Introduction
For William Lecky, a contemporary of Karl Marx, ‘Socialism’ meant a politics in which the things that were properly the responsibility of individuals and families were snatched away and dictated by the supposedly wiser Government. Such a politics, he said, was no different to the tyrannies of the past; it merely replaced the arrogance of king or sultan with the arrogance of the politburo.
IN the brilliant days of Louis XIV,* the Sorbonne formally declared ‘that all the goods of his subjects belonged to the King in person, and that in taking of them he took only what belonged to him.’ ‘The King,’ said Louis XIV, ‘represents the whole nation. All power is in his hands. ... Kings are absolute rulers, and have naturally a full and entire right of disposing of all the goods both of Churchmen and laymen.’
The rights of the individual and the rights of the family to property have from the very dawn of civilisation been opposed to this claim, and they form the first great foundation of human liberty. They rest on the strongest and deepest instinct of human nature — the love of the individual for his family; and the most powerful of all the springs of human progress is the desire of men to labour and to save for the benefit of those who will follow them. Through countless ages, religion and long-established custom have consecrated and fortified these nobler elements of human nature.
* Louis XIV (1638-1715) reigned over the Kingdom of France from 1643 until his death. Lecky speaks of the ‘brilliant days’ of Louis not out of approval but because Louis liked to style himself ‘the Sun King’ in recognition of his standing in Europe. Louis’s reign is remembered for his glittering court, his patronage of fine arts, his persecution of the Huguenots and the spread of French political control throughout Europe by frequent wars.
Précis
Writing in the 1890s, William Lecky noted that Louis XIV of France had claimed that he could do as he liked with the goods of every one of his subjects. This, said Lecky, went against the deepest human instincts, and the first aim of civilised governments had always been security of property and person for each citizen and his family. (60 / 60 words)
Writing in the 1890s, William Lecky noted that Louis XIV of France had claimed that he could do as he liked with the goods of every one of his subjects. This, said Lecky, went against the deepest human instincts, and the first aim of civilised governments had always been security of property and person for each citizen and his family.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, just, may, not, or, otherwise, ought, until.
Word Games
Jigsaws Based on this passage
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