you think that they are not as well acquainted with human nature and human government as yourself? Must every man be a fool or a knave, ignorant of mankind, or desirous of rendering government impracticable in the hands of others, that it may fall into his own, who cannot subscribe to the political creed of the author of "Disquisitions on several Subjects?"

66

But you seem to me to entertain a bad opinion of human kind; this appears in many parts of your Disquisition, but in none more remarkably than where you say you are persuaded, that "if an angel 66 were sent from heaven, vested with "irresistible power to govern any country upon earth, and was to execute his "commission with the utmost degree of "wisdom, justice, and benevolence, his "dominions would very soon be deserted "by most of the inhabitants; who would "rather choose to suffer mutual injuries "and oppressions, however grievous, "under any government in which they "themselves had a share, than to be "compelled

"compelled to be virtuous and happy by 66 any superior authority whatever." What, if I should simply say, that compulsion and happiness could not exist together, there would be an end of your fine period; and yet it is true, you may as soon compel a man not to feel compulsion, as to be happy when he is compelled to be so. But the whole observation is without foundation. I conceive, that in the government you describe, there would not be a single murmur, there would be no compelling men to be virtuous, they would be virtuous out of choice; their virtue would consist in a perfect obedience to this angel; and they could have no temptation to be disobedient. The angel, on your supposition, would have the utmost wisdom to provide for the happiness of each individual, the utmost benevolence to induce him to make this provision, and irresistible power to effect his purpose. Shew me in all the world a prince with the perfections of this angel, and I will shew you a people happy, content,

364

"Disquisition on Government," &c.

content, grateful, and obedient, even to a degree beyond the passive conceptions of the most determined Tory.

I have not wilfully misrepresented any thing you have said, or designedly treated you with disrespect; I have, therefore, no apologies to make to you on that score; but I ought to beg your pardon for my presumption on another. I have indulged a fond hope, that by printing this Brochure in the manner I have done, it may have some chance of arresting the curiosity of posterity, by it's existence being continued to it under covering and protection of your book; that the feeble antidote it contains may restore the constitution of some Whig succumbing under the virulence of your poison, when this mortal coil shall be no more, and the authors of the poison and it's antidote shall sleep in peace.

London, March 16, 1782,

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS,

BY

THE BISHOP OF LANDAFF,

то

MR. PRINGLE'S

"GENERAL VIEW OF THE AGRICULTURE OF THE COUNTY OF WESTMORELAND."

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS,

&c.

THE

Extent of the County.

HE County of Westmoreland was surveyed in 1768, and a Map of it, upon a scale of an inch to a mile, was engraved by Thomas Jeffreys, Geographer to his Majesty, in 1770. It appears, from this map, that the greatest breadth of the county, from it's southern boundary, near Burton, to it's northern one, near Penrith in Cumberland, is thirty-two miles, and that it's greatest length, from east to west, is forty miles.

I covered this map very exactly with fine writing paper, except the Estuary near Millthorpe and Windermere Lake; I then cut out a slip of the paper of an inch in breadth, and of ten inches in length, and weighed it accurately; from

another