A G R 



A G R 



really bou^^ht tlicm, and witliout occafioninj;; great and uni- 

 veifal commotions in the commonwealtli. For tliefe realons 

 the Senate finniy oppoled the ellnblinimcuL gf tlie agrarian 

 laws. About the year 37", C. Licinius Stilo, a rich 

 pkbeian, and tribune of the people, attempted to rcilrain 

 the overgrown power and wealth of tlie patricians, by propo- 

 ling a law, which fliould rellrict every Roman cuizen to the 

 pofleffion of 500 acres, and oblige liim to furrendcr the 

 overplus, in order to be divided among the poorer citizens. 

 His motion, though enforced by the influence of his col- 

 league in the tribunefln'p, L. Sestius, wa; over-ruled ; and 

 new commotions occafioned by the approach cf tlie GauN, 

 having engaged the public attention, the bufmel.; of the 

 agrarian law was deferred for nine years ; and about the end 

 of that time it was again revived, and the law was eftabliilied : 

 this was called the Licinian law ; and the mover of it was 

 foon afterwards condemned bv his own law. Having been 

 found to po.Tcfs more than 1 000 acres, 500 of them were 

 dillributed among the poor citizens, and he was compelled 

 to pay the tine, which he had annexed to the violation of 

 the law. In conlequence of this abulc, the law itfelf was 

 abolifhed. In procefs of time, however, the great and rich 

 pofTeffcd themfel'-es of almoft all the lands that belonged 

 originally to the ilate, either by purchafe, or by paying a 

 greater quit-rent, or by violence. Several regulations iiad 

 been propoled for rcllraining thefe ufurpations. At length 

 other meafures having been found ineffeftual, (A. U. C. 

 620. Ante. Chrill. l^^.) Tiberius Gracchus, urged by his 

 mother Cornelia, propofed the revival of the Licinian law ; 

 and tliat the rich Ihould quit the lands which they held con- 

 trary to the laws, after having received from the pubhc the 

 value of them ; and that the citizens, whofe circumilances 

 required relief, fhoiJd take poffellion of them. Many ob- 

 jeftions were urged againil this mild and humane regulation, 

 as Plutarch calls it : and the profecution of it brought 

 the commonwealth to the brink of deftruction, and coft the 

 two illuilrious brothers, the Gracchi, their hves. Their 

 efforts were of little avail, as the laws they laboured to in- 

 troduce v»'ere gradually abolifhed after their death. Cicero, 

 in fpeaking of the partition of lands and the remittance of 

 debts, fays (Offic. 1. 2. n. 78.) "that to undertake to dif- 

 charge debtors by the authority of the magiftrate, or to 

 pafs the law fo often propofed for the diltribution of lands, 

 is to fap the two principal foundations of the common- 

 wealth ; of which the one is peace between the citizens, 

 •which could not fubfiil, if creditors were to lofe their fortunes 

 by the difcharging of debtors ; and the other juftice, which 

 is entirely fubverted, from the inflant no one can afTure him- 

 felf of continuing peaceable pofFefTor of his right." The 

 agrarian law of the tribune Saturninus, which was canied 

 with violence A. U. C. 652. was of verj' fhort duration; 

 and that of Rullus in the year 689, which was more 

 exorbitant than any other, and gave up to a fmall number 

 cf citizens, under the pretext of relieving the poor, almoft 

 all the revenues of the commonwealth, afforded Cicero an 

 admirable opportunity of difplaying his eloquence in ex- 

 pofing it, and inducing the people to refill it. The 

 exordium of his oration on this occalion has been much ad- 

 mired. Cic. II. in RuU. The agrarian law of Ciefar was 

 prefeiited to the Senate in the beginning of his confullliip, 

 A. U. 693 ; and he urged in its favour, that a diftri- 

 bution of lands among the poor citizens was altogether 

 ufeful, were neceffary to deliver the city from a mul- 

 titude of people with which it was overburdened, and 

 often gave rife to feditions ; to repeople and cultivate feveral 

 parts of Italy, which were abandoned ; to recompenfe the 

 ivldiers wba had ferved the commonwealth, and to give 



fubfiftence to many citizens who wanted it. He propofed 

 the execution of it in the mildeft and moil moderate manner ; 

