THO Court-flatterers impute many evils to Popular Govern∣ments they no way deserve, I could not think any so impu∣dent as to lay Corruption and Venality to their charge, till I found it in our Author. They might in my opinion have taken those faults upon themselves, since they certainly abound most where Bawds, Whores, Buffoons, Players, Slaves and other base people who are naturally mercenary, are most prevalent. And whosoever would know whether this dos more frequently befal Commonwealths than Monarchies, especially if they are absolute, need only to inquire whether the Cornelii, Junii, Fabii, Valerii, Quintii, Curii, Fabritii, and others who most prevailed in Rome after the expulsion of the Kings, or Sejanus, Macro, Narcissus, Pallas, Icetus, Tigellinus, Vin∣nius, Laco, Agrippina, Messalina, Lollia, Poppaea, and the like, were most subject to those base Vices: Whether it were more easy to cor∣rupt one or two of those Villains and Strumpets, or the Senats and People of Rome, Carthage, Athens, and Sparta; and whether that sort of Rabble had more power over the Princes they served, than such as most resembled them had whilst the Popular Government con∣tinued. 'Tis in vain to say those Princes were wicked and vile, for many others are so likewise; and when the Power is in the hands of one man, there can be no assurance he will not be like them. Nay, when the Power is so placed, ill men will always find opportunities of compassing their desires: Bonus, cautus, optimus Imperator venditur, said Dioclesian; and tho he was no unwise man, yet that which prin∣cipally induced him to renounce the Empire, was the impossibility he sound of defending himself against those that were in credit with him, who daily betray'd and sold him. They see with the eyes of other men, and cannot resist the frauds that are perpetually put upon them. Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius seem to have bin the best and wisest of all the Roman Emperors; but the two Faustina's had such an ascendent over them, as was most shameful to their persons, and mischievous to the Empire and the best men in it. Such as these may gain too much upon the affections of one man in the best regu∣lated Government; but that could be of no great danger to the Pub∣lick, when many others equal or not much inferior to him in autho∣rity, are ready to oppose whatever he should endeavour to promote by their impulse: but there is no remedy when all depends upon the Will of a single person who is governed by them. There was more of acuteness and jest, than of truth in that saying of Themistocles, That his little boy had more power than any man in Greece; for he go∣verned his Mother, she him, he Athens, and Athens Greece. For he himself was found to have little power, when for private passions and concernments he departed from the interest of the Publick; and the like has bin found in all places that have bin governed in the like manner.
Again, Corruption will always reign most where those who have the power do most favour it, where the rewards of such Crimes are greatest, easiest, and most valued, and where the punishment of them is least feared.
1. For the first, we have already proved that Liberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the People are corrupted, nor absolute Monarchy introduced where they are sincere; which is sufficient to shew that those who manage free Governments ought always to the utmost of their power to oppose Corruption, because otherwise both they and their Government must inevitably perish; and that on the other hand, the absolute Monarch must endeavour to introduce it, because he cannot subsist without it. 'Tis also so natural for all such Monarchs to place men in power who pretend to love their persons, and will depend upon their pleasure, that possibly 'twould be hard to find one in the world who has not made it the rule of his Go∣vernment: And this is not only the way to corruption, but the most dangerous of all. For tho a good man may love a good Monarch, he will obey him only when he commands that which is just; and no one can engage himself blindly to do whatever he is commanded, without renouncing all Virtue and Religion; because he knows not whether that which shall be commanded is consistent with either, or directly contrary to the Laws of God and Man. But if such a Mo∣narch be evil, and his Actions such as they are too often found to be, whoever bears an affection to him, and seconds his designs, declares himself an Enemy to all that is good; and the advancement of such men to power dos not only introduce, foment, and increase Cor∣ruption, but fortifies it in such a manner, that without an intire re∣novation of that State it cannot be removed. Ill men may possibly creep into any Government; but when the worst are plac'd nearest to the Throne, and raised to Honors for being so, they will with that force endeavour to draw all men to a conformity of Spirit with them∣selves, that it can no otherwise be prevented, than by destroying them and the Principle in which they live.
