BURKE ON " THE LONELY FURROW."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—May I recall to those of your readers who watch with interest not unmixed with wonder the "ploughing of the lonely furrow " these words of the greatest political thinker of the eighteenth century ? The passage occurs in Burke's 0 Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents ":— " For my part I find it impossible to conceive that any one believes in his own politics, or thinks them to be of any weight, who refuses to adopt the means of having them reduced to practice Men thinking freely will in particular instances think differently. But still, as the greater part of the measures which arise in the course of public business are related to or dependent upon some great leading principles in government, a man must be peculiarly unfortunate in the choice of his political company if he does not agree with them at least nine times in
ten How men can proceed without any connection at all is to me utterly incomprehensible."
Duppas Hill, Croydon, Surrey.
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