riod of their Sicilian history, ‘that 
the end of their coming was to in- 
troduce liberty, and depose mo- 
narchs; but they did so tyrannize 
themselves, that the reign of the ty- 
rants seemed a golden age, compared 
with the rule of these deliverers; 
which made the Sicilians to esteem 
those more happy who had expired 
in slavery, than they who survived 
to see such a freedom.” Nay, their 
feelings had been so severely wound- 
ed by this popular kind of tyranny, 
that when Timoleon had recovered 
their capital from its oppressions, 
he found the market-place rankly 
overgrown with grass, horses actu- 
ally feeding upon it, and the groom 
lying upon the ground to attend 
them, that he therefore invited the 
emigrants to come back, and rein- 
habit their desolated city ; that few 
however came, ** so much,” adds 
the historian in a strain remark- 
ably apposite to modern times, “‘ did 
they dread and abhor the very 
name of those communities, and mu- 
nicipalities, and tribunals, which 
had produced the greatest part of 
their tyrants.” 
The power which bad created 
the first revolution in Rome, was 
perpetually called upon to create 
others. ‘Consuls,-dictators, plebeian 
tribunes, military tribunes, or de- 
cemvirs, were successively and inter- 
changeably appointed. The scale 
of power in the state under all, was 
continually sinking towards the peo- 
ple, till it touched the very ground 
at last. It sunk, therefore, loaded 
moreand more with misery to them.: 
They became the dupes of ambiti- 
ous men, enlisted as partizans in 
their pursuits, and engaged as cham- 
pions in their contests ; were ems 
barrassed with seditions, scourged 
with rebellions, and racked with 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
revolutions, At the last of these 
revolutions, Lucan describes one of 
the personages in his poetical history 
bursting out with all the agony of 
feeling for his wretched country ; 
and exclaiming with envy at the 
happiness of the most absolute mo- 
narchies on the earth. 
Felices Arabes, Medique Eoaque tellus, 
Quam sub perpetuis tenuerunt Fata ty- 
rannis ! 
Geography considered ix a political 
Point of View; from Mercier’s 
Fragments. 
HOEVER admits an original 
plan in the universe, whoever 
rejects the words fatality and chance, 
and surveys with an attentive eye 
the empires of ancient and modern 
times, will perceive an order of dee 
marcation upon the surface of our 
globe, and will not fail to recognize 
the hand that traced the limits and 
erected the ramparts. He will be- 
hold nations mutually contending till 
they are cenfined within the geogra+ 
phical circle drawn by nature ; in 
that enclosure they enjoy the repose 
which was denied them when they 
overleaped the bounds, 
When in the height of metaphy- 
sics, we feel something that resists, 
that repels us forcibly, that defeats 
us in spite of our efforts, it is a de- 
cisive mark that we go beyond our 
limits, and strain to surpass our na- 
tural capacity : it isa secret admo- 
nition which reminds us of our frail- 
ty, and corrects a presumptuous 
weakness. But, in the material 
world, when an evident principle 
enlightens reason at the commence- 
ment of its researches, it is a certain 
token that the mind possesses a fund 
of resources which will enable it to 
draw 
