dents of birth; it cannot be denied, that in both refpes the part which relates to war is much better peformed in popular governments than in monarchies.

That which we are by reafon led to believe is confirmed to us by experience. We every-where fee the difference between the courage of men fighting for themfelves, and their pofterity, and those that serve a mafter who by good success is often rendered infupportable. This is of such efficacy, that no king could ever boaft to have overthrown any confiderable commonwealth, unless it were divided. within itself, or weakened by wars made with fuch as were also free; which was the cafe of the Grecian commonwealths, when the Macedonians fell in upon them: whereas the greatest kingdoms have been easily deftroyed by commonwealths; and thefe alfo have loft all ftrength and valour, and fpirit, after the change of their government. The power and virtue of the Italians grew up, decayed, and perished, with their liberty. When they were divided into many commonwealths, every one of them was able to send out great armies, and to fuffer many defcats before they were fubdued; fo that their cities were delivered up by the old men, women, and children, when all those who were able to bear arms had been flain: and when they were all brought under the Romans, either as affociates or fubjects, they made the greateft ftrength that ever was in the world.

Alexander of Epirus was in valour thought equal, and in power little inferior, to Alexander of Macedon: but having the fortune to attack thofe who had been brought up in liberty, taught to hazard or fuffer all things for it,

and to think that God has given to men hands and fword's only to defend it, he perifhed in his attempt; whilft the other encountering flavish nations, under the conduct of proud, cruel, and for the most part unwarlike tyrants, became mafter of Afia.

Pyrrhus feems to have been equal to either of them; but the victories he obtained by an admirable valour and conduct, coft him fo dear, that he defired peace with thofe enemies who might be defeated, not fubdued

Hannibal, wanting the prudence of Pyrrhus, loft the fruits of all his victories; and being torn out of Italy, where he had nefted himself, fell under the fword of those whofe fathers he had defeated or flain; and died a bani.hed man from his ruined country.

The Gauls did once bring Rome, when it was fmall, to the brink of deftruction; but they left their carcafes to pay for the mifchiefs they had done; and in fucceeding times their invafions were mentioned as tumults rather than wars.

The Germans did perhaps furpafs them in numbers and ftrength, and were equal to them in fortune as long as Rome was free. They often entered Italy; but they continued not long there, unlefs under the weight of their chains; whereas the fame nations, and others like to them, affaulting that country, or other provinces under the emperors, found no other difficulty than what did arife upon contefts among themfelves who fhould be mafter of them. No manly virtue or difcipline remained among the Italians: thofe who governed them, relied upon tricks and shifts; they who could not defend themselves

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red fome of thofe nations to undertake their quarrels against others. Thefe trinklings could not laft: the Goths, fcorning to depend upon thofe who in valour and ftrength were much inferior to themfelves, feized upon the city that had commanded the world, whilft Honorius was fo bufy in providing for his hens, that he could not think of defending it. Arcadius had the luck not to lofe his principal city; but paffing his time among fidlers, players, eunuchs, cooks, dancers, and buffoons, the provinces were fecurely plundered and ranfacked by nations, that are known only from their victories against him.

It is in vain to fay, that this proceeded from the fatal corruption of that age; for that corruption procceded from the government, and the enfuing defolation was the effect of it. And as the like diforder in government has been ever fince in Greece, and the greatest part of Italy, thofe countries, which for extent, riches, convenience of fituation, and numbers of men, are equal to the best in the world, and for the wit, courage, and industry of the natives, perhaps juftly preferable to any, have fince that time been always expofed as a prey to the first invader, Charles the Eighth of France is by Guicciardin, and other writers, reprefented as a prince cqually weak in body, mind, money, and forces: but as an ill hare is faid to make a good dog, he conquered the best part of Italy without breaking a lance. Ferdinand and Alphonfo of Arragon, kings of Naples, had governed by trepanners, falfe witneffes, corrupt judges, mercenary foldiers, and other minifters of iniquity; but thefe could afford no help against an invader; and neither the oppreffed nobility,

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bility, nor people, concerning themselves in the quarrel, they who had been proud, fierce, and cruel, against their. poor fubjects, never durft look an enemy in the face; and the father dying with anguifh and fear, the fon shamefully fled from his ill governed kingdom.

The fame things are no lefs evident in Spain. No people ever defended themselves with more obftinacy and valour than the Spaniards did against the Carthaginians and Ronan, who furpaffed them in wealth and skill. Livy calls them "gentem ad bella gerenda & reparanda natam," and who'generally killed themfelves when they were mastered and difarmed, "nullam fine armis vitam "effe rati." But though the mixture of Roman blood could not impair their race, and the conjunction of the Goths had improved their force; yet no more was required for the overthrow of them all, than the weakness and bafenefs of the two lewd tyrants Witza and Rodrigo, who difdained all laws, and refolved to govern according to their luft. They who for more than two hundred years had refifted the Romans, were entirely fubdued by the vile, half-naked Moors, in one flight fkirmish; and do not to this day know what became of the king who brought the deftruction upon them. That kingdom after many revolutions is with many others, come to the house of Auftria, and enjoys all the wealth of the Indies; whereupon they are thought to have affected an universal monarchy. "Sed ut funt levia aulicorum ingenia,' this was grounded upon nothing except their own vanity : they had money and craft; but wanting that folid virtue and ftrength, which makes and preferves conquefts, their

kings have nothing but Milan that did not come to them by marriage: and though they have not received any extraordinary difafters in war, yet they languish and confume through the defects of their own government, and are forced to beg affiftance from their mortal and for-, merly defpifed enemies. Thefe are the best hopes of defence that they have from abroad; and the only enemy an invader ought to fear in their defolate territorities, is that want and famine which teftifics the good order, frength, and ftability of our author's divine monarchy; the profound wisdom of their kings in fubtilty finding out fo fure a way of defending the country; their paternal care in- providing for the good of their fubjects; and that whatfoever is defective in the prince, is affuredly fupplied by the fedulity of a good council.

We have already faid enough to obviate the objections that may be drawn from the profperity of the French monarchy. The beauty of it is falfe and painted. There is a rich and haughty king, who, is blefied with fuch neighbours as are not likely to disturb him, and has nothing to fear from his miferable fubjects; but the whole body of that state is full of boils, and wounds, and putrid fores: there is no real ftrength in it. The people are fo unwilling to ferve him, that he is faid to have put to death above fourscore thousand of his own foldiers within the space of fifteen years, for flying from their colours; and if he were vigorously attacked, little help could be expected from a difcontented nobility, or a starving and defpairing people. If to diminish the force of thefe arguments and examples, it be faid, that in two or three thoufand

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