XCII ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND

“ annihilate without great violence. Whenhecah-“ not conquer the rooted prejudices of the peo-pie by reafon and perfuafion , he will not at-“ tempt to fubdue them by force; but will reli~££ gioufly obferve what, by Cicero, is juftly cal-“ led the divine maxim of Plato , never to ufe££ violence to his country no more than to his pa-“ rents. He will accommodate , as well as he can,<£ his public arrangements to the confirmed habits“ and prejudices of the people; and will remedy,££ as well as he can, the inconveniencies which“ may flow from the want of thofe regulations“ which the people are averfe to fubmit to. When“ he cannot eftablifli the right, he will not difdain££ to ameliorate the wrong; but like Solon , when“ he cannot eftablilh the bell fyfiem of laws, he“ will endeavour to eftablifli the bell that the peo-££ pie can bear,”

Thefe cautions with refpeel to the practical ap-plication of general principles were peculiarly ne-ceffary from the Author of “ The Wealth of££ Nations;” as the unlimited freedom of trade,which it is the chief aim of his work to recom-mend, is extremely apt, by flattering the indolenceof the ftatefman , to fuggeft to thole who areinvefted with abfolute power, the idea of carry-ing it into immediate execution. “ Nothing is* £ more adverfe to the tranquillity of a ftatefman£< (fays the author of an Eloge on the Adminif-