This book offers a detailed study of political argument in early eighteenth- century England, a time in which the politics of virtue were vigorously pursued — and just as vigorously challenged. In tracing the emergence of a privately oriented conception of civic virtue from the period's public dis- course, this book not only challenges the received notions of the fortunes of virtue in the early modern era but provides a promising critical perspective on the question of what sort of politics of virtue is possible or desirable today. Virtue Transformed Virtue Transformed Political Argument in England, 1688-1740 Shelley Burtt The right of the University of Cambridge to print and sell all manner of books was granted by Henry VIII in 1534. The University has printed and published continuously since 1584. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge New York Port Chester Melbourne Sydney CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, Sao Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www. Cambridge. org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521375283 © Cambridge University Press 1992 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1992 This digitally printed first paperback version 2006 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Burtt, Shelley G. Virtue transformed : political argument in England, 1688—1740 / Shelley Burtt. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-521-37528-2 (hardcover) 1. Political ethics — Great Britain — History — 17th century. 2. Political ethics — Great Britain — History — 18th century. 3. Political science - Great Britain - History - 17th century. 4. Political science - Great Britain - History - 18th century. I. Title. JA79.B86 1991 172'.0941 -dc20 91-27095 CIP ISBN-13 978-0-521-37528-3 hardback ISBN-10 0-521-37528-2 hardback ISBN-13 978-0-521-02673-4 paperback ISBN-10 0-521-02673-3 paperback This publication was originally published with the assistance of the Frederick W. Hilles Publications Fund of Yale University. For Donald, of course Contents Acknowledgements page ix 1 Introduction 1 2 The politics of virtue in Augustan England 15 3 A religious politics of virtue: Low Church Anglicanism and the Societies for Reformation of Manners 39 4 A republican politics of virtue: The selfish citizen in Cato's Letters 64 5 Bolingbroke's politics of virtue 87 6 The Court Whig conception of civic virtue 110 7 A world without virtue: Mandeville's social and political thought 128 8 Virtue transformed 150 Bibliography 165 Index 179 vn