On the Boundaries of Empires. 21 



valley. The peasant of Hungary fears to ascend the hill 

 which overlooks his native plain. 



" Mountains interposed 

 Make enemies of nations, which had else, 

 Like kindred drops, been moulded into one." 



5. Deserts. — I have mentioned the wars between the 

 Turks and Persians, which are carried on across the deserts 

 of Mesopotamia. The ancient kings of Egypt made fre- 

 quent expeditions to conquer the Arabs dwelling on the 

 sands of Africa, but they defied their armies. Ali Pacha has 

 exerted himself in a similar way, with the same success. 



A desert forms a safe barrier to China. A desert and the 

 Rocky Mountains form a boundary to the United States of 

 America on land. 



1. The surface of the earth is thus separated into certain nat- 

 ural divisions, which may be called natural kingdoms. Every 

 island is a natural kingdom. Every part of the world which 

 is surrounded by strong natural boundaries, is a natural king- 

 dom. It is impossible to conquer one half of these divisions. 

 In waging war with them, you must complete a total con- 

 quest, or return. No army could conquer half China. The 

 Tartars and native Chinese once made a treaty of partition; 

 nature declared its execution to be impossible. 



Nor could the plains of England be divided between two 

 kings. Canute and Edmund drew an imaginary line through 

 the centre. The treaty could not be observed. 



When nations occupy part of natural kingdoms, they must 

 advance or recede. The kingdom of Prussia must be bound- 

 ed by new acquisitions, or she must recede. This is the 

 reason why she is constantly armed. 



2. Small natural kingdoms, in the vicinity of those which 

 are larger, often lose their independence. 



Small islands are always subdued. No one could now 

 erect the standard of empire on the islandof Ithaca, or become 

 king of the Fortunate Islands. We see this rule exemplified 

 in the history of Great Britain. The British Islands contain 

 five natural kingdoms, England, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, 

 Ireland. Wars took place among the Saxon monarchs of 

 the Heptarchy for four hundred years, until the vallies of 

 England were united under one monarch. She then united 

 to herself the smaller natural kingdoms, by which she is sur- 

 rounded in the order of their respective strength. 



