tirely discharged, his Return into his own Country was eternally prohibited, and not one of his Relations dared open his Door to him. “ They punish'd "a Centinel in this manner who had quitted his "Poft; from whence may be judged the exact Dif"cipline they obferved in respect to the Guard by

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Night, on which the Safety and Prefervation of the "whole Army depended." It was the Wisdom and Strictness of their Discipline which raised the Romans to that Pitch of Grandeur that has been hitherto, and will be ever, admir'd. And it is the Flexibility of our Tempers (mifcalled Good-nature) in Matters of publick Concernment, our Contempt of Regularity, and utter Neglect of Difcipline, which have introduced that univerfal Corruption of Manners that now obtains; whereby we are manifeftly finking as a People, and muft fhortly, in the Courfe of Things, abstracted from the Judgment of God, come to Deftruction, if there be not a timely Reformation. Let me pafs from this general Reflection to one particular Instance, wherein we are far from imitating the Romans. We have seen what Care they took to keep a ftrict Guard over their Camp by Night. Is it not neceffary to do the like for Cities, efpecially fuch a one as London is? A Guard, it is true, we have, and are at a confiderable Expence to fupport it. But what does this Guard confift of? Why, in the main, of a Set of poor fuperannuated Creatures, or abandon'd Scoundrels, either unable to grapple with any Difficulty, or the Penfioners of Whores and Villains. And what Obligation are they under to perform their Duty? They are liable to no Penalty in cafe of Failure, but Difmiffion. Hence it is that we have fo many Complaints of their Neglects or Connivances, fo prejudicial to the Citizens, which we have nó adequate Means of Redreffing. The Truth is, feeing the Importance of their Charge, and of what Confequence their Courage and Fidelity is to the Society, they should be under a more exact Regimen. than they are now. We should behave, with regard

to

to them, as the Romans did with reference to their Centinels; we should reward their good Services, but feverely punish their Faults. But as I am urging a Regulation of thefe inferior Inftruments of Juftice (with whom I join those who prefide over and more immediately direct them, I mean the Constables) to whom we Nightly commit the Care of our Perfons and Habitations while we fleep, I would here likewife take Notice, not only in their Favour, but our own, that it were well if fome Method might be thought on to remove an Obstacle that lies in the way of the better Sort of them, and often prevents the Performance of their Duty; that is, the Dread of fuffering by litigious Profecutions, in cafe of any mere Illegality in their Proceedings. While the lower Minifters of the Law are under this Terror of it, we shall hardly have it any other than fuperficially or knavifhly executed. I am very well aware of the Objections that may be thought to lie against this Propofal; but I think they no way counterballance the Reasons by which it may be enforced. It is not my Province to enter into a Detail of this Matter on the one fide or on the other, further than to fay, that I plead not for their being exempt from Profecution or Punishment in cafe of Mifbehaviour; but only for fuch a Method of Trial as fhould leave them nothing to fear but the Penalty they would justly incur, by acting in a Manner contrary to that which the Circumstances of the Affairs in queftion required. When I am led into Remarks like thefe, by any Paffages of ancient Hiftory, I am as brief as poffible, intending them as Hints only for the more deliberate Confideration of others. I return now to M. Rollin.

Having reckon'd feveral ways whereby the Romans infpired their Troops with Valour, he adds: “By a wise Establishment there were many Degrees "of Honour and Distinction in a Legion, of which "none were granted upon account of Birth, or bought " for Money. Merit was the only Means of attaining

"them,

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them, at least it was the moft ordinary Method." What an excellent Leffon is this, if a degenerate People could be taught it? But when once a Regard to Glory or Virtue is caft off, the brightest Examples, the most rational and the moft fignificant Precepts are defpis'd and unavailable. One would expect nothing in this Strain from a French Writer, and yet it is familiar with our Author, which (incurring no Cenfure or Difcouragement) makes me think the Maxims of that Adminiftration are little inferior to thofe of fome other Countries that boaft a much happier Constitution; where yet, I prefume, it can hardly be pretended that Merit is the Road to Preferment. But however it is in France, or elsewhere, at prefent, among the Romans, as M. Rollin goes on, Whatever Distance there was between the private "Centinel and the confular Dignity, the Poor lay

open to it; it was a beaten Path, and, there were "many Examples of Citizens who from one Degree "to another at length obtained that fupreme Dignity. "With what Ardour must fuch a Sight infpire the "Troops! Men are capable of every Thing when "properly excited by the Motives of Honour and "Glory.

