cing to their meridian, or falling down gradually till they fink into obscurity. An empire fubjected to effeminate princes, and devoid of patriotism, cannot long fubfift entire. The fate of all, with very few exceptions, has been the fame. The governors of provinces, lofing all regard for a voluptuous and effeminate monarch, take courage, fet up for themselves, and affume regal authority, each in his own province. The puiffant Affyrian monarchy, one of the earliest we read of in hif tory, after having been long a terror to its neighbours, was difmembered by the governors of Media and of Babylon, who detached these extenfive provinces from the monarchy. Mahomet and his immediate fucceffors erected a great empire, of which Bagdat became the capital. The later Califfs of that race, poifoned with fenfual pleasure, loft all vigour of mind, and funk down into floth and effeminacy. The governors of the diftant provinces were the first who ventured to declare themselves independent. Their fuccefs invited other governors, who ftripped the Califf of his remaining provinces, leaving him nothing but the city of Bagdat; and

of

of that he was deprived by the Tartars, who put an end to that once illuftrious monarchy. The fame would have been the fate of the Perfian empire, had it not been fubdued by Alexander of Macedon. But after his death it fubmitted to the ordinary fate his generals affumed regal power, each of them in the province he governed. Had not the Roman empire been difmembered by the barbarians, it would have been difmembered by the governors of its provinces. The weakness of Charlemagne's fucceffors, hatched in France and in Germany an endless number of petty fovereigns. About the time that a paffage to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope was difcovered, the great peninfula beyond the Ganges was comprehended under the powerful empire of Bifnagar. Its first monarchs had eftablished themselves by valour and military knowledge. In war, they headed their troops in peace, they directed their minifters, vifited their dominions, and were punctual in rendering juftice to high and low. The people carried on an extensive and lucrative commerce, which brought a revenue to the Emperor that enabled him

1

to

to maintain a standing army of 100,000 foot, 30,000 horfe, and 700 elephants. But profperity and opulence ruined all. The Emperors, poifoned with pride and voluptuousness, were now contented with fwelling titles, instead of solid fame. King of kings, and Husband of a thousand wives, were at the head of a long catalogue of fuch pompous, but empty epithets. Corrupted by flattery, they affected divine honours, and appeared rarely in public; leaving the care of their dominions to their minifters, and to the governors of their provinces. At the beginning of the fixteenth century, neighbouring princes encroached on all fides. In the 1565, Bifnagar the capital was taken and facked by four Moorish kings. The governors of the provinces declared themselves independent; and out of that great empire, fprung the kingdoms of Golconda, Vifapour, and several others. The empire of Hindoftan, once widely extended, is now reduced to a very small kingdom, under a prince who no longer is entitled to be defigned the Great Mogul; the governors of his provinces having, as ufual, declared themfelves independent.

Our

Our North American colonies are in a profperous condition, increafing rapidly in population, and in opulence. The colonifts have the fpirit of a free people, and are enflamed with patriotifm. Their population will equal that of Britain and Ireland in less than a century; and they will then be a match for the mother-country, if they chufe to be independent: every advantage will be on their fide, as the attack must be by fea from a very great diftance. Being thus delivered from a foreign yoke, their first care will be the choice of a proper government; and it is not difficult to foresee what government will be chofen. A people animated with the new bleffings of liberty and independence, will not incline to a kingly governThe Swifs cantons joined in a federal union, for protection against the potent houfe of Auftria; and the Dutch embraced the like union, for protection against the more potent king of Spain. But our colonies will never join in fuch a union; because they have no potent neighbour, and because they have an averfion to each other. We may pronounce with affurance, that each colony will chufe for

ment.

VOL. II.

M m

itself

itself a republican government. And their prefent conftitution prepares them for it : they have a fenate; and they have an affembly representing the people. No change will be neceffary, but to drop the governor who reprefents the King of Britain. And thus a part of a great ftate will be converted into many fmail ftates.

SKETCH