Chap. VIII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 187 



and I am perfuaded he was not miftaken, that he was defpifed by them. 

 This Demagogue was treated by UlyiTes,as he deferved to be; that is 

 he was beaten by him; and there are many Demagogues, in modern 

 times, who deferve to be no better ufed. Btrt in latter times, when 

 the people were corrupted by weahh and luxury, the number of 

 them increafed prodigioufly. And when the people came to have 

 the whole power of the Rate in their hands, whicli was the cafe of 

 Athens in later times, thofe Demagogues flattered the people, and 

 made them do fome as bad things as ever tyrants were perfuaded to 

 do by their<:ourtiers. And in Rome, when the government there be- 

 came democratical, the flate was rent to pieces by fadlions, pro- 

 fcriptions, and civil wars, and at laft ended, as Democracies com- 

 monly do, in a mod violent tyranny. 



But another very capital defe<£l in thefe heroic governments, 

 was, that no arts or fciences of any value could be invented or cul- 

 tivated in them. So that however good the government might be, 

 while tlie people remained virtuous, it was only fit for a people 

 pradlifing arms and agricuhure, and other necelTary arts of life, 

 -which was the cafe of the people of Greece at the time of the Tro- 

 jan war, and of the Romans in the early ages of their ftate. But 

 the chief end of the political life, is to improve the human intelledl 

 by arts and fciences, and fo carry men on in that progrefs, which 

 by God and nature they are deftined to go through, in order to re- 

 ct)ver that ftate of blefs from which they had fallen. 



That thefe defeds were remedied in the Egyptian government, 

 I will fhow in the fequel. But, before I come to fpeak qf that go- 

 vernment, I think it will be proper to make fome obfervations more 

 upon government in general ; for as It is by government that man 

 is made a political animal, and fo is enabled to go on in that pro- 

 grefs, which God and nature have deftined he fhould make in this 

 life, it is a matter of the greateft importance in the hiftory of man, 



A a 2 CHAP. 



