ry thing, before that period, had been ma- 

 naged, from committing their ufual outrages. 

 It may indeed be obferved, that when peo- 

 ple once have got an inclination for a martial 

 life, they cannot by any means be induced 

 to apply, either to commerce, agriculture, 

 or manufactures. 



The Athenians by their commerce with 

 different nations, but more especially by their 

 depredations on the effeminate Perfians, had 

 acquired very confiderable wealth ; but fq 

 little was population encouraged by the pof~ 

 feffion of this wealth, that in the mod flourifh- 

 ing aera of this city, it never could produce 

 20,000 men capable of bearing arms. Hence, 

 notwithftanding all this apparent grandeur, 

 this celebrated ftate had np folid foundation ; 

 and it was rather owing to the want of a pro- 

 per enemy, than to any intrinfic ftrength, 

 that it made fuch a figure among others. 



This was, indeed, the cafe with all the 

 flates of Greece ; and therefore, by reafon of 

 their want of inhabitants, every one of them 

 was in danger of being overthrown by a fin- 

 gle defeat. The victory of Leudtra, where 

 4000 Spartans were killed or taken, had ai- 

 med ruined the ftate ; and it was only ow- 

 ing 



