fuch conftitutions as might best improve their strength and valour, the numbers they sent out when they were overburthened, provided well for themselves, but were of no ufe to the countries they left; and whilft thofe Goths, Vandals, Franks, and Normans, enjoyed the most opulent and delicious provinces of the world, their fathers languished obfcurely in their frozen elimates. For the like reasons, or through the fame defect, the Switzers are obliged to ferve other princes; and often to employ that valour in advancing the power of their neighbours, which might be used to increase their own. Genoa, Lucca, Geneva, and other small commonwealths, having no wars, are not able to nourish the men they breed; but fending many of their children to feek their fortunes abroad, fearce a third part of those that are born among them die in those cities; and if they did not take this courfe, they would have no better than the nations inhabiting near the river Niger, who fell their children as the increase of their flocks.

This does not lefs concern monarchies than commonwealths, nor the abfolute lefs than the mixed: all of them have been profperous or miserable, glorious or contemptible, as they were better or worse armed, difcip lied, or conducted. The Affyrian valour was irrefiftible under Nebuchodonozor; but was brought to nothing under his bafe and luxurious grandfon Belshazzar: the Perfians, who under Cyrus conquered Afia, were like fwine exposed to flaughter when their difcipline failed, and they were commanded by his proud, cruel, and cowardly fucceffors. The Macedonian army overthrown by Paulus

Emilius

Emilius was not lefs in number than that with which Alexander gained the empire of the caft; and perhaps had not been inferior in valour, if it had been as well commanded. Many poor and almoft unknown nations have been carried to fuch a height of glory by the bravery of their princes, that I might incline to think their governmen as fit as any other for difcipling a people to war, if their virtues continued in their families, or could be tranfmitted to their fucceffors. The impoffibility of this is a breach never to be repaired; and no account is to be made of the good that is always certain, and seldom enjoyed. This disease is not only in abfolute monarchies, but in thofe also where any regard is had to fucceffion of blood, though under the strictest limitations. The fruit of all the victories gained by Edward the First and Third, or Henry the Fifth of England, perifhed by the bafeness of their fucceffors: the glory of our arms was turned into fhame; and we, by the lofs of treasure, blood, and territory, fuffered the punishment of their vices. The cffects of these changes are not always equally violent; but they are frequent, and muft fall out as often as occafion is reprefented. It was not poffible for Lewis the Thirteenth of France to pursue the great defigns of Henry the Fourth Christina of Sweden could not fupply the place of her brave father; nor the prefent king in his infancy accomplish what the great Charles Guftavus had noble undertaken: and no remedy can be found for this mortal infirmity, unless the power be put into the hands of those who are able to execute it, and not left to the blindness of fortune. When the regal power is committed to an an

nual

nual or otherwife chofen magiftracy, the virtues of excellent men are of ufe, but all does not depend upon their perfons: one man finishes what another had begun; and when many are by practice rendered able to perform the fame things, the lofs of one is eafily fupplied by the election of another. When good principles are planted, they do not die with the perfon that introduced them; and good conftitutions remain, though the authors of them perifh. Rome did not fall back into flavery when Brutus was killed, who had led them to recover their liberty; others like to him pursued the same ends; and notwithftanding the lofs of fo many great commanders confumed in their almost continual wars, they never wanted fuch as were fit to execute whatever they could defign. A wellgoverned state is as fruitful to all good purposes, as the feven-headed ferpent is faid to have been in evil; when one head is cut off, many rife up in the place of it. Good order being once established, makes good men; and as long as it lafts, fuch as are fit for the greatest employments will never be wanting. By this means the Romans could not be surprised: no king or captain ever invaded them, who did not find many excellent commanders to oppose him; whereas they themfelves found it eafy to overthrow kingdoms, though they had been established by the braveft princes, through the bafenefs of their fucceffors.

But if our author fay truc, it is of no advantage to a popular state to have excellent men; and therefore he impofes "a neceffity upon every people to chufe the worst "men for being the worst, and moft like to themselves; left that if virtuous and good men thould come into

66 power,

"power, they should be excluded for being vicious and wicked, &c. Wife men would feize upon the state, "and take it from the people." For the understanding of thefe words, it is good to confider whether they are to be taken fimply, as ufually applied to the devil, and fome of his inftruments, or relatively, as to the thing in question: if fimply, it must be concluded, that Valerius, Brutus, Cincinnatus, Capitolinus, Mamercus, Paulus Emilius, Nafica, and others like to them, were not only the worst men of the city; but that they were fo often advanced to the fupreme magiftracics because they were fo: if in the other fenfé relating to magistracy, and the command of armies, the worst are the moft ignorant, unfaithful, slothful, or cowardly; and our author, to make good his propofition, muft prove, that when the people of Rome, Carthage, Athens, and other states, had the power of chufing whom they pleafed, they did chufe Camillus, Corvinus, Torquatus, Fabius, Rullus, Scipio, Amilcar, Hannibal, Afdrubal, Pelopidas, Epaminondas, Pericles, Ariftides, Themistocles, Phocion, Alcibiades, and others like to them, for their ignorance, infidelity, floth, and cowardice; and on account of thofe vices, mot like to thofe who chose them. But if these were the wort, I defire to know what wit or cloquence can describe or comprehend the excellency of the best; or of the difcipline that brings whole nations to fuch perfection, that worse than thefe could not be found among them? And if they were not fo, but fuch as all fucceeding ages. have juftly admired for their wifdom, virtue, industry,

VOL. II.

and valour, the impudence of fo wicked and falfe an afsertion ought to be rejected with fcorn and hatred.

But if all governments, whether monarchical or popular, abfolute or limited, deferve praise or blame as they are well or it conflituted for making war; and that the attainment of this end do intirely depend upon the qualifications of the commanders, and the firength, courage, number, affection, and temper of the people out of which the armies are drawn; thofe governments must neceffarily be the best which take the best care that those armies may be well commanded; and fo provide for the good of the people, that they may daily increafe in number, courage, and ftrength, and be fo fatisfied with the prefent ftate of things, as to fear a change, and fight for the prefervation or advancement of the public intereft as of their own. We have already found, that in hereditary monarchies no care at all is taken of the commander: he is not chofen, but comes by chance; and does not only frequently prove defective, but for the moft part utterly uncapable of performing any part of his duty; whereas in popular governments excellent men are generally chosen ; and there are fo many of them, that if one or more perith, others are ready to fupply their places. And this difcourfe having (if I mistake not) in the whole series, fhewn, that the advantages of popular governments, in relation to the increase of courage, number, and strength in a people, out of which armics are to be formed, and bringing them to fuch a temper as prepares them bravely to perform their duty, are as much above those of monarchies, as the prudence of choice furpaffes the acci

dents