Amonghissubjects，someareappointedbytheconstitution，andothersareelectedbythepeople，tocarryontheexerciseofthelegislativepowerjointlywithhim，andtocontroltheexecutivepowerindependentlyonhim。
　　Thusyourlordshipisbornamemberofthatorderofmen，inwhomathirdpartofthesupremePowerofthegovernmentresides：andyourrighttotheexerciseofthepowerbelongingtothisordernotbeingyetopened，youarechosenintoanotherbodyofmen，whohavedifferentpowerandadifferentconstitution，butwhopossessanotherthirdpartofthesupremelegislativeauthority，foraslongatimeasthecommissionortrustdelegatedtothembythepeoplelasts。Freemen，whoareneitherhorntothefirst，norelectedtothelast，havearighthowevertocomplain，torepresent，topetition，and，Iadd，eventodomoreincasesoftheutmostextremity。Forsuretherecannotbeagreaterabsurdity，thantoaffirm，thatthepeoplehavearemedyinresistance，whentheirprinceattemptstoenslavethem；butthattheyhavenone，whentheirrepresentativessellthemselvesandthem。
　　ThesumofwhatIhavebeensayingis，that，infreegovernments，thepublicserviceisnotconfinedtothosewhomtheprinceappointstodifferentpostsintheadministrationunderhim；thattherethecareofthestateisthecareofmultitudes；thatmanyarecalledtoitinaparticularmannerbytheirrank，andbyothercircumstancesoftheirsituation；andthateventhosewhomtheprinceappointsarenotonlyanswerabletohim，but，likehim，andbeforehim，tothenation，fortheirbehaviorintheirseveralposts。
　　Itcanneverbeimpertinentnorridiculousthereforeinsuchacountry，whateveritmightbeintheabbotofSt。Real’s，whichwasSavoyIthink；orinPeru，undertheIncas，where，GarcilassodelaVegasays，itwaslawfulfornonebutthenobilitytostudy——formenofalldegreestoinstructthemselvesinthoseaffairswhereintheymaybeactors，orjudgesofthosethatact，orcontrollersofthosethatjudge。Onthecontrary，itisincumbentoneverymantoinstructhimself，aswellasthemeansandopportunitieshehaspermit，concerningthenatureandinterestsofthegovernment，andthoserightsanddutiesthatbelongtohim，ortohissuperiors，ortohisinferiors。Thisingeneral；butinparticularitiscertainthattheobligationsunderwhichwelietoserveourcountryincrease，inproportiontotherankswebold，andtheothercircumstancesofbirth，fortune，andsituationthatcallustothisservice；and，aboveall，tothetalentswhichGodhasgivenustoperformit。
　　Itisinthisview，thatIshalladdresstoyourlordshipwhateverIhavefurthertosayonthestudyofhistory。
　　LETTER6
　　FromWhatPeriodModernHistoryisPeculiarlyUsefultotheServiceofourCountry，Viz。；FromtheEndoftheFifteenthCenturytothePresent。
　　TheDivisionofThisintoThreeParticularPeriods：InOrdertoaSketchoftheHistoryandStateofEuropefromthatTime。
　　Sincethenyouare，mylord，byyourbirth，bythenatureofourgovernment，andbythetalentsGodhasgivenyou，attachedforlifetotheserviceofyourcountry；sincegeniusalonecannotenableyoutogothroughthisservicewithhonortoyourselfandadvantagetoyourcountry，whetheryousupportorwhetheryouopposetheadministrationsthatarise；sinceagreatstockofknowledge，acquiredbetimesandcontinuallyimproved，isnecessarytothisend；andsinceonepartofthisstockmustbecollectedfromthestudyofhistory，astheotherpartistobegainedbyobservationandexperience；
　　Icomenowtospeaktoyourlordshipofsuchhistoryashasanimmediaterelationtothegreatdutyandbusinessofyourlife，andofthemethodtobeobservedinthisstudy。ThenotesIhavebyme，whichwereofsomelittleusethusfar，servemenofarther，andIhavenobookstoconsult。Nomatter；
　　Ishallbeabletoexplainmythoughtswithouttheirassistance，andlessliabletobetedious。Ihopetobeasfullandasexactonmemoryalone，asthemannerinwhichIshalltreatthesubjectrequiresmetobe。
　　Isay，then，thathowevercloselyaffairsarelinkedtogetherintheprogressionofgovernments，andhowmuchsoevereventsthatfollowaredependentonthosethatprecede，thewholeconnectiondiminishestosightasthechainlengthens；