2. To the second; Man naturally follows that which is good, or seems to him to be so. Hence it is that in well-govern'd States, where a value is put upon Virtue, and no one honoured unless for such Qualities as are beneficial to the Publick, men are from the ten∣derest years brought up in a belief, that nothing in this world de∣serves to be sought after, but such Honors as are acquired by virtuous Actions: By this means Virtue it self becomes popular, as in Sparta, Rome, and other places, where Riches (which with the Vanity that follows them, and the Honors men give to them, are the root of all evil) were either totally banished, or little regarded. When no other advantage attended the greatest Riches than the opportunity of living more sumptuously or deliciously, men of great Spirits slight∣ed them. When Aristippus told Cleanthes, that if he would go to Court and flatter the Tyrant, he need not seek his Supper under a hedg; the Philosopher answer'd, that he who could content him∣self with such a Supper, need not go to Court, or flatter the Ty∣rant. Epaminondas, Aristides, Phocion, and even the Lacedemonian Kings, found no inconvenience in Poverty, whilst their Virtue was honour'd, and the richest Princes in the world feared their Valour and Power. It was not difficult for Curius, Fabricius, Quintius Cincin∣natus, or Paulus Emilius, to content themselves with the narrowest Fortune, when it was no obstacle to them in the pursuit of those Honours which their Virtues deserved. 'Twas in vain to think of bribing a man who supped upon the Coleworts of his own Garden. He could not be gained by Gold, who did not think it necessary. He that could rise from the Plow to the triumphal Chariot, and conten∣tedly return thither again, could not be corrupted; and he that left the sense of his Poverty to his Executors, who found not where∣with to bury him, might leave Macedon and Greece to the pillage of his Soldiers, without taking to himself any part of the Booty. But when Luxury was brought into fashion, and they came to be honor'd who liv'd magnificently, tho they had in themselves no qualities to distinguish them from the basest of Slaves, the most virtuous men were exposed to scorn if they were poor: and that poverty which had bin the mother and nurse of their Virtue, grew insupportable. The Poet well understood what effect this change had upon the World, who said,
Nullum crimen abest facinusque libidinis, ex quo Paupertas Romana perit.Juven.
Icetus
Narcissus,
*
Eutropius
Pallas,
Claudius
Asia.
gratis:
Besides this, whosoever desires to advance himself, must use such means as are sutable to the time in which he lives, and the humour of the persons with whom he is to deal. It had bin as absurd for any man void of merit to set himself up against Junius Brutus, Cincinna∣tus, Papirius Cursor, Camillus, Fabius Maximus, or Scipio; and by bribing the Senate and People of Rome, think to be chosen Captain against the Tarquins, Tuscans, Latins, Samnites, Gauls or Carthagi∣nians, as for the most virtuous men by the most certain proofs of their Wisdom, Experience, Integrity and Valour, to expect advancement from Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, or the lewd Wretches that go∣vern'd them. They hated and feared all those that excelled in Vir∣tue, and setting themselves to destroy the best for being the best, they placed the strength of the Government in the hands of the worst, which produced the effects beforementioned. This seems to have bin so well known, that no man pretended to be great at Court, but those who had cast off all thoughts of honour and common honesty: Revertar cum Leno, Meretrix, Scurra, Cinaedus ero, said one who saw what manners prevailed there; and wheresoever they do prevail, such as will rise, must render themselves conformable in all corrup∣tion and venality. And it may be observed, that a noble Person now living amongst us, who is a great enemy to Bribery, was turned out from a considerable Office, as a scandal to the Court; for, said the principal Minister, he will make no profit of his place, and by that means casts a scandal upon those that do.
