4908.] 
monarchies or republics of the old world, 
center in the new, as well as others which 
they never poffeffed. The Affyrian, Per- 
fian, Macedonian, and Roman empires, 
the dominions of Charlemagne, and. the 
Saracens, arofe from conqueft, and the 
uniting of kingdoms different in arts, 
manners, languages, and religions. The 
American empire is formed by commerce, 
and the arts of peace; by people arifing 
from the fame ftock ; emigrating from the 
fame country, poflefling the fame language, 
religion, laws, manners, and purfuits ; 
for the {mall variation in fome diftriéts, 
owing to the intermixture of Germans, 
forms only a very flight exception, which 
will be entirely done away in the courfe of 
a very few generations. By this inti- 
mate connection of men and morals the 
caufe, which accelerated, and finally 
proved the overthrow of the Eaftern em- 
pires, is totally done away in the Weft- 
ern. 
No precife duration can be fixed to the 
Ealtern Empires, owing to the inaccuracy 
of hiltorical accounts : the following ftate- 
ment of the principal of them feems the 
belt authenticated and neareft the truth. 
The Affyrian empire, over a great part 
ef Afia,from Ninus to Sardanapalus, lafted, 
according to Jultin, 1300 years; Eufe- 
bius 1240; Georgius Monachus 1340. 
The Empire of Afia was transferred 
fromthe Aflyrians to the Medes in the 
317th year before Corift: their reign, ac- 
cording to Eufebius, was about 260 years, 
although Diodorus, and Georgius Mona- 
chus differ from him, and alfo one ano- 
ther, in the names of the kings, and dates 
of their reigns, 
From the foundation of the Perfian Em- 
pire by Cyrus to its deftruction by Alex- 
ander about 232 years elapfed. 
The Macedonian Empire, from its 
foundation by Philip, to the 11th year.of © 
King Perleus, when it was reduced toa 
Roman province by Paulus /Emilius, 
Jafted,according to Juftin, 192 years. 
The Roman Empire, from the founda- 
tion of the city of Rome; 753 years before 
Chrift, to the final deftruction of the Welt- 
ern Empire by Odoacer in the 476th year 
of the Chriftian zera, lafted 1229 years. 
All thefe empires owed their origin and 
increafe to conqueit, and an union of dif 
fonant parts ; they, therefore, fell to pieces 
fo foon as luxury and effeminacy had un- 
dermined them, and the bravery of the 
ancient founders had become extinét in 
their pofterity. Enterprifing people were 
foon found ready to take advantage of 
their degeneracy. The Affyrian and Ro- 
Thought on the Duration of the American Republic. 
229 
man Empires were the floweft in growth, 
and the longeft in decay. The Chinefe 
is the moft remarkable empire, as well 
for its durability, as for the invariable 
continuation of the fame laws and man- 
ners for a long fucceflion of ages. Its 
hiftory, however, is very little known by 
Europeans, and what the Chinefe them- 
felves pretend to give of it is too fophifti- 
cated by fable to be believed. It is, never- 
thelefs, certain, that after being conquered 
by the Tartars they ftill preferved the 
fame laws, religion and language ; and as 
the conquerors became loft in the immenfe 
numbers of the conquered, and by degrees 
affumed their manners, the dommions of 
the Tartars might be faid to be added to 
the Chinefe empire. 
The Britifh empire refembles the Affy- 
rian and Roman in the flownefs of its 
growth, and the Chinefe in the fate of its 
invaders. The Saxons, Danes, Romans, 
and Normans, after their fucceffive irrup- 
tions, remained moftly in England, and 
formed, in pracefs of time, one nation, go- 
verned by one law, and acknowledging 
fubjection to one Prince. England, by its 
fubj-tion and union with Ireland, Wales 
and Scotland, laid the foundation of the 
Britifh empire ; ‘and by its conquefts and 
colonies in every part of the globe, and, 
more particularly by its commerce and. 
manufactures, raifed it to that pitch of 
giandeur as to be fecond to none. Befides 
‘having given birth to the United States 
of North America, a nation nearly as po- 
pulous as itfelf, it is now forming fettle- 
ments in New South Wales with a forti- 
tude and perfeverance furmounting all ob- 
ftacles, and with the fame unremitting 
watchfulnefs, toil and labour, as attended 
the foundation of the United States. From 
the accounts of the falubrity, foil and pro- 
ductions of New Holland, added to the 
advantage of its infular fituation, very 
little doubt can be entertained of its be 
coming a more powertul empire than the 
United States, and in a more rapid pro- 
greflion. Confidering the immenfe pof- 
feffions of the Britith empire in Europe, 
Afia, Africa, and in America, notwith- 
ftanding the feparation of the United 
States, it will be impoffible not to exclaim 
that, fhould the parent ftock be overrun by 
foreign enemies, torn to pieces by domettic 
factions, or even blotted out from the face 
of the globe by a convulfion of nature, yet 
its fame muit be immortal. Enterprife 
and perfeverance have procured for the 
Englith language that univerfality, which 
French ambition has failed in procuring 
for theirs ; and the pleafing idea of living 
te 
