nued; but his existence also as a social being has, by it, been insured against the destructive ravages of this erroneous guide from the beginning of time until the present hour. It is not, therefore, in the depths of human ratiocination that we are to look for the first principle of that association which unites man to man, and impels him so to act as to preserve his existence as a social being under every variety of modification that the sophistry of philosophers, the tyranny of defpots, or the madnefs of the mob, have been able to devise; but to another principle whose influence is. universal, whose operation is steady as the motion of the heavenly bodies, whose power is irresistible, and whose duration must extend to the utmost period of human existence. To the developement of this principle alone then, under the various modifications of which it is susceptible, should the attention of those who wish to obtain a distinct view of the progrefs of civil society, be chiefly directed and fortunately this, like all the other laws of nature, is so simple as to be comprehended with ease by any one who will bestow but a due attention to facts that come within the sphere of his own observation, without giving himself any trouble about those subtle disquisitions which may perplex, but never can tend to enlighten the understanding. I wish it were in my power to adduce a practical illustration of this momentous truth that should be sufficiently clear to prove impressive on the minds of all my readers; for then I should hope to be able to lead them into a train of investigation that would tend much to enlarge the sphere of their own. enjoyments, and augment the comforts of others.

Let us then, for the sake of this kind of illustra

and in attempting to develope those principles on which they think it depends, they have been drawn into deep and endless calculations grounded on doubtful and unascertained facts, the conclusions deduced from which operate like rays diverging from a centre, which lead those who follow them farther and farther asunder the longer they proceed, till, by pursuing this ignis fatuus for a sufficient length of time, they lose themselves entirely, and, like a bewildered person, only exhaust their strength by the unavailing efforts they make to extricate themselves from that labyrinth in which they find themselves inclosed. To this cause. I am willing to attribute the ineffectual exertion of so much ingenuity as has been idly displayed in those numberless intricate disquisitions on this subject which have been published in our day, and which will doubtlefs in future times be adduced as a striking characteristic of the folly of the present age.

Had the welfare of man depended upon the falla-. cious lights of his rational powers alone, he would have been in a situation much more deplorable than any other creature on this globe; and his whole race must have been utterly exterminated many thousand years ago. But such was not the will of Heaven; and that beneficent Being who endowed him with the reasoning faculty, saw it proper at the same time to confer upon him other propensities fufficiently powerful to 'counteract the baneful influence of this fallacious guide, on which his vanity would have induced him too often to lean with the most destructive confidence. Not only is his life individually preserved by the operation of these mere animal influences for the time al

nued; but his existence also as a social being has, by it, been insured against the destructive ravages of this erroneous guide from the beginning of time until the present hour. It is not, therefore, in the depths of human ratiocination that we are to look for the first principle of that association which unites man to man, and impels him so to act as to preserve his existence as a social being under every variety of modification. that the sophistry of philosophers, the tyranny of defpots, or the madnefs of the mob, have been able to devise; but to another principle whose influence is universal, whose operation is steady as the motion of the heavenly bodies, whose power is irresistible, and whose duration must extend to the utmost period of human existence. To the developement of this principle alone then, under the various modifications, of which it is susceptible, should the attention of those who wish to obtain a distinct view of the progrefs of civil society, be chiefly directed and fortunately this, like all the other laws of nature, is so simple as to be comprehended with ease by any one who will bestow but a due attention to facts that come within the sphere of his own observation, without giving himself any trouble about those subtle disquisitions which may perplex, but never can tend to enlighten the understanding. I wish it were in my power to adduce a practical illustration of this momentous truth that should be sufficiently clear to prove impressive on the minds of all my readers; for then I should hope to be able to lead them into a train of investigation that would tend much to enlarge the sphere of their own enjoyments, and augment the comforts of others.

Let us then, for the sake of this kind of illustra

tion, suppose, that we were to apply to one of those regulating philosophers who believe the wisdom of government to be of such sovereign influence in the affairs of this world, as that without its immediate interference every thing must run into confusion; that, in short, the happiness and the prosperity of a people is so intimately dependent on the influence of their governors, that unlefs these shall be at all times superlatively wise and good, and vigilant in the discharge of their duty, the public must be brought to the lowest ebb of wretchednefs and misery. To a man profefsing these principles, and whom we shall farther suppose to be pofsefsed of great talents and uncommon benevolence, we apply for a set of regulations that shall be the best calculated for providing such a city as London with a continued supply of all those necefsaries, conveniences, and luxuries, which so vast a multitude of people, under such a diversity of circumstances, require; and that it shall be required, that matters shall be so arranged, as that there shall never be either a deficiency or a superabundance of any one article; that there shall be always enough to satisfy every individual when he calls for it, and not so much as to allow any of it to run to waste; while at the same time it can be bought at the very lowest price for which, in general, such articles can be there afforded, and so distributed every where as to be brought to the hand of every purchaser, without confusion or disturbance of any kind. And, in order that this system may be in every respect complete, we shall farther suppose, that the philosopher is to be endowed, not only with the privilege of making the regulations

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tem, but that he shall be farther invested with unlimited power to enforce these his regulations in the very best way. that his superior wisdom shall direct. Let us now see in what manner this superior wisdom, power, and beneficence, under the regulation of the principle we have supposed, would exert itself.

In the first place, before his wisdom can be allowed. to operate in providing the necessary supplies, he must know the precise number of the people who are to participate of them. An exact calculation, therefore, must be made of their precise number; but where are the data upon which these calculations are to be grounded? He will soon find reason to be satisfied, if he examines it, that parish registers, and every other source within his reach, would prove entirely fallacious in this respect. Let us, however, for a moment, suppose, that by a miracle he has got over this first rub. He has now to ascertain the precise quantity and kind of food, raiment, utensils, and furniture, that every individual of this multitude would require in a given time, otherwise too much or too little of any one sort may be ordered. We have allowed our governor talents; yet the extent of talents that would be necessary to ascertain all this, it will be easily seen, far exceeds the limited faculties of man. But suppose this rub also surmounted; he has next to make himself acquainted with the places from whence all the articles of convenience and luxury wanted are to be obtained, and to dispatch ships and messengers to every part of the world to bring them in the exact proportion required, and at the times that will be necessary. He has then to appoint purveyors in the country to buy up each article that is wanted, in its exact quantity; but how shall