Whenhedemandedthatagreatershareofinfluenceshouldbegiventothepeople，healwaystookforgrantedthattheirpowerwouldbeusedtodiminishtheactivityofthesovereignpower；thattherewouldbelessgovernmentandthereforelessjobbery，lessinterferencewithfreespeechandfreeaction，andsmallerperquisitestobebestowedinreturnforthenecessaryservices。
　　Thepeoplewouldusetheirauthoritytotiethehandsoftherulers，andlimitthemstrictlytotheirproperandnarrowfunctions。
　　Theabsence，again，oftheideaofastateinanyothersenseimpliesanothertendency。The’idea’wasnotrequired，Englishmenwereconcernedratherwithdetailsthanwithfirstprinciples。Satisfied，inageneralway，withtheirconstitution，theydidnotwanttobebotheredwiththeories。
　　Abstractandabsolutedoctrinesofright，whenimportedfromFrance，fellflatupontheaverageEnglishman。Hewaseagerenoughtodiscusstheutilityofthisorthatpartofthemachinery，butwithoutinquiringintofirstprinciplesofmechanism。Theargumentfrom’utility’dealswithconcretefacts，andpresupposesanacceptanceofsomecommoncriterionoftheuseful。Theconstantdiscussionofpoliticalmattersinparliamentandthepressimpliedatacitacceptanceonallhandsofconstitutionalmethods。Practicalmen，askingwhetherthisorthatpolicyshallbeadoptedinviewofactualevents，nomorewanttogobacktorightreasonand’lawsofnature’thanasurveyortoinvestigatethenatureofgeometricaldemonstration。Veryimportantquestionswereraisedastotherightsofthepress，forexample，orthesystemofrepresentation。Buteverybodyagreedthattherepresentativesystemandfreedomofspeechweregoodthings；andarguedtheimmediatequestionsoffact。Theorder，onlyestablishedbyexperienceandtradition，wasaccepted，subjecttocriticismofdetail，andmenturnedimpatientlyfromabstractargument，andlefttheinquiryinto’socialcontracts’tophilosophers，thatis，tosillypeopleinlibraries。Politicswereproperlyamatterofbusiness，tobediscussedinabusiness-likespirit。Inthissense，’individualism’iscongenialto’empiricism，’becauseitstartsfromfactsandparticularinterests，andresentstheintrusionoffirstprinciples。Thecharacteristicindividualism，again，suggestsoneotherremark。Individualenergyandsenseofresponsibilityaregoodasevenextremesocialistsmayadmit——iftheydonotexcludeasenseofdutiestoothers。Itmaybeaquestionhowfarthestimulationofindividualenterpriseandthevigorousspiritofindustrialcompetitionreallyledtoadisregardoftheinterestsoftheweaker。Butitwouldbeacompletemisunderstandingofthetimeifweinferredthatitmeantadeclineofhumanefeeling。Undoubtedlygreatevilshadgrownup，andsomecontinuedtogrowwhichweretoleratedbytheindifference，orevenstimulatedbytheselfishaims，ofthedominantclasses。But，inthefirstplace，manyofthemostactiveprophetsoftheindividualistspiritwereacting，andactingsincerely，inthenameofhumanity。Theywereattackingasystemwhichtheyheld，andtoagreatextent，Ibelieve，heldrightly，tobeespeciallyinjurioustotheweakestclasses。Possiblytheyexpectedtoomuchfromthesimpleremovalofrestrictions；butcertainlytheydenouncedtherestrictionsasunjusttoall，notsimplyashindrancestothewealthoftherich。AdamSmith’spositionisintelligible：itwas，hethought，aproofofaprovidentialorderthateachman，byhelpinghimself，unintentionallyhelpedhisneighbours。
　　Themoralsensebaseduponsympathywasthereforenotopposedto，butjustified，theeconomicprinciplesthateachmanshouldfirstattendtohisowninterest。
　　Theunintentionalco-operationwouldthusbecomeconsciousandcompatiblewiththeestablishedorder。And，inthenextplace，sofarfromtherebeingawantofhumanefeeling，themostmarkedcharacteristicoftheeighteenthcenturywaspreciselythegrowthofhumanity。Inthenextgeneration，theeighteenthcenturycametobedenouncedascold，heartless，faithless，andsoforth。Theestablishedmodeofwritinghistoryispartlyresponsibleforthisperversion。Menspeakasthoughsomegreatman，whofirstcalledattentiontoanevil，wasasupernaturalbeingwhohadsuddenlydroppedintotheworldfromanothersphere。Hiscondemnationofevilisthereforetakentobeaproofthatthetimemustbeevil。Anycenturyisbadifweassumeallthegoodmentoheexceptions。Butthegreatmanisreallyalsotheproductofhistime。Heisthemouthpieceofitsprevailingsentiments，andonlythefirsttoseeclearlywhatmanyarebeginningtoperceiveobscurely。Theemergenceoftheprophetisaproofofthegrowingdemandofhishearersforsoundteaching。Becauseheisinadvanceofmengenerally，heseesexistingabusesmoreclearly，andwetakehisevidenceagainsthiscontemporariesasconclusive。
