་ upon the lion as the king of beaft, because he is endued with the greatest ferocity. gar; There were times when all mankind thought like the vulbut it is our good fortune that thofe times are no more. Philofophy, true Philofophy, has difpelled the glory of Conquerors, pulled down the trophies of barbarous ages, broke ⚫ their crowns, and blafted their laurels. Still the Romans appear great in our eyes; but it is because of their love of glory, their prudence, their intrepi dity, their conftancy in adverfity, their moderation in profperity (whatever principle it flowed from); in fhort, it is because of their refpect for religion and laws, their frugality, temperance, and purity of manners, virtues for which ⚫ that nation was fo long diftinguifhed. For we must not ⚫ confound ideas: humanity and a vein of politeness are in⚫ confiftent with barbaroufnefs; but the fame cannot be said in regard to the more rigid virtues. What other occupation can barbarous nations find out for themselves than agriculture and war? They work no longer than is abfolutely neceflary to procure a fubfiftence, and to recruit their bodily ftrength: and then they employ it against the very end for which it was bestowed, that is, in endeavouring to deftroy the reft of their fpecies. There ⚫ are feveral branches of agriculture which it is impoffible for ⚫ them to know. The mere neceffaries of nature, are all they defire; every thing elfe is a fuperfluity, an article of luxury no way fuitable to their fituation. War therefore becomes their chief employment; but as this cannot be rightly conducted without military virtues, among which we muft certainly rank exact difcipline and feverity of manners, the latter is fometimes carried among thofe barbarous • nations to a degree of ferocity. This severity was long a favourite virtue of the Romans: but it afterwards abated gradually in proportion to their conquefts, and the increase of their power, till at length, under the government of their Emperors, they were become the most corrupt, the most abject, and contemptible of all nations. The caufes of fo great a change are not ⚫ difficult to discover. The first seems to me to be general to every nation, the others appear more particular to the Romans. Mankind improve in elegance of manners, according to the opportunities they have of communicating with each other: other take away this focial intercourse, and they will all become barbarians. This holds equally good in regard to entire nations; which, indeed, are civilized by connections ⚫ with others more polite than themselves. The charms of politenefs and humanity are of fo powerful a nature, that wherever they are difplayed, they captivate the mind, and oblige thofe people, that are even of the most favage difpofition, to fubmit to the agreeable yoke. After Greece was conquered by the Romans, fhe fubdued those rough warriors in her turn, by communicating the liberal arts: Gra• cia capta ferum victorem cepit, et artes intulit agrefti Latio, fays Horace, in his Epiftle to Auguftus. < This change operates infenfibly; for mankind do not pafs fuddenly from extreme ferocity to the oppofite extreme of • moderation and humanity. Brutal favage men will begin with fhewing themselves only rough and fevere; by degrees they will arrive at the juft medium; and become remark<able at length for their politenefs and purity of manners. But it is poffible alfo, in process of time, that their minds will be too much foftened, and their ancient difcipline be <corrupted. This was what happened to the Romans in the 6 age we have been laft defcribing; with this difference howC ever, that they were grown a corrupt people, though their manners were not entirely foftened. The reason of this we • must explain. • After the deftruction of Carthage, the Romans flew from • conquest to conqueft, and from most of their victories they reaped even more treasure than glory: or to express myself properly, they foon accustomed themselves to measure the glory of their Generals, by the riches which they displayed at their triumphs. These were either the spoils of conquered nations, called triumphal gold; or the monies arifing ⚫ from the fale of prisoners of war, and then they took the name of captive gold (aurum captivum, captiva pecunia). But it was not enough for thofe proud conquerors to defpoil <their enemies, they would likewife be crowned by the hands of their rivals, whom they had humbled and fubdued. No longer were they contented with plain laurels, they infifted upon having crowns of gold. Triumphal crowns, fays Feftus, are fuch as are given to victorious Generals; they were formerly of laurel, but now they are of gold. Julius Cæfar alone • received on different occafions eighteen hundred of those crowns, which, according to Appian, weighed all together above twenty thousand pound weight. And this honorary crown, which in the beginning was a free gift, degenerat ་ • ed ed afterwards into a tribute or tax; for Dion obferves, that Auguftus gained the affections of the people of Italy, by releafing them from the obligation of furnishing the gold, which was used for triumphal crowns. Spartian also takes notice, that Adrian was greatly commended for discharging Italy from the fame heavy burden, and for diminishing it in the provinces. Thus almoft the whole wealth of the known world was poured of a fudden into Rome, where it did the greatest mifchief. The Romans having been always in poverty before, and entirely unacquainted with the juft and lawful means of acquiring riches, could have no knowlege of their right use. Every citizen, like another Lucullus, looked upon his wealth as the fpoils of barbarians, whom by the laws of war he could infult with impunity. Hence came that bad policy of fuddenly abolishing all taxes; hence thofe largeffes and diftributions among the people; that < prodigality in public fhews; that profufion in entertainments; and that unbounded luxury which gradually infected the feveral orders of the Commonwealth. 