empire, even the Rhine appeared a barrier too weak the numberlefs forts and legions that covered their frontiers could not defend them from a panic upon every motion of the barbarians *. A nation, in which the reciprocal duties of fovereign and subject are confcientiously fulfilled, and in which the people love their country and their governors, may be deemed invincible; provided due care be taken of the military branch. Every particular is reversed in a great empire: individuals grafp at money, per fas aut nefas, to lavish it upon pleasure: the governors of diftant provinces tyrannize without controul; and, during the short period of their power, neglect no means, however oppreffive, to amafs wealth. Thus were the Roman provinces governed; and the people, who could not figure a greater tyrant than a Roman proconful, were ready to embrace every change. The Romans accordingly were fenfible, that, to force their barrier, and to

The use of cannon, which place the weak and ftrong upon a level, is the only refource of the luxurious and opulent against the poor and hardy.

difmember

difmember their empire, were in effect the fame. In our times, the nations whofe frontiers lie open, would make the most refolute oppofition to an invader; witness the German ftates, and the Swiss cantons. Italy enjoys the strongest natural barrier of any country that is not an island; and yet, for centuries, has been a prey to every invader.

Three plans, at different times, have been put in execution, for fecuring the frontiers of an extenfive empire, building walls, laying the frontiers wafte, and establishing feudatory Princes. The first was the ancient practice, proper only for an idle people, without commerce. The Egyptians built a very extenfive wall for protecting themselves against the wandering Arabs. The famous wall of China to protect its effeminate inhabitants against the Tartars, is known all the world over; and the walls built in the north of England against the Scots and picts, are known to every Briton. To protect the Roman territory from German invaders, the Emperor Probus conftructed ftone wall,

a

ftrengthened with towers. It stretched

from

from Ratisbon on the Danube to Wimpfen on the Necker; and terminated on the bank of the Rhine, after a winding course of two hundred miles. To a low ftate indeed must the Greek empire have been reduced, in the reign of the Emperor Anaftafius, when, to reprefs the Bulgarians, it was neceffary to build a wall, at no greater distance from Conftantinople than ten leagues, abandoning all without to the barbarians. Such walls, though erected with ftupendous labour, prove a very weak bulwark; for a wall of any extent is never fo carefully guarded, as at all times to prevent surprise. And, accordingly, experience has taught that walls cannot be relied on. This, in modern times, has introduced the two other methods mentioned. Sha Abbas, King of Perfia, in order to prevent the inroads of the Turks, laid wafte part of Armenia, carrying the inhabitants to Ifpahan, and treating them Land is not much valued by the great monarchs of Afia: it is precious in the fmaller kingdoms of Europe; and the frontiers are commonly guarded by fortified towns. The other frontiers of Perfia are guarded by feuda

with great humanity.

tory

tory princes; and the fame method is practifed in China, in Hindoftan, and in the Turkish empire. The Princes of Little Tartary, Moldavia, and Wallachia, have been long a fecurity to the Grand Signior against his powerful neighbours in Europe.

SKETCH

SKETCH VI

War and Peace compared.

N°

complaints are more frequent than against the weather, when it fuits not our purpose: "A difmal feafon! we "fhall be drowned, or we shall be burnt "up." And yet wife men think, that there might be more occafion to complain, were the weather left to our own direction, The weather is not the only inftance of diftruft in Providence: it is a common topic to declaim against war ; "Scourge of

"nations, Destroyer of the

human race,

"Bane of arts and induftry! Will the "world never become wife! Will war ne

ver have an end!" Manifold indeed are the bleffings of peace; but doth war never produce any good? A fair comparifon may poffibly make it doubtful, whether war, like the weather, ought not to

be