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difcipline, but even to outnumber them ; the 

 Roman army at this time confiding of little 

 lefs than 900,000 men. It is true, that at the 

 time we fpeakof,they had the whole of Italy in 

 fubjediion : But we are not from thence to in- 

 fer, that they derived this ftrength from their 

 Italian allies ; on the contrary, when invaded 

 by Hannibal, deferted by many of their al- 

 lies, and weakened by many dreadful de- 

 feats, they found themfelves ftill able to fup- 

 ply men, even when they were almoft deftitute 

 of arms : So that they could mufter armies 

 fufficient to chaftife their ungrateful allies > 

 and render fruitlefs the aftonifhing military 

 efforts of Hannibal ; nay even to tranfport 

 forces into Macedon, in order to prevent an 

 invafion from thence. 



In more modern times, we find the moft 

 commercial flates far from being the moft 

 populous. The Venetians, though once 

 powerful, and femed for military exploits, 

 are dwindled into infignificance proportioned 

 to the fmallnefs of their number ; and though 

 they ftill continue formidable to their bar- 

 barous rivals the Turks, are yet of very fmall 

 confequence in comparifon of any of the 

 powerful nations of Chriftendom. 



The 