'Among a people incapable of acquiring riches by any other than lawful means, there is no objection against paying a ⚫ certain degree of honour and refpect to the opulent. Nay, it is right it fhould be fo; because it is to be prefumed, that their wealth is the fruit of induftry and abilities, as nobility is fuppofed to be the hereditary reward of virtue. But in a nation deftitute of arts, commerce, and industry, where • opulence can arife, if fo I may exprefs myfelf, from no other fource than villany and injuftice, there is an end of all government, if riches are honoured; and this was the mif• fortune of the Romans. The fplendor of those Citizens who fold their fuffrages at an extravagant price; of thofe Warriors, who converted the contributions and spoils of the enemy to their own private ufe; of thofe Magiftrates who artfully inclined the balance to the fide of bribery and corruption; of thofe Publicans who were fo dexterous in multiplying their rights and pretentions in infinitum; of thofe intriguing men, who raifed great eftates out of the fpoils of their creditors; of thofe Governors of provinces, who under a thoufand pretences had devoured the fubftance of the people committed to their care; this fplendor, I say, impofed on the rude multitude, who had very little notion of folid virtue. They looked upon all this pageantry as ho-, nourable, and worthy of their efteem; which foon obliged O0 3 them them to pay fubmiffion to the great,, because power is ge6 nerally the concomitant of riches. Such prodigious alterations in the notions and manners of the Romans, muft needs have produced as great a change in their character. That boldness, that majefty which they had displayed on fo many occafions, were fuddenly loft. Those men who never spoke but to give laws to the univerfe, were now become more difpofed to receive laws themfelves from the first fellow Citizen that had refolution enough to defpoil them of their liberty, or money to purchase it. No longer had they any intereft in facrificing themselves for the public good, fince all confideration and regard were paid to those who studied ony how to plunder, oppress, and destroy their country. A nation cannot be free without virtue; of which the Romans were now entirely void, fince it was S no longer either honoured or rewarded. Public fpirit gave 6 way to private intereft; and the love of freedom to flavery. Not that this people had ever any inclination to servile dependance, a ftate the moft mortifying to human nature, and most contrary to its general privileges: but this exorbitant wealth, this fudden and unjust acquifition had produced the most unbounded luxury, which in its turn gave rife to an infatiate defire of riches. They hardly knew any other glory, than that of hoarding at the expence of juftice, humanity, and honour: their character fenfibly degenerated by degrees they became mean and cringing, ready to barter their liberty for money; ready to prostitute the greatest panegyrics upon their Tyrants: ready, in short, to inveft Cæfar with an abfolute power over the chastity of all the women of Rome, &c. Though they loft the republican, they did not lose the military fpirit: only the motive was changed. Heretofore they had fought for the glory and majefty of the empire; but now to ferve the ambition of a fellow Citizen, most capable of enriching his foldiers. "Sylla, fays M. de Mon"tefquieu, corrupted the army; and they afterwards cor"rupted their Generals: by diftributing the forfeited estates, he made his foldiers rapacious: the example was followed by fucceeding Commanders, who were fure to embrace every opportunity of enriching their armies with the spoils of their fellow Citizens." Hence it is eafy to perceive why the Romans fhould grow fo corrupt, without becoming fracre polite. Tired of ravaging the world, or rather finding no longer a world to ravage, they turned their arms against against their own bowels. Poffeffed with an infatiable thirst after riches, they cut one another's throats for the melancholy fpoils of the human fpecies. As they did not change their barbarous difpofition, how was it poffible for their manners to be polifhed?' How this Author has fucceeded in drawing characters, our Readers will be enabled to judge, in fome measure, by the characters he has given of Cæfar, Antony, and Cicero: hear what he fays of Cæfar. Cæfar refembled Cataline in many refpects, but had < greater abilities, and was more fuccefsful. Catiline was drawn into rebellion by madnefs and defpair; Cæfar was naturally formed for it. Whatever he engaged in, whether love, treafon, or fighting, he went through with spirit. He feemed born to command. When he was but a young man, and happened to be taken prifoner by pirates, he behaved towards them with authority, ordered them to fet • him afshore, and chaftifed them for having dared to abridge his liberty. His accomplishments were very great; fuch as a majestic figure; a conftitution, though naturally infirm, yet inured by conftant and early exercife, either to exceffive labour, or to debauch; wit joined with folidity; a manly eloquence, proportioned to circumftances, times, and perfons, and equally adapted to captivate the breaft of a female, or to animate the foldier; a furprizing boldness in planning the nobleft enterprizes, with a prodigious activity in conducting them to a happy iffue; but above all, a furprizing skill in training his foldiers after his own example, for every man under his command was a Hero. Add to this a boundlefs ambition, together with the most undaunted courage. Though always in debt, he ftill appeared rich; though always tottering, he maintained his ground, because he was never at a lofs for expedients upon any emergency. Had he been crufhed at the time of Catiline's confpiracy, he would have made but an indifferent figure: but as he efcaped, his name is ranked in the fame clafs with that of Alexander. I fhall wave faying any thing of his clemency, which does him fo much honour; perhaps he makes a right eftimation of it himself in the letter above mentioned. And yet we are obliged to acknowlege, that on many occafions it feemed to flow from a nobler fource, from a real magnanimity fuperior to injuries, and to thofe that committed them. Cæfar acted like thofe Champions, who after they have thrown their adverfary to the ground, refiore his arms to him again, and feem to challenge him to another encounter.' 004 His |