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" no v^ery extfaordinary difference between them; and that, 

 " as I have just said, the temperate zone is very extensive. 

 " Hence it comes, that, in Asia, the strong nations are op- 

 " posed to the weak. The warlike, brave, and active peo- 

 " pie, touch immediately on the indolent and timorous: the 

 " one, therefore-, must conquer; the other, be conquered. 

 " In Europe, on the contrary, strong nations are opposed 

 " to strong; and those, Avho join each other, have nearly 

 " the same courage. This is the grand reason of the 

 " weakness of Asia, and the strength of Europe; of the 

 " liberty of Europe, and the slavery of Asia. That liberty 

 " in Asia nevei" increases : in Europe, it is enlarged or di- 

 " minished, according to circumstances.* The nations, in 

 " the noi'th of Europe, conquered as freemen: the nations, 

 " of the north of Asia, conquered as slaves, to satisfy the 

 " ambition of a master: such are the Moguls, the Afghans, 

 " and the people of China and Tartary. The genius of 

 " the Getic or Tartarian nation, has ever resembled that 

 " of Asia; the whip is every thing. The Tartars diffuse 

 " slavery; the Goths freedom. Asia has much larger plains : 

 " it is cut into much more extensive divisions, by moun- 

 " tains and seas; and, as it lies more to the south, its 

 " springs are more easily dried up. The mountains are 

 " less covered with snow; and the rivers, not being so 

 " large, form less powerful barriers. Power, in Asia, must 

 " be despotic; else there would be a division, inconsis- 

 " tent Avith the nature of the country. In Europe, the 



" natural 



* Spirit of Laws, B. XVII. c. v. Nugent's Translation, V.I. p. 395, et seq. 