 and that 20 commiflloners (liould prelide at the dillribution 

 of the lands, excepting himlelf out of the number. Not- 

 withllanding thefe fpccious pleas, Cato inveighed loudly 

 againil the projedl of Caslar, alledging that he did not fo 

 much apprehend the diviiion of the lands, as the wages 

 that would be required of the people by thofe who fought 

 to inveigle them by this prefent. Cato was imprifoned 

 for his oppoiition ; and when another fenator was afked 

 by Cai-far why he departed before the Senate broke up, he 

 replied, " becaufe I had rather be with Cato in a prifon, 

 than with you in the Senate." Caefar appealed to the 

 people ; and having engaged the concurrence of Pompey 

 and CraiTus, the reliilance of Bibulus, Ccefar's colleague in 

 the confullhip, and the vehement oppofition of Cato were 

 ineffedlual. The law was authorifed by the fuffrages of the 

 people. Cicero acquiefced in this meafure, by obferving * 

 kind of neutrahty ; and argues to this purpofe : " Let us 

 remain neuter, as if buried in a hoide in the country. 

 Csefar hopes that I will fecond him and invites me to it. 

 See the advantages I fhall gain by taking this party ; the 

 friendlhip of Pompey, and even that of Caefar, if I dcfired 

 it; a reconciliation with my enemies ; the peace of the mul- 

 titude ; and the affurance of quiet in my old age : but 

 after the conduft I have maintained in my confulfhip, and 

 the principles which I have maintained in my writings, 

 ought not my rule to be this maxim of Homer (II. M. 243). 

 the bell of all counfels is to defend one's country ? " 

 Cicero ad Attic, ii. 3. In perfuading Cato to give up his 

 refinance to this meafure, he conjures him to confider, •' that 

 if Cato has no need of Rome, Rome has need of Cato." 

 Cic. pro Sext. p. 6l. 



Several have pleaded for the neceflity of agrarian laws 

 among us. WiUiam Spriggc, or, as iome fay, Fr. Of- 

 borne, has written exprefsly on this fubjedt. See alfo the 

 Supplement to Dr. Price's Obfervations on Reveriionary 

 Payments, &c. p. 381. 



But the author who feems to have entered moft deeply 

 into the nature and ufe of agrarian laws, is Harrington ; he 

 (hews that the balance of property in a ilate cannot be fixed 

 but by laws, and the laws whereby fuch a proviiion is made 

 are agrarian laws. Now thefe are necelTary to the liability 

 of government, becaufe governments will, according to the 

 diverfe balance of property, be of diverfe or contrary na- 

 tures, that is, monarchical or popular. Thus monarchy re- 

 quires of the ilandard of property, that it be vail or great ; 

 and of agrarian laws, that they hinder recefs or diminution, 

 at leail in fo much as is thereby entailed upon honour. 

 But popular government requires, that the ilandard be mo- 

 derate, and that its agrarian laws prevent accumulation. 



This author thinks, that in a territory not exceeding 

 England in revenue, if the balance be in more hands than 

 300, it is declining from monarchy ; and if it be in fewer 

 than 5000 hands, it is fwerving from a commonwealth. 



The fame writer defines an equal agrarian, a perpetual 

 law, eilablifhing and preferving the balance of dominion 

 by fuch a dillribution that no one man, or number of 

 men, within the compafs of the few, or arillocracy, can 

 come to overpower the whole people by their poiTefiions in 

 lands. 



He alfo obferves, that the people of Rome, by ftriving 

 for an agrarian, ilrove to iiave their liberty ; and that com- 

 monwealth, through want of fuch a law, or the non-ob- 

 fervance of it, came to ruin. 



In the Grecian cities, the defeft of an agrarian was fup- 

 plied by ofiraci/m. 



* In 



