AN ESSAY. 173 power has no limitations, it is called absolute monarchy or sove- reignty. 2. Others have committed this same power to the hands of a few great men or nobles, persons of riches, or high birth, or power, or who are supposed to have superior wisdom and influence, who shall act in concert with one another topromote this end. This is called aristocracy ; especially when it is agreed that thesemen shall have their heirs for their successors, or shall have a right to chose their own successors themselves : for then the people have divested themselves of all share inthe govern- ment. 3. A third sort have chosen a popular government, that is, where the people themselves meet and make laws, and determine things of importance by a common vote or the sentence of the major part. But where the society is so numerous, that the peo- ple cannot all meet together for this end, they have parcelled out themselves into many districts, and chosen particular persons to represent them in each district. Thus the people are said to act and govern themselves by these their representatives, which are chosen anew by the people as often as they think fit, or at annual or any stated seasons which the people agree upon. This is called democracy ; and such a state is a proper republic or commonwealth in the strictest sense. 4. There are other societies again, which have made a com pound government out of several of these; so the ancient Ro- man government had the " patres," or 4t patricil," or senators as their nobility, and yet the plebeians or common people had much share in the government too by their power in chusing officers, &c. After the year of the city three hundred and eighty seven, the two consuls were generally one patrician and one plebeian. Sometimes there is made a mixture of all these forms of government : Such was the Roman under their Emperors, if pot under some of their Kings ; at least, there was the appearance of it. But the most regular mixture seems to be that wherein the chosen representatives of the people have their distinct share of government, the nobles or greatmen have their share, and a single person or the king has his part and share in this authority, and all agreed upon by the whole coma munity, or by persons chosen to represent them. This is called a mixed monarchy ; and herein these three estates of the kingdom are supposed by mutual assistances and mutual limitations, not only to secure the common peace, the liberty and welfare of the nation from enemies, but to guard it also from any dangerous in- roads that might be made upon it by any one of these three powers themselves. Such is the happinessof Great Britain under the King, lords, and commons. IV.. Here let it be noted, that whosoever has the power of
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