《Common Sense》第4章

rom　that　transaction　there　was　any　intention　it　ever　should　be。 if　the　first　king　of　any　country　was　by　election；　that　likewise　establishes　a　precedent　for　the　next；　for　to　say；　that　the　right　of　all　future　generations　is　taken　away；　by　the　act　of　the　first　electors；　in　their　choice　not　only　of　a　king；　but　of　a　family　of　kings　for　ever；　hath　no　parallel　in　or　out　of　scripture　but　the　doctrine　of　original　sin；　which　supposes　the　free　will　of　all　men　lost　in　adam；　and　from　such　parison；　and　it　will　admit　of　no　other；　hereditary　succession　can　derive　no　glory。 for　as　in　adam　all　sinned；　and　as　in　the　first　electors　all　men　obeyed；　as　in　the　one　all　mankind　we　re　subjected　to　satan；　and　in　the　other　to　sovereignty；　as　our　innocence　was　lost　in　the　first；　and　our　authority　in　the　last；　and　as　both　disable　us　from　reassuming　some　former　state　and　privilege；　it　unanswerably　follows　that　original　sin　and　hereditary　succession　are　parallels。
dishonourable　rank！　inglorious　connection！ yet　the　most　subtle　sophist　cannot　produce　a　juster　simile。
as　to　usurpation；　no　man　will　be　so　hardy　as　to　defend　it；　and　that　william　the　conqueror　was　an　usurper　is　a　fact　not　to　be　contradicted。
the　plain　truth　is；　that　the　antiquity　of　english　monarchy　will　not　bear　looking　into。
but　it　is　not　so　much　the　absurdity　as　the　evil　of　hereditary　succession　which　concerns　mankind。 did　it　ensure　a　race　of　good　and　wise　men　it　would　have　the　seal　of　divine　authority；　but　as　it　opens　a　door　to　the　foolish；　the　wicked；　and　the　improper；　it　hath　in　it　the　nature　of　oppression。 men　who　look　upon　themselves　born　to　reign；　and　others　to　obey；　soon　grow　insolent；　selected　from　the　rest　of　mankind　their　minds　are　early　poisoned　by　importance；　and　the　world　they　act　in　differs　so　materially　from　the　world　at　large；　that　they　have　but　little　opportunity　of　knowing　its　true　interests；　and　when　they　succeed　to　the　government　are　frequently　the　most　ignorant　and　unfit　of　any　throughout　the　dominions。
another　evil　which　attends　hereditary　succession　is；　that　the　throne　is　subject　to　be　possessed　by　a　minor　at　any　age；　all　which　time　the　regency；　acting　under　the　cover　a　king；　have　every　opportunity　and　inducement　to　betray　their　trust。 the　same　national　misfortune　happens；　when　a　king；　worn　out　with　age　and　infirmity　；　enters　the　last　stage　of　human　weakness。 in　both　these　cases　the　public　bees　a　prey　to　every　miscreant；　who　can　tamper　successfully　with　the　follies　either　of　age　or　infancy。
the　most　plausible　plea；　which　hath　ever　been　offered　in　favour　of　hereditary　succession；　is；　that　it　preserves　a　nation　from　civil　wars；　and　were　this　true；　it　would　be　weighty；　whereas；　it　is　the　most　barefaced　falsity　ever　imposed　upon　mankind。 the　whole　history　of　england　disowns　the　fact。 thirty　kings　and　two　minors　have　reigned　in　that　distracted　kingdom　since　the　conquest；　in　which　time　there　have　been　（including　the　revolution）　no　less　than　eight　civil　wars　and　nineteen　rebellions。 wherefore　instead　of　making　for　peace；　it　makes　against　it；　and　destroys　the　very　foundation　it　seems　to　stand　on。
the　contest　for　monarchy　and　succession；　between　the　houses　of　york　and　lancaster；　laid　england　in　a　scene　of　blood　for　many　years。
twelve　pitched　battles；　besides　skirmishes　and　sieges；　were　fought　between　henry　and　edward。 twice　was　henry　prisoner　to　edward；　who　in　his　turn　was　prisoner　to　henry。 and　so　uncertain　is　the　fate　of　war　and　the　temper　of　a　nation；　when　nothing　but　personal　matters　are　the　ground　of　a　quarrel；　that　henry　was　taken　in　triumph　from　a　prison　to　a　palace；　and　edward　obliged　to　fly　from　a　palace　to　a　foreign　land；　yet；　as　sudden　transitions　of　temper　are　seldom　lasting；　henry　in　his　turn　was　driven　from　the　throne；　and　edward　recalled　to　succeed　him。
the　parliament　always　following　the　strongest　side。
this　contest　began　in　the　reign　of　henry　the　sixth；　and　was　not　entirely　extinguished　till　henry　the　seventh；　in　whom　the　families　were　united。
including　a　period　of　67　years；　viz。 from　1422　to　1489。
in　short；　monarchy　and　succession　have　laid　（not　this　or　that　kingdom　only）　but　the　world　in　blood　and　ashes。 tis　a　form　of　government　which　the　word　of　god　bears　testimony　against；　and　blood　will　attend　it。
if　we　inquire　into　the　business　of　a　king；　we　shall　find　that　in　some　countries　they　have　none；　and　after　sauntering　away　their　lives　without　pleasure　to　themselves　or　advantage　to　the　nation；　withdraw　from　the　scene；　and　leave　their　successors　to　tread　the　same　idle　ground。 in　absolute　monarchies　the　whole　weight　of　business；　civil　and　military；　lies　on　the　king；　the　children　of　israel　in　their　request　for　a　king；　urged　this　plea　〃that　he　may　judge　us；　and　go　out　before　us　and　fight　our　battles。〃 but　in　countries　where　he　is　neither　a　judge　nor　a　general；　as　in　england；　a　man　would　be　puzzled　to　know　what　is　his　business。
the　nearer　any　government　approaches　to　a　republic　the　less　business　there　is　for　a　king。 it　is　somewhat　difficult　to　find　a　proper　name　for　the　government　of　england。 sir　william　meredith　calls　it　a　republic；　but　in　its　present　state　it　is　unworthy　of　the　name；　because　the　corrupt　influence　of　the　crown；　by　having　all　the　places　in　its　disposal；　hath　so　effectually　swallowed　up　the　power；　and　eaten　out　the　virtue　of　the　house　of　mons　（the　republican　part　in　the　constitution）　that　the　government　of　england　is　nearly　as　monarchical　as　that　of　france　or　spain。 men　fall　out　with　names　without　understanding　them。
for　it　is　the　republican　and　not　the　monarchical　part　of　the　constitution　of　england　which　englishmen　glory　in；　viz。 the　liberty　of　choosing　an　house　of　mons　from　out　of　their　own　body　…　and　it　is　easy　to　see　that　when　republican　virtue　fails；　slavery　ensues。 why　is　the　constitution　of　england　sickly；　but　because　monarchy　hath　poisoned　the　republic；　the　crown　hath　engrossed　the　mons？ in　england　a　king　hath　little　more　to　do　than　to　make　war　and　give　away　places；　which　in　plain　terms；　is　to　impoverish　the　nation　and　set　it　together　by　the　ears。 a　pretty　business　indeed　for　a　man　to　be　allowed　eight　hundred　thousand　sterling　a　year　for；　and　worshipped　into　the　bargain！ of　more