real Good promised them in Confequence of their keeping the Law: A Good that ought to be clearly and diftinctly understood, and freely accepted, without either Seduction or Violence; whereby all the pretended Strength of the Laws, derived from Fear, is totally fubverted and deftroyed. I do not carry this Reflection farther, because fome Civilians feem to look upon the People as Beafts: The most moderate are pleased to confider them as Babes Yet, with their Leave, we fhould look upon them as Men, weak by Nature, and infirm through their own Fault. are not Contracts made with fick Perfons, that are neither Ideots nor delirious? Witness their Wills and Teftaments.

But

HAT by which Men are intelli

gent, amorous and active, they

T call Spirit: Therefore Men fhould call Spirit, in Animals,

Vegetables, and Minerals, that

fubtile, imperceptible, and ever-moving Corpuscle, which discloses in thefe Bodies the Marks and external Signs of the human Intelligence, Love, and Activity. Thus, rela

tively to Laws, that only can be conceived to be their Spirit, which renders them intelligible, endearing, and active; that is, their chief and univerfal Object, which can be no other than the Happiness of Mankind, a real, compleat, and permanent Happiness; and, if this be unattainable, to come as near to it as is by any Means poffible, that Men may be less wretched în unavoidable Evils, and more happy in their Enjoyments.

I QUESTION Whether Laws may be faid to have any other End; and am apt to think, that Men would make light of an Order or Decree which did not recommend itself by fome Relation to their Happiness, but much more if directly repugnant to their comfortable Subfiftence. If inhuman Tyrants have fometimes enacted fuch Laws, enforcing them by the moft terrible Menacès, 'twas but a Blast, spending itself by its own Violence, and exciting a general Deteftation: So that it is unnatural to affign any other Ends to Laws, than the Happinefs of thofe Men for whom they are made. This muft foon or late appear in any Law that ever was or can be made. may fometimes be wide of the

Legiflators Mark, but

they

they always take the like Aim; their Intentions, at least, cannot be abfolutely oppofite.

WHETHER Man be fufceptible of a real, compleat, and permanent Good, is what I I fhall not difpute: But I believe it will be readily granted, that every Man would with the Good were such, if he had Hopes of ob:taining it: So that it is nothing but Hope that determines the Importance of this Object. In effect, no Man of a found Mind would prefer a chimerical to a real, a partial to a compleat, and a tranfitory to an everlasting Good, when he is perfuaded that he may obtain it. The chimerical, the partial, and the tranfitory Goods, would, in Comparison of the real, compleat, and everlasting, be accounted reaf Evils, if any Compulfion forced Men to take up with the former, inftead of the latter: But under a Want of the latter, the former are Goods; and juft fo we reason of Evils. The lefs fharp and lafting, the more eligible; efpecially when to fubmit to thefe, seems the only Means to avoid others more violent, and of a very long Continuance; or when we think these light and fhort-lived Evils lead to the Attainment of our most interesting Views.

THAT