He that Exposes the Arts of Government to the people, does in Effect
Appeal to ’em, and give the Multitude some sort of Right to Judge of,
and to Censure the Actions of their Superiors. For what is any thing
Publish’d for, but to be Read, and to lye consequently at the Mercy of
the Reader how to Understand it? As if the Author should say, Gentlemen,
here’s a _Scheme_ of _Politicks_ Submitted to your Grave Consideration,
pray’e what’s your Opinion on’t? Can any Body think, that in a Question
of State Exhibited after this manner, the _Mobile_ will not determine
in their Own Favour, and Clap what _Bias_ upon the Proposition they
themselves please? So that let the Matter be Handled never so Tenderly,
’tis a main Point lost yet; the very Admittance of the Common People
into the Council, and allowing them to be of the _Quorum_. _Matchiavel_
Excuses himself well enough, as to any thing of _Malice_ in his
Discourses; for (says he) these Maxims are none of My Invention, neither
has any Man living a Greater Abhorrence for those Poysonous Doctrins then
my Self; but my Writings are only Historical Notes and Abstracts drawn
from the Life of an Universal Practice. Now the Hazzard and the Mischief
is this, that in all these Cases, Men are Apt to take things by the
Wrong Handle, and raise Arguments for their Own Advantage. And that’s the
Moral of _Matchiavel_’s putting _Dogs Teeth_ by Night into the Mouths of
the _Sheep_: That is to say, ’tis a Sly way of Irritating Subjects to
fall foul upon their Rulers, which certainly is a Crime Unpardonable in
any State.