iron ring, condemning themselves, in a manner, to fervitude, till they are freed from the difgrace of it, by the blood of an enemy. Many even delight to carry, during their lives, this terrible afpect; and when grown grey with age, they become, thereby, more refpectable to their friends, and more formidable to hoftile nations. By thefe, in all engagements, the affault is made they form the first line of battle, and strike terror by the fingularity and horror of their appearance. Even during peace, they affect not to appear in a more mild and agreeable fafhion. Without any fixed habitations, without lands to cultivate, indifferent to the occupations of life, negligent of their own wealth, and prodigal of that of others, these warriors are maintained at the expence of thofe whom they vifit, and continue in the practice of a ferocious valour, till they are debilitated by the wafte and the encroachments of age.

The SUIONES.

This people was powerful both by fea and land. Their veffels were conftructed in a more convenient form than those of the Romans, as they had prows at each end, and could be rowed without being turned. They moved not by fails; and the rowers were not placed on benches. The oars could be removed from place to place, in the way that was fometimes practifed by the Romans in navigating rivers.

The Suiones paid a particular refpect to riches; and, by this means, they came in time to fubmit to the unlimited dominion of a ruler. The ufe of arms was not allowed to the individuals of this tribe, as in the other German communities. These their king fhut up under the care of a perfon in whom he could confide, and who was always of a fervile condition. The reafon of this policy is obvious. Their country was defended by the fea against foreign invafions; and foldiers, with arms in their hands, might eafily be allured into tumults and rebellion. The fafety of the fovereign might, therefore, have been endangered, if the charge of his arfenal had been given to a man of rank, to a citizen, or even to a freedman.

The SUEVI.

The Suevi inhabited a confiderabie proportion of the territory. of Germany. They did not conftitute a fingle nation like the Catti and Teucteri, but were divided into different states, known by particular appellations, though comprehended under a general name.

A circumftance, which marked out the Suevi from the other Germanic communities, and which with them ferved to didinguish the citizen from the flave, was the habit of twisting their hair, and binding it up in a knot. For though this fafhion was admitted in other German tribes, from their connexion

with the Suevi, on a principle of imitation, yet in these, it was confined to young men. Among the Suevi, on the contrary, it was continued to an extreme old age. To the great and noble it was an object of particular care. It feemed indeed, the only ornament of which they were ambitious: But their attention in this respect proceeded not from any criminal defign. They did not adorn themselves for the purposes of love, but to add to their ftature, and to appear terrible to their enemies.

The Semnones account themselves the most illuftrious and the most ancient community of the Suevi; and their claim to antiquity they found on religion. They have a wood, confecrated by their ancestors, which they behold with fuperftitious reverence; and there, at ftated times, the deputies of all the tribes defcended from the fame ftock, affemble to celebrate the frightful ceremonies of their barbarous worship. These they begin by facrificing a human victim. No one enters this wood, but in fetters; and if any one chances to fall, it is not lawful for him to rife. He must roll along the earth. The tendency of these fuperftitious rites is to prove, that, from this place the Suevi drew their original, that there the Deity refides who reigns over them, and that to this spot all their states ought to pay attention and refpect. The good fortune of the Semnones affifted their ambition and pretenfions. They poffeffed an hundred towns; and from the extent of their territory, and their ftrength, they were regarded as the chief community of the Suevi.

The TEUCTERI.

The Teucteri, according to Tacitus, were remarkable for the excellent difcipline of their cavalry. The skill and address, which they poffeffed in this branch of the military profeffion, conftituted their proper glory, and distinguished them from the other Germanic tribes. This advantage they had derived from their ancestors, and they studied to tranfmit it to their pofterity. The management and exercifing of horfes was the fport of their infancy, the emulation of their youth, and the employment of their riper age. Horfes were conveyed among their family poffeffions; and were received by their defcendants, not according to their feniority, but according to the figure they had made in war.

Of the German tribes in general, our Author gives the following picture.

They were all fond of war, and loved it on its own account. They fought not for riches, because they knew not the use of them; nor for ample poffeffions, because they thought it glorious to be furrounded with vaft folitudes. This, they fancied, was a mark of their fuperiority over the tribes they had driven from

them,

them, and an useful precaution, by which to guard against the fudden incurfions of their hoftile neighbours. War had charms to them as a scene of action, and as the road to glory.

It

There had fubfifted on this head an early emulation between the Gauls and Germans; and Cæfar has obferved, that in the moft diftant times, the former had the advantage; as their colonies had forced their way into Germany, and had conquered feveral countries, of which they retained the poffeffion. happened, however, in after-times, that the Gauls having become effeminate in confequence of their commerce with the Romans, and of the riches and luxury introduced among them, yielded to the Germans, whofe power and laborious way of life foftered their strength of body and of mind. Hence, the German conquefts on the left fide of the Rhine; but the Roman troops allowed them not to penetrate into the heart of Gaul. They maintained, however, their ground on the borders; and the country from Bafle to the mouth of the Rhine was called Germany, and divided by Auguftus into two provinces under that name.

The paffion of this people for war was fo violent, that when any of its ftates had remained for a confiderable time in peace, the youth, impatient of repose, and eager to expose themselves to dangers, repaired to nations that were at variance, or made incurfions upon their neighbours. For the depredations exercifed beyond the confines of their own territories, instead of being accounted blameable, were confidered as honourable, and as furnishing an excellent method to keep their youth from inaction and indolence.

