advantage with them, that they are simple; if the people suffer,



they know the head from which their suffering springs, know likewise

the remedy, and are not bewildered by a variety of causes and cures.



But the constitution of England is so exceedingly complex,

that the nation may suffer for years together without being able to discover



in which part the fault lies; some will say in one and some in another,

and every political physician will advise a different medicine.



I know it is difficult to get over local or long standingprejudices,

yet if we will suffer ourselves to examine the component parts of the



English constitution, we shall find them to be the base remains of two

ancient tyrannies, compounded with some new republican materials.



FIRST - The remains of monarchial tyranny in the person of the king.

SECONDLY - The remains of aristocratical tyranny in the persons of the peers.



THIRDLY - The new republican materials in the persons of the commons,

on whose virtue depends the freedom of England.



The two first, by being hereditary, are independent of the people;

wherefore in a CONSTITUTIONAL SENSE they contribute nothing towards



the freedom of the state.

To say that the constitution of England is a UNION of three powers



reciprocally CHECKING each other, is farcical, either the words have

no meaning, or they are flat contradictions.



To say that the commons is a check upon the king, presupposes two things:

FIRST - That the king is not to be trusted without being looked after,



or in other words, that a thirst for absolute power is the natural

disease of monarchy.



SECONDLY - That the commons, by being appointed for that purpose,

are either wiser or more worthy of confidence than the crown.



But as the same constitution which gives the commons a power to check

the king by withholding the supplies, gives afterwards the king a power



to check the commons, by empowering him to reject their other bills;

it again supposes that the king is wiser than those whom it has already



supposed to be wiser than him. A mere absurdity!

There is something exceedinglyridiculous in the composition of monarchy;



it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him

to act in cases where the highest judgment is required. The state of a king



shuts him from the world, yet the business of a king requires him to know

it thoroughly; wherefore the different parts, by unnaturally opposing



and destroying each other, prove the whole character to be absurd and useless.

Some writers have explained the English constitution thus: The king,



say they, is one, the people another; the peers are a house in behalf

of the king, the commons in behalf of the people; but this hath all



the distinctions of a house divided against itself; and though

the expressions be pleasantly arranged, yet when examined,



they appear idle and ambiguous; and it will always happen,

that the nicest construction that words are capable of,



when applied to the description of some thing which either

cannot exist, or is too incomprehensible to be within



the compass of description, will be words of sound only,

and though they may amuse the ear, they cannot inform the mind,



for this explanation includes a previous question, viz.

HOW CAME THE KING BY A POWER WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST,



AND ALWAYS OBLIGED TO CHECK? Such a power could not be the gift

of a wise people, neither can any power, WHICH NEEDS CHECKING,



be from God; yet the provision, which the constitution makes,

supposes such a power to exist.



But the provision is unequal to the task; the means either cannot

or will not accomplish the end, and the whole affair is a felo de se;



for as the greater weight will always carry up the less, and as all

the wheels of a machine are put in motion by one, it only remains to know

• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• procure [prə´kjuə] v.获得；完(达)成；实现 (初中英语单词)


• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• parliament [´pɑ:ləmənt] n.议(国)会 (初中英语单词)


• combination [,kɔmbi´neiʃən] n.结合；联合；团体 (初中英语单词)


• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• triumph [´traiəmf] n.胜利 vi.得胜，战胜 (初中英语单词)


• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)


• doctrine [´dɔktrin] n.教义；主义；学说 (初中英语单词)


• performance [pə´fɔ:məns] n.履行；行为；工作 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• origin [´ɔridʒin] n.起源；由来；出身 (初中英语单词)


• distinction [di´stiŋkʃən] n.差别；特征；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)


• paradise [´pærədais] n.天堂；乐园 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• excite [ik´sait] vt.激动；引起，招惹 (初中英语单词)


• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)


• timber [´timbə] n.木材；木料；横梁 (初中英语单词)


• hunger [´hʌŋgə] n.饥饿；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• perish [´periʃ] v.灭亡；消灭；(使)死去 (初中英语单词)


• proportion [prə´pɔ:ʃən] n.比率 vt.使成比例 (初中英语单词)


• convenient [kən´vi:niənt] a.方便的 (初中英语单词)


• assemble [ə´sembəl] v.聚集；装配；调整 (初中英语单词)


• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)


• govern [´gʌvən] v.统治；控制；指导 (初中英语单词)


• constitution [,kɔnsti´tju:ʃən] n.宪法；体格；体质 (初中英语单词)


• glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)


• rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)


• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• variety [və´raiəti] n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词)


• physician [fi´ziʃən] n.(内科)医生 (初中英语单词)


