SHEMITIC CIVILIZATION. 123 



brigandage ; the French monarchy, under 

 Louis XI V., almost emulated the excesses 

 of the Sassanidan or Mongol dynasties ; the 

 French Kevolution, while calling into being 

 with incomparable vigour the principle of 

 unity in the State, frequently compromised 

 liberty in no trifling degree. Eut prompt 

 reactions have always saved these nations 

 from the consequences of their errors. 



Not so in the East. The East, especially 

 the Shemitic East, has never known any 

 medium between the complete anarchy of 

 the wandering Arabs and sanguinary and 

 unmitigated despotism. The idea of public 

 weal, of public good, is completely wanting 

 among these nations. True and complete 

 liberty, such as the Anglo-Saxon race has 

 realized, and grand State organizations, 

 such as the Koman Empire and France 

 have engendered, have been equally un- 

 known to them. The ancient Hebrews and 

 the Arabs have been, and are at short in- 

 tervals, the most free of men; but condi- 

 tionally subject to the chance of having on 



