faid to have been defpofed by their people upon the fcore of their arbitrary proceedings, fo, on the contrary, the commonwealths of Italy were all swallowed up, and concluded in the tyranny of the Roman emperors. However, the differences between thofe Grecian monarchies, and Italian republics, were not very great: for, by the accounts Homer gives us of those Grecian princes who came to the fiege of Troy, as well as by feveral paffages in the Odyffey, it is manifeft, that the power of these princes, in their several states, was much of a fize with that of the kings in Sparta, the archon at Athens, the fuffetes at Carthage, and the confuls in Rome: fo that a limited and divided power feems to have been the most ancient and inherent principles of both thofe people, in matters of government. And fuch did that of Rome continue from the time of Romulus, though with some interruptions, to Julius Cæfar, when it ended in the tyranny of a single 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 balance, leaving all doors open to the practices of popular and ambitious men, who deftroyed the wifeft republic, and enflaved the noblest people, that ever entered upon the ftage of the world. By what fteps and degrees this was brought to pass, shall 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 consent of the people, and by augury, which was there 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 conqueft; and the latter are also described to be almost exactly what our Commons were then. For they were dependents upon the Patricians, whom they chose for their patrons and protectors, to answer for their appearance, and defend them in any procefs: they alfo fupplied their patrons with money, in exchange for their protection. This cuftom of patronage, it seems, was very ancient, and long practifed among the Greeks. Out of these Patricians, Romulus chofe an hundred to be a fenate, or grand council, for advice and affiftance to him in the adminiftration. The fenate, therefore, originally confifted all of nobles, and were of them felves a ftanding council, the people being only convoked upon fuch occafions, as, by this institution of Romulus, fell into their cognizance: those were to constitute magiftrates, to give their voices for making laws, and to advise upon entering on a war. But the two former of these popular privileges, were to be confirmed by authority of the fenate; and the laft was only permitted at the King's pleasure. This was the utmost extent of power pretended to by the Com mons, mons, in the time of Romulus; all the reft being divided between the King and the fenate; 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 fenate, of their own authority, chofe a fucceffor, and a ftranger, merely upon the fame of his virtue, without asking the confent of the Commons; which cuftom they likewife obferved in the two following kings. But, in the election of Tarquinius Prifcus, the fifth King, we first here mentioned, that it was done populi impetrata venia; which indeed was but very reasonable for a free people to expect; though I cannot remember, in my little reading, by what incidents they were brought to advance fo great a ftep. However it were, this Prince, in gratitude to the people, by whose consent he was chofen, elected a hundred fenators out of the commons, whose number, with former additions, was now amounted to three hundred. The people having once discovered their own ftrength, did foon take occafion to exert it, and that by very great degrees. For, at this King's death, who was murdered by the fons of a former, being at alofs for a fucceffor, Servius Tullius, a ftranger, and of mean extraction, was chofen protector of the kingdom by the people, without the confent of the fenate; at which the nobles being difpleafed, he wholly applied himself to gratify the Commons, and was by them declared and confirmed no longer Protector, but King. This prince first introduced the cuftom of giving freedom to fervants, fo as to become citizens of equal privileges with the reft, which very much contributed to increase the power of the people. Thus, in a very few years, the commons proceeded fo far, as to wreft, even the power of chuf. ing a king, entirely out of the hands of the nobles; which was fo great a leap, and caused such a convulfion and ftruggle in the ftate, that the conftitution could not bear it; but civil diffenfions arofe, which immediately were followed by the tyranny of a fingle perfon, as this was by the ut ter fubverfion of the regal government, and by a fettlement upon a new foundation. For the nobles, fpighted at this indignity done them by the commons, firmly united in a body, depofed this Prince by plain force, and chofe Tarquin the Proud; who, running into all the forms and methods of tyranny, after a cruel reign, was expelled, by an univerfal concurrence of nobles and people, whom the miseries of his reign had reconciled. When the confular government began, the balance of power between the nobles and plebeians was fixed anew: the two firft Confuls were nominated by the nobles, and confirmed by the commons; and a law was enacted, that no perfon fhould bear any magiflracy in Rome, injuffu populi, that is, without confent of the Commons. In fuch turbulent times as thefe, many of the poorer citizens had contracted numerous debts, either to the richer fort among themselves, or to fenators fenators and other nobles: and the cafe of debtors in Rome, for the first four * centuries, was, after the fet time for payment, no choice, but either to pay, or be the creditor's flave. In this juncture, the commons leave the city in mutiny and discontent, and will not return, but upon condition to be acquitted of all their debts; and, moreover, that certain magistrates be chofen yearly, whose business it fhall be, to defend the commons from injuries. These are called tribunes of the people; their persons are held facred and inviolable; and the people bind themselves, by oath, never to abrogate the office. By thefe Tribunes, in procefs of time, the people were grofly impofed on, to serve the turns and occafions of revengeful or ambitious men, and to commit fuch exorbitancies as could not end, but in the diffolution of the government. These Tribunes, a year or two after their inftitution, kindled great diffenfions between the nobles and the commons, on the account of Coriolanus, a nobleman, whom the latter had impeached, and the confequences of whofe impeachment (if I had not confined myfelf to Grecian examples, for that part of my subject) had like to have been fo fatal to their state. And, from this time, the Tribunes began a custom of accufing to the people whatever nobles they pleafed, feveral of whom were banifhed, or put to death, in every age. At this time, the Romans were very much engaged in wars with their neighbouring states; VOL. II. Y * Ab urbe condita. From the building of the city. but, |