Fromtheobservation，thatsuperiorityofpartsisoftenemployedtodosuperiormischief，noconsequencecanbedrawnagainstthetruthIendeavourtoestablish。ReasoncollectsthewillofGodfromtheconstitutionofthings，inthisasinothercases;butinnocasedoesthedivinepowerimpelusnecessarilytoconformourselvestothiswill:andthereforefromthemisapplicationofsuperiorpartstothehurt，noargumentcanbedrawnagainstthisposition，thattheyweregivenforthegoodofmankind。Reasondeceiveusnot:wedeceiveourselves，andsufferourwillstobedeterminedbyothermotives。MontaigneorCharronwouldsay，\'l\'hommesepipe\'\'manisatoncehisownsharper，andhisownbubble\'。Humannatureisherownbawd，saysTully，blandaconciliatrixetquasilenasui。Hewhoconsiderstheuniversalwants，imperfections，andvicesofhiskind，mustagreethatmenwereintendednotonlyforsociety，buttouniteincommonwealths，andtosubmittolaws。Legumidcircoomnesservisumus，utliberiessepossimus。Andyetthisverymanwillbeseducedbyhisownpassions，orthepassionsandexamplesofothers，tothink，ortoactasifhethought，theverycontrary。Sohewhoisconsciousofsuperiorendowments，suchasrenderhimmorecapablethanthegeneralityofmentosecureandimprovetheadvantagesofsociallife，bypreservingthecommonwealthinstrengthandsplendour，evenhemaybeseducedtothink，ortoactasifhethought，thattheseendowmentsweregivenhimforthegratificationofhisambition，andhisotherpassions;andthatthereisnodifferencebetweenviceandvirtue，betweenaknaveandanhonestman，butonewhichaprince，whodiednotmanyyearsago，asserted，\'thatmenofgreatsensewerethereforeknaves，andmenoflittlesensewerethereforehonest\'。Butinneitherofthesecaseswillthetruthandreasonofthingsbealtered，bysuchexamplesofhumanfrailty。Itwillbestilltrue，andreasonwillstilldemonstrate，thatallmenaredirected，bythegeneralconstitutionofhumannature，tosubmittogovernment;andthatsomemenareinaparticularmannerdesignedtotakecareofthatgovernmentonwhichthecommonhappinessdepends。Theusethatreasonwillmakeofsuchexampleswillbeonlythis，thatsincemenaresoapt，ineveryformoflifeandeverydegreeofunderstanding，toactagainsttheirinterestandtheirdutytoo，withoutbenevolencetomankind，orregardtothedivinewill，itisthemoreincumbentonthosewhohavethisbenevolenceandthisregardatheart，toemployallthemeansthatthenatureofthegovernmentallows，andthatrank，circumstancesofsituation，orsuperiorityoftalents，givethem，toopposeevil，andpromotegoodgovernment;andcontributethustopreservethemoralsystemoftheworld，atthatpointofimperfectionatleast，whichseemstohavebeenprescribedtoitbythegreatcreatorofeverysystemofbeings。
Givemeleavenow，myLord，tocastmyeyesforamomenthomeward，andtoapplywhatIhavebeensavingtothepresentstateofBritain。Thatthereisnoprofusionoftheetherealspirittobeobservedamongus，andthatwedonotaboundwithmenofsuperiorgenius，Iamreadytoconfess;butIthinkthereisnogroundforthecomplaintsIhaveheardmade，asifnaturehadnotdoneherpartinourage，aswellasinformerages，byproducingmencapableofservingthecommonwealth。Themannersofourfore—fatherswere，Ibelieve，inmanyrespectsbetter:theyhadmoreprobityperhaps，theyhadcertainlymoreshowofhonour，andgreaterindustry。Butstillnaturesowsalike，thoughwedonotreapalike。Thereare，andastherealwayshavebeen，therealwayswillbesuchcreaturesingovernmentasIhavedescribedabove。Fortunemaintainsakindofrivalshipwithwisdom，andpiquesherselfofteninfavouroffoolsaswellasknaves。Socratesusedtosay，thatalthoughnomanundertakesatradehehasnotlearned，eventhemeanest;yeteveryonethinkshimselfsufficientlyqualifiedforthehardestofalltrades，thatofgovernment。HesaidthisupontheexperiencehehadinGreece。HewouldnotchangehisopinionifhelivednowinBritain。Buthowever，suchcharactersasthesewoulddolittlehurt，generallyspeaking，orwouldnotdoitlong，iftheystoodalone。Todogreathurt，somegenius，someknowledge，sometalentsinshort，naturaloracquired，arenecessary:lessindeed，farlessthanarerequiredtodogood，butalwayssome。YetIimagine，nottheworstministercoulddoallthemischiefhedoesbythemisapplicationofhistalentsalone，ifitwerenotforthemisapplicationofmuchbettertalentsthanhisbysomewhojoinwithhim，andthenon—application，orthefaintandunsteadyexerciseoftheirtalentsbysomewhoopposehim;aswellasthegeneralremissnessofmankindinacquiringknowledge，andinimprovingthepartswhichGodhasgiventhemfortheserviceofthepublic。Thesearethegreatspringsofnationalmisfortunes。Therehavebeenmonstersinotherages，andothercountries，aswellasours;buttheyhavenevercontinuedtheirdevastationslong，whentherewereheroestoopposethem。Wewillsupposeamanimprudent，rash，presumptuous，ungracious，insolentandprofligate，inspeculationaswellaspractice。Hecanbribe，buthecannotseduce;hecanbuy，buthecannotgain;hecanlie，buthecannotdeceive。Fromwhencethenhassuchamanhisstrength？Fromthegeneralcorruptionofthepeople，nurseduptoafullmaturityunderhisadministration;fromthevenalityofallordersandallranksofmen，someofwhomaresoprostitute，thattheysetthemselvestosale，andevenpreventapplication？Thiswouldbetheanswer，anditwouldbeatrueoneasfarasitgoes;butitdoesnotaccountforthewhole。Corruptioncouldnotspreadwithsomuchsuccess，thoughreducedintosystem;andthoughsomeministers，withequalimpudenceandfolly，avoweditbythemselvesandtheiradvocates，tobetheprincipalexpedientbywhichtheygoverned，ifalongandalmostunobservedprogressionofcausesandeffects，didnotpreparetheconjuncture。Letmeexplainitandapplyit，asIconceiveit。Onepartyhadgiventheirwholeattention，duringseveralyears，totheprojectofenrichingthemselves，andimpoverishingtherestofthenation;and，bytheseandothermeans，ofestablishingtheirdominionunderthegovernmentandwiththefavourofafamily，whowereforeigners，andthereforemightbelieve，thattheywereestablishedonthethronebythegoodwillandstrengthofthispartyalone。Thispartyingeneralweresointentontheseviews，andmanyofthem，Ifear，aresostill，thattheydidnotadvertintimetothenecessaryconsequencesofthemeasurestheyabetted;nordidtheyconsider，thatthepowertheyraised，andbywhichtheyhopedtogoverntheircountry，wouldgovernthemwiththeveryrodofirontheyforged，andwouldbethepowerofaprinceorminister，notthatofapartylong。Anotherpartycontinuedsour，sullen，andinactive，withjudgmentssoweak，andpassionssostrong，thatevenexperience，andasevereonesurely，waslostuponthem。Theywaited，liketheJews，foraMessiah，thatmaynevercome;andunderwhom，ifhedidcome，theywouldbestrangelydisappointedintheirexpectationsofgloryandtriumph，anduniversaldominion。