An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson].

  • Adam Ferguson
Date:
1789
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    over a refra&ory and a turbulent people is eftab- liflied or maintained? And is death the greateft calamity -which can afflict mankind under ail eftablifflment by which they are diverted of all their rights? They are, indeed, frequently fuffered to live; but diftruft, and jealoufy, the fenfe of per- fonal meannefs , and the anxieties which arife from the care of a wretched intereft, are made to portefs the foul; every citizen is reduced to a have; and every charm by which the commu- nity engaged its members, lias ceafed to exirt. Obedience is the only duty that remains, and this is exacrted by force. If under fuch an eftablifhment, it be neceffary to witnefs fcenes of debafement and horror , at the hazard of catching the infec- tion , death becomes a relief; and the libation which Thrafea was made to pour from his arteries, is to be conrtdered as a proper facrifice of grati- tude to Jove the Deliverer * Oppression and cruelty are not always necef- fary to defpotical government; and even when prefenfr, are but a part of its evils. It is founded on corruption, and on the fupprefflon of all die civil and the political virtues; it requires its fub- jedls to adt from motives of fear; it. would affuage the paffions of a few men at the expence of man- * Porredtifque utriufque orachii venis, poftquam cnioretn effudit, humuin fuper fpargens , proprius vocato Ouasftore, Liber,ms, inquit, Jovi Liberatori. Spedta juvenis ; ■ et omen quidem Dii prohibeant; ceeterum in ea tempore nattis es, quibus firmare aninium dec.eat conftantibus exemphs* Tacit. Ann. lib. 16. kind ;
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