　enduring　with　patience　all　the　evils　which
attend　it。

In　order　to　come　at　the　truth　in　this　matter；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to
consider　it　somewhat　in　detail。　　I　speak　here　of　the　King；　and　not
of　the　Crown；　the　interests　of　which　we　have　already　touched。
Independent　of　that　greatness　which　a　King　possesses　merely　by　being
a　representative　of　the　national　dignity；　the　things　in　which　he　may
have　an　individual　interest　seem　to　be　these：　　wealth　accumulated；
wealth　spent　in　magnificence；　pleasure；　or　beneficence；　personal
respect　and　attention；　and　above　all；　private　ease　and　repose　of
mind。　　These　compose　the　inventory　of　prosperous　circumstances；
whether　they　regard　a　Prince　or　a　subject；　their　enjoyments
differing　only　in　the　scale　upon　which　they　are　formed。

Suppose　then　we　were　to　ask；　whether　the　King　has　been　richer　than
his　predecessors　in　accumulated　wealth；　since　the　establishment　of
the　plan　of　Favouritism？　　I　believe　it　will　be　found　that　the
picture　of　royal　indigence　which　our　Court　has　presented　until　this
year；　has　been　truly　humiliating。　　Nor　has　it　been　relieved　from
this　unseemly　distress；　but　by　means　which　have　hazarded　the
affection　of　the　people；　and　shaken　their　confidence　in　Parliament。
If　the　public　treasures　had　been　exhausted　in　magnificence　and
splendour；　this　distress　would　have　been　accounted　for；　and　in　some
measure　justified。　　Nothing　would　be　more　unworthy　of　this　nation；
than　with　a　mean　and　mechanical　rule；　to　mete　out　the　splendour　of
the　Crown。　　Indeed；　I　have　found　very　few　persons　disposed　to　so
ungenerous　a　procedure。　　But　the　generality　of　people；　it　must　be
confessed；　do　feel　a　good　deal　mortified；　when　they　compare　the
wants　of　the　Court　with　its　expenses。　　They　do　not　behold　the　cause
of　this　distress　in　any　part　of　the　apparatus　of　Royal　magnificence。
In　all　this；　they　see　nothing　but　the　operations　of　parsimony；
attended　with　all　the　consequences　of　profusion。　　Nothing　expended；
nothing　saved。　　Their　wonder　is　increased　by　their　knowledge；　that
besides　the　revenue　settled　on　his　Majesty's　Civil　List　to　the
amount　of　800；000　pounds　a　year；　he　has　a　farther　aid；　from　a　large
pension　list；　near　90；000　pounds　a　year；　in　Ireland；　from　the
produce　of　the　Duchy　of　Lancaster　（which　we　are　told　has　been
greatly　improved）；　from　the　revenue　of　the　Duchy　of　Cornwall；　from
the　American　quit…rents；　from　the　four　and　a　half　per　cent。　duty　in
the　Leeward　Islands；　this　last　worth　to　be　sure　considerably　more
than　40；000　pounds　a　year。　　The　whole　is　certainly　not　much　short　of
a　million　annually。

These　are　revenues　within　the　knowledge　and　cognizance　of　our
national　Councils。　　We　have　no　direct　right　to　examine　into　the
receipts　from　his　Majesty's　German　Dominions；　and　the　Bishopric　of
Osnaburg。　　This　is　unquestionably　true。　　But　that　which　is　not
within　the　province　of　Parliament；　is　yet　within　the　sphere　of　every
man's　own　reflection。　　If　a　foreign　Prince　resided　amongst　us；　the
state　of　his　revenues　could　not　fail　of　becoming　the　subject　of　our
speculation。　　Filled　with　an　anxious　concern　for　whatever　regards
the　welfare　of　our　Sovereign；　it　is　impossible；　in　considering　the
miserable　circumstances　into　which　he　has　been　brought；　that　this
obvious　topic　should　be　entirely　passed　over。　　There　is　an　opinion
universal；　that　these　revenues　produce　something　not　inconsiderable；
clear　of　all　charges　and　establishments。　　This　produce　the　people　do
not　believe　to　be　hoarded；　nor　perceive　to　be　spent。　　It　is
accounted　for　in　the　only　manner　it　can；　by　supposing　that　it　is
drawn　away；　for　the　support　of　that　Court　faction；　which；　whilst　it
distresses　the　nation；　impoverishes　the　Prince　in　every　one　of　his
resources。　　I　once　more　caution　the　reader；　that　I　do　not　urge　this
consideration　concerning　the　foreign　revenue；　as　if　I　supposed　we
had　a　direct　right　to　examine　into　the　expenditure　of　any　part　of
it；　but　solely　for　the　purpose　of　showing　how　little　this　system　of
Favouritism　has　been　advantageous　to　the　Monarch　himself；　which；
without　magnificence；　has　sunk　him　into　a　state　of　unnatural
poverty；　at　the　same　time　that　he　possessed　every　means　of
affluence；　from　ample　revenues；　both　in　this　country　and　in　other
parts　of　his　dominions。

