with fome religious exftafies, that feemed to carry their minds above the fear of death. They permitted not their youth to travel, lest they fhould corrupt their manners; and for the fame reason they permitted not strangers to dwell amongst them, that conformed not to their way of living. In this they were fo ftrict, that fuch of their youth that were not educated in their customs, enjoyed not the privileges of natives. They would fuffer neither comedies nor tragedies to be acted in their country, They condemned a foldier but for painting his buckler of feveral colours: and publickly punished a young man for having learned but the way to a town given to luxury. They allo banished an orator for bragging, that he could fpeak a whole day upon any fubject: for they did not like much speaking, much lefs for a bad caufe. They buried their dead without any ceremony or fuperftition; for they only ufed a red cloth upon the body, broidered with olive leaves: this burial had all degrees. Mourning they forbad, and epitaphs too.When they prayed to God, they stretched forth their arms, which with them was a figa that they must do good works, as well as make good prayers. They asked of God but twe things, patience in labour, and happiness in well-doing.

This account is moftly the fame with Xenophon's: adding, That they ate moderately, and in common; the aged mixed with the youth, to awe them, and give them good example. That in walking, they would neither

fpeak nor turn their eyes afide, any more than if they were ftatues of marble. The men were bred bashful, as well as the women, not speaking at meals, unless they were asked a question. When they were fifteen years of age, instead of leaving them to their own conduct, as in other places, they had moft care of their converfation, that they might preferve them from the mifchiefs that age is incident to. And those that would not comply with these rules, were not counted always honeft people. And in this, their government was excellent; that they thought there was no greater punishment for a bad man, than to be known and used as fuch, at all times, and in all places; for they were not to come into the company of perfons of reputation.They were to give place to all others; to ftand when they fat: to be accountable to every honeft man that met them of their converfation.-That they must keep their poor kindred. That they used not the fame freedoms that honest people might ufe by which means they kept virtue in credit, and vice in contempt. They used all things neceffary for life, without fuperfluity or want; defpifing riches, and fumptuous apparel and living judging, that the beft ornament of the body is health, and of the mind, virtue. 'And fince,' faith Xenophon, it is virtue and temperance that render us commendable, and that it is only the Lacedæmonians that reverence them publickly, and have made it the foundation of their fate; their government, of right, merits preference to any other in the

world. But that,' faith he, which is ftrange, is, that all admire it, but none imitate it.' Nor is this account and judgment fantastical.

§. XXXII. Lycurgus, their famous founder and lawgiver, inftilled thefe principles, and by his power with them, made them laws to rule them. Let us hear what he did: Lycurgus, willing to retire his citizens from a luxurious to a virtuous life, and fhew them how much good conduct and honeft industry might meliorate the state of mankind, applied himself to introduce a new model of government, perfuading them to believe, that though they were defcended of noble and virtuous anceftors, if they were not exercised in a course of virtue, they would, like the dog in the kitchen, rather leap at the meat than run at the game. In fine, they agreed to obey him. The first thing then that he did, to try his power with them, was, to divide the land into equal por tions, fo that the whole Laconic country feemed but the lots of brethren: this grieved the rich; but the poor, which were the most, rejoiced.— He rendered wealth useless by community; and forbad the use of gold and filver: he made money of iron, too bafe and heavy to make a thief. He retrenched their laws of building, fuffering no more ornament than could be made with an hatchet and a faw: and their furni ture was like their houses. This courfe difbanded many trades: no merchant, no cook, no lawyer, no flatterer, no divine, no aftrologer, was to be found in Lacedæmonia. Injuftice was banished their fociety, having cut

up the root of it, which is avarice, by introducing a community, and making gold and filver ufelefs. To prevent the luxury of tables, as well as of apparel, he ordained public places of eating, where all fhould publicly be ferved; thofe that refufed to come thither were reputed voluptuous, and reproved, if not corrected. He would have virgins labour as well as young men, that their bodies being ufed to exercife, might be the ftronger and healthier, when married, to bring forth children. He forbad, that they fhould have any portions, to the end, that none might make fuit to them for their wealth, but for perfon and worth: by which means the poor went off as well as the rich; and that their virtue might prefer them, they were denied to use any ornaments. He would not let the young people marry, till they arrived at the flower of their age, to the end, that their children might be ftrong and vigorous. Chastity was fo general, and fo much in requeft, that no law was made against adultery; believing, that where luxury, and the arts leading to it, were fo feverely forbid, it was needlefs. He forbad coftly offerings in the temple, that they might offer often; for that God regardeth the heart, not the offering.-These, and fome more, were the laws he inftituted; and whilst the Spartans kept them, it is certain, they were the first state. of Greece; which lafted about five hundred years. It is remarkable, that he would never fuffer the laws to be written, to avoid barratry; and that the judges might not be tied reli

oufly to the letter of the law; but left to the circumstances of fact; in which no inconvenience was obferved to follow.

II. The ROMANS alfo yielded us inftances to our point in hand, viz.

§. 1. Cato. . 2. Scipio Africanus. §. 3. Auguftus. . 4. Tiberius. §. 5. Vefpafian. §. §. 6. Trajan. §. 7. Adrian. . 8. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. f. 9. Pertinax. S. 10. f. Pefcennius. f. 11. Alexander Severus. §. 12. Aurelianus. . 13. Dioclefian. f. 14. Julian. S. 15. Theodofius.

. I. CATO, that fage Roman, feeing a luxurious man loaded with flesh, Of what fervice,' faith he, can that man be, either to himself, or the commonwealth?' One day beholding the ftatues of feveral perfons erecting, that he thought little worthy of remembrance, that he might despise the pride of it, I had rather,' faid he, they should ask, why they fet not up a ftatue to Cato, than why they do.'-He was a man of feverity of life, both example and judge.-His competitors in the government, hoping to be preferred, took the contrary humour, and mightily flattered the people this good man defpifed their arts, and with an unufual fervency cried out, That the distempers of the commonwealth did not require flatterers to deceive them, but physicians to cure them;' which ftruck fo great an awe upon the people, that he was firft chofen of them all. The fine dames of Rome became governors to their husbands; he lamented the