224 ANTIENTMETAPHYSICS. Book II. 



times, there was any other nation who had fuch an order of men 

 among them. 



It may be obje£ted to the Egyptian government, that it was not 

 a free government, fuch as the heroic governments in Greece were, 

 which I have praifed fo much. But the governments in Greece 

 were popular governments, which cannot be free, unlefs the people 

 be convinced before they a£l : Whereas the Egyptian government 

 was not popular ; and, 1 think, 1 have fhewn, that it was fo much the 

 belter, as it is impoffible that the mere people can always be guided 

 by the beft counfel, but often by the worft, either not having un- 

 derftanding fufficient to perceive what is beft of feveral things pro- 

 pofed, or being mifguided by their paflions. Of this I have fhewn 

 that the people of Athens were a ftriking example ; the clevereft peo- 

 ple, perhaps, that ever exifted, and yet they ruined themfelves by 

 their folly and mifcondudt. 



But It will be faid, were the people of Egypt, then, governed, like 

 Haves, by terror and compulfion ; and was their only motive to 

 obey the fear of punifhment ? — 1 fay not : But as they were a very 

 fagacious people, and I believe as wife as any people ever were, though, 

 perhaps, not fo clever as the people of Athens, they would be fenfible 

 that they were very well governed, and better than if they had been 

 under their ovpn government. This is only fuppofing that they were 

 as wife as the Capadocians, who, when they were offered liberty by the 

 Romans, refufed it, and chofe to continue under the government of 

 their Kings, And I was informed by a Polifh nobleman, (who, being 

 defcended of a Scotch family, as feveral of the Polifh noblemen are, 

 came to Scotland fome years ago to fee his relations, where 1 faw him), 

 that a neighbour of his in Poland, having vifited England, in the courfe 

 of his travels, fell there in love with Englifh liberty fo much, that, when 

 he returned to his own country, Ke called together a meeting of his 



peafants, 



