STUDY X. 23 



a Word, which regular troops are with relation to 

 light troops. They will not fuffer them to appear 

 in an avenue along which they themfelves are ad- 

 vancing, and difpoffefs them of the ports which 

 they may have occupied, the whole length of their 

 route. How many revolutions have been effected 

 in Ruffia by the Strelitzes ; in Rome, by the Pre- 

 torian guards ; at Constantinople, by the Janiza- 

 ries ; and elfewhere, by Corps ftill more political! 

 Thus, by a juft re-adion of Providence, the fpirit 

 of Corps has been as fatal to countries, as the fpi- 

 rit of Country has itfelf been to Mankind. 



If the heart of Man admits of but a fingle ob- 

 ject, what judgment mall we form of our modern 

 friendfhips, embracing, as they do, fuch a multi- 

 plicity ? Undoubtedly, if a man has thirty friends, 

 he can beftow on each of them only the thirtieth 

 part of his affection, and can receive, in return, 

 no greater proportion of theirs. He muft of ne- 

 ceffity, therefore, deceive them, and be deceived 

 by them ; for no one is difpofed to be a friend by 

 fractions. 



But, if the truth may be told, fuch friendfhips 

 are merely confederacies of ambition ; relations 

 interefted and purely political, employed entirely 

 in practising mutual illusion, in the view of aggran- 

 dizing themfelves at the expenfe of Society ; and 



c 4 which 