Has　this　system　provided　better　for　the　treatment　becoming　his　high
and　sacred　character；　and　secured　the　King　from　those　disgusts
attached　to　the　necessity　of　employing　men　who　are　not　personally
agreeable？　　This　is　a　topic　upon　which　for　many　reasons　I　could　wish
to　be　silent；　but　the　pretence　of　securing　against　such　causes　of
uneasiness；　is　the　corner…stone　of　the　Court　party。　　It　has　however
so　happened；　that　if　I　were　to　fix　upon　any　one　point；　in　which　this
system　has　been　more　particularly　and　shamefully　blameable；　the
effects　which　it　has　produced　would　justify　me　in　choosing　for　that
point　its　tendency　to　degrade　the　personal　dignity　of　the　Sovereign；
and　to　expose　him　to　a　thousand　contradictions　and　mortifications。
It　is　but　too　evident　in　what　manner　these　projectors　of　Royal
greatness　have　fulfilled　all　their　magnificent　promises。　　Without
recapitulating　all　the　circumstances　of　the　reign；　every　one　of
which　is　more　or　less　a　melancholy　proof　of　the　truth　of　what　I　have
advanced；　let　us　consider　the　language　of　the　Court　but　a　few　years
ago；　concerning　most　of　the　persons　now　in　the　external
Administration：　　let　me　ask；　whether　any　enemy　to　the　personal
feelings　of　the　Sovereign；　could　possibly　contrive　a　keener
instrument　of　mortification；　and　degradation　of　all　dignity；　than
almost　every　part　and　member　of　the　present　arrangement？　　Nor；　in
the　whole　course　of　our　history；　has　any　compliance　with　the　will　of
the　people　ever　been　known　to　extort　from　any　Prince　a　greater
contradiction　to　all　his　own　declared　affections　and　dislikes；　than
that　which　is　now　adopted；　in　direct　opposition　to　every　thing　the
people　approve　and　desire。

An　opinion　prevails；　that　greatness　has　been　more　than　once　advised
to　submit　to　certain　condescensions　towards　individuals；　which　have
been　denied　to　the　entreaties　of　a　nation。　　For　the　meanest　and　most
dependent　instrument　of　this　system　knows；　that　there　are　hours　when
its　existence　may　depend　upon　his　adherence　to　it；　and　he　takes　his
advantage　accordingly。　　Indeed　it　is　a　law　of　nature；　that　whoever
is　necessary　to　what　we　have　made　our　object；　is　sure；　in　some　way；
or　in　some　time　or　other；　to　become　our　master。　　All　this　however　is
submitted　to；　in　order　to　avoid　that　monstrous　evil　of　governing　in
concurrence　with　the　opinion　of　the　people。　　For　it　seems　to　be　laid
down　as　a　maxim；　that　a　King　has　some　sort　of　interest　in　giving
uneasiness　to　his　subjects：　　that　all　who　are　pleasing　to　them；　are
to　be　of　course　disagreeable　to　him：　　that　as　soon　as　the　persons
who　are　odious　at　Court　are　known　to　be　odious　to　the　people；　it　is
snatched　at　as　a　lucky　occasion　of　showering　down　upon　them　all
kinds　of　emoluments　and　honours。　　None　are　considered　as　well…
wishers　to　the　Crown；　but　those　who　advised　to　some　unpopular　course
of　action；　none　capable　of　serving　it；　but　those　who　are　obliged　to
call　at　every　instant　upon　all　its　power　for　the　safety　of　their
lives。　　None　are　supposed　to　be　fit　priests　in　the　temple　of
Government；　but　the　persons　who　are　compelled　to　fly　into　it　for
sanctuary。　　Such　is　the　effect　of　this　refined　project；　such　is　ever
the　result　of　all　the　contrivances　which　are　used　to　free　men　from
the　servitude　of　their　reason；　and　from　the　necessity　of　ordering
their　affairs　according　to　their　evident　interests。　　These
contrivances　oblige　them　to　run　into　a　real　and　ruinous