Whence, then, is the courage of the English vulgar?  It proceeds, in my opinion, from that dissolution of dependence, which obliges every man to regard his own character.  While every man is fed by his own hands, he has no need of any servile arts; he may always have wages for his labour; and is no less necessary to his employer, than his employer is to him.  While he looks for no protection from others, he is naturally roused to be his own protector; and having nothing to abate his esteem of himself, he, consequently, aspires to the esteem of others.  Thus every man that crowds our streets is a man of honour, disdainful of obligation, impatient of reproach, and desirous of extending his reputation among those of his own rank; and, as courage is in most frequent use, the fame of courage is most eagerly pursued.  From this neglect of subordination, I do not deny, that some inconveniencies may, from time to time, proceed:  the power of the law does not, always, sufficiently supply the want of reverence, or maintain the proper distinction between different ranks; but good and evil will grow up in this world together; and they who complain, in peace, of the insolence of the populace, must remember, that their insolence in peace is bravery in war.

POLITICAL TRACTS.

  Fallitur, egregio quisquis sub principe credit
  Servitium, nunquam libertas gratior extat
  Quam sub rege pio.

  CLAUDIANUS.

PREFATORY OBSERVATIONS TO POLITICAL TRACTS.

On Johnson’s character, as a political writer, we cannot dwell with pleasure, since we cannot speak of it with praise.  In the following pamphlets, however, though we cannot honestly subscribe to their doctrines, we must admire the same powers of composition, the same play of imagination, the same keen sarcasm and indignant reproof, that embellish his other productions.  He might, and did, think wrongly on these subjects, but he never wrote what he did not believe to be true, and, therefore, must be acquitted of all charges of servility or dishonesty.  The False Alarm was published in 1770, and “intended,” says Mr. Boswell, “to justify the conduct of the ministry, and their majority in the house of commons, for having virtually assumed it as an axiom, that the expulsion of a member of parliament was equivalent to exclusion, and thus having declared colonel Lutterel to be duly elected for the county of Middlesex, notwithstanding Mr. Wilkes had a great majority of votes.  This being justly considered as a gross violation of the right of election, an alarm for the constitution extended itself all over the kingdom.  To prove this alarm to be false, was the purpose of Johnson’s pamphlet; but even his vast powers are inadequate to cope with constitutional truth and reason, and his argument failed of effect; and the house of commons have since expunged the offensive resolution from their journals.  That the house of commons might have expelled Mr. Wilkes