EXCURSION TO THE REALMS BELOW. 149 



of the paflions, or the fluctuating judgement of men, 

 who almoft always are dependent on it : how they will 

 be governed, and whether they will be governed at all, 

 or no. She lays the arrangements by means whereof 

 they are governed, whether they will or not. The 

 ftronger always rules the weaker. The whole hiftory 

 of the human race confirms this matter, and a couple 

 or fo of cafual exceptions demonftrate nothing againn: 

 the rule. The right of the ftronger is acknowledged 

 over all the face of the earth. Whenever, after a long 

 and bloody war, peace is again eftablifhed, it is always 

 the ftronger who prefcribes the conditions of it to the 

 weaker ; and thefe conditions are only fo long obfer^ed 

 by the weaker, as he remains the weaker. In the re- 

 moter!: periods of the world, no other national right 

 was known ; and the firft great monarchies, as well as 

 all that followed, were only great, becaufe, like fifhes 

 of prey, they f wall owed up the fmaller. And how 

 happened it, that the kings of the petty ftates of Greece, 

 who, at the beginning, were merely chieftains and 

 leaders of diftinguifhed tribes, were by infenfible de- 

 grees abolifhed, but becaufe a fmall number of power- 

 ful families grew up, and at laffc overtopt them ? This 

 preponderant power of the latter changed the monarchies 

 into ariftocratical republics ; the common people, ac- 

 cuftomed to obedience, at firft never thought of calling 

 in queftion the right to govern in the moft powerful 

 and opulent among them, fo long as they held together. 

 But in procefs of time, the ariftocrats began to quarrel 

 among themfelves ; by their difunion they impercepti- 

 bly became the weaker ; the people began to feel their 

 own ftrehgth j they made one demand after another, 



l 3 feized 



