1792. on the constitution. ij^- 



free states of Greece, and the establifliment of the 

 Romin republic. 



The devices which these people adopted for cur- 

 bing the power of the first magistrate were vairious ; 

 and the effects of these changes in the administration 

 of government soon became apparent, Man, in these 

 free states, became a more active, a more bustling, a 

 more turbulent animal than formerly. These ef- 

 fects cannot be denied. It is, however, somewhat 

 difficult to answer a question that modern philoso- 

 phers have started, viz. whether the happinefs of the 

 human race,, was, upon the whole, augmented^ or di- 

 tniniflfed by the changes ? On the one hand, there 

 seems to be no doubt but the faculties of the humart 

 mind v?ere thus enlarged. But whether, as in para- 

 dise, the knowledge of good, did not also introduce 

 •With it the knowledge of evil^ in a yet Higher degree, 

 is difficult to say. All that we are authorised to 

 pronounce with certainty, from a review of these an- 

 cient ftee states, is, that the changes they adopted in 

 their fortil of government were by no means calcu- 

 lated td produce the effect intended ; for though 

 pov#et \*as thus taken from one set of persons, and 

 given to another, it was still liable to be abused ; and 

 these abuses became in a Ihort time so great, as to 

 end in the total overthrow of the respective consti- 

 tutions of government, and enslavement of the 

 people in all of them. The existence of all these 

 free states was fliort : the whole course of their poli- 

 tical life was " a troubled stream :" private pro- 

 perty was never among them effectually secured ; 

 BUnufactures and industry were scarcely there known: 



