Miscellaneous essays by Monsieur St. Euremont ; translated out of French. With a character / by a person of honour here in England ; continued by Mr. Dryden.

CHAP. II. (Book 2)

IN the first times of the Republick, people were strangely furious for Li∣berty and the Publick Good; the af∣fection they bore to their Country, lea∣ving no Obligation to the motion of Na∣ture; the Zeal of the Citizen robbed the Man of himself. Sometimes through a Savage Justice, the Father caused his Son to Die for the performance of some ex∣traordinary exploit contrary to his Com∣mands; sometimes he made himself a Vi∣ctim, through a Superstition as Cruel as it was Ridiculous; as if the intention of So∣ciety were to oblige us to Dye, when it was instituted to encourage us to live with less Danger, and with greater Free∣dom. Valour had I know not what of Cruelty in it, and an Obstinacy of Fight∣ing, supplied the place of Discipline in War. In Conquests was as yet observed nothing of Generosity, it was not an aspi∣ring Spirit which sought after an Ambiti∣ous Superiority over others: To speak

with something of Propriety, the Romans were Violent Neighbours, who were dis∣posed to exclude from their Possessions the Legitimate Owners, and to Manure the Lands of other People by Force; often∣times the Victorious Consul was in no better a Condition than the Conquered People; the refusing the Spoil has cost him his Life, the division of it has caused his Banishment; they have refused to go to War under the Conduct of some particu∣lar Generals, and denied to Conquer under others. Sedition was easily taken for the effect of Liberty, which was supposed to be prejudiced by the least mark of Ob∣servance, even to those Magistrates that they themselves had made, and those Cap∣tains whom they had Chosen.

The Genius of this People was as Rusti∣cal as it was Wild; Dictators were some∣times taken from the Plough, which they took to again after the end of their Ex∣pedition, not so much by a preference of an innocent and undisturbed Condition, as for having been accustomed to a sort of life so unpolite and unsociable. As for that Frugality which is so extreamly boasted of, it was not a retrenchment of

superfluities, or a voluntary abstinence from things agreeable, but a gross usage of what they presently enjoyed. '••is true they were not Ambitious after more Riches, because they did not understand them, they were content with a little, be∣cause they conceived no more, those Plea∣sures too they omitted, of which they had no Idea. Notwithstanding for want of a due reflection, these old Romans were taken for the most considerable persons of the World; for their Posterity has Con∣secrated the very least particulars of their Actions, whether it is, that people natu∣rally respect beginners of Great Actions, or that their Posterity, glorious throughout, were desirous that their Ancestors should be Masters of Vertues, when they were not of Greatness. I know very well that one might alledge some particular Actions of an extream Vertue, which will serve for Patterns to all Ages; but these Actions were done by certain persons, which did in no measure resemble the Genius of the time, or else they were Actions of so sin∣gular a nature, which proceeding from Men by Accident, had in them nothing

common with the ordinary course of their lives.

It is to be acknowledged nevertheless, that manners so Unpolished and Rustical were agreeable enough to a Rising Com∣mon-Wealth. This roughness of Humour, which never yielded to Difficulties, esta∣blished Rome on a stronger Foundation, than one more tractable, more enlightned, and rational, could have done.

This Quality considered in it self, to speak apprehensively, was very Savage, which deserves no respect but by the re∣commendation of Antiquity, and because it has afforded a Beginning to the great∣est Power upon Earth.