PREFACE. IT has, for fome time paft, been a favourite object in my mind, to arrange the Whole of my Political Opinions under one head, and this I have now executed in a manner which, while it may tend, I trust, to clear away the national prejudices, and heavy conceits of the deluded fufferers, under defpotic governments, fhall not be particularly directed against any one of them. The Chancellor at Berlin, or the Judges at Vienna fhall not punifh unfortunate individuals for publishing or reading what tyranny may be pleased to call my libels upon their different States, nor fhall the English Mr. Attorney General be again forced to fhed tears, over the afperfed virtues, of an immaculate and magnanimous Prince of Wales. I WRITE NOW FOR THE WORLD AT LARGE. MAN will herein find all his natural, civil, and divine rights, more perfectly and rationally defined, than he was aware of, and will feel his rea fon roused into action, and himself animated in the univerfal cause of human nature, with that fervour which fprings alone from reflection, and a sense of conscious right. He will look back at the iron hand of affumption, and defpotifm, with horror, and revolt at the recollection of the impofitions he has fuffered himself to be deceived into by the artifices of the defigning and venal few. He will now felicitate himself, that the æra has arrived, when the light of reason is bursting forth with effulgence, that diftinguifhes genuine principles from fophiftical doctrines, and be convinced of the utility of the former over the latter. By reasoning and thinking for himself, he will not relinquifh thofe rights which are inalienable in his nature, nor beftow thofe privileges beyond his reach which he fhould be conftantly eligible to himself and ever have the command of. Truth and Reafon are the attributes of man, and he may ever dare to manifeft himself under them as his judgment fhall direct-and those who attempt to oppofe or reftrain him, are guilty of the greatest prefumption. It is the free and unbiased voice of fociety that is to decide as to their rights and comforts, and when they feel them perverted or diminished, it is their province to renovate them. Society will always come out right in any reform, if left to the general fentiment on which they act. To think otherwife . otherwife is chimerical; for, to fuppofe that men will combine together to injure themfelves, is, to fuppofe that they have neither intereft, difcretion, nor judgment. Who then art thou, prefumptuous mortal, that fittest thyfelf up to judge for fociety, and controul, as thy vanity, arrogance, intereft, or ignorance, fhall direct thee? Who gave thee this right, or who con. ftituted it in thee? If thou inheriteft it not from thy maker, nor deriveft it from man, it is falfe, and affumed, and must revert to its primitive fource, namely, that of the people. "Where Truth deigns to come, her fifter Liberty will not be far." Truth is the fountain of happiness, the harbinger of freedom, the bafis of juftice, and the fource of judgment. It is the birthright of nature, and the germ of human felicity. By exploring this facred and invaluable principle, evil is exterminated and good produced. It is the province of all ranks of fociety, from the prince to the beggar, to feek it, and it is only to be found by difpaffion and fair reflection. By giving free fcope to the imagination, and full difcuffion and promulgation of every fentiment, from whomfoever it may fpring, this facred guide to human action will be afcertained. It is the peculiar fortune of the prefent æra that degraded nature is reviving. The vivifying influence of reafon has infpired the mind, and filled mankind mankind with thought of his rights that he never had before. Whether this difpofition fhall continue, and grow into maturity, depends upon man alone; for if he will not think and act for himself, he has no right to expect the bleffings of temporality. I cannot here prevent a smile at the idea, that there fhould be a nation, whofe proudeft boaft is feeding upon Ox-flesh, as if virtue confifted in a ftrong appetite, and glory in a good digeftion. In truth, Englishmen, in their present degradation, feem to have acquired the inftinct of the beast which they devour, for they most readily submit their necks to the yoke, suffer the most cruel chaftisement without refiftance, and display patience as a cover to stupidity. Let me not however be fuppofed adverse to the character of Mr. Bull; were he but to rouse himself, and begin to think, the original dignity of his nature would appear; his energies would be terrible to oppreffors, and his generofity reputable to himself. But I will only add, to conclude this fhort preface, that it is now very evident, that the Defpots of the world are beginning to totter, and the foundations of their thrones to fhake. There is also a tremendous storm approaching, the thunders roll nearer and more near, the whirlwinds fweep the furface of the deep, and the veffels of Monarchy and Ariftocracy already blaze amidst the fury of the |