by their poison, men seem to be converted into dogs," his
remedy is, "a strong monarch," or "the exercise of entire
sovereignty," p. 171; and that the authority he would
establish should be immutable, he hardily asserts that "the
ruling power cannot be punished for mal-administration." Yet
in this elaborate system of despotism are interspersed some
strong republican axioms, as The safety of the people is the
supreme law,--The public good to be preferred to that of the
individual:--and that God made the one for the many, and not
the many for the one. The effect the LEVIATHAN produced on the
royal party was quite unexpected by the author. His hardy
principles were considered as a satire on arbitrary power, and
Hobbes himself as a concealed favourer of democracy. This has
happened more than once with such vehement advocates. Our
philosopher must have been thunderstruck at the insinuation,
for he had presented the royal exile, as Clarendon in his
"Survey" informs us, with a magnificent copy of "The
Leviathan," written on vellum; this beautiful specimen of
calligraphy may still be seen, as we learn from the
_Gentleman's Magazine_ for January, 1813, where the curiosity
is fully described. The suspicion of Hobbes's principles was
so strong, that it produced his sudden dismissal from the
presence of Charles II. when at Paris. The king, indeed, said
he believed Hobbes intended him no hurt; and Hobbes said of
the king, "that his majesty understood his writings better
than his accusers." However, happy was Hobbes to escape from
France, where the officers were in pursuit of him, amid snowy
roads and nipping blasts. The lines in his metrical life open
a dismal winter scene for an old man on a stumbling horse:--

"Frigus erat, nix alta, senex ego, ventus acerbus,
Vexat equus sternax, et salebrosa via--"

A curious spectacle! to observe, under a despotic government,
its vehement advocate in flight!

The ambiguity of "The Leviathan" seemed still more striking,
when Hobbes came, at length, to place the right of government
merely in what he terms "the Seat of Power,"--a wonderful
principle of expediency; for this was equally commodious to