THE

CONTENTS

OF THE

FIRST VOLUME.

ESSAYS, MORAL, POLITICAL, AND LITERARY,

PART L

Effay

OF

Page

1

6

I. F the Delicacy of Tafle and Paffion,

II. Of the Liberty of the Press,

III. That Politics may be reduced to a Science,

IV. Of the First Principles of Government,

V. Of the Origin of Government,

VI. Of the independence of Parliament,

VII. Whether the British Government inclines

10

27

33

38

more to Abfolute Monarchy, or to a Republic, 44

VIII. Of Parties in General,

IX. Of the Parties of Great Britain,

51

61

Effay

X. Of Superftition and Enthufiafm,

XI. Of the Dignity or Meannefs of Human

Page

70

Nature,

XII. Of Civil Liberty,

XIII. Of Eloquence,

77

86

97

XIV. Of the Rife and Progrefs of the Arts

and Sciences,

112

MORAL, POLITICAL, AND LITERARY

PARTI'.

ESSAY I

OF THE DELICACY OF TASTE AND PASSION,

SOME people are fubject to a certain delicacy

of paffion, which makes them extremely fenfible to all the accidents of life, and gives them a lively joy upon every profperous event, as well as a piercing grief when they meet with misfortunes and adverfity. Favors and good offices eafily engage their friendship; while the fmalleft injury provokes their refentment. Any honor or mark of diftinction elevates them above meafure; but they are as fenfibly touched with contempt. People of this character have, no doubt, more lively enjoyments, as well as more pungent forrows, than men of cool and fedate tempers: But, I believe, when every thing is balanced, there is no one who would not rather be of the latter character were he entirely mafter of his own difpofition.

I PUBLISHED in 1742,

VOL. I.

B