Began
to introduce a more absolute form of government than was consistent with
the humour of that people; his
Son has been far from receding in that
point, and Patkul being a person of great consideration among them,
stood up for their liberties in a manner which our king could not
forgive: - he ordered him to be seized, but he made his escape, and was
proscribed in Sweden; on which he entered into the service of king
Augustus, and was made his general; but on some misunderstanding;
between him and the chancellor, he quitted Poland and went to Russia,
where he got into great favour with the czar, was highly promoted, and
sent his residentiary ambassador in Saxony. Augustus, whose fate it has
been to disoblige every body, on some pretence clapp'd into prison the
representative of his only friend, and now, we see, has given him up to
death, to satiate the demands of his greatest enemy.
Horatio could not keep himself from falling into a deep musing at the
recital of this adventure: he thought Patkul worthy of compassion, yet
found reasons to justify the king's resentment; and as this officer had
often disburthened himself to him with the greatest freedom, he had no
reserve toward him, and this led them into a discourse on arbitrary
power. - Horatio said, that he could not help believing that nature never
intended millions to be subjected to the despotic will of one person,
and that a limited government was the most conformable to reason.
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