UNIVERSITY OF ST. MARK. 



which had been destroyed in Judea, by the princes his prede- 

 cessors, was restored. He freed the Jews from the gaUing 

 yoke of the Gentiles ; amehorated their condition ; sele6led 

 Joppa for a haven ; and made an entrance to the islands of 

 the sea. The earth, cultivated with care, afforded copious 

 harvests. The elders, seated in the streets, had but one theme, 

 that of the abundance amid which they lived. The young 

 men were clad in rich and gaudy attire. The temple was em- 

 bellished with sumptuous vessels which served for the sacrifice. 

 The kings who were hostile to him, held Simon in respedl. 

 And, lastly, he distributed justice with impartiality ; fulfilled 

 his promises ; and was solely occupied by the grandeur and 

 freedom of his subje6ls. 



To soften the asperities of a people, to purify their customs, 

 and to extirpate their inveterate abuses, is the fruit of wisdom, 

 and not of a rigorous legislation. In this part, the weakness 

 of the law is the necessary efFedl of its vigour. The furious 

 surge of the enraged ocean does not leave any mark on the 

 rock against which it breaks ; and the impetuous torrent 

 moistens the earth less than does the gently falling shower. 

 Thus, the useful mechanism by which heavy bodies are raised, 

 does not require the greatest degree of force, but the favour- 

 able combination of distances and direftions. 



Every beneficial result is to be expe£led from the influence 

 of letters. Being present to our mind, they are at once the 

 accuser, the witness, and the judge of our actions. If they do 

 not always free the heart from the disorders by which it is en- 

 thralled, they succour it in the respedtive intervals of silence 

 and repose, when the tumult of the passions allows a glimpse 

 of the precipice to which they lead. This return to truth can 



never 



