conquered as they think fit !"-words which at prefent well fuit thofe nations who have fubmitted to the modern Gauls, the terror and the fcourge of Europe; but which, we truft, well never have any reference to the people of this country, however they may be menaced by an enemy that unites the perfidy of the byana to the force of the lion.

RABBI IRCHANAN,

during the fiege of Jerufalem, thus addreffed the temple while he felt it trembling, and obferved its maffy gates to open of their own accord: "O temple, temple, why doft thou "fhake thus, and art thus moved? We know "thou art to be deftroyed!" A prediction which, in fpite of its perfect accomplishment, feems to have had very little effect upon the belief of the Jews in Chriftianity, however their difperfion has ferved to render many other perfons determined believers. "Whatever you "the worm eaten volumes of Vattel, Grotius, and Puffen"dorf."--Sce Obfervations on the Difpute between the United States and France. 8vo.-a pamphlet which at this time should be tranflated into every European and Afiatic language, and perufed by every individual who has the leaft regard for his liberty, his property, or his life.

<< may

may fay against Christianity," said the great Prince of Condé to fome of his infidel friends, "the prefent ftate of the Jews is always a standing miracle in my eyes, and fufficient "to make me a Chriftian."

CONSTANTINE THE GREAT

was in many respects a cruel Prince, yet some of his laws are very humane. He forbade the tax-gatherers to feize upon wives, labouring fervants, or oxen, for the payment of debts due to the government. "Even common prudence," fays the learned and virtuous Dr. Jortin, “re

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quired this moderation; because fuch vio"lent methods would have reduced farmers "to a state of beggary, and fo have made them "for ever unable to pay their taxes."

In the time of this Emperor, the clergy were forbidden by the ecclefiaftical laws to receive any interest for their money, and the fenators were reftricted by the civil laws from receiving fo much intereft as other perfons received *.

THEODOSIUS,

* It feems ftrange that money fhould not, like every ●ther commodity, find its level, and that more interest should

THEODOSIUS,

EMPEROR OF ROME.

(Whom no one will accufe of want of piety.)

THIS Chriftian Emperor fays in his Code. of Laws, "Let all the judges, all the common "people in cities, and all the artizans be at "reft on the venerable day of Sunday. In "the country, however, let the business of agriculture go on freely, and without ré"ftraint; fince it often happens, that on that "day the best opportunities occur for fowing corn and planting vineyards; and it is a

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great pity, that by the occafion of the mo"ment an opportunity offered by the kind"nefs of Heaven fhould be loft*."

be paid for it, in proportion to the want of it, and its greater means of fructification. Laws against ufury, as it is called, promote the evil which they were intended to remedy; and it has been obferved, that in some states, where there are no laws against ufury, the interest of money is lowest.

* "What man fhall there be among you, that fhall have "one fheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day will "he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

"How much then is a man better than a fheep? wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days."-Matthew, chap. xii. ver. 11, 12.

And how indeed can a man do better, than, after having returned his thanks to God, to endeavour by his labour to fecure to himself the bleffings which the Deity has in kindnefs afforded to him?

Virgil had indeed faid long before in his

Georgics:'

-Feftis quædam exercere diebus

Fas et jura finunt.

By law and right it is allow'd

To do fome certain works on holy-days.

Scævola, the great Roman lawyer, according to Macrobius, being asked what work might be performed on an holy-day, replied, "That "which, if left undone, would occafion in"convenience quod omiffum noceret."

PLOTINUS,

as Porphyry relates," requefted the Emperor "Galienus to rebuild a rural city in Cam"pania, and to give it to the philofophers, intending to live in it himself with his disci"ples, and to establish Plato's Republic." A fimilar idea took place in the brains of Voltaire and D'Alembert (fee their Letters), which was to have been realized by Frederic the Second, king of Pruffia*, who was to have

* A republic of modern deifts and modern philofo"phers," fays Dr. Jortin, "would be as great a curiofity "as this city of philofophers would have been, but perhaps

have given them a city in Poland, fo honorably acquired as to have enfured the fuccefs of the defign.

LEO,

EMPEROR.

In the year 797, the fecond Nicene Council was held. Fleury remarks, in his Ecclefiaftical History, "that among fo many bishops "there was not one critic who knew how "to diftinguish true from falfe records. But "this," continues he, "doth not at all in"validate the decifions of the council. A "council about the fame time," he adds, "was held in England: one of its decrees "forbade the cutting off horfes tails *, and "eating their flesh."

"not quite fo well regulated." Bayle has made it a problem, "Whether a republic of atheifts could fubfift?” It was the opinion of a great politician," that they "would first begin by cutting the throats and pillaging the "property of their neighbours, and finish by acting the "fame atrocities on each other."

The two ridiculous French lines on this fubject ąt, tributed to Voltaire were written by Mr. Colman, author of "The Jealous Wife :"

Barbare Angleterre, la même coup de couteau

Tranche la têtes aux rois, et le queux aux chevaux !

EDGAR,