6 Book II. States, and the Governments of the World: Kingdoms and Republics rife, flourish, and decay with Age, as we do. We are subject to a Repletion of Humours that are useless and dangerous, either of thofe that are good, for even those the Phyficians are afraid of: And, fince we have nothing in us that is ftable, they fay, That a too ⚫ brisk and vigorous Perfection of Health must be lower⚫ed and abated by Art, left, as our Nature cannot reft in any certain Situation, and has not whither to rife to mend itself, it should make too fudden and too difor• derly a Retreat; and therefore they prescribe to Wrestlers to purge and bleed, to take down that fuperabundant Health; or else a Repletion of evil Humours, which is • the ordinary Caufe of Maladies.' States are very often fick of the like Repletion, and therefore diverse 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 elsewhere, or live upon others. After this manner our ancient Francs came from the Heart of Germany, seized 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: So the Goths and Vandals, also the People who now poffefs Greece, left their native Country, to go and fettle Abroad, where they might have more Room; and there are scarce two or three little Corners of the World, that have not felt the Effect of fuch Removals. The Romans, by this Means, erected their Colonies; for, perceiving their City to increase beyond Measure, they eafed it of the moft unneceffary People, and fent them to inhabit and cultivate the Lands by them conquered. Sometimes alfo they purpofely fomented Wars with Why the Ro mans chofe to make Wars. fome of their Enemies, not only to keep their Men in Action, for fear, left Idleness, the Mother of Corruption, fhould bring fome worfe Inconvenience upon them, Et patimur longæ pacis mala, fævior armis i Juv. Sat. vi. v. 192. i. e, i. e. For Luxury has introduc'd fuch Harms, but also to serve 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. k land. In the Treaty of Brittany, Edward the Third, King of England, would not, in the general Peace he Politics of then made with our King, comprehend the Edward III, Controversy about the Dutchy of Brittany, King of Engthat he might have a Place wherein to dif charge himself of his Soldiers; and that the vaft Number of English he had brought over to ferve him in that Expedition, might not return back into England. And this was also one Reason why our King Philip confented to fend his Son John on the Expedition beyond Sea, 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 that is now amongst us, might discharge itfelf in some a foreign War. neighbouring War, for fear left the peccant Humours which now reign in this politic Body of ours, 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 unjust a Design, as to offend and quarrel with others for our own Advantage. Nil mihi tam valde placeat, Rhamnufia virgo, Quod temerè invitis fufpiciatur heris'. i. e. In War that does invade another's Right, The Utility of And yet the Weakness of our Condition does often pufh us upon the Neceffity of making Ufe of ill Means to a good Froiffart, Vol. I. c. 213. Catul. Carm. 66. v. 78. good End. Men forced to ufe bad Means for obtaining a good End. Lycurgus, the moft virtuous and perfect Ligiflator that ever was, invented this unjuft Practice of making the Helotes, who were their Slaves, drunk by Force, by fo doing to teach his People Temperance ", to the End, that the Spartiates, feeing them fo demolished and • drowned in Wine, might abhor the Excefs of this Vice." And 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 Physicians, that they might make a Discovery of our inward Parts in the Life, and build their Art upon greater Certainty: For, if we must run into Exceffes, 'tis more excufable to do it for the Health of the Soul, than that of the Body; as the Romans trained up the People to Valour, and the Contempt of Dangers and Death, by those furious Spectacles 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° ? i. e. Of such inhuman Sports what further Ufe? And this Custom continued till the Emperor Theodofius's Arripe dilatam tua, dux, in tempora famam, i. e. Prince, take the Honours deftin'd for thy Reign, Henceforth let none at Rome for Sport be flain. m Plutarch in the Life of Lycurgus, c. 21. of Amyot's Translation. n This is reported by Celfus, who does not difapprove it. A. Corn. Celfi Medicina in Præfat. p. 7. Edit. Th. I. ab Almeloven. Amft. 1713. • Prudent. lib. ult. v. 643. P Idem, ibid. 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 Syllable of Weakness or Commiferation; never feen to turn back, nor so much as to make one cowardly Motion to evade a Blow, but rather expofed their Necks to the Adverfaries Sword, and prefented themselves to receive the Stroke. And many of them, when mortally wounded, have fent to ask the Spectators, If they were satisfied with their Behaviour? and then they lay down to give up the Ghost 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 villor ferrum jugulo inferit, illa The modeft Virgin is delighted fo With the fell Sport, that the applauds the Blow; The ancient Romans only imployed Criminals in this Leffon; but they afterwards imployed innocent Slaves in the Work, and even Freemen too, who fold themselves to this Effect; nay, moreover, Senators and Knights of Rome; and also Women: VOL. II. I i Nunc a Prudent. lib. ult. v. 617. Nunc caput in mortem vendunt, et funus arena, i. e. They fell themselves to Death, and, fince the Wars Hos inter fremitus, novofque lufus, i. e. Amidst these Tumults and Alarms, And fought, as Men, with equal Rage. t which I should think strange and incredible, if we were not accustomed every Day to fee, in our own Wars, many Thousands of Men, of other Nations, ftaking their Blood and their Lives for Money, often in Quarrels wherein they have no manner of Concern. I CHA P. XXIV. Of the Roman GRANDEUR. WILL only fay a Word or two of this infinite Argument, to fhew the Simplicity of those who compare the pitiful Grandeurs of thefe Times to that of Rome. In the feventh Book of Cicero's Familiar Epiftles, (but let the Grammarians put out that Surname of Familiar, if they please, for, in Truth, it is not very proper; and they who, instead of familiar, have fubftituted ad familiares, may gather fomething to juftify them for fo doing, ✦ Manil. Aftron. lib. iv. v. 225, 226. Statius, Syl. 6. lib. i. v. 52, 53, 54. Witness the Swifs, who, though of the fame Country, and perhaps of the fame Family, ferve one against another, for Pay, in the Armies of France, Holland, &c. |