An Account of Denmark

The Translator's Preface

171 THE TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE3  Many Books and Papers have been publish’d since the late Revolution, tending to justify the Proceedings of the People of England at that happy juncture; by setting in a true Light our just Rights and Liberties, together with the solid Foundations of our Constitution: Which, in truth, is not ours only, but that of almost all Europe besides; so wisely restor’d and establish ’d (if not introduced) by the Goths and Franks, whose Descendants we are. These Books have as constantly had some things, called Answers, written to them, by Persons of different Sentiments; who certainly either never seriously consider’d, that they were thereby endeavouring to destroy their own Happiness, and overthrow her Majesty’s Title to the Crown: or (if they knew what they did) presumed upon the Lenity of that Government they decry’d; which (were there no better Reason) ought to have recommended it to their Approbation, since it could patiently bear with such, as were doing all they could to undermine it. Not to mention the Railing, Virulency, or personal false Reflections in many of those Answers, (which were4 always the Signs of a weak Cause, [3.] The Translator’s Preface was not included in the 1711 Timothy Goodwin edition . The preface forms the basis of the independent text later known as the Principles of a Real Whig. [4.] The 1775 edition of the Principles has “are.” 172  Francogallia or a feeble Champion) some of them asserted the Divine Right of an Hereditary Monarch, and the Impiety of Resistance upon any Terms whatever, notwithstanding any Authorities to the contrary. Others (and those the more judicious) deny’d positively, that sufficient Authorities could be produced to prove, that a free People have a just Power to defend themselves, by opposing their Prince, who endeavours to oppress and enslave them: And alledged, that whatever was said or done tending that way, proceeded from a Spirit of Rebellion, and Antimonarchical Principles. To confute, or convince this last Sort of Arguers (the first not being worthy to have Notice taken of them) I set about translating the Francogallia of that most Learned and Judicious Civilian, Francis Hotoman; a Grave, Sincere and Unexceptionable Author, even in the Opinion of his Adversaries. This Book gives an Account of the Ancient Free State of aboveThree Parts in Four of Europe; and has of a long time appeared to me so convincing and instructive in those important Points he handles, that I could not be idle whilst it remain’d unknown, in a manner, to Englishmen : who, of all People living, have the greatest Reason and Need to be thoroughly instructed in what it contains; as having, on the one hand, the most to lose, and on the other, the least Sense of their Right, to that, which hitherto they seem (at least in a great measure) to have preserv’d. It will be obvious to every Reader, that I have taken no great Pains to write elegantly. What I endeavour at, is as plain a Stile as possible, which on this Occasion I take to be the best: For since the Instruction of Mankind ought to be the principal Drift of all Writers (of History especially); whoever writes to the Capacity of most Readers, in my Opinion most fully answers the End. I am not ignorant, how tiresome and difficult a Piece of Work it is to translate, nor how little valued in the World. My Experience has convinced me, that ’tis more troublesome and teazing than to write and invent at once. The Idiom of the Language out of which one translates, runs so in the Head, that ’tis next to impossible not to fall frequently into it. And the more bald and incorrect the Stile of the Original is, the more shall that of the Translation be so too. Many of the Quotations in this Book are drawn from Priests, Monks, Friars, and Civil Lawyers, who Translator’s Preface  173 minded more, in those barbarous Ages, the Substance than the Stile of their Writings: And I hope those Considerations may atone for several Faults, which might be found in my Share of this Work. But I desire not to be misunderstood, as if (whilst I am craving Favour for my self) I were making any Apology for such a Number of mercenary Scribblers, Animadverters, and Translators, as...