This Chapter finishes with an Account of the Trophies and Triumphs of the Ancients. Their Trophies were originally an Heap of Arms and Spoils taken from Enemies, and erected by the Victor in the Field of Battle, of which in After-times Representations were made in Stone and Brass. They never failed immediately after a Victory to raise a Trophy, which was look'd upon as a facred Thing, because always an Offering to fome Divinity; for which Reafon none prefumed to throw it down, neither when it fell through Age was it permitted to erect it again: for which Plutarch gives a fine Reafon that argues great Humanity in the Sentiments of the Ancients. reinftate, fays he, and set up again the Monuments of ancient Differences with Enemies, which Time has con

To

veniently

veniently demolif'd, has fomething odious in it, and feems to argue a Defire to perpetuate Enmity.

See now the strange Inconsistencies in human Nature! The People, of whofe Humanity towards their Enemies Plutarch here gives us fo becoming an Idea in one Circumftance, treated them with the moft inhu man Cruelty in another; I mean in their Triumphs. Of thefe, which were of two Kinds, our Author has given us a Description, at the Clofe whereof we perceive an odd Medley of the Victor's Piety and Barbarity I fhall recite thofe Paffages only that immediately relate to these different Difpofitions. "As foon "as the Conqueror turned from the Forum towards the Capitol, the illuftrious Captives who had walked in "Chains before his Chariot, or had been drag'd after "the Wheels of it, were carried to Prifon, where they "were inftantly put to death, or often kept in Con"finement for the reft of their Lives. Upon his "Entrance into the Capitol, the Victor made this

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very remarkable Prayer to the Gods. Filled with "Gratitude and Joy, I return you Thanks, O most good and most great Jupiter; and you, Queen Juno, "and all the other Gods, the Guardians and Inhabi"tants of this Citadel, that to this Day and Hour you "bave vouchfafed by my Hands to preferve and guide "the Roman Republick happily. Continue always, I implore you, to preferve, guide, protect and favour "it in all Things. This Prayer was follow'd by facrificing the Victims, and a magnificent Feaft "given in the Capitol, fometimes by the Publick, and fometimes by the Perfon himself who « triumph'd.

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It must be allowed, as M, Rollin goes on, that this was a glorious Day for a General of an Army; and it is not furprifing that all poffible Endeavours fhould be used to deferve fo grateful a Diftinction, and fo fplendid an Honour. Nor had Rome any thing more magnificent and majeftick than this pompous Ceremony. But the Sight of Captives, the mourn"ful Objects of Compaffion, if thofe Victors had

❝ been

1

"been capable of any, obfcured and effaced all its "Luftre. What inhuman Pleafure! what barbarous Joy! to fee Princes, Kings, Princeffes, Queens,

tender Infants, and feeble old Men, dragged be"fore them! We may remember the diffembled "Marks of Friendship, the falfe Promises, the trea"cherous Careffes of young Cefar, called afterwards

'

Auguftus, in regard to Cleopatra, folely with the "View of inducing that Princess to suffer herself to "be carried to Rome; that is to fay, to adorn his

Triumph, and gratify him in the cruel Satisfaction "of feeing the most potent Queen of the World "proftrate at his Feet in the most depreffed and for"Îorn Condition it were poffible to imagine. But "fhe well knew the Snare. Such a Conduct and "fuch Sentiments, in my Opinion, difhonour hu"man Nature."

I fhall fay no more of the Military Art, which M. Rollin has defcribed in all its Branches, and to which he has allowed more Room than any other he has treated of in thefe Volumes. He proceeds next to the Arts and Sciences which relate merely to the Mind, and are intended to enrich it with all the Parts of Knowledge neceffary to inftruct Man; to give him all the Perfection he is capable of as a thinking Being; to form his Understanding and Heart, and, in a word, to enable him to discharge the several Functions to which the Divine Providence fhall vouchfafe to call him. Thefe take up the twenty-fourth, which is the laft Book, and are comprifed in four Chapters, which contain what relates to Grammarians, Philologers, Rhetoricians, and Sophifts. Our Author prepares the Reader to expect fome Thorns and Difficulties in his Progrefs through thefe Subjects. He profeffes to have removed abundance, and to have left only fuch as could not be excluded, and were infeparable from the Nature of the Things whereon he infifts.

In the first Chapter, which wholly respects Grammarians, he defines Grammar, and expatiates on the Wonders