than to happiness. It was that form of government in ancient Rome, which produced citizens without number, illuftrious for virtue and talents. Reflect upon Cincinnatus, eminent among heroes for difinterested love to his country. Had he been a Briton, a feat in parliament would have gratified his ambition, as affording the beft opportunity of serving his country. In parliament he joins the party that appears the most zealous for the public. Being deceived in his friends, patriots in name only, he goes over to the court; and after fighting the battles of the miniftry for years, he is compelled by a shattered fortune to accept a post or a pension. Fortunate Cincinnatus! born at a time and. in a country where virtue was the paff port to power and glory. Cincinnatus, after ferving with honour and reputation as chief magiftrate, cheerfully retired to a private station, in obedience to the laws of his country nor was that change a hardship on a man who was not corrupted by a long habit of power. But wonderful was the change, when the republic by fuccessful wars comprehended great kingdoms. Luxurious and fenfual men, who compofed

compofed the fenate, could not maintain their authority over generals who commanded great armies, and were illuftrious by conqueft. In the civil wars accordingly that were carried on after the death of Julius Cæfar, the legions called from Spain and other diftant provinces to defend the fenate, deferted all to Antony, or to Lepidus, or to Octavius Cæfar.

Political writers define a free state to be where the people are governed by laws of their own making. This definition is lame; for laws made by the people are not always juft. There were many unjuft laws enacted in Athens during the democratical government; and in Britain inftances are not wanting of laws, not only unjuft, but oppreffive. The true definition of a free ftate, is, where the laws of nature are strictly adhered to, and where every municipal regulation is contrived to improve fociety, and to promote honesty and industry. If that definition be just, defpotifin is the worft fpecies of government; being contrived to fupport arbitrary will in the fovereign, without regarding the laws of nature, or the good of fociety. The lawlefs cruelty of a King of

Perfia,

Perfia, is painted to the life by a fingle expreffion of a Perfian grandee, "That every time he left the King's apartment, "he was inclined to feel with his hand "whether his head was on his fhoulders.' In the Ruffian empire, men approach the throne with terror: the flighteft political intrigue is a fufficient foundation for banifhing the greateft nobleman to Siberia, and for confifcating his eftate. The laws of that empire smell no lefs rank of slavery than of oppreffion. No perfon dares game with money that bears the impreffion of the present fovereign: a man going along the street that fronts the Emperor's apartment, muft pull off his hat; and it is a heinous trespass, to write a letter with the Emperor's name in fmall characters. Defpotism is every where the fame: it was high treafon to fell a ftatue of a Roman Emperor; and it was doubted, whether it was not high treafon to hit an Emperor's ftatue with a stone thrown at random (a). When Elifabeth Empress of Ruffia was on death-bed, no perfon durft inquire about her; and, even after her death, it was not at first safe to speak of

(a) 1. 5. ad legem Juliam Majestatis,

it. The deep filence of the Ruffians upon matters of government, arifes from the encouragement given to accufations of treafon. The bystanders must lay hold of the perfon accused: a father arrefts his fon, a fon his father, and nature suffers in filence. The accufed with the accufer are hurried to prifon, there to remain till they be tried in the fecret court of chancery. That court, compofed of a few minifters named by the Emperor, have the lives and fortunes of all at their mercy. The nobles, flaves to the crown, are prone to retaliate upon their inferiors. They impofe taxes at pleasure upon their vaffals, and frequently feize all at short hand *.

Servility

The following incident is a striking example of the violence of paffion, indulged in a defpotic government, where men in power are under no control. Thomas Pereyra, a Portuguese general, having affisted the King of Pegu in a dangerous war with his neigh bour of Siam, was a prime favourite at court, having elephants of state, and a guard of his own country. men. One day coming from court mounted on an elephant, and hearing mufic in a house where a marriage was celebrating between a daughter of the family and her lover, he went into the house, and defired to fee the bride. The parents took the vifit for a great honour,

Servility and depreffion of mind in the fubjects of a defpotic government, cannot be better marked than in the funeral rites of a Roman Emperor, defcribed by Herodian (a). The body being burnt privately, a waxen image reprefenting the Emperor is laid in a bed of state. On the one fide fit the fenators feveral hours daily, clothed in black; and on the other, the moft refpectable matrons, clothed in white. The ceremony lafts feven days, during which the physicians from time to time approach the bed, and declare the EmpeFor to be worse and worse. When the day comes of declaring him dead, the most dignified of the nobility carry the bed upon their shoulders, and place it in the old forum, where the Roman magistrates formerly laid down their office. Then begin doleful ditties, fung to his memory by boys and women. These being ended, the bed is carried to the Campus Martius, and there burnt upon a high ftage with

honour, and cheerfully prefented her. He was inftantly fmit with her beauty, ordered his guards to seize her, and to carry her to his palace. The bridegroom, as little able to bear the affront as to revenge it, cut his own throat.

(a) Lib 4.

great

.

1