On the Boundaries of Empires. 1& 



The Turks and Persians have, in modern times, renewed 

 the ancient contest between the Romans and Parthians, and 

 have fought for several centuries, without gaining perma- 

 nently, one square mile of territory. 



The ancient Grecians fought for a thousand years, and 

 their small republics, at the termination of the contest, re- 

 tained their original boundaries. 



England and France have amused themselves by wars* 

 which may continue till the end of time, without joining un- 

 der one sceptre, the vineyards of Burgundy and the vallies 

 of England. 



Alexander invaded the east, but he could not enlarge the 

 confines of Macedonia. 



Buonaparte subdued Europe, but France is not now more 

 extensive than formerly. 



Tamerlane overcame Asia, but it was not in his power to 

 unite the fire worshippers of Persia with the sons of Confu- 

 cius, nor could he join under one empire, the shepherds of 

 Tartary and the agriculturists of India. 



When these phantoms of universal empire perish, nations re- 

 sume their ancient limits. Conquer them, exterminate them* 

 destroy the memory of their existence as a people; still the new 

 kingdom will have the same limits as the old. A nation, sub- 

 duing those by which it is surrounded, resembles a river over- 

 flowing its banks; the flood gradually subsides, and the stream 

 returns to its ancient channel. When successive hordes of 

 barbarians invaded the dominion of imperial Rome, did they 

 unite the frozen regions of the North with the olive gardens 

 of the South? 



When England was conquered successively by the Ro- 

 mans, Saxons, Danes, and Normans, did they surround with 

 one rampart, Italy, Saxony, Denmark, Normandy and Eng- 

 land ? The decisions of nature soon cut asunder the artificial 

 arrangements of man. 



The barriers erected between communities of men vary in 

 strength ; let us examine them in their order. 



1 . Forest.— In the infancy of man, the gloom of a forest 

 often deters him from entering within its shade. The Her- 

 cynian forest divided many of the ancient tribes of Ger- 

 many, and its influence is still perceptible in that country. 

 The divisions of some of the counties of England are derived 

 from the same source. Many tribes of Indians in America 

 are divided by thick woods. In the progress of time, nations 



