Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1801 edition. Excerpt: ... On the influence attributed to philosophers, free-masons, and to the illuminati Jean Joseph Mounier PREFACE, BY THE TRANSLATOR, ONE of the chief fources of misfortune, infeparably attached to times of revolution and of civil difcord, is the want of moderation in men of all parties. In fuch eventful periods as that in which we live, men choofe their party often they knownot why. and purfue with heat all the meafures of thofe with whom they afibciate themfelves, without reflecting whether they are called for by neceffity, whether they are confident with prudence, or warranted by juftice. Two men equally able and equally honeft, placed within the revolutionary vortex, may be determined by the flighteft circumflance, operating on their vanity, their pride, or their envy, and a 3 without without their being confcious of the caufe, to choofe oppofite courfes, and to purfue them with equal zeal and obftinacy; the one as a violent unbending anftocrat, and the other as an infolent unfeeling republican. But fuch extremes, on either fide, are not confident with unfullied virtue, or with pure notions of political and moral duty. Such however is the fact, that in times of commotion and of civil difcord, the bulk of men are generally thus arranged into oppofite and hoftile parties, and often become guilty of crimes, in maintaining the exaggeration of thsir refpective opinions, at the bare afpedt of which they would have fliuddered in times of tranquillity. In judging of the itate of parties, in inquiring into the caufes, the progrefs, and confequenct s of revolutions, impartial men muft e r have this general fact in view. But it is difficult even for the fpedatbrs of fuch fcenes as we have witnefled during the l