EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BELOW. 85 



/. Not I, but mankind have long lince done it. 

 Alexander, the fon of Philip, had no other right to 

 Perfia. All, or certainly the greater!: number of 

 monarchies, which at prefent are acknowledged to be 

 lawful, were founded by conquerors, who, if fortune 

 had not declared in their favour, would have died in a 

 dungeon or at the gallows ; and even to this very day, 

 kings difpofe of provinces and ill ands as if they were 

 their own property, they treat about them, barter 

 them, or cede them at the making of a peace, without 

 its ever entering their minds to alk the fubjecls whe- 

 ther they have any inclination to be fold, or exchanged, 

 or ceded. 



Menipp. And thou holdeft fuch an arbitrary and 

 violent proceeding to be right ? 



I. That is not the queflion. Neither do kings give 

 themfelves any more concern, whether thou or I, and 

 a hundred thoufand individuals like us, account their 

 actions to be right or wrong. The cafe would be al- 

 tered if we were fuch perfonages as could tell them our 

 opinion at the head of a numerous army ; and even 

 then, he would keep his right who had kept the field. 



Menipp. (Brandtfhing his Jiaff.) Thou feeft the 

 fuperiority which this cudgel and my broad fhoulders 

 give me over thee ! I may therefore make thee my 

 Have as foon as I think proper ? 



/. Without doubt. 



Menipp. And my cudgel gives me that right ? 



/. The right ! — Let us deal fairly with each other. 

 I feel myfelf not difpofed to be a Have, and fhould 

 therefore fcarcely ever find it right, if thou, by virtue 

 of thy cudgel, wouldft make me thy moft obedient and 



g 3 &ith* 



