urthens　would　be　as　light　and　as　judiciously　imposed；　every　branch　of　administration　would　be　as　purely　and　as　intelligently　conducted；　as　the　circumstances　of　the　country　and　its　degree　of　intellectual　and　moral　cultivation　would　admit。　I　am　willing；　for　the　sake　of　the　argument；　to　concede　all　this；　but　I　must　point　out　how　great　the　concession　is；　how　much　more　is　needed　to　produce　even　an　approximation　to　these　results　than　is　conveyed　in　the　simple　expression；　a　good　despot。　Their　realisation　would　in　fact　imply；　not　merely　a　good　monarch；　but　an　all…seeing　one。　He　must　be　at　all　times　informed　correctly；　in　considerable　detail；　of　the　conduct　and　working　of　every　branch　of　administration；　in　every　district　of　the　country；　and　must　be　able；　in　the　twenty…four　hours　per　day　which　are　all　that　is　granted　to　a　king　as　to　the　humblest　labourer；　to　give　an　effective　share　of　attention　and　superintendence　to　all　parts　of　this　vast　field；　or　he　must　at　least　be　capable　of　discerning　and　choosing　out；　from　among　the　mass　of　his　subjects；　not　only　a　large　abundance　of　honest　and　able　men；　fit　to　conduct　every　branch　of　public　administration　under　supervision　and　control；　but　also　the　small　number　of　men　of　eminent　virtues　and　talents　who　can　be　trusted　not　only　to　do　without　that　supervision；　but　to　exercise　it　themselves　over　others。　So　extraordinary　are　the　faculties　and　energies　required　for　performing　this　task　in　any　supportable　manner；　that　the　good　despot　whom　we　are　supposing　can　hardly　be　imagined　as　consenting　to　undertake　it；　unless　as　a　refuge　from　intolerable　evils；　and　a　transitional　preparation　for　something　beyond。　But　the　argument　can　do　without　even　this　immense　item　in　the　account。　Suppose　the　difficulty　vanquished。　What　should　we　then　have？　One　man　of　superhuman　mental　activity　managing　the　entire　affairs　of　a　mentally　passive　people。　Their　passivity　is　implied　in　the　very　idea　of　absolute　power。　The　nation　as　a　whole；　and　every　individual　composing　it；　are　without　any　potential　voice　in　their　own　destiny。　They　exercise　no　will　in　respect　to　their　collective　interests。　All　is　decided　for　them　by　a　will　not　their　own；　which　it　is　legally　a　crime　for　them　to　disobey。　　　What　sort　of　human　beings　can　be　formed　under　such　a　regimen？　What　development　can　either　their　thinking　or　their　active　faculties　attain　under　it？　On　matters　of　pure　theory　they　might　perhaps　be　allowed　to　speculate；　so　long　as　their　speculations　either　did　not　approach　politics；　or　had　not　the　remotest　connection　with　its　practice。　On　practical　affairs　they　could　at　most　be　only　suffered　to　suggest；　and　even　under　the　most　moderate　of　despots；　none　but　persons　of　already　admitted　or　reputed　superiority　could　hope　that　their　suggestions　would　be　known　to；　much　less　regarded　by；　those　who　had　the　management　of　affairs。　A　person　must　have　a　very　unusual　taste　for　intellectual　exercise　in　and　for　itself；　who　will　put　himself　to　the　trouble　of　thought　when　it　is　to　have　no　outward　effect；　or　qualify　himself　for　functions　which　he　has　no　chance　of　being　allowed　to　exercise。　The　only　sufficient　incitement　to　mental　exertion；　in　any　but　a　few　minds　in　a　generation；　is　the　prospect　of　some　practical　use　to　be　made　of　its　results。　It　does　not　follow　that　the　nation　will　be　wholly　destitute　of　intellectual　power。　The　common　business　of　life；　which　must　necessarily　be　performed　by　each　individual　or　family　for　themselves；　will　call　forth　some　amount　of　intelligence　and　practical　ability；　within　a　certain　narrow　range　of　ideas。　There　may　be　a　select　class　of　savants；　who　cultivate　science　with　a　view　to　its　physical　uses；　or　for　the　pleasure　of　the　pursuit。　There　will　be　a　bureaucracy；　and　persons　in　training　for　the　bureaucracy；　who　will　be　taught　at　least　some　empirical　maxims　of　government　and　public　administration。　There　may　be；　and　often　has　been；　a　systematic　organisation　of　the　best　mental　power　in　the　country　in　some　special　direction　（commonly　military）　to　promote　the　grandeur　of　the　despot。　But　the　public　at　large　remain　without　information　and　without　interest　on　all　greater　matters　of　practice；　or；　if　they　have　any　knowledge　of　them；　it　is　but　a　dilettante　knowledge；　like　that　which　people　have　of　the　mechanical　arts　who　have　never　handled　a　tool。　　　Nor　is　it　only　in　their　intelligence　that　they　suffer。　Their　moral　capacities　are　equally　stunted。　Wherever　the　sphere　of　action　of　human　beings　is　artificially　circumscribed；　their　sentiments　are　narrowed　and　dwarfed　in　the　same　proportion。　The　food　of　feeling　is　action：　even　domestic　affection　lives　upon　voluntary　good　offices。　