of the subject, because the vaffals depended more immediately on the barons than on the king, which effectually fecured the freedom of thofe governments. For the barons could not make use of their power to destroy those limited monarchies, without destroying their own grandeur; nor could the king invade their privileges, having no other forces than the vaffals of his own demefnes to rely upon for his support in fuch an attempt.

I LAY no great stress on any other limitations of thofe monarchies; nor do I think any fo effential to the liberties of the people, as that which placed the sword in the hands of the fubject. And fince in our time most princes of Europe are in poffeffion of the sword, by standing mercenary forces kept up in time of peace, abfolutely depending upon them, I say that all fuch governments are changed from monarchies to tyrannies. Nor can the power. of granting or refusing money, though vested in the subject, be a fufficient fecurity for liberty, where a ftanding mer

cenary

cenary army is kept up in time of peace: for he that is armed, is always master of the purse of him that is unarmed. And not only that government is tyrannical, which is tyrannically exercised; but all governments are tyrannical, whch have not in their conftitution a fufficent fecurity against the arbitrary power of the prince.

I Do not deny that these limited monarchies, during the greatness of the barons, had fome defects: I know few governments free from them. But after all, there was a balance that kept those governments steady, and an efectual provifion against the encroachments of the crown. I do less pretend that the present governments can be reftored to the conftitution before mentioned. The following discourse will fhew the impoffibility of it. My defign in the first place is, to explain the nature of the past and present governments of Europe, and to difabuse those who think them the fame, because they are called by the fame names; and who

who gnorantly clamour against such as would preferve that liberty which is yet left.

In order to this, and for a further and clearer lluftration of the matter, I shall deduce from their original, the causes, occafions, and the complication of those many unforeseen accidents; which falling out much about the fame time, produced fo great a change. And it will at first fight feem very strange, when I fhall name the restoration of learning, the invention of printing, of the needle and of gunpowder, as the chief of them; things in themfelves fo excellent, and which, the laft only excepted, might have proved of infinite advantage to the world, if their remote influence upon government had been obviated by fuitable remedies. Such odd confequences, and of fuch a different nature, accompany extraordinary inventions of any kind.

CONSTANTINOPLE being taken by Mahomet the fecond, in the year 1453, many learned Greeks fled over into Italy; where

the

the favourable reception they found from the popes, princes, and republicks of that country, foon introduced amongst the better fort of men, the ftudy of the Greek tongue, and of the antient authors in that language. About the fame time

likewise some learned men began to restore the purity of the Latin tongue. But that which most contributed to the advancement of all kind of learning, and especially the ftudy of the antients, was the art of printing; which was brought to a great degree of perfection a few years after. By this means their books became common, and their arts generally understood and admired. But as mankind from a natural propenfion to pleasure, is always ready to chufe out of every thing what may moft gratify that vicious appetite; so the arts which the Italians first applied themselves to improve, were principally those that had been fubfervient to the luxury of the antients in the most corrupt ages, of which they had many monuments still remaining. Italy was prefent

ly

ly filled with architects, painters and fculptors; and a prodigious expence was made in buildings, pictures and statues. Thus the Italians began to come off from their frugal and military way of living, and addicted themselves to the pursuit of refined and expenfive pleasures, as much as the wars of those times would permit. This infection spread itself by degrees into the neighbouring nations. But these things alone had not been fufficient to work fo great a change in government, if a preceding invention, brought into common ufe about that time, had not produced more new and extraordinary effects than any had ever done before; which probably may have many confequences yet unforeseen, and a farther influence upon the manners of men, as long as the world lafts; I mean, the invention of the needle, by the help of which navigation was greatly improved, a paffage opened by fea to the Eaft-Indies, and a new world discovered. By this means the luxury of Afia and America was added to that of the antients;