Of wisdom three books / written originally in French by the Sieur de Charron ; with an account of the author, made English by George Stanhope ...

SECT. IX. Sedition.

SEdition is a violent Commotion of the People against the Prince, or some of the Magistrates in subordination to him. The Causes of it are commonly Oppression and Fear. For Those, who have been guilty of some high. Misdemea∣nour, are afraid of being brought to the Punishment they deserve; Others are jealous of their Privileges and Proper∣ties, and imagine, that the Government designs to invade and run them down. And both these sorts of Men are so strongly possessed with the Apprehensions of approaching Ruine, that they think the only way to save themselves, is by striking the first Blow. It also proceeds very often from too great Indulgence, Extravagance and Debauchery, Ne∣cessity, and extreme Scarcity of Money, or want of other indispensable Supports of Human Life. So that the Per∣sons who seem of all others to be cut out for this Trade, are your Spend-thrifts and Bankrupts, Indigent and Uneasie, Fickle and Lovers of Novelty; and all those Lewd and Profligate Wretches, who lie under the Lash of the Law, or at least are obnoxious to, and afraid of Justice. These several sorts of Men cannot continue quiet long: Peace is by no means for their purpose, but every whit as great a Calamity to Them, as War is to the rest of Mankind: They never sleep sweetly but in the midst of a Riot; and the Liberty they doat upon is Licentiousness and Confu∣sion. The better to bring their Matters to bear, they con∣trive private Conferences, and send abroad their wicked In∣struments to poyson the World; make loud and grievous Complaints, scatter secret and vile Insinuations, at first in doubtful and suspicious Words, but afterwards in virulent and open Defamations of the Government; set up for Pa∣triots, and pretend a mighty Zeal for Liberty and Property; profess the Publick Good to be their only Hope and End, and promise to redress the People's Grievances; These are constantly some of the Masks, put on to cover their Villany, and thus they draw Numbers after them, who for want of discerning better, and seeing through their Hypocrisie, swal∣low the bitter Pill thus guilded over.

[unspec 1] Now the Remedies and Directions proper for such an Exigence of Affairs as this, are first of all such as have been

already insisted upon, in the Section of Popular Insurrections and Tumults; that is, To draw them to a Parley, to have Matters truly represented, and so make them sensible of their Errour, and the Unreasonableness of their Complaints and Discontents; and all this to be done by the Mediation of Persons, whose unquestionable Credit and Character may render such a Negotiation successful. But if This do not succeed, the second thing must be for a Prince to take Arms, and strengthen himself against their Violence; yet so as not to be rash and hasty upon them, but to proceed slowly and with much Deliberation; that they may have Warn∣ing and Time to recollect and qualifie the Fierceness and Heat of their Passions; and so the ill Men among them, by thinking better, may return to their Duty; and those who are harmless, and good, may desert their Seducers, and unite with the right side. For Time is a most excellent Physician, and seldom fails to allay and cure the common People, who are much more disposed to quarrel, and be mutinous, than they are to come to Blows in good earnest.* 1.1 The Mobb (says a wise Historian) are furious and eager to rebel, but tame and poor-spirited in a regular Fight; and much better at making a push to stretch their Liberty, than at the law∣ful defence of it. A Third Expedient is, to be tampering with them all this while, [unspec 3] and try to divide and dissettle their Minds† 1.2 by Hope and Fear; for these are the Two Passions that spur them on, and therefore these must be wrought up∣on to bring them off. And therefore a Wise Governour will be sure to be liberal both of his Promises and Threat∣nings, that so these Passions may not want Matter enough to feed upon; but then Care must be taken too, that they be so temper'd, as neither to encourage Presumption, nor drive to Despair. A Fourth Remedy is, to sow Divisions among them, and break their Correspondence, [unspec 4] by making them Jealous, and Dissatisfy'd at one another. A Fifth will be, To get some of the Party over by secret Service, [unspec 5] invi∣ting them with Promises, and Pensions, and privately re∣warding what they privately do for your Advantage. And these Persons thus gain'd, are to be disposed in several Posts. Some of them should be drawn quite off, and come over to you, to weaken and intimidate them; Others should be still

left behind to do your Business there, by giving Advice of all their Motions, and communicating their Intentions and Designs; by laying them asleep by false Securities, and watching all Opportunities to qualifie their Fury. Then, Sixthly, [unspec 6] Those who cannot be got thus far, and are still obstinate, should be cajoll'd by granting some part of what they demand, and giving them expectation of more; all which the expert Politicians will tell you, should be by large Promises, worded cunningly, that so the Ambiguity of the Expressions may leave room for a colourable Evasion afterwards: For a Prince may easily, when he sees fit, re∣voke that which hath been extorted from him, and justly de∣ny, what Injustice hath compell'd him to give hopes of obtaining. This is Casuistical Policy at least; but the only way to make it go down well with the People, is to varnish all over with Gentleness and Clemency, and to make them some Amends by Indulgences of another kind, for those Concessions, which without manifest Prejudice to his Pre∣rogative and Government, [unspec 7] he cannot but recede from. Last∣ly, If they shall return to a better Sense of Things, and act agreeably to Reason and their Duty, they should be dealt with tenderly; and a Prince may very well content himself with chastising some few of the first Authors, and principal Incendiaries, without giving himself the Trouble so much as to enquire after all the Accomplices; but managing the ••••st so, that they shall have reason to think themselves secure in his Pardon and Favour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ferocior Plebs ad rebellandum quàm bellandum: tentare magis quàm tueri Libertatem.
• † 1.2

  Spem ofter, metum intende.