This fierce people valued no occupation, but that of arms. The chace had few allurements for them; and as to agriculture, though they acknowledged its utility, they thought it an ignoble profeffion. They fancied it mean to acquire by their fweat and labour, what they could purchase with their blood. Accordingly when they were not engaged in war, they were totally idle; and to eat, drink, and fleep, was their only bu finefs. Their family concerns were given in charge to the women and to old men. The more valiant and robust confidered it as below them to have any thing to do. So inconfiftent were this people, fays Tacitus, that they were enemies to peace, and yet lovers of idleness.

Those who are fond of beholding men under the different forms of barbarity and civilization in which they have appeared in fociety, will be highly delighted with the prefent publication.

AR T. IX.

Hiftoire de la Rivalité de la France & de l'Angleterre, par M. Gaillard, de l'Academie Françoife & de l'Academie des Infcriptions & Belles Lettres.-The Hiftory of the Rivalfhip of France and England, &c. 12mo. 3 Vols. Paris. 1771.

TH

HIS agreeable Writer, who obliges the world with an History of the Rivalfhip of France and England, appears to unite that delicacy of language, for which the French academicians have long been eminent, with fentiments generally juft, and an enlarged benevolence of heart.

"Attention to others" feems to be the true bafis of politeness; and we Reviewers fhould be forry to give occafion to Mr. Gaillard to conclude, from any inattention to his work, that we Englishmen have no title to pretend to rivalship with the French in the article of politenefs.-But, to be serious :

We efteem the fubject of this work to be of fo much importance to all our Readers, not only as Englishmen, but as men, that we think it our duty to give fuch a fair reprefentation of this Hiftory, as may enable them to judge whether any French academician be able to keep prejudice out of the facred circle of their academy.

Mr. G. begins his preface (which contains above 40 pages) with an handsome profeffion that although he is a Frenchman, he will endeavour never to forget, that it is the duty of an Hiftorian to be impartial, and of a Man to be juft.-He loves France, and esteems England, and refpects himself too much to flatter or abuse, inftead of examining and judging.' He adds, all men, however distant, are brethren, and effentially friends. He who loves war is the only enemy of mankind.-This (says he) is an old truth always new! Europe is polite, but makes war, and therefore is still barbarous. Speculative truths (as he obferves) must be inculcated long before they become practised. Men have difcovered (continues Mr. G.) that ambitious conquerors are unjust, but not fufficiently, that they are foolish. War appears already horrible, but I will fhew it to be abfurd, and ridiculous too.' He proves war to be ridiculous because inefficacious to the end propofed.

He next fhews, that true or juft policy means to conquer, in order to preferve poffeffion of conquefts in peace; but war either only reduces our enemy to a shameful peace till he can contend again with more fuccefs, or entirely ruins him. This deftruction of HIM naturally causes the deftruction, or at least the weakening of OURSELVES, by the jealoufy of our neighbours, or by interior vices.

Mr. G. confirms this general truth by referring to the hiftory of all nations, particularly of Rome. He justly observes that

this must always be the cafe, which philofophy foresees and hiftory relates. Among the particular caufes concuring to produce this great effect, which he justly enumerates, we are efpecially pleafed with two, as doing honour to the pen of a Frenchman, viz. the indifference of members of the conquering nations towards their country, and the innate love of the conquered towards their country, which tyranny can never ftifle.'

Mr. G. obferves, that the dreams of univerfal empire seem to be pretty much at an end in Europe, and then, after expatiating on the enormities of modern wars, he cries out, like a good man, Befide the expence of human blood, which is invaluable, he who calculates what it has coft Europe to determine nothing, will look with horror,' &c. He adds, in the spirit of juft fatire, that when philofophy compares two prize-fighters flashing each other, then drinking together like friends, with two polifhed heroes, fhe fees no difference, except that the latter gladiators produce more terrible confequences.

Our Author doubts whether the difcovery of a new world has done more harm or fervice to mankind; but he remarks, that it has produced as much difpute about the freedom and exclufiveness of fea and trade, as before fubfifted about univerfal monarchy.

And here Mr. G. takes an opportunity of giving an agreeable view of the government of Pennfylvania, whofe capital takes its name from brotherly love. He thinks almoft the only fubject of envy which we afford the French, is this little colony, whofe original 500 inhabitants have, in a little time, produced 300,000. Our Author judges that the fingularities of the Quakers occafioned their forming this colony, and owns that they pushed their love of peace to excefs.

Mr. G. infifts again on his favourite topic, viz. that war is an ineffectual means to the end propofed, viz. the lafting enjoyment of conquests; and to the general reafons above affigned, he adds particular ones, viz. the change in the art of war by improvements in artillery, from whence ancient courage, which was boldness founded on fkill, is changed to brutal obflinacy, and war is become ftill more abfurd.

This Writer admirably observes, that the ancient conquerors came from countries where their people ftarved, to plentiful ones; but that modern conquerors really gain nothing by their conquests.

He draws a juft and fine picture of the prince who improves. his country by all focial arts; and concludes, that till there are carried to their height, no colonies fhould be thought of. He afks, How the right of nations can admit of war?' and obferves, that a maleficent policy has made even a ftate of peace a ftate of war, by tricks of negociation, &c.

Among