　　tillatlastitseemstobebroken，andthelinksthatarecontinuedfromthatpointbearnoproportionnoranysimilitudetotheformer。Iwouldnotbeunderstoodtospeakonlyofthosegreatchangesthatarewroughtbyaconcurrenceofextraordinaryevents：forinstance，theexpulsionofonenation，thedestructionofonegovernment，andtheestablishmentofanother：butevenofthosethatarewroughtinthesamegovernmentsandamongthesamepeople，slowlyandalmostimperceptibly，bythenecessaryeffectsoftime，andfluxconditionofhumanaffairs。Whensuchchangesasthesehappeninseveralstatesaboutthesametime，andconsequentlyaffectotherstatesbytheirvicinity，andbymanydifferentrelationswhichtheyfrequentlybeartooneanother；thenisoneofthoseperiodsformed，atwhichthechainspokenofissobrokenastohavelittleornorealorvisibleconnectionwiththatwhichweseecontinue。Anewsituation，differentfromtheformer，begetsnewinterestsinthesameproportionofdifference；notinthisorthatparticularstatealone，butinallthosethatareconcernedbyvicinityorotherrelations，asIsaidjustnow，inonegeneralsystemofpolicy。
　　Newinterestsbegetnewmaximsofgovernment，andnewmethodsofconduct。
　　These，intheirturns，begetnewmanners，newhabits，newcustoms。Thelongerthisnewconstitutionofaffairscontinues，themorewillthisdifferenceincrease：andalthoughsomeanalogymayremainlongbetweenwhatprecededandwhatsucceedssuchaperiod，yetwillthisanalogysoonbecomeanobjectofmerecuriosity，notofprofitableinquiry。Suchaperiodthereforeis，inthetruesenseofthewords，anepochaoranera，apointoftimeatwhichyoustop，orfromwhichyoureckonforward。Isayforward；becausewearenottostudyinthepresentcase，aschronologerscompute，backward。Shouldwepersisttocarryourresearchesmuchhigher，andtopushthemeventosomeotherperiodofthesamekind，weshouldmisemployourtime；thecausesthenlaidhavingspentthemselves，theseriesofeffectsderivedfromthembeingover，andourconcerninbothconsequentlyatanend。Butanewsystemofcausesandeffects，thatsubsistsinourtime，andwhereofourconductistobeapart，arisingatthelastperiod，andallthatpassesinourtimebeingdependentonwhathaspassedsincethatperiod，orbeingimmediatelyrelativetoit，weareextremelyconcernedtobewellinformedaboutallthesepassages。Tobeentirelyignorantabouttheagesthatprecedethiserawouldbeshameful。Nay，someindulgencemaybehadtoatemperatecuriosityinthereviewofthem。Buttobelearnedaboutthemisaridiculousaffectationinanymanwhomeanstobeusefultothepresentage。Downtothiseraletusreadhistory：fromthisera，anddowntoourtime，letusstudyit。
　　TheendofthefifteenthcenturyseemstobejustsuchaperiodasIhavebeendescribing，forthosewholiveintheeighteenth，andwhoinhabitthewesternpartsofEurope。Alittlebefore，oralittleafterthispointoftime，allthoseeventshappened，andallthoserevolutionsbegan，thathaveproducedsovastachangeinthemanners，customs，andinterestsofparticularnations，andinthewholepolicy，ecclesiasticalandcivil，ofthesepartsoftheworld。Imustdescendhereintosomedetail，notofhistories，collections，ormemorials；forallthesearewellenoughknown：andthoughthecontentsareintheheadsoffew，thebooksareinthehandsofmany。Butinsteadofshowingyourlordshipwheretolook，Ishallcontributemoretoyourentertainmentandinstruction，bymarkingout，aswellasmymemorywillservemetodoit，whatyouaretolookfor，andbyfurnishingakindofcluetoyourstudies。
　　Ishallgive，accordingtocustom，thefirstplacetoreligion。
　　AViewoftheEcclesiaticalGovernmentofEuropefromtheBeginningoftheSixteenthCenturyObservethen，mylord，thatthedemolitionofthepapalthronewasnotattemptedwithsuccesstillthebeginningofthesixteenthcentury。Ifyouarecurioustocastyoureyesback，youwillfindBerengerintheeleventh，whowassoonsilenced；Arnoldusinthesame，whowassoonhanged；Valdointhetwelfth，andourWickliffinthefourteenth，aswellasothersperhapswhomIdonotrecollect。Sometimesthedoctrinesofthechurchwerealoneattacked；andsometimesthedoctrine，thediscipline，andtheusurpationsofthepope。Butlittlefires，kindledincornersofadarkworld，weresoonstifledbythatgreatabettorofChristianunity，thehangman。Whentheyspreadandblazedout，asinthecaseoftheAlbigeoisandoftheHussites，armieswereraisedtoextinguishthembytorrentsofblood；andsuchsaintsasDominic，withthecrucifixintheirhands，instigatedthetroopstotheutmostbarbarity。YourlordshipwillfindthatthechurchofRomewasmaintainedbysuchcharitableandsalutarymeans，amongothers，tilltheperiodspokenof；andyouwillbecurious，Iamsure，toinquirehowthisperiodcametobemorefataltoherthananyformerconjuncture。Amultitudeofcircumstances，whichyouwilleasilytraceinthehistoriesofthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies，togonofurtherback，concurredtobringaboutthisgreatevent：
