A Dissertation Upon Parties: in Several Letters to Caleb D'anvers, Esq; Dedicated to the Right Honourable Sir Robert Walpole

A Dissertation Upon Parties by Henry St. John Bolingbroke. This collection of letters argues that the British Constitution, as established after the Revolution, rests on a deliberate balance among three estates—the Crown, the Lords, and the Commons—and that the integrity of Parliament is the primary shield of liberty. Bolingbroke surveys the rise of Party divisions (Whig and Tory), the temptations and dangers of corruption, and the risks of governing by faction rather than principle. He defends the Revolution settlement, reviews the abuses of prerogative and patronage, and urges a renewed commitment to a national union based on constitutional laws rather than personal power. Through a series of Letters to Caleb D’anvers and a dedication to Sir Robert Walpole, the author cautions against corrupt influence, extols Parliament’s independence, and imagines a future in which liberty endures only if the Constitution remains the broad and lasting safeguard of public rights. The work combines political theory, historical narrative, and persuasive rhetoric to shape the debate about liberty, government, and the limits of power.