re

part fell to the earth and died. Those who remained drank the sweat of their companions; again cried for air, and to be put into two dungeons. For this purpose they addressed themselves to one of the guards of the prison, whose heart was open to compassion and avarice. He consented, for a large sum, to inform the suba of their situation. At his return, those who were alive were still crying out, from amidst the dead bodies, for fresh air, and to be released from the dungeon. "Wretches," said the guard, "you must all die, "for the suba is asleep, and what slave dare wake "him!" Such is despotism.

Ib. Sect. v. ch. iv. note (15).

DESPOTISM, while it is gaining ground, suffers men to say what they please, while they suffer. it to do what it pleases: but once established, it forbids all talking, writing, or thinking. The minds of men then sink into apathy; all the inhabitants become slaves, curse the breast that gave them milk, and under such a government every › new birth is an increase of misery. Genius, chained, drags its irons heavily along; it does not fly, it creeps. The sciences are neglected, ignorance is honoured, and every man of discernment declared an enemy to the state.

Ib. Sect v. ch.x.

ST. THOMAS, [in his commentaries on the 5th of the Politics, text xi.] says, "It is expedient to

"destroy men of talents, for such by their talents

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taay find means to expel tyranny. Nor should "schools be permitted, or other assemblies, by "which learning may be acquired; for learned men have great dispositions and are magnani

66

mous, and such men easily rebel. For the sup66 port of tyranny it is also necessary to impoverish "the people, for they will thereby be less able to "rise against the tyrant. Taxes should be esta"blished, that is, exactions, which should be εσ great, and in great number; for thereby the "subjects will be the sooner impoverished. The

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tyrant should excite wars among his subjects, or "else among strangers, so that the people may "have no opportunity of conspiring against "him."

Ib. Sect ix. ch. xxii. note (17).

THE more silently to devour his people, the despot, like the spider that incessantly twines new threads round the insect it has made its prey, loads them daily with new chains..

Ib. Sect. iv. ch.xv.

RENDER your subjects prosperous, said Protesilaus, and they will speedily refuse to labour; they will become stubborn, proud, unsubmissive to the yoke, and ripe for revolt. It is impotence and misery that alone will render them supple, and prevent them from rebelling against the dictates of authority.

FENELON. Telemaque, liv. xiii.

THE

THE resty knaves are over-run with ease,
As plenty ever is the nurse of faction.

If, in good days like these, the headstrong herd
Grow madly wanton and repine, it is

Because the reins of power are held too slack,
And reverend authority of late

Has worn a face of mercy more than justice.

RÓWE. Jane Shore, act. iii.

A DREARY silence, poverty, indolence, and dirt, were the striking features of this their first and most populous city [Tituan]. Its inhabitants are however their best looking people. Upon the banks of that little river which passes near the town, there is some tolerable cultivation, and some little gardens; but all of them jealously concealed, and curiously shut up, almost as much as their houses in town, where there is not a window, nor an opening to be seen.

.

The total want of society, and almost of conversation among themselves, seems to us equally dismal and surprising. People bred in such countries are totally ignorant of the social principle, which we suppose natural to man. Though yoked by nature to each other, and brought to live together in towns for mutual convenience, yet are they unacquainted with the pleasures of society, and incapable of enjoying them. Their very houses and gardens look like prisons to shut themselves up in, and to exclude every eye, and almost the light of the sun, and seem as it were to turn away from each other. When by chance two or three peo

ple are seen sitting together, which is seldom, and commonly upon their heels on the dirty ground, against a wall, it is all in silence: we seldom see them converse, I think, except when angry. Such are Eastern manners, and the effects of oppression! Men while oppressed beyond a certain degree are not communicative.

A sullen indolence and indifference seem to exclude every passion and principle of activity; and we do not yet see where the labour can be, in this country, sufficient to maintain its inhabitants. The Moorish character may be somewhat changed and degenerated since the times they flourished in Spain. The iron hand of tyranny has helped to render them still more selfish and malevolent; and, what is worse for society, helpless and indolent beings. Such are the subjects that despotism must ever expect to form!

JARDINE.

Letters from Barbary, let. i.

THIS Country is well varied in hill and dale, and tolerably wooded. It is capable of every kind of cultivation, which it is now almost without.

The people are, at present, but little beyond the shepherd state of society. The arts are in a kind of perpetual infancy; not in a state of progression, as in Europe, but the same for, I suppose, these thousand years past. The plough, the mill, the loom, their lesser tools, and methods of working, are for ever the same-simple, trifling, slow, and imperfect, in the true Eastern style. Every idea

of

of change or improvement is excluded by their law, and by ignorance of their wants.

Ib. Let. ii.

THE prince frequently asked me, as we rode along, if we had such fine country for riding. He meant so open and naked. Many great men are perhaps too subject to such ideas-from a William the Conqueror, or a King of Persia, down to a Polish lord, or feudal baron; and they consider their having room to ride or hunt, as of more. importance than producing food for us all, and can even lay waste populous countries on purpose.

The visible terror of all who approached the prince, seems to give him pleasure; but would certainly give pain to a humane mind.

Ib. Let. iv:

THE chief employments of this strange, mock, royal family, seem to be quarrels among themselves, travelling about the kingdom, and extorting money from every body who has any. We have already seen some cruel instances of this mode of robbing by authority on both Jews and natives. In those cases of extortion, the whole process is comprised in two words, somewhat like those we use to dogs, viz. seize 'em; and the person to be arrested is presently grappled by a set of clumsy fellows, and almost squeezed to death in the operation of being carried to prison, though he makes no resistance.

The spirit of despotism is to let the people have