STUDY VII. 



55 



The Republic of Venice, on the contrarjr, fo 

 well known for her courtezans, for the reflleffnefs 

 and jealoufy of her Government, is extremely 

 feeble externally, though (he is of higher anti- 

 quity, in a (ituation more advantageous, and 

 under a much finer fky than Holland. Venice is 

 a maritime power in the Mediterranean, haroly 

 acknowledged as fuch in modern times, whereas 

 Holland is enlivening the whole Earth by her 

 commerce; becaufe the firfl. has reftrifted the 

 rights of humanity to the clafs of Nobility, and 

 the fécond has extended them to the whole people. 



It is, farther, from the influence of this unjufl 

 partition, that Malta, with the fined port in the 

 Mediterranean, fituated between Africa and Eu- 

 rope, in the vicinity of Afia, and fwarming with a 

 young Nobility of undaunted courage, will ever 

 remain the laft Power in Europe, becaufe the 

 People there are reduced to nothing, 



I fhall here take occafion to obferve, that here- 

 ditary nobility in a State deftroys, at once, all 

 emulation in both the nobly and ignobly born. It 

 is deftroyed in the firft, becaufe, being entitled by 

 birth to pretend to every thing, they have no need 

 to call in the afTiftance of merit ; and in the fé- 

 cond, being excluded from every pretenfion to 

 rife, no degree of merit could avail them. This 



£ 4 is 



