GENERAL VIEW 



OF THE 



BRITISH EMPIRE. 



IMMODERATE ambition, the love of empire, 

 or the thirft of wealth, have moft generally in- 

 fluenced the councils of nations, whether civilized, 

 or in a ftate of rude barbarianifrn. To fuch ignoble 

 motives is owing that endleis feries of wars, devafta- 

 tions, and robberies, which, inftead of giving liability 

 to the conquering ftate> hath invariably haftened its 

 fall. Of this truth the hiftory of mankind abounds 

 in examples. All thofe potent empires which fuc- 

 ceflively governed the antient world, had their rife, 

 their meridian, and their decline. By violence they 

 acquired extenfive dominion; the fame means became 

 neceffary to maintain, or defend, that dominion ; till 

 at length, fome neighbouring ftate, or combination 

 of dates., equally afpiring, fubverted the whole fabric 

 of power, which they transferred to themfelves, which 

 they for a while retained, and which they in their 

 turn loft, together with their freedom and their 

 name. So complete hath been the extinction of thofe 

 dates, that, were it not for the Sacred, and fome 

 remains of prophane writings, corroborated, were ic 

 neceffary, by infcriptions, medals, ftatues, and ruins 

 of ftupendous architecture, which have reached our 

 times, we could have no conception that fuch mighty 

 empires ever exifted. 



A Our 



