ADVERTISEMENT TO THE THIRD EDITION,

I NOW prefent the following Work to the Public a third time, rendered, I hope, lefs unworthy of their favor. Of Literary Criticifm it does not become me to queftion the juftice, but Moral Animadverfion I feel it due to myself to notice.

The vulgar clamor which has been raised with fuch malignant art against the friends of Freedom, as the apostles of turbulence and fedition, has not even spared the obfcurity of my name. To firangers I can only vindicate myself by defying the authors of fuch clamors to difcover one paffage in this volume not in the highest degree favorable to peace and stable government. Those to whom I am known would, I believe, be flow to impute any fentiments of violence to a temper which the partiality of my friends must confefs to be indolent, and the hoftility of enemies will not deny to be mild.

I have been accused, by valuable friends, of treating with ungenerous levity the misfortunes of the Royal Family of France. They will not however suppose me capable of deliberately violating the facredness of mifery in a palace or a cottage; and I fincerely lament that I should have been betrayed into expressions which admitted that conftruction.

Little Ealing, August 28, 1791.

INTRODUCTION.

HE late opinions of Mr. Burke fur

TH

nished more matter of astonishment to those who had distantly observed, than to those who had correctly examined the fyftem of his former political life. An abhorrence for abstract politics, a predilection for ariftocracy, and a dread of innovation, have ever been among the most facred articles of his public creed. It was not likely that at his age he should abandon to the invafion of audacious novelties, opinions which he had received fo early, and maintained fo long, which had been fortified by the applause of the great, and the affent of the wife, which he had dictated to fo many illustrious pupils, and fupported against fo many distinguished opponents. Men who early attain eminence, repofe in their first creed.

A

Creed. They neglect the progress of the hu man mind fubfequent to its adoption, and when, as in the present cafe, it has burst forth into action, they regard it as a tranfient madnefs, worthy only of pity or derifion. They mistake it for a mountain torrent that will

pass away with the storm that gave it birth. They know not that it is the ftream of human opinion in omne volubilis ævum, which the acceffion of every day will swell, which is deftined to fweep into the fame oblivion. the refiftance of learned sophistry, and of powerful oppreffion.

But there still remained ample matter of astonishment in the Philippic of Mr. Burke. He might deplore the fanguinary exceffes-he might deride the visionary policy that seemed to him to tarnish the luftre of the Revolution, but it was hard to have supposed that he should have exhausted against it every epithet of contumely and opprobium that language

сан

can furnish to indignation; that the rage of his declamation should not for one moment have been fufpended; that his heart, should not be tray one faint glow of triumph, at the splendid and glorious delivery of fo great a people. All was invective-the authors, and admirers of the Revolution every man who did not execrate it, even his own most enlightened and accomplished friends, were devoted to odium and ignominy.

This speech did not stoop to argument-the whole was dogmatical and authoritative; the caufe feemed decided without difcuffion; the anathema fulminated before trial. But the ground of the opinions of this famous fpeech, which, if we may believe a foreign journalist, will form an epoch in the history of the eccentricities of the human mind, was impatiently expected in a work foon after announced. The name of the author, the importance of the fubject, and the fingularity of his opinions,

all contributed to inflame the public curiofity, which though it languished in a fubfequent delay, has been revived by the appearance, and will be rewarded by the perusal of the work.

It is certainly in every respect a performance, of which to form a correct eftimate, would prove one of the most arduous efforts of critical fkill. "We fcarcely can praise it, 86 or blame it too much." Argument every where dextrous and fpecious, fometimes grave and profound, cloathed in the most rich and various imagery, and aided by the most pathetic and picturefque defcription, fpeaks the opulence and the powers of that mind, of which age has neither dimmed the difcernment nor enfeebled the fancy, neither repres fed the ardor, nor narrowed the range. Vi rulent encomiums on urbanity, and inflammatory harangues against violence; homilies of moral and religious mysticism, better adapted

1

to