6o Before Chrift 508. 



■quantity of filver, when fuch a revenue not only fufficed to the fovereign 

 of one of the greateft empires known in antient hiftory for the purpofes 

 of government, the maintenance of a {landing army, the indulgence of 

 luxury, and the difplay of unrivaled magnificence, but alfo enabled 

 him to lay up vaft treafures. This account is furniflied by Herodotus, 

 [L. iii, c. 89] apparently from an authentic record. He alfo informs 

 us, that the proportional value of gold and filver was as one to thir- 

 teen. 



508 From the affairs of the Eaft our attention is now called to the 



Weft by the firft intercourfe recorded in hiftory between the Romans 

 and Carthaginians. A treaty of friendfliip, or, as far as a covenant 

 with fuch a people, as the Romans then were, could be fo called, a 

 <:ommercial treaty, was concluded in the time of Brutus and Horatius *, 

 whofe names ftand in the firft year of the Roman lift of confuls. As 

 it is the moft antient commercial treaty now extant, and alfo the moft 

 antient authentic monument of Roman or Carthaginian hiftory, and is 

 •not a hundredth part of the length of a modern treaty, it undoubtedly 

 merits to be inferted entire in commercial hiftory. Polybius has given 

 us the words of it, which he copied, as exadly as the then oblblete 

 ftate of the language would permit, from the plate of brafs, on which 

 it was preferved in the Capitol. InEnglifti it is as follows : 



* Let there be friendfliip between the Romans together with their 

 •' allies and the Carthaginians together with their allies, on the foUow- 

 ' ing terms and conditions. Let not tl^te Romans nor their allies navi- 

 ' gate beyond the Fair promontory f . If they be driven by ftorms, or 



* According to Livy, Horatius was \\\t fuc- ed charaflers of the caily Roman liiftory. (Sec 

 ccjfor of Spurius Lucretius, who fucccedcd Bru- a colIeAion of inttances of laudable poverty by 

 tus, or of Brutus himRlf j for he leaves it uncer- Valerius Maximus, Z-. iv, c. 4.) About fifty 

 tain. Unlefs we will charge a wilful falfehood up- years after this time, when the Romans had col- 

 on Polybius, who flout iflied about 150 years be- lecled the plunder of feveral of the neighbouring 

 fore Livy, and is b'.yond comparifon more au- towns, we are told, that the fenate in a confulta- 

 thentic, we muft believe, that Brutus and Horatius tion fixed the bail to be given by the fon of the 

 were in ju'int authority at the conclufion of tiie famous Cincinnatus, when acculcd of no lefs a 

 treaty witli the Carthaguiians, and at the confe- crime than murder, at 3,coo afies of brafs, and 

 cration of tlie temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. Yet obliged ten of his friends to be fecuiitics for the 

 Livy, and Dionyfius of Hahcarnaffup, a writer even payment of fo large a fum, which, taking it at 

 more romantic than I>ivy, arc the authors gtneial- the higheft calculation, was but a few pounds over 

 ly followed by later compilers of Kouian hillory. a tun of brafs. \_L'iv. L. iii, c. 13.] Innumer- 

 On fuch authiM'Ity we arc told, that Collatinus was able inllances of luch inconfillcucles might be 

 lewarded for his voluntary refignatlon of the con- pointed out in the romantic part of the Roman 

 fullhip with a prefeiit of twenty talents out of the hillory. 



public treafury and five talents out of the private f The point of Africa ncaiefl to Sicily, called 

 purfe of Brutus, being together ncar^frc llioufnnd alfo the Promontory of Mercury, and now Cape 

 founds of our money ; a greater fum than tlie Bon, as is evident from the remark, of Polybius 

 whole Roman treafury of that time can b" ration- upon this treaty. Dodor Shaw, if lie had con- 

 ally fuppofed to have contained. If this (lory were fulted Polybius iullead of Livy, need not have 

 credible, it would deferve a place in the text, as been milled by the fuppofed identity of Candidum 

 throwing fome liglit on the value of money. But and K«A«» to place this promontory on the well, in- 

 It Is utterly inco'-fiftent with tlie fimpllclty of life Head of the call, fide of tiie bay of Carthage, 

 and general poverty afcrlbcd to the moil dillinguifli- [^Travels in Barinry, (jfc. p. 14Z.] 



