neracy from the Form that Solon left them. In fhort, their Government was grown into a Dominatio Plebis, or Tyranny of the People; who, by Degrees, had broke and overthrown the Ballancewhich that Legislator had very well fixed and provided for. This appears not only from what hath been already faid of that Law-giver, but more manifeftly from a Paffage in Diodorus; who Jib 28 tells us, That Antipater, one of Alexander's Captains, abrogated the popular Government, (in Athens) and restored the Power of Suffrages and Magiftracy, to fuch, only, as were worth two thoufand Drachmas; by which Means, (fays he) that Republick came to be again administered by the Laws of Solon. By this Quotation, it is manifeft, that this great Author looked upon Solon's Inftitution, and a popular Government, to be two different Things. And as for this Restoration by Antipater, it had neither Confequence nor Continuance worth obferving.

I MIGHT eafily produce many more Examples, but these are fufficient: And it may be worth the Reader's Time to reflect, a little, on the Merits of the Cause, as well as of the Men who had been thus dealt with by their Country. I shall direct him no further, than by repeating, that Ariftides was the most renowned by the People themselves for his exact Justice, and Knowledge in the Law. That, Themistocles was a most fortunate Admiral, and had got a mighty Victory over the great King of Perfia's Fleet. That, Pericles was an able Minister of State, an excellent Orator, and a Man of Letters: And laftly, that Phocion, befides the Success of his Arms, was alfo renowned for his Negociations abroad; baping, in an Embassy, brought the greatest Monarch of

the

in ATHENS and ROME.

21

the World, at that Time, to the Terms of an honourable Peace, by which his Country was preserved.

I SHALL Conclude my Remarks upon Athens, with the Character given us of that People by Polybius. About this Time, fays he, the Athenians were governed by two Men, quite funk in their Affairs; bad little or no Commerce with the rest of Greece; and were become great Reverencers of crowned Heads.

FOR, from the Time of Alexander's Captains, till Greece was fubdued by the Romans, (to the latter Part of which, this Defcription of Polybius falls in) Athens never produced one famous Man, either for Councils or Arms, or hardly for Learning. And, indeed, it was a dark infipid Period through all Greece: For, except the Achaian League under Aratus and Philopamen; and the En- Polyb, deavours of Agis and Cleomenes to restore the State of Sparta, fo frequently harraffed with Tyrannies, occafioned by the popular Practices of the Ephori; there was very little worth recording. All which Confequences may, perhaps, be justly imputed to this Degeneracy of Athens.

CHA P. III.

Of the Diffentions between the PATRICIANS and PLEBEIANS in ROME; with the Confequences they had upon that State.

H

AVING, in the foregoing Chapter, confined myself to the Proceedings of the COMMONS, only by the Method of Impeachments against particular Perfons, with the fatal Effects they had upon the State of Athens; I fhall now treat of the Diffentions at Rome, between the People and the Collective Body of the Patricians or Nobles. It is a large Subject: But I shall draw it into as narrow a Compafs as I can.

Dionyf.

As Greece, from the most ancient Accounts we have of it, was divided into feveral Kingdoms, fo was most Part of Italy into feveral petty Commonwealths. And, as thofe Kings Halicarn. in Greece are faid to have been depofed by their People, upon the Score of their arbitrary Proceedings; fo, on the contrary, the Commonwealths of Italy were all fwallowed up, and concluded in the Tyranny of the Roman Emperors. However, the Differences between thofe Grecian Monarchies, and Italian Republicks, were not very great: For, by the Accounts Homer gives us of thofe Grecian Princes, who came to the Siege of Troy, as well as by feveral Paffages in the Odyffes;

it

in ATHENS and ROME.

23 it is manifeft, that the Power of thefe Princes, in their feveral States, was much of a Size with that of the Kings in Sparta, the Archon at Athens, the Suffetes at Carthage, and the Confuls in Rome: So that a limited and divided Power, feems to have been the most ancient and inherent Principle of both thofe People in Matters of Government. And fuch did that of Rome continue from the Time of Romulus, although with fome Interruptions, to Julius Cæfar; when it ended in the Tyranny of a fingle Perfon. During which Period, (not many Years longer than from the Norman Conqueft to our Age) the Commons were growing by Degrees, into Power and Property, gaining Ground upon the Patricians, as it were Inch by Inch, till at laft they quite overturned the Ballance; leaving all Doors open to the Practices of popular and ambitious Men, who deftroyed the wifeft Republick, and enflaved the nobleft People that ever entered upon the Stage of the World. By what Steps and Degrees this was brought to pass, fhall be the Subject of my prefent Enquiry.

WHILE Rome was governed by Kings, the Monarchy was altogether elective. Romulus himfelf, when he had built the City, was declared King by the universal Confent of the People, and by Augury, which was then understood for Divine Appoint

Among other Divifions he made of the People, one was into Patricians and Plebeians: The former were like the Barons of England, fome Time after the Conqueft; and the latter are also described to be almost exactly what our Commons were then: For, they were Dependants upon the Patricians, whom they chose for their Patrons and Protectors, to anfwer for their Appearance, and defend them in any Process: They also fupplied

their

their Patrons with Money, in Exchange for their Protection. This Cuftom of Patronage, it feems, was very ancient, and long practised among the Greeks.

OUT of these Patricians, Romulus chose an Hundred to be a Senate, or Grand Council, for Advice and Affiftance to him in the Administration. The Senate, therefore, originally confifted all of Nobles, and were, of themselves, a standing Council; the People being only convoked upon fuch Occafions, as by this Inftitution of Romulus, fell into their Cognizance: These were to conftitute Magiftrates, to give their Votes for making Laws, and to advife upon entering on a War. But, the two former of these popular Privileges, were to be confirmed by Authority of the Senate; and the last was only permitted at the King's Pleasure. This was the utmoft Extent of Power pretended by the Commons in the Time of Romulus; all the rest being divided between the King and the Senate; the whole agreeing very nearly with the Conftitution of England, for fome Centuries after the Conqueft.

AFTER a Year's Interregnum from the Death of Romulus, the Senate, of their own Authority, chofe a Succeffor, and a Stranger, merely upon the Fame of his Virtue, without asking the Consent of the Commons; which Custom they likewise observed in the two following Kings. But, in the Election of Tarquinius Prifcus, the fifth King, we first hear mentioned, that it was done, Populi impetrata venia; which, indeed, was but very reasonable for a free People to expect; although I cannot remember, in my little Reading, by what Incidents they were brought to advance fo great a Step. However it were, this Prince, in Gratitude to the People, by whofe Confent he was chofen, elected a

hundred