of its use and neceffity; and the failors, who are alone affected by it, find no body to support them, in claiming the rights. and privileges which the law grants, without distinction, to all ENGLISH fubjects. But were this power, on any occafion, made an inftrument of faction or minifterial tyranny, the opposite faction, and indeed all lovers of their country, would immediately take the alarm, and fupport the injured party; the liberty of ENGLISHMEN would be afferted; juries would be implacable; and the tools of tyranny, acting both against law and equity, would meet with the feverest vengeance. On the other hand, were the parliament to grant: fuch an authority, they would probably fall into one of these two inconveniencies: They would either bestow it under fo many restrictions as would make it lofe its effects, by cramping. the authority of the crown; or they would render it fo large and comprehensive, as might give occafion to great abuses, for which we could, in that cafe, have no remedy. The very illegality of the power, at present, prevents its abuses, by affording fo eafy a remedy against them.

I pretend not, by this reasoning, to exclude all poffibility of contriving a register for feamen, which might, man the navy, without being dangerous to liberty. I only observe, that no fatisfactory scheme of that nature has yet been propofed. Rather than adopt any project hitherto invented, we continue a practice seemingly the most abfurd and unaccountable. Authority, in times of full internal peace and concord, is armed against law. A continued and open ufurpation of the crown is permitted, amidst the greatest jealousy and watchfulness in the people; nay, proceeding from those very principles:

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principles: Liberty, in a country of the highest liberty, is left intirely to its own defence, without any countenance or protection: The wild ftate of nature is renewed, in one of the moft civilized focieties of mankind: And great violences and diforders among the people, the most humane and the best natured, are committed with impunity; while the one party pleads obedience to the fupreme magiftrate, the other the fanction of fundamental laws.

ESSAY XI.

OF THE POPULOUSNESS OF ANTIENT NATIONS*.

T'

HERE is very little ground, either from reason or experience, to conclude the universe eternal or incorruptible. The continual and rapid motion of matter, the violent revolutions with which every part is agitated, the changes remarked in the heavens, the plain traces as well as tradition of an univerfal deluge; all these prove strongly the mortality of this fabric of the world, and its paffage, by corruption or diffolution, from one state or order to another. It must, therefore, as well as each individual form which it contains, have its infancy, youth, manhood, and old age;

An ingenious writer has honoured this discourse with an answer, full of politenefs, érudition, and good fenfe. So learned a refutation would have made the author fufpect, that his reafonings were entirely overthrown, had he not used the precaution, from the beginning, to keep himself on the fceptical fide; and having taken this advantage of the ground, he was enabled, though with much inferior forces, to preferve himself from a total defeat. That Reverend gentleman will always find, where his antagonist is fo entrenched, that it will be difficult to force him. VARRO, in fuch a fituation, could defend himself againft HANNIBAL, PHARNACES againft CESAR. The author, however, very willingly acknowleges, that his antagonist has detected many mistakes both in his authorities and reafonings; and it was owing entirely to that gentleman's indulgence, that many more errors were not remarked. In this edition, advantage has been taken of his learned animadverfions, and the Effay has been rendered lefs imperfect than formerly.

and

and 'tis probable, that in all these variations, man, equally with every animal and vegetable, will partake. In the flourishing age of the world, it may be expected, that the human fpecies fhould poffefs greater vigour both of mind and body, more profperous health, higher spirits, longer life, and a ftronger inclination and power of generation. But if the general fyftem of things, and human fociety of course, have any fuch gradual revolutions, they are too flow to be difcernible in that short period which is comprehended by history and tradition. Stature and force of body, length of life, even courage and extent of genius, feem hitherto to have been, naturally in all ages, pretty much the fame. The arts and sciences, indeed, have flourished in one period, and have decayed in another: But we may observe, that at the time when they rofe to greatest perfection among one people, they were perhaps totally unknown to all the neighbouring nations; and though they univerfally decayed in one age, yet in a fucceeding generation they again revived, and diffused themselves over the world. As far, therefore, as obfervation reaches, there is no universal difference difcernible in the human fpecies; and though it were allowed, that the universe, like an animal body, had a natural progress from infancy to old age; yet as it must still be uncertain whether, at present, it be advancing to its point of perfection, or declining from it, we cannot thence prefuppofe any decay in human nature t. To prove, there

+ COLUMELLA fays, lib. 3. cap. 8. that in ÆGYPT and AFRICA the bearing of twins was frequent, and even customary; gemini partus familiares, ac pæne folennes Junt. If this was true, there is a phyfical difference both in countries and ages. For travellers make no fuch remarks of these countries at prefent. On the contrary, we are apt to fuppofe the northern nations more fertile. As thofe two countries were provinces of the ROMAN empire, 'tis difficult, though not altogether abfurd, to suppose that such a man as COLUMELLA might be mistaken with regard to them.

fore,

fore, or account for the greater populousness of antiquity, by the imaginary youth or vigour of the world, will scarce be admitted by any just reafoner. These general phyfical caufes ought entirely to be excluded from that question.

There are indeed some more particular phyfical causes of great importance. Diseases are mentioned in antiquity, which are almost unknown to modern medicine; and new diseases have arisen and propagated themselves, of which there are no traces in antient hiftory. And in this particular we may obferve, upon comparison, that the disadvantage is very much on the fide of the moderns. Not to mention fome others of lefs importance; the fmall-pox commits fuch ravages, as would almost alone account for the great fuperiority ascribed to antient times. The tenth or the twelfth part of mankind, destroyed every generation, fhould make a vaft difference, it may be thought, in the numbers of the people; and when joined to venereal diftempers, a new plague diffused every where, this disease is perhaps equivalent, by its constant operation, to the three great fcourges of mankind, war, peftilence, and famine. Were it certain, therefore, that antient times, were more populous than the prefent, and could no moral caufes be affigned for fo great a change; these physical causes alone, in the opinion of many, would be fufficient to give us fatisfaction on that head.

But is it certain, that antiquity was fo much more populous as is pretended? The extravagancies of VOSSIUS, with regard to this fubject, are well known. But an author of much greater genius and difcernment has ventured to affirm, that, according to the best computations which thefe fubjects will VOL. I. admit

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