HIST0RY OF MEXICO. 



295 



the raoft famous generals ; and that he poffeffed that fpe- 

 cies of heroifm which we acknowledge in Alexander and 

 the C^efars, in whom wc praife their magnanimity in fpite 

 of the vices with which it was blended. 



The caufe of the rapidity with which the Spaniards 

 conquered America has been partly mentioned by M. de 

 Paw : " I confefs," he fays, " that the artillery was a 

 " deftru&ive and all-powerful engine, which neceffarity 

 " fubdued the Mexicans/' If to the artillery we add the 

 other fuperior arms, horfes, and difcipline on the part of 

 the conquerors, and the divifions which prevailed among 

 the conquered, it will be feen that there is no reafon to 

 charge the Americans with pufillanimity, or to wonder 

 at the violent convulfion of the new world. Let M. de 

 Paw imagine, that at the time of the noify and cruel 

 factions of Sylla and Marius the Athenians had invented 

 artillery and other fire arms, and equipped only fix thou- 

 fand men with them, joining themfelves not to the army 

 of Marius, but only to fome part of his troops, and un- 

 dertaken the conqueft of Italy ; does not M. de Paw 

 think that they would have fucceeded in fpite of all the 

 power of Sylla, the courage and difcipline of the Roman 

 troops, their numerous legions and cavalry, the multi- 

 tude of their armies, their machines and the fortifications 

 of their city ? What terror would the horrid found of 

 the artillery, and the deftru&ive violence of the balls, 

 not have (truck to the minds of the boldeft centurions, 

 when they faw whole ranks of men carried off by them ? 

 What then muft the efFeft have been on thofe nations of 

 the new world who had no arms nor cavalry, no difci- 

 pline, machines, or fortifications like the Romans ? That, 

 on the contrary, which is truly to be wondered at, is, 

 that the brave Spaniards, with all their difcipline, artil- 

 lery, 



