1811.] 
sorprise, that the polity of Solon did not 
eutlive himself, but that he himself saw, 
without the power of preventing it, the 
growing influence of Pisistratus, which 
terminated in tyranny and despotism, 
But the wisdom of Lycurgus, the Spar- 
tan legislator, and the excellency of his 
polity, chiefly appears im effectually 
foarding against the licentiousness of de- 
Mocracy on the one hand, and the op- 
pression of despotism on the - other. 
Power was so exactly balanced, and so 
ehecked and guarded on every band, that 
no. sooner did one branch of the body 
politic overstretch its just limits, and aim 
at the ascendency, than the others com. 
bined to curb and restrain it. This af- 
forded the surest pledge of stability and 
almost invincible power; this rendered 
Sparta the bulwark of all Greece; this 
constituted the inhabitants of Lacedemon 
a band of heroes, who feared not to com- 
bat singly the innumerable myriads of 
Persia. 
The British constitution, which has 
been so long and deservedly . admired 
through the whole world, is formed in a 
great degree upon this model; since the 
three branches of the executive power 
amongst us bear a close analogy-to those 
of Sparta, and are calculated in the same 
manner to preserve the balance of power. 
Besides the grand outline sketched by 
the masterly hand of Lycurgus, soine of 
the more minute features of this civil 
eode have been held in universal admi- 
ration, The influence of education upon 
the national character, and its importance 
to the state, did not escape the pene- 
trating sight of this truly wise man, 
He felt the necessity of cleansing the 
fountain-head, in order that the streams 
might be rendered pure, or (to borrow a 
metaphor from the sacred Scriptures) 
first to make the tree good, that its fruit 
might be good also. Such were the de- 
signs of those laws which rendered the 
«hildren the property of the state, which 
provided for their public education, by 
means of which patriotism, magnanimi- 
ay, and subordination, were instilled into 
their minds from the tenderest infancy. 
Nor should those bold and decided 
measures be forgotten by which Lycur- 
_ gus proposed to exclude from the com- 
avarice. 
monwealth every incentive to luxury and 
Avarice .is a passion which so 
contracts and debases the character, 
both public and private, that it is with 
the greatest reason, and by the highest 
authority, called the rvot of all evil. 
_ However hazardous the step, Lycurgus 
epee ys! 
The Laws of Solon and Liycurcus Contrasteds 
127 
felt it to be so-essential to the stabia 
lity of his infant commonwealth to 
suppress this passion, that be devised thie 
most effectual means of counteracting it, 
by diminishing the motivesofsuch wealth; 
and by inspiring a contempt for pomp 
and splendour. He at lengih succeeded 
to his utmost wishes; and thus far more 
effectually guarded Laconia than if it had 
been surrounded by the most impregna- 
ble fortresses. 
If.an estimate of the excellence of a 
constitution be deduced from its perma- 
nent effects, that of Lycurgus has no 
common claims. It stood upwards of 
500 years, during which period intestine 
commotion’ were scarcely known, nov 
did hostile armies dare to mvade then: 
If any foe presumed to attack them, they 
were either completely subdued, or, co- 
vered with shame, retreated, Sparta 
stood alone when all'the other states of 
Greece either bowed ‘to the shrine of 
wealth, or to the sceptre of despotic 
power, and defended with ber blood the 
expiring liberties of Greece. Norwas she 
weakened by intestine commotions, or 
subjugated to a foreign yoke, till the spi- 
rit and force of these wise laws enacted 
by Lycurgus were lost; and her ‘rigid 
simplicity was exchanged for the inebria= 
ting luxuries of foreign ‘courts. * 
OBSERVATOR. 
neti 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ABSTRACT of @ JOURNAL kept in Marr 
LAND, in the years 1805 and 1806. 
T needs, I think, no great depth of 
prophecy to foretel the result of the 
present contest with France. By the 
preponderance of ‘her. power, she will 
overrun the continent with ber aris, as 
England does the ocean with her ships: 
France will bave an empire terre firmes 
England) will ‘have an empire’ ocean? 
incertiet infructuosi. Trance will have 
dominion aver men—Enzland over ithe 
greatLeviathan, France willshutiup the 
continent against the commerce of Bog- 
land=and England will be the vietim of 
false speculations, of bankruptcy, and of 
ruin. England will thenowish she had 
keptherself in the bounds of moderation, 
and had’ pursued the arts of peace. ' She 
would have become mote truly great in 
* The writer of this interesting paper is 
unknown to us, but we wish him to continue 
his observations on this and other collateral 
subjects, at this time of such deep import- 
ance, . v4 
cording 
