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Nifmes *, were Roman watch towers, from which the Roman 

 guards communicated intelHgence to each other by fignals, of 

 whatever paffed in the furrounding country. The advantages of 

 this univerfal facility of intercourfe through a vaft extent of 

 empire, divided by nature, and united more by art than arms, were 

 pecuharly fch. ^ The capitals of Syria, Egypt, Antioch, and Alex- 

 andria, with a croud of dependent cities, eleven hundred and 

 ninety-feven in Italy, twelve hundred in Gaul, three hundred and 

 fixty in Spain, three hundred African, and five hundred popu- 

 lous Afiatic cities " fwell the aftonifhing lift of thefe dominions." 

 Ail thefe cities were conneded with each other, and the great 

 chain of communication from the north-weft to the fouth-eaft 

 point of the empire was drawn out to the length of about 3740 

 Englifh miles. " -f- It was the advantage of receiving the earlieft 

 " intelligence and of conveying, their orders with celerity, which 

 " induced the emperors to eftablifh throughout their extenfive 

 " dominions the regular inftitution of pofts." 



It is not from any pedantic reverence for antiquity that I 

 appeal to precedents. Precedent, either antient or modern, is 

 hfliened to by men of fenfe only as being the voice of experience, 

 not from its affuming the tone of authority. The legiflation and 

 manners of the modern world differ fo much from thofe of the 

 antient, that it would in many cafes be abfurd to apply their 

 maxims to our fituations ; and notwithftanding the great under- 

 takings 



* Antiquities de Nifmes. f Gibbon, vol. ift, p. 60. 



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