• advise [əd´vaiz] vt.忠告；建议；通知 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• contribute [kən´tribju:t] v.贡献出；投稿；捐献 (初中英语单词)


• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• absolute [´æbsəlu:t] a.绝对的 n.绝对 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• absurd [əb´sə:d] a.荒谬的，可笑的 (初中英语单词)


• construction [kən´strʌkʃən] n.建设；修建；结构 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• description [di´skripʃən] n.描写 (初中英语单词)


• compass [´kʌmpəs] n.指南针；圆规 (初中英语单词)


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


• previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)


• provision [prə´viʒən] n.供应；规定；条款 (初中英语单词)


• fashionable [´fæʃənəbəl] a.流行的，时髦的 (高中英语单词)


• formidable [´fɔ:midəbəl] a.可怕的；艰难的 (高中英语单词)


• tumult [´tju:mʌlt, ´tu:-] n.喧哗；激昂；烦乱 (高中英语单词)


• reject [ri´dʒekt] vt.拒绝；抵制；否决 (高中英语单词)


• desolate [´desəleit] a.荒凉的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• regardless [ri´gɑ:dləs] a.不留心的；不关心的 (高中英语单词)


• publication [,pʌbli´keiʃən] n.发表；公布；发行 (高中英语单词)


• edition [i´diʃən] n.版本；很相似的 (高中英语单词)


• considerably [kən´sidərəbli] ad.显著地；十分 (高中英语单词)


• concise [kən´sais] a.简明的；简洁的 (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• patron [´peitrən] n.庇护人，保护人；赞助人 (高中英语单词)


• innocence [´inəsəns] n.无罪；天真 (高中英语单词)


• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)


• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• defect [di´fekt, ´di:fekt] n.缺点，不足 (高中英语单词)


• deliberate [di´libəreit] a.慎重的；故意的 (高中英语单词)


• penalty [´penlti] n.刑罚；惩罚；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• convenience [kən´vi:niəns] n.方便；适当的机会 (高中英语单词)


• legislative [´ledʒislətiv] a.立法的 (高中英语单词)


• prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)


• community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)


• namely [´neimli] ad.即，也就是 (高中英语单词)


• prejudice [´predʒədis] n.偏见；不利 vt.损害 (高中英语单词)


• darken [´dɑ:kən] v.变黑，转暗 (高中英语单词)


• liable [´laiəbəl] a.易于…的；有责任的 (高中英语单词)


• tyranny [´tirəni] n.暴政；专制政治 (高中英语单词)


• remedy [´remidi] n.药品 vt.医治；减轻 (高中英语单词)


• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)


• component [kəm´pəunənt] a.组成的；成分 (高中英语单词)


• constitutional [,kɔnsti´tju:ʃənəl] a.法治的；体质的 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• composition [,kɔmpə´ziʃən] n.写作；作曲；作品 (高中英语单词)


• behalf [bi´hɑ:f] n.利益 (高中英语单词)


• pleasantly [´plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)


• pamphlet [´pæmflit] n.小册子 (英语四级单词)


• censure [´senʃə] vt.&n.责备；非难 (英语四级单词)


• intercourse [´intəkɔ:s] n.交际；往来；交流 (英语四级单词)


• intolerable [in´tɔlərəb(ə)l] a.无法忍受的 (英语四级单词)


• prudence [´pru:dəns] n.谨慎；慎重；节俭 (英语四级单词)


• unequal [ʌn´i:kwəl] a.不平等的；不同的 (英语四级单词)


• disable [dis´eibl] vt.使残废 (英语四级单词)


• surmount [sə´maunt] vt.克服；越过 (英语四级单词)


• attachment [ə´tætʃmənt] n.附着；附件；爱慕 (英语四级单词)


• augment [ɔ:g´ment] v.扩大，增加 n.增加 (英语四级单词)


• fidelity [fi´deliti] n.忠实；精确；保真度 (英语四级单词)


• overturn [,əuvə´tə:n] v.打翻；颠覆 (英语四级单词)


• imperfect [im´pə:fikt] a.不完全的；未完成的 (英语四级单词)


• incapable [in´keipəbəl] a.无能力的；不能的 (英语四级单词)


• republican [ri´pʌblikən] a.共和国的 n.共和论者 (英语四级单词)


• hereditary [hi´reditəri] a.遗传的；世袭的 (英语四级单词)


• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• thereto [ðeə´tu:] ad.到那里；另外 (英语六级单词)


• inconvenient [,inkən´vi:niənt] a.不方便的 (英语六级单词)


• propriety [prə´praiəti] n.正当；合适；礼貌 (英语六级单词)


• interchange [,intə´tʃeindʒ] vt.交换；兑换 n.交换 (英语六级单词)


• inability [,inə´biliti] n.无能，无力 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)