3&4 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



fay to his aged and declining father : cf You begot 

 " me for your pleafure, it is time that I mould live 

 c * for mine." Where mould we find citizens dif- 

 pofed to unite for maintaining the laws of fuch a 

 Society ; the foldiers difpofed to meet death in 

 defence of it, and the magiftrate who would un- 

 dertake to govern it ? I fay nothing of an infinite 

 number of other diforders, which follow in the 

 train of that blind and headftrong paffion, even 

 when directed by cool and difpaflionate reafon. 



If, on the other hand, a Nation were under the 

 dominion of ambition folely, it would come ftill 

 fooner to deftru&ion ; either from external ene- 

 mies, or by means of it's own citizens. It is, firft, 

 difficult to imagine how it could be reduced to 

 form, under the authority of one Legislator , for, 

 how can we conceive the poffibility of ambitious 

 men voluntarily fubmitting to another man ? Thofe 

 who have united them, as Romulus, Mahomet, and 

 all founders of Nations, have commanded atten- 

 tion and obedience only by fpeaking in the name 

 of the Deity. But fuppofing this union, by 

 whatever means, accomplifhed, could fuch an af- 

 fociation ever be happy ? Let Hiftorians extol 

 conquering Rome ever fo highly, Is it credible 

 that her citizens then deferved the appellation of 

 fortunate ? While they were fpreading terror over 

 the Globe, and caufing floods of tears to flow, 



were 



