in Ancient and Modern Times. 95 



author. The same writer, in speaking of Helvetia, one of the 

 most barren districts of ancient Gaul, says expressly that the 

 people went to war because their country was not large enough 

 for the number of its inhabitants : *• Pro multitudine hominum, 

 angustas se fines habere arbitrabantur." The southern pro- 

 vinces of Gaul, according to Pliny, equalled in wealth and pros- 

 perity the states of Italy. From these indications we may justly 

 infer, that the superiority of modern France, in comparison to 

 its ancient state, is not so considerable as some have supposed. 



In respect to Germany, the superiority is much more appa- 

 rent. If the expression of Tacitus is to be literally understood, 

 " Terra etsi aliquanto specie differt, in universum tamen aut 

 silvis horrida, aut paludibus foeda," a great part of that exten- 

 sive country must have been entirely without inhabitants. A 

 little afterwards, however, he adds, "pecorum fecunda," from 

 which it appears that it was by no means deficient in the means 

 of subsistence. It is very certain that the strong aversion felt by 

 the Germans to all the pursuits of regular industry, and their 

 paramount delight in war, would greatly retard the increase of 

 inhabitants ; but on the other hand, their abstemious mode of 

 life, the freedom of their governments, and their habits of in- 

 dependence, would operate in a contrary tendency. On the 

 whole, however, the improvement of Germany is probably be- 

 yond that of any other country in the ancient world. 



Throughout nearly the whole of the south of Europe, the ba- 

 lance, I suspect, inclines again to the other side. The Penin- 

 sula of Spain and Portugal, there is little doubt, has considera- 

 bly declined from its ancient state. The valuable products of 

 Spain, both subterraneous and agricultural, caused an immense 

 commercial resort from all parts of the world, and the cities of 

 Cadiz, Carthagena, and others, were among the most celebrated 

 sea-ports of ancient times. In the time of Vespasian, Pliny 

 enumerates three hundred and sixty cities in Spain, most of 

 which appear to have been of considerable extent. According 

 to Strabo, a single province of that country contained two hun- 

 dred cities. This is no doubt an exaggeration ; but we have 

 abundant evidence from the accounts of its intestine wars, and 

 the resistance opposed to the Roman conquests, that the nation 

 was everywhere prosperous and well-peopled. Such is at 



