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TIIE NATURE AND CAUSES OF

person to be found who does not profess himself to be of theestablished church. If he professes himself to be of any other,indeed, the law obliges him to leave the canton. But so se-vere, or rather indeed so oppressive a law could never havebeen executed in such free countries, had not the diligence ofthe clergy before-hand converted to the established churchthe whole body of the people, with the exception of, perhaps,a few individuals only. In some parts of Switzerland , accord-ingly, where, from the accidental union of a protestant andRoman catholic country, the conversion has not been so com-plete, both religions are not only tolerated but establishedby law.

The proper performance of every service seems to requirethat its pay or recompense should be, as exactly as possible,proportioned to the nature of the service. If any service isvery much underpaid, it is very apt to suffer by the meannessand incapacity of the greater part of those who are employedin it. If it is very much overpaid, it is apt to suffer, perhaps,still more by their negligence and idleness. A man of largerevenue, whatever may be his profession, thinks he ought tolive like other men of large revenues; and to spend a greatpart of his time in festivity, in vanity, and in dissipation. Butin a clergyman this train of life not only consumes the timewhich ought to be employed in the duties of his function, butin the eyes of the common people destroys almost entirelythat sanctity of character which can alone enable him to per-form those duties with proper weight and authority.

PART IV.

Of the Expense of supporting the Dignity of the Sovereign.

Over and above the expenses necessary for enabling thesovereign to perform his several duties, a certain expense isrequisite for the support of his dignity. This expense variesboth with the different periods of improvement, and with thedifferent forms of government.

In an opulent and improved society, where all the differentorders of people are growing every day more expensive intheir houses, in their furniture, in their tables, in their dress,and in their equipage; it cannot well be expected that thesovereign should alone hold out against the fashion. He na-turally, therefore, or rather necessarily, becomes more expen-sive in all those different articles too. Ilis dignity even seemsto require that he should become so.