,i88 A N T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I C S. Book IL 



CHAP. IX. 



^he qmjl'ion to he con/tiered is, ivhich is the hejlform of government 

 among men. — That the demccratical is the tuorfi, the author Jup- 

 ■pofes in the preceding chapter, — That it is fo^ proved a priori,. 

 from the nature of man and of government: — Proved aljh by fatl 

 and experience, — particularly by the example of the Athenians^ 

 a people^ the cleverefl that perhaps ever exifled; yet they could 

 not govern themf elves. — When they ceafed to be governed by the 

 laws ivhich Solon gave them, or by eminent men, that got the lead 

 among them, their affairs ivent into the greatefl diforder, and their 

 State ivas ruined. — Their feizing the public money, and applying 

 it to their maintainance and pleafures, one of the chief can fes of their 

 ruin. — This made them live an indolent and pic ajur able life-, ivhich 

 made them unfit for the great ivars,. i.vherein they engaged — of 

 their loffes in the Peloponefian ivar, — ivhich had like to have ended 

 in the total deflruBion of their city. — By the peace ivhich they ivere 

 forced to make, they ivere fubjecJed to thirty tyrants. — One chief 

 reafon of their illfuccefs in the ivar, ivas their fufpicion of all the 

 men of eminence among them, — ivhich made them practice that ex- 

 traordinary form of procefs called Oflracifm. — Example of that in 

 the cafe of Ariflides. — They might perhaps have taken Syracufe, if 

 they had not recalled Alcibiades from that expedition. — Their rea- 

 fon for recalling him, a mofl frivolous one. — The adminifl ration of 

 their affairs at Rome infome inflances accompanied ivith the great- 

 efl injuflice, — an example of this in the condemnation and execution 

 of fourteen of their fea commanders, ivho had obtained for them a 

 fignal vi^ory,— Their democratical form of government corrtipted 



their 



