the Form of their Government; which, although again restored for fome time by Thrafybulus, (as their Walls were rebuilt by Conon) yet here we muft date the Fall of the Athenian Greatnefs, the Dominion and chief Power in Greece, from that Period, to the Time of Alexander the Great, which was about fifty Years, being divided between the Spartans and Thebans: Although Philip, Alexander's Father, (the Moft Chriftian King of that Age) had, indeed, fome time before, begun to break in upon the Republicks of Greece, by Conqueft or Bribery; particularly dealing large Money among Jome popular Orators; by which he brought many of them, as the Term of Art was then, to Philippize.

IN the Time of Alexander and his Captains, the Athenians were offered an Opportunity of recovering their Liberty, and being reftored to their former State; but the wife Turn they thought to give the Matter, was by an Impeachment and Sacrifice of the Author to hinder the Succefs. For, after the Deftruction of Thebes by Alexander, this Prince defigning the Conqueft of Athens, was prevented by Phocion, the Athenian General, then Ambaffador from that State; who, by his great Wisdom and Skill at Negotiation, ivert ed Alexander from his Defign, and reftored the Athenians to his Favour. The very fame Success he had with Antipater after Alexander's Death; at which Time, the Government was new regulated by Solon's Laws: But Polyperchon, in Hatred to Phocion, having by Order of the young King, whofe Governor he was, reftored thofe whom Phocion had banished; the Plot fucceeded, Phocion was accufed by popular Orators, and put to Death.

THUS was the most powerful Commonwealth of all Greece, after great Degeneracies from the Inftitution of Solon, utterly deftroyed by that rafh, jealous, and inconftant Humour of the People, which was never fatisfied to see a General either victorious, or unfortunate: Such ill Judges, as well as Rewarders, have popular Affemblies been, of thofe who beft de

ferved from them.

Now,

Now, the Circumstance, which makes these Examples of more Importance, is, that this very Power of the People in Athens, claimed fo confidently for an inherent Right, and infisted on as the undoubted Privilege of an Athenian born, was the rankeft Encroachment imaginable, and the groffeft Degeneracy 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 that Balance which that Legislator had very well fixed and provided for. This appeareth not only from what hath been already faid of that Lawgiver, but more manifeftly from a Paffage in Dicdorus; who telleth 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, (faith he) that Repu blick came to be again adminiftred 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 observing.

Lib. 28.

I might eafily produce many more Examples, but thefe are fufficient: And it may be worth the Reader's Time to reflect, a little, on the Merits of the Caufe, as well as of the Men who had been thus dealt with by their Country. I fhall direct him no further, than by repeating, that Ariflides was the most renowned by the People themselves for his exact fuftice, and Knowledge in the Law. That Themiflocles was a most fortunate Admiral, and had got a mighty Victory over the great King of Perfia's Fleet. That Pericles was an able Minifter of State, an excellent Orator, and a Man of Letters: And laftly, that Phocion, befides the Suceefs of his Arms, was also renowned for his Negotiations abroad; having, in an Embassy, brought the greatest Monarch of the World; at that Time, to the Terms

C 3

Terms of an honourable Peace, by which his Country was preferved.

I fhall conclude my Remarks upon Athens, with the Character given us of that People by Polybius. About this Time, faith he, the Athenians were governed by two Men; quite funk in their affairs; had 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, until Greece was fubdued by the Romans, (to the latter Part of which this Description of Polybius falleth in) Athens never produced one famous Man, either for Councils or Arms, or hardly for Learning. And, indeed it was Polyb. a dark infipid Period through all Greece: For, except the Achaian League under Aratus and Philopamen; and the Endeavours of Agis and Cleomenes to restore the State of Sparta, fo frequently haraffed 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 Diffenfions between the Patricians and Plebeians in Rome; with the Confequences they had upon that State.

Hmyfelf to the Proceedings of the COMMONS, on

AVING, in the foregoing Chapter, confined

ly 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 Diffenfions at Rome, between the People and the collective Body of the Patricians or Nobles. It is a large Subject; but I fhall draw it into as narrow a Compafs as I can.

As Greece, from the most antient Accounts we have of it, was divided into feveral Kingdoms, fo was moft

Part

Part of Italy into feveral petty Commonwealths. And as thofe Kings in Greece are faid to have been depofed by their People upon the fcore of their arbitrary Proceedings; fo,

Dionyf. Halicar.

on the contrary, the Commonwealths of Italy were all fwallowed up, and concluded in the Tyranny of the Roman Emperors. However, the Differences between those Grecian Monarchies, and Italian Repu blicks, were not very great. For, by the Accounts Homer giveth us of those Grecian Princes, who came to the Siege of Troy, as well as by feveral Passages in the Odyfey; 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 feemeth to have been the most antient and inherent Principles of both those People in Matters of Government. And fuch did that of Rome continue from the Time of Romulus, although with fome Interruptions, to Julius Cefar; when it ended in the Tyranny of a fingle Perfon. During which Period, (not many Years longer than from the Norman Conquest to our Age) the Commons were growing, by degrees, into Power and Property, gaining ground upon the Patricians, as it were Inch by Inch, until at laft they quite overturned the Balance; 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 pafs, fhall be the Subject of my prefent Inquiry..

WHILE Rome was governed by Kings, the Monarchy was altogether elective. Romulus himself, when he had built the City, was declared King by the univerfal Confent of the People, and by Augury which was then understood for divine Appointment. 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 Conquest; and the

latter

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 answer for their Appearance, and defend them in any Procefs:. They alio fupplied their Patrons with Money, in Exchange for their Protection. This Cuftom of Patronage, it feemeth, was very antient, and long practifed 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 ftanding 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 advise upon entering on a War. But, the two former of these popular Privileges, were to be confirmed by the Authority of the Senate; and the laft 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 reft being divided between the King and the Senate; the whole agreeing very nearly with the Conftitution of England, for fome Centuries after the Conquest.

AFTER a Year's Interregnum from the Death of Ro mulus, the Senate of their own Authority, chofe a Succeffor, and a Stranger, merely upon the Fame of his Virtue, without afking the Confent of the Commons; which Custom they likewife obferved 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 whose Consent he was chofen, elect ed an hundred Senators out of the Commons; whofe

Number,