of virtue, of human happiness, to fee a great nation fhaking off its fetters, compelling its rulers to acknowledge the just claims of the people, and afferting the rights of men, in the nobleft and the fulleft manner..

FROM the high fentiments of liberty, which have appeared for fome years past among French writers, there was much reafon to hope, that fome change, favourable to the people, would, by degrees, take place in the government of France. But no man expected fuch a revolution, as that which has actually been effected. I must at the fame time remark, that, as an Englishman, I cannot but feel confiderable pleafure at the reflection, that fome of the eminent writers of my own country have greatly contributed to diffuse that spirit of freedom, which has lately been exhibited in dif-i ferent parts of Europe, as well as on the other fide of the Atlantic. The French

nation have had the generofity to acknow ledge this; and much of that flame of li berty, which has characterized the Americans of the prefent age, was undoubtedly derived from the mother-country, and from that light and knowledge, which were communicated to the British colonies from the LOCKES and the SYDNEYS of England. But, unhappily, at a period when English writers are illuminating the world, and contributing to its emancipation from tyranny, much of the antient fpirit of li berty appears in England itself to be evaporated, and we seem in this respect to be greatly degenerating from our ancestors. A fpirit of court fervility, and an implicit confidence in the minifter, without any juft grounds, have lately become fo prevalent, that there is too great reafon to apprehend, that we have loft much of that vigi

vigilance in the support of public freedom, which is effential to its prefervation.

Ar a period, when the moft fplendid fcenes have been exhibited in France, and the nobleft fentiments difplayed among many of the virtuous and enlightened inhabitants of that kingdom, an Englishman, fincerely attached to the honour and to the intereft of his country, cannot but be in a very high degree folicitous, that Great Britain may yet continue to preserve that honourable station, which she has long held among the nations of the earth; and that the may ftill be distinguished, not only by her wealth, her extended commerce, and her love of literature, of fcience, and of arts, but by the freedom of her conftitution, her averfion to every fpecies of tyranny, and an unconquerable refolution to affert and to maintain the rights of human natúrė. IRE

I REJOICE in the freedom of FRANCE; I rejoice, that fo great and respectable a nation has recovered its liberties; I hope, that they will be confirmed in the fulleft manner; and that no untoward events, no fickleness of the people, nor any iniquitous interpofition of foreign powers', will in any degree impede and retard their complete eftablishment. But I wish, at the fame time, that GREAT BRITAIN may ftill continue free; that its inhabitants may not degenerate from the virtues of their ancestors; that our political constitution may be improved; and that the wifeft and best measures may be adopted for the promotion of the real interefts of the people.

Ir is from reflexions and fentiments like these, that I have been led to view, with fome degree of folicitude, the Commence

No foreign power had interfered, at least not. openly, when this tract was first published.

ment

ment of the Seventeenth Parliament of Great Britain. At the fame time, I am willing to cherish the hope, that notwithstanding some strong symptoms of political degeneracy, which have lately been too manifeft among us, yet that there may still be found fufficient energy, fpirit, and virtue, among the people and the parliament, not only to maintain our antient rights, but to reform the defects in our conftitution, and ftill farther to advance the freedom, and the felicity of our country.

WHEN I view the tranfactions of the laft parliament, I am very far from finding it entitled to that applause, which has fometimes been bestowed upon it; and it will give me great pleasure, when fufficient evidence is afforded to the public, that the new representatives of the people have more virtue than their predeceffors, and that they are fincerely defirous of doing,

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