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The rights of man, for the use and benefit of all mankind
The rights of man for the use and benefit of all mankind Author:Thomas Paine 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: the lightnings—a moment more, and the tempeft fhall overwhelm them, they fhall founder for ever and ever. O, Pitt! how vain was your confidence, that you coul... more »d fave yourfelf and your colleagues by the deftru£Uon of mankind. THOMAS PAINE. Luxemburg, Paris, May 19,1794. 4 and, confeqncntly, exhibits no certain merit but its own." A certain writer of fome antiquity fays,— When I was a child, I thought as a child; but 4 when I became a man, I put away childifh 4 things." The genuine mind of man, thirfting for its native home, fociety, contemns the gewgaws that fe-' parate him from it. Titles are like circles drawn by the magician's wand, to contraft the fpheie of man's felicity, lie lives immured within the baf- tile of a wood, and furveys at a diftance, the envied life of man. What are titles—what is their worth—and what is their amount ? When we think or fpeak of a judge, or of a general, we aflbciate the ideas of offi.ce, and of ckaraffer; we think. of gravity in the one, and of bravery in the other : but, when we ufc a word, merely as a title, no ideas aflbciate vith it. " Titles are, not only ridiculous, but fometimes " are reproaches, and bear the appearance of ' irony. What can be more cutting to a diminu- 4 tive deformed wretch, than to be faluted with 4 the title of Majejly ? A fcoundrel, who deferves " the gallows, who has ruined thoufands, by cheat- " ing at gaming, is, certainly, right honourable : 44 and a wretch, who proftrates himfelf in the duft " before chapter{Section 4THE RIGHTS OF MAN. CHAP. I. OF NATURAt RIGHTS. J. HERE never did, there never will, and there never can, cxift, a legiflature, or any defcription of men, in any country, poflefled of the right, or the power, of binding, and controuling pofterity to the End O...« less