Swallows and pigeons taught to carry letters. Cecinna's invention, to fend back news to his family, was performed with much more fpeed, for "he took fwallows along with him, " from home, and turned them out to"wards their nefts, when he would fend back any news; "fetting a mark of fome colour upon them to fignify "his meaning, according to what he and his people had "before agreed upon. At the theatre at Rome, mafters of families carried pigeons in their bofoms, to which they tied letters, when they had a mind to fend any orders to their people at home; and the pigeons were trained up to bring back an answer. D. Brutus made ufe of the fame device, when befieged in Multina; and others elsewhere have done the fame. In Peru, they rid poft upon men's fhoulders, who took them up in a kind of litter, and ran How they trawith full speed, the first bearers throwing velled poft at their load to the fecond, without making any ftop; and so on. Peru. I understand, that the Walachians, who are the grand feignior's couriers, perform wonderful journies, by reason they have liberty to difmount the first horseman they meet on the road, giving him their own tired horfez to keep themselves alert, they gird themselves tight about the middle with a broad belt, as many others do; but I could never find any advantage by it. TH CHA P. XXIII. Of ill Means employed to a gooa End. Political ftates fubject to the fame accident as HERE is a wonderful relation and correfpondence in this univerfal fyftem of the works of nature, which makes it plainly appear, that it is neither accidental, nor carried on by diverfe mafters. The diseases and conditions of our bodies are alfo manifeft in ftates, and governments of the • Plin. Nat. Hift. lib. 10, cap. 24. the human Idem, ibid. cap. 37 world world: kingdoms and republics rife, flourish, and decay with age, as we do. We are fubject to a repletion of humors that are useless and dangerous, either of those that are good, for even thofe the phyficians are afraid of: and fince we have nothing in us that is ftable, they fay; "that a true brisk and vigorous perfection of health muft "be lowered and abated by art, left, as our nature can"not reft in any certain fituation, and has not whither "to rife to mend itself, it should make too fudden and "too disorderly a retreat ;" and therefore they prefcribe to wrestlers to purge and bleed, to take down that superabundant health; "or elfe a repletion of evil humours, which is "the ordinary caufe of maladies." States are very often fick of the like repletion, and therefore diverfe forts of purgations have commonly been used. Sometimes a great multitude of families are turned out to clear the country? who feek out new abodes elfewhere, or live upon others. After this manner our ancient Francs came from the heart of Germany, feized upon Gaul, and drove thence the first inhabitants; fo was that infinite deluge of men formed, that came into Italy under the conduct of Brennus, and others: fo the Goths and Vandals, alfo the people who now poffefs Greece, left their native country, to go and fettle abroad, where they might have more room; and there are fcarce two or three little corners of the world, that have not felt the effect of fuch removals. The Romans, by this ineans, erected their colonies; for, perceiving the city to increase beyond measure, they eased it of the most unneceffary people, and fent them to inhabit and cultivate the land which they had conquered. Sometimes alfo they purposely fomented wars with fome of their enemies, not only to keep Why the Rotheir men in action, left idleness, the mother of corruption, fhould bring fome worse inconvenience upon them, mans chofe to make wars. Et patimur longæ pacis mala, fævior armis • Juv. fat. vi. ver. 192. For For luxury has introduc'd fuch harms, but alfo to ferve for a blood-letting to their republic, and a little to exhale the too vehement heat of their youth, to prune and clear the branches from the too luxuriant trunk; and to this end it was, that they formerly maintained fo long a war with Carthage. Politics of Ed ward III. king In the treaty of Brittany, Edward the third, king of England, would not, in the general peace he then made with our king, comprehend the controverfy about the duchy of England. of Brittany, that he might have a place wherein to difcharge himself of his foldiers; and that the vast number of English he had brought over to ferve him in that expedition, might not return back into England. And this was alfo one reafon why our king Philip confented to fend his fon John on the expedition beyond fea, that he might take along with him a great number of hotbrained young fellows, that were then in his troops. In our times, there are many who talk at this rate, wishing that this hot commotion now amongst us, might difcharge itself in fome neighbouring war, left the peccant. humours which now reign in the politic body, if not diffused farther, fhould keep the fever ftill raging, and end in our total ruin; and, in truth, a foreign is much more fupportable than a civil war; but I do not believe, that God will favour fo unjuft a defign, as to offend and quarrel with others for our own advantage. Nil mihi tam valde placeat, Rhamnufia virgo, Quod temerè invitis fufpiciatur beris †. The utility of a foreign war, In unjust war, against another's right, Yet the weaknefs of our condition often puts us under the neceffity of making ufe ill means to a good Froiffart, vol. i. cap. 213. + Catul, Carm. 66, ver. 78. end. end. Lycurgus, the most virtuous and perfect legiflator that ever was, invented this unjuft Men forced to ufe bad means practice of making "the Helotes, who for obtaining a "were their flaves, drunk by force, and good end. "fo doing to teach his people temper"ance, and an averfion to drunkennefs." Yet they were more to blame, who, of old, gave leave that criminals, to what fort of death foever they were condemned, fhould be diffected alive by the phyficians, that they might view our inward parts before death, and thereby build their art upon greater certainty. For, if we must run into exceffes, it is more excufeable to do it for the health of the foul, than that of the body; as the Romans trained up the people to valour, and the contempt of dangers and death, by thofe furious fpectacles of gladiators and fencers, who fought it out till the laft, cut, and killed one another in their prefence : Quid vefani aliud fibi vult ars impia ludi, Quid mortes juvenum, quid fanguine pafta voluptas ‡? Of such inhuman sports what further use? What pleasure can the blood of men produce? And this custom continued till the emperor Theodofius's time. Arripe dilatam tua, dux, in tempora famam, Prince, take the honours destin'd for thy reign, Henceforth let none at Rome for sport be flain. } Plutarch, in the Life of Lycurgus, chap. 21. of Amyot's tranflation. + This is reported by Celfus, who does not disapprove it. A. Corn. Celfi Medicina in Præfat. p. 7. edit. Th. I. ab Almeloven. Amft. 1713. Prudent. lib, ult. ver, 643. Idem, ibid Let Let none but beasts blood stain the theatre, It was, in truth, a wonderful example, and of very great advantage for the inftruction of the people, to fee every day before their eyes a hundred, two hundred, nay, a thousand couples of men armed against one another, cut one another to pieces with fuch intrepidity, that they were never heard to utter fo much as one fyllable of weakness or commiferation; never feen to turn back, nor fo much as to make one cowardly motion to evade a blow, but rather expofed their necks to the adverfaries fword, and prefented themselves to receive the ftroke. And many of them, when mortally wounded, have sent to ask the spectators, " if they were fatisfied with their "behaviour?" and then they lay down to give up the ghoft upon the place. It was not enough for them to fight and die bravely, but chearfully too; infomuch that they were hiffed and curfed, if they made any difpute about receiving their death. The very maids themselves egged them on. confurgit ad illus: Et quoties victor ferrum jugulo inferit, illa The modeft virgin is delighted fo With the fell fport, that the applauds the blow; The ancient Romans only employed criminals in this lef fon; but they afterwards employed innocent flaves in the work, and even freemen too, who fold themselves to this effect; nay, moreover, fenators and knights of Rome; and alfo women: VOL. II. • Prudent. lib, ult. ver. 617, Nunc |