ance? This is to suppose, too,
that all these powers have no views offensive or necessities defensive
of their own. They will cut out work for one another, and France will
cut out work for them all.

That the Christian religion cannot exist in this country with such a
fraternity will not, I think, be disputed with me. On that religion,
according to our mode, all our laws and institutions stand, as upon
their base. That scheme is supposed in every transaction of life; and if
that were done away, everything else, as in France, must be changed
along with it. Thus, religion perishing, and with it this Constitution,
it is a matter of endless meditation what order of things would follow
it. But what disorder would fill the space between the present and that
which is to come, in the gross, is no matter of doubtful conjecture. It
is a great evil, that of a civil war. But, in that state of things, a
civil war, which would give to good men and a good cause some means of
struggle, is a blessing of comparison that England will not enjoy. The
moment the struggle begins, it ends. They talk of Mr. Hume's euthanasia
of the British Constitution gently expiring, without a groan, in the
paternal arms of a mere monarchy. In a monarchy!--fine trifling
indeed!--there is no such euthanasia for the British Constitution.

* * * * *

The manuscript copy of this Letter ends here.

FOOTNOTES:

[9] Here I have fallen into an unintentional mistake. Rider's Almanack
for 1794 lay before me; and, in troth, I then had no other. For variety,
that sage astrologer has made some small changes on the weather side of
1795; but the caution is the same on the opposite page of instruction.

[10] _Souverains opprimes_.--See the whole proceeding in the
_Proces-Verbal_ of the National Assembly.

[11]

Hic auratis volitans argenteus anser
Porticibus GALLOS in limine adesse canebat.

[12] See debates in Parliament upon motions made in both Houses for
prosecuting Mr. Reeves for a libel upon the Constitution, Dec., 1795.

[13] "In the costume assumed by the members of the legislative body we
almost behold the revival of the extinguished insignia of knighthood,"
&c., &c.--See _A View of the Relative State of Great Britain and France
at the Commencement of the Year_ 1796.

A

LETTER

TO

THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA.

NOVEMBER 1, 1791.

Madam,--The Comte de Woronzow, your Imperial Majesty's minister, and Mr.