If any man say, this is not generally the fate of all Courts, I con∣fess it; and that if the Prince be just, virtuous, wise, of great Spi∣rit, and not pretending to be absolute, he may chuse such men as are not mercenary, or take such a course as may render it hard for them to deserve Bribes, or to preserve themselves from punishment, if they should deflect from his intention. And a Prince of this Age speak∣ing familiarly with some great Men about him, said, he had heard much of vast Gains made by those who were near to Princes, and asked if they made the like? one of them answer'd, that they were as willing as others to get something, but that no man would give them a farthing; for every one finding a free admittance to his Maje∣sty, no man needed a Sollicitor: And it was no less known that he did of himself grant those things that were just, than that none of them had so much credit as to promote such as were not so. I will not say such a King is a Phenix; perhaps more than one may be found in an Age; but they are certainly rare, and all that is good in their Go∣vernment proceeding from the excellency of their personal Virtues, it must fail when that Virtue fails, which was the root of it. Expe∣rience shews how little we can rely upon such a help; for where Crowns are hereditary, Children seldom prove like to their Fathers; and such as are elective have also their defects. Many seem to be modest and innocent in private Fortunes, who prove corrupt and vicious when they are raised to Power. The violence, pride and malice of Saul, was never discover'd till the people had placed him in the Throne. But where the Government is Absolute, or the Prince endeavours to make it so, this integrity can never be found: He will always seek such as are content to depend upon his Will, which being always unruly, good men will never comply; ill men will be paid for it, and that opens a gap to all manner of corruption. Something like to this may befal regular Monarchies, or popular Go∣vernments. They who are placed in the principal Offices of trust may be treacherous; and when they are so, they will always by these means seek to gain Partizans and dependents upon themselves. Their designs being corrupt, they must be carried on by corruption; But such as would support Monarchy in its regularity, or popu∣lar Governments, must oppose it, or be destroy'd by it. And no∣thing can better manifest how far Absolute Monarchies are more sub∣ject to this venality and corruption than the regular and popular Go∣vernments, than that they are rooted in the principle of the one, which cannot subsist without them; and are so contrary to the others, that they must certainly perish unless they defend themselves from them.
If any man be so far of another opinion, as to believe that Brutus, Camillus, Scipio, Fabius, Hannibal, Pericles, Aristides, Agesilaus, Epaminondas or Pelopidas, were as easily corrupted as Sejanus, Tigel∣linus, Vinnius or Laco: That the Senate and People of Rome, Car∣thage, Athens, Sparta or Thebes, were to be bought at as easy rates as one profligate Villain, a Slave, an Eunuch or a Whore; or tho it was not in former Ages, yet it is so now: he may be pleased to con∣sider by what means men now rise to places of Judicature, Church∣preferment, or any Offices of trust, honour or profit under those Monarchies which we know, that either are or would be absolute. Let him examine how all the Offices of Justice are now disposed in France; how Mazarin came to be advanced; what traffick he made of Abbies and Bishopricks, and what treasures he gained by that means: Whether the like has not continued since his death, and as a laudable Example been transmitted to us since his Majesty's happy restauration: Whether Bawds, Whores, Thieves, Buffoons, Para∣sites, and such vile wretches as are naturally mercenary, have not more Power at Whitehal, Versailles, the Vatican, and the Escurial, than in Venice, Amsterdam, and Switzerland: Whether H-de, Arl-ng-t-n, D-nby, their Graces of Cleveland and Portsmouth, S-nd-rl-nd, Jenkins or Chiffinch, could probably have attained such Power as they have had amongst us, if it had bin disposed by the Suffrages of the Parliament and People: Or lastly, Whether such as know only how to work upon the personal Vices of a man, have more influence upon one who happens to be born in a reigning Family, or upon a Senate consisting of men chosen for their Virtues and Quality, or the whole Body of a Nation.
But if he who possesses or affects an absolute Power be by his in∣terest led to introduce that corruption which the People, Senate, and Magistrates who uphold Popular Governments abhor, as that which threaten• them with destruction: if the example, arts, and means used by him and his dependents be of wonderful efficacy towards the introduction of it: if nothing but an admirable Virtue, which can hardly be in one that enjoys or desires such a Power, can divert him from that design; and if such Virtue never did, nor probably ever will continue long in any one Family, we cannot rationally believe there ever was a race of men invested with, or possessing such a Power, or that there will ever be any who have not, and will not endeavour to introduce that corruption, which is so necessary for the defence of their Persons, and most important Concernments, and certainly accomplish their great Design, unless they are opposed or removed.