Let　a　person　have　nothing　to　do　for　his　country；　and　he　will　not　care　for　it。　It　has　been　said　of　old；　that　in　a　despotism　there　is　at　most　but　one　patriot；　the　despot　himself；　and　the　saying　rests　on　a　just　appreciation　of　the　effects　of　absolute　subjection；　even　to　a　good　and　wise　master。　Religion　remains：　and　here　at　least；　it　may　be　thought；　is　an　agency　that　may　be　relied　on　for　lifting　men's　eyes　and　minds　above　the　dust　at　their　feet。　But　religion；　even　supposing　it　to　escape　perversion　for　the　purposes　of　despotism；　ceases　in　these　circumstances　to　be　a　social　concern；　and　narrows　into　a　personal　affair　between　an　individual　and　his　Maker；　in　which　the　issue　at　stake　is　but　his　private　salvation。　Religion　in　this　shape　is　quite　consistent　with　the　most　selfish　and　contracted　egoism；　and　identifies　the　votary　as　little　in　feeling　with　the　rest　of　his　kind　as　sensuality　itself。　　　A　good　despotism　means　a　government　in　which；　so　far　as　depends　on　the　despot；　there　is　no　positive　oppression　by　officers　of　state；　but　in　which　all　the　collective　interests　of　the　people　are　managed　for　them；　all　the　thinking　that　has　relation　to　collective　interests　done　for　them；　and　in　which　their　minds　are　formed　by；　and　consenting　to；　this　abdication　of　their　own　energies。　Leaving　things　to　the　Government；　like　leaving　them　to　Providence；　is　synonymous　with　caring　nothing　about　them；　and　accepting　their　results；　when　disagreeable；　as　visitations　of　Nature。　With　the　exception；　therefore；　of　a　few　studious　men　who　take　an　intellectual　interest　in　speculation　for　its　own　sake；　the　intelligence　and　sentiments　of　the　whole　people　are　given　up　to　the　material　interests；　and；　when　these　are　provided　for；　to　the　amusement　and　ornamentation；　of　private　life。　But　to　say　this　is　to　say；　if　the　whole　testimony　of　history　is　worth　anything；　that　the　era　of　national　decline　has　arrived：　that　is；　if　the　nation　had　ever　attained　anything　to　decline　from。　If　it　has　never　risen　above　the　condition　of　an　Oriental　people；　in　that　condition　it　continues　to　stagnate。　But　if；　like　Greece　or　Rome；　it　had　realised　anything　higher；　through　the　energy；　patriotism；　and　enlargement　of　mind；　which　as　national　qualities　are　the　fruits　solely　of　freedom；　it　relapses　in　a　few　generations　into　the　Oriental　state。　And　that　state　does　not　mean　stupid　tranquillity；　with　security　against　change　for　the　worse；　it　often　means　being　overrun；　conquered；　and　reduced　to　domestic　slavery；　either　by　a　stronger　despot；　or　by　the　nearest　barbarous　people　who　retain　along　with　their　savage　rudeness　the　energies　of　freedom。　　　Such　are　not　merely　the　natural　tendencies；　but　the　inherent　necessities　of　despotic　government；　from　which　there　is　no　outlet；　unless　in　so　far　as　the　despotism　consents　not　to　be　despotism；　in　so　far　as　the　supposed　good　despot　abstains　from　exercising　his　power；　and；　though　holding　it　in　reserve；　allows　the　general　business　of　government　to　go　on　as　if　the　people　really　governed　themselves。　However　little　probable　it　may　be；　we　may　imagine　a　despot　observing　many　of　the　rules　and　restraints　of　constitutional　government。　He　might　allow　such　freedom　of　the　press　and　of　discussion　as　would　enable　a　public　opinion　to　form　and　express　itself　on　national　affairs。　He　might　suffer　local　interests　to　be　managed；　without　the　interference　of　authority；　by　the　people　themselves。　He　might　even　surround　himself　with　a　council　or　councils　of　government；　freely　chosen　by　the　whole　or　some　portion　of　the　nation；　retaining　in　his　own　hands　the　power　of　taxation；　and　the　supreme　legislative　as　well　as　executive　authority。　Were　he　to　act　thus；　and　so　far　abdicate　as　a　despot；　he　would　do　away　with　a　considerable　part　of　the　evils　characteristic　of　despotism。　Political　activity　and　capacity　for　public　affairs　would　no　longer　be　prevented　from　growing　up　in　the　body　of　the　nation；　and　a　public　opinion　would　form　itself　not　the　mere　echo　of　the　government。　But　such　improvement　would　be　the　beginning　of　new　difficulties。　This　public　opinion；　independent　of　the　monarch's　dictation；　must　be　either　with　him　or　against　him；　if　not　the　one；　it　will　be　the　other。　All　governments　must　displease　many　persons；　and　these　having　now　regular　organs；　and　being　able　to　express　their　sentiments；　opinions　adverse　to　the　measures　of　government　would　often　be　expressed。　What　is　the　monarch　to　do　when　these　unfavourable　opinions　happen　to　be　in　the　majority？　Is　he　to　alter　his　course？　Is　he　to　defer　to　the　nation？　If　so；　he　is　no　longer　a　despot；　but　a　constitutional　king；　an　organ　or　first　minister　of　the　people；　distinguished　only　by　being　irremovable。　If　not；　he　m