Rights of Man 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 wretched impolicy of two nations, like England and France, continually worrying each other, to no other end than that of a mutual increase of burthens an... more »d taxes. That I mightbe assured I had not misunderstood him, nor he me, I put the substance of our opinions into writing, and sent it to him; subjoining a request, that if I should see among the people of England any disposition to cultivate a bettet understanding between the two nations than had hitherto prevailed, how far I might be authorised to say that the same disposition prevailed on the part of France ? He answered me by letter in the moat unreserved manner, and that not for himself only, but for the minister, with whose knowledge the letter was declared to be written. I put this letter into the hands of Mr. Burke, almost three years ago, and left it with him, where it still remains ; hoping, and at the same time naturally expecting, from the opinion I had conceived of him, that he would find some opportunity of making a good use of it, for the purpose of removing those errors and prejudices, which two neighbouring nations, from the want of knowing each other, had entertained, to the injury of both. When the French revolution broke out, it certainly afforded to Mr Bnrke an opportunity of doing some good, had he been disposed to it; , instead of which, no sooner did he see the old prejudices wearing : away, than he immediately began sowing the seeds of a new inveteracy, as if he were afraid that England and France would cease to be I enemies. That there are men in all countries who get their living by war, and by keeping up the quarrels of nations, is as shocking as it is true ; but when those who are concerned in the government of a country, make it their study to Row discord, and cult...« less