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Rh chiefly defended by writers of suspicious character, it has happened that the evil reputation of its advocates has greatly injured the cause itself. He to whom an honourable name is dear, hardly dare openly defend it, though he were never so firmly convinced of its truth. And yet the doctrine of absolute power is just as honest and defensible as any other political opinion. Nothing is more revolting than what now so often happens—the confounding absolutism with despotism. The despot acts arbitrarily according to the caprice of his will; the absolute prince, with clear intelligence and sense of duty. The characteristic of the absolute king is this, that