which communicates to the fon a portion of the fame respect which was wont to be paid to the virtues, or station, of the father-the mutual jealoufy of other competitors-the greater envy, with which all behold the exaltation of an equal, than the continuance of an acknowledged fuperiority-a reigning prince leaving behind him many adherents, who can preferve their own importance only by fupporting the fucceffion of his children-Add to these reasons, that elections to the fupreme power having upon trial produced destructive contentions, many ftates would take refuge from a return of the fame calamities, in a rule of fucceffion; and no rule prefents itself so obvious, certain, and intelligible, as confanguinity of birth.

The ancient state of fociety in most countries, and the modern condition of fome uncivilized parts of the world, exhibit that appearance, which this account of the origin of civil government would lead us to expect. The earliest hiftories of Palestine, Greece, Italy, Gaul, Britain, inform us, that these countries were occupied by many small independent nations, not much perhaps unlike those which are found at prefent amongst the savage inhabitants of North America,

and

and upon the coaft of Africa. Thefe nations I confider as the amplifications of fo many fingle families; or as derived from the junction of two or three families, whom fociety in war, or the approach of fome common danger, had united. Suppose a country to have been first peopled by shipwreck on its coafts, or by emigrants or exiles from a neighbouring country; the new settlers having no enemy to provide against, and occupied with the care of their personal subfiftence, would think little of digefting a fyftem of laws, of contriving a form of government, or indeed of any political union whatever; but each fettler would remain at the head of his own family, and each family would include all of every age and generation who were defcended from him. So many of these families as were holden together after the death of the original ancestor, by the reasons and in the method above recited, would wax, as the individuals were multiplied, into tribes, clans, hordes, or nations, fimilar to thofe into which the ancient inhabitants of many countries are known to have been divided, and. which are still found, wherever the ftate of fociety and manners is immature and uncultivated.

Nor need we be surprised at the early exiftence in the world of fome vaft empires, or at the rapidity with which they advanced to their greatness, from comparatively small and obfcure originals. Whilft the inhabitants of fo many countries were broken into numerous communities, unconnected, and oftentimes contending with each other; before experience had taught these little ftates to fee their own danger in their neighbours' ruin; or had inftructed them in the neceffity of resisting the aggrandizement of an afpiring power, by alliances and timely preparations; in this condition of civil policy, a particular tribe which by any means had got the ftart of the reft in ftrength, or discipline, and happened to fall under the conduct of an ambitious chief, by directing their first attempts to the part where fuccefs was moft fecure, and by affuming, as they went along, thofe whom they conquered into a fhare of their future enterprizes, might foon gather a force, which would infallibly overbear any oppofition that the feattered power, and unprovided ftate of fuch enemies could make to the progrefs of their victories,

Laftly,

Laftly, our theory affords a prefumption, that the earliest governments were monarchies, becaufe the government of families, and of armies, from which, according to our account, civil government derived its institution, and probably its form, is univerfally monarchical.

CHAP. II.

HOW SUBJECTION TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT IS

MAINTAINED.

OULD we view our own fpecies from a

Co

distance, or regard mankind with the fame fort of obfervation with which we read the natural history, or remark the manners, of any other animal, there is nothing in the human character which would more furprise us, than the almoft univerfal fubjugation of ftrength to weaknessthan to fee many millions of robuft men, in the complete ufe and exercife of their perfonal faculties, and without any defect of courage, wait, ing upon the will of a child, a woman, a driveller, or a lunatic. And although, when we fuppofe a vast empire in abfolute fubjection to one person, and that one depreffed beneath the level of his fpecies by infirmities, or vice, we fuppofe perhaps an extreme cafe; yet in all cafes, even in the most popular forms of civil government, the phyfical strength refides in the governed.