　　Butthefactthattheylistenedshowshowwidelythesamesensibilitytoevilwasalreadydiffused。Infact，asIthink，thehumanespiritoftheeighteenthcentury，duetothevastvarietyofcauseswhichwecallsocialprogressorevolutionnottotheteachingofanyindividual——waspermeatingthewholecivilisedworld，andshoweditselfinthephilosophicmovementaswellasintheteachingofthereligiousleaders，whotookthephilosopherstobetheirenemies。Ihavebrieflynoticedthevariousphilanthropicmovementswhichwerecharacteristicoftheperiod。Someofthemmayindicatethegrowthofnewevils；others，thatevilswhichhadoncebeenregardedwithindifferencewerenowattractingattentionandexcitingindignation。Buteventhegrowthofnewevilsdoesnotshowgeneralindifferencesomuchastheincapacityoftheexistingsystemtodealwithnewconditions。Itmay，Ithink，besafelysaidthatagrowingphilanthropywascharacteristicofthewholeperiod，andinparticularanimatedtheUtilitarianmovement，asIshallhavetoshowindetail。ModernwritershaveoftenspokenoftheWesleyanpropagandaandthecontemporary’evangelicalrevival’asthemostimportantmovementsofthetime。Theyareapttospeak，inconformitywiththeviewjustdescribed，asthoughWesleyorsomeofhiscontemporarieshadoriginatedorcreatedthebetterspirit。Withoutaskingwhatwasgoodorbadinsomeaspectsofthesemovements，IfullybelievethatWesleywasessentiallyamoralreformer，andthathedeservescorrespondingrespect。Butinsteadofholdingthathiscontemporarieswerebadpeople，awakenedbyastimulusfromwithout，Iholdthatthemovement，sofarasreallyindicatingmoralimprovement，mustbesetdowntothecreditofthecenturyitself。Itwasonemanifestationofageneralprogress，ofwhichBenthamwasanotheroutcome。ThoughBenthammighthavethoughtWesleyafanaticorperhapsahypocrite，andWesleywouldcertainlyhaveconsideredthatBentham’sheartwasmuchinneedofachange，theywerereallyalliesasmuchasantagonists，andbothmarkagreatandbeneficialchange。
　　NOTES：
　　1。SeeDictionaryofNationalBiography。
　　2。Works，i，255。
　　3。SeeSirG。Nicholl’sHistoryofthePoor-law，1854。AneweditionwithlifebyH。G。Willink，appearedin1898。
　　4。History，i，175。
　　5。M’Culloch’snotetoWealthofNations，p。65。M’Cullochinhisappendixmakessomesensibleremarksupontheabsenceofanyproperlyconstitutedparochial’tribunal’。
　　6。WealthofNations，bk，i，ch。x。
　　7。SeepassagequotedinEden’sHistory，i，347。
　　8。ThomasFirmin1632-1677，aphilanthropist，whoseSocianianismdidnotexcludehimfromthefriendshipofsuchliberalbishopsasTillotsonandFowler，startedaworkhousein1676。
　　9。Nicholls1898，ii，14。
　　10。Ibid。，1898，ii，123。
　　11。Report，p。67。
　　12。WilliamHay，forexample，carriedresolutionsintheHouseofCommonsin1735，butfailedtocarryabillwhichhadthisobject。SeeEden’sHistory，i，396。Cooperin1763proposedtomakethehundredtheunit——Nicholls’sHistory，i，58。FieldingproposesasimilarchangeinLondon。DeanTucker，speaksoftheevilofthelimitedareainthisManifoldCoursesoftheIncreaseofthePoor1760。
　　13。Nicholls，ii，88。
　　14。Parl。Hist。xxxii，710。
　　15。AfullabstractisgiveninEden’sHistory，iii，ccclxiii，etc。
　　16。BenthamobservesWorks，viii，448thatthecowwillrequirethethreeacrestokeepit。
　　17。Cobbett’sPoliticalWorks，vi，64。
　　18。IneedonlynoteherethatthefirsteditionofMalthus’sEssayappearedin1798，theyearafterEden’spublication。
　　19。Eden’sHistory，i，583。
　　20。Ibid。，i，587。
　　21。Maseres，anexcellentWhig，agoodmathematician，andarespectedlawyer，isperhapsbestknowatpresentfromhisportraitinCharlesLamb’sOldBenchers。
　　22。Itmaybenoticedasananticipationofmodernschemesthatin1792
　　Paineproposedasystemof’oldagepensions’，forwhichthenecessaryfundsweretobeeasilyobtainedwhenuniversalpeacehadabolishedallmilitarycharges。SeeStateTrials，xxv。175。
　　23。Aitkin’sCountryRoundManchester。
　　24。Bounce’sHistoryoftheCorporationofBirmingham1878。
　　25。HistoryofBirmingham2ndedition，p。327。
　　26。Thefirstedition，1795，thesixth，fromwhichIquote，in1800。InBentham’sWorks，x，330，itissaidthatin1798，7500copiesofthisbookhadbeensold。
　　27。In1814ColquohounpublishedanelaborateaccountoftheResourcesoftheBritishEmpire，showingsimilarquaities。