　　andamultitudeofothers，aseasytobetraced，concurredtohinderthedemolitionfrombecomingtotal，andtopropthetotteringfabric。Amongthesecircumstances，thereisonelesscomplicatedandmoreobviousthanothers，whichwasofprincipalanduniversalinfluence。Theartofprintinghadbeeninventedaboutfortyorfiftyyearsbeforetheperiodwefix：fromthattime，theresurrectionoflettershastenedonapace；andatthisperiodtheyhadmadegreatprogress，andwerecultivatedwithgreatapplication。MahomettheSeconddrovethemoutoftheeastintothewest；andthepopesprovedworsepoliticiansthanthemuftiesinthisrespect。NicholastheFifthencouragedlearningandlearnedmen。SixtustheFourthwas，ifImistakenot，agreatcollectorofbooksatleast：andLeotheTenthwasthepatronofeveryartandscience。Themagiciansthemselvesbrokethecharmbywhichtheyhadboundmankindforsomanyages：andtheadventureofthatknight-errant，who，thinkinghimselfhappyinthearmsofacelestialnymph，foundthathewasthemiserableslaveofaninfernalbag，wasinsomesortrenewed。Assoonasthemeansofacquiringandspreadinginformationgrewcommon，itisnowonderthatasystemwasunravelled，whichcouldnothavebeenwovenwithsuccessinanyages，butthoseofgrossignorance，andcreduloussuperstition。Imightpointouttoyourlordshipmanyotherimmediatecauses，somegenerallikethisthatIhavementioned，andsomeparticular。Thegreatschism，forinstance，thatendedinthebeginningofthefifteenthcentury，andinthecouncilofConstance，hadoccasionedprodigiousscandal。TwoorthreevicarsofChrist，twoorthreeinfallibleheadsofthechurchroamingabouttheworldatatime，furnishedmatterofridiculeaswellasscandal：andwhilsttheyappealed，forsotheydidineffect，tothelaity，andreproachedandexcommunicatedoneanother，theytaughttheworldwhattothinkoftheinstitution，aswellasexerciseofthepapalauthority。ThesamelessonwastaughtbythecouncilofPisa，thatpreceded，andbythatofBasle，thatfollowedthecouncilofConstance。ThehorridcrimesofAlexandertheSixth，thesaucyambitionofJuliustheSecond，theimmenseprofusionandscandalousexactionsofLeotheTenth；alltheseeventsandcharacters，followinginacontinuedseriesfromthebeginningofonecentury，providedthewayfortherevolutionthathappenedinthebeginningofthenext。ThestateofGermany，thestateofEngland，andthatoftheNorth，wereparticularcausesintheseseveralcountries，ofthisrevolution。Suchweremanyremarkableeventsthathappenedaboutthesametime，andalittlebeforeit，intheseandinothernations；andsuchwerelikewisethecharactersofmanyoftheprincesofthatage，someofwhomfavoredthereformation，liketheelectorofSaxony，onaprincipleofconscience；andmostofwhomfavoredit，justasothersopposedit，onaprincipleofinterest。Thisyourlordshipwilldiscovermanifestlytohavebeenthecase；andthesoledifferenceyouwillfindbetweenHenrytheEighthandFrancistheFirst，oneofwhomseparatedfromthepope，astheotheradheredtohim，isthis：HenrytheEighthdivided，withthesecularclergyandhispeople，thespoilofthepope，andhissatellites，themonks；FrancistheFirstdivided，withthepope，thespoilofhisclergy，secularandregular，andofhispeople。Withthesameimpartialeyethatyourlordshipsurveystheabusesofreligion，andthecorruptionsofthechurchaswellascourtofRome，whichbroughtonthereformationatthisperiod；youwillobservethecharactersandconductofthosewhobegan，whopropagated，andwhofavoredthereformation：andfromyourobservationofthese，aswellasoftheunsystematicalmannerinwhichitwascarriedonatthesametimeinvariousplaces，andofthewantofconcert，nayevenofcharity，amongthereformers，youwilllearnwhattothinkoftheseveralreligionsthatuniteintheiroppositiontotheRoman，andyethateoneanothermostheartily；whattothinkoftheseveralsectsthathavesprouted，likesuckers，fromthesamegreatroots；