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Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke
Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke Author:Edmund Burke Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: supposed in every transaction of life ; and if that were done away, every thing else, as in France, must be changed along with it. Thus, religion perishing, and ... more »with it this constitution, it is a matter of endless meditation what order of things would follow it. But what disorder would fill the space between the present and that which is to come, in the gross, is no matter of doubtful conjecture. It is a great evil, that of a civil war. But in that state of things, a civil war which would give to good men and a good cause some means of struggle, is a blessing of comparison that England will not enjoy. The moment the struggle begins, it ends. They talk of Mr. Hume's euthanasia of the British constitution, gently expiring without a groan, in the paternal arms of a mere monarchy.—In a monarchy !—fine trifling indeed—There is no such euthanasia for the British constitution— The manuscript copy of this letter ends here. A LETTER TO THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA. MADAM, The comte de Woronzow, your imperial majesty's minister, and Mr. Fawkener, have informed me of the very gracious manner in which your imperial majesty, and after your example, the archduke and archduchess, have condescended to accept my humble endeavours in the service of that cause which connects the rights and duties of sovereigns with the true interest and happiness of their people. If, confiding in titles derived from your own goodness, t venture to address, directly to your imperial majesty, the expressions of my gratitude for so distinguished an honour, I hope it will not be thought a presumptuous intrusion. I hope, too, that the willing homage I pay to the high and ruling virtues which distinguish your imperial majesty, and which form the felicity of so large a part of the world, will not be looked ...« less