of flaming_ Rome_) but have
endeavour'd by their wicked Speeches and Libels to blow the Bellows,
whilst few or none have contributed their Assistance towards the
extinguishing them._
_I am not ignorant how mean and inconsiderable a Man I am; nevertheless
as in a general Conflagration every Man's Help is acceptable, who is
able to fling on but a Bucket of Water, so I hope the Endeavours of any
Person that offers at a Remedy will be well taken by every Lover of his
Country. Being very intent for several Months past on the Thoughts of
these great Calamities, I have perused all the old_ French _and_ German
_Historians that treat of our_ Francogallia, _and collected out of their
Works a true State of our_ Commonwealth; _in the Condition (wherein they
agree) it flourished for above a Thousand Years. And indeed the great
Wisdom of our Ancestors in the first framing of our Constitution, is
almost incredible; so that I no longer doubted, that the most certain
Remedy for so great Evils must be deduced from their Maxims._
_For as I more attentively enquired into the Source of these Calamities,
it seemed to me, that even as human Bodies decay and perish, either by
some outward Violence, or some inward Corruption of Humours, or lastly,
thro' Old Age: So Commonwealths are brought to their Period, sometimes
by Foreign Force, sometimes by Civil Dissentions, at other Times by
being worn out and neglected. Now tho' the Misfortunes that have
befallen our Commonwealth are commonly attributed to our Civil
Dissentions, I found, upon Enquiry, these are not so properly to be
called the_ Cause _as the_ Beginning _of our Mischiefs. And_ Polybius,
_that grave judicious Historian, teaches us, in the first place, to
distinguish the_ Beginning _from the_ Cause _of any Accident. Now I
affirm the_ Cause _to have been that great Blow which our Constitution
received about 100 Years ago from that_ [Footnote: Lewis _the_ XI.]
_Prince, who ('tis manifest) first of all broke in upon the noble and
solid Institutions of our Ancestors. And as our natural Bodies when put
out of joint by Violence, can never be recover'd but by replacing and
restoring every Member to its true Position; so neither can we
reasonably hope our Commonwealth shou'd be restor'd to Health, till
through Divine Assistance it shall be put into its true and natural
State again._
_And because your Highness has always approv'd your self a true Friend
to our Country; I though it my Duty
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