Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Principal events in Bolingbroke's life
- Further reading
- Note on texts
- A Dissertation upon Parties (1733–34)
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- ‘On the Spirit of Patriotism’ (1736)
- The Idea of a Patriot King (1738)
- Biographical notes
- Index of persons
- Index of subjects
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
LETTER XVIII
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Principal events in Bolingbroke's life
- Further reading
- Note on texts
- A Dissertation upon Parties (1733–34)
- LETTER I
- LETTER II
- LETTER III
- LETTER IV
- LETTER V
- LETTER VI
- LETTER VII
- LETTER VIII
- LETTER IX
- LETTER X
- LETTER XI
- LETTER XII
- LETTER XIII
- LETTER XIV
- LETTER XV
- LETTER XVI
- LETTER XVII
- LETTER XVIII
- LETTER XIX
- ‘On the Spirit of Patriotism’ (1736)
- The Idea of a Patriot King (1738)
- Biographical notes
- Index of persons
- Index of subjects
- Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought
Summary
Sir,
If we had proposed nothing more to ourselves, in writing this dissertation on parties, than the entertainment, such as it is, of your readers, and our own amusement; we should not have dwelt, perhaps, so much on the nature of the British constitution, nor have recurred so often to assert the necessary independency of Parliaments on the crown. But we had another motive, which we are neither afraid, nor ashamed to avow. This necessary independency of Parliaments, in which the essence of our constitution, and by consequence of our liberty consists, seems to be in great, not to say, in imminent danger of being lost. They who are alarmed at every thing that is said in favour of our constitution, and of British liberty, and who are prejudiced against every man who writes or speaks in defence of them, may take, or affect to take, and try to give offence at this expression. But we desire to be understood, as we have explained our meaning upon some former occasion. We understand our constitution to be in danger, not only when it is attacked, but as soon as a breach is made, by which it may be attacked; and we understand this danger to be greater, or less, in proportion to the breach that is made, and without any regard to the probability or improbability of an attack. This explanation of our meaning is the better founded, because the nation hath an undoubted right to preserve the constitution not only inviolate, but secure from violations.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Bolingbroke: Political Writings , pp. 169 - 176Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1997