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Show 16 '()N THE SLAVERY A ND CoMMERCE and conneCtions, and carried into 1lavery. The merchants of Theifaly, if we can credit * Arifiophanes who never fpared the vices of the times, were particularly infamous for the latter kind of depredation; the Athenians were notorious for the former ; for they had praCl:ifed thefe robberies to fuch an alarming degree of danger to individuals, that it was found necelliuy to enaCl: a :t: law, which ]>Unilhed kidnappers with death.-But this is fufficient for our prefent purpofe; it will enable us to aifert, that there were two claifes of involuntary flaves among the ancients, " of thofe who were taken publick~ · ly in a fiate of war, and of thofe who " were privately fiolen in a fiate of inno" cence and peace." We may now add, that the children and defcendents of thefe compofed a third. C H A P. IV. It will be proper to fay fomething here concerning the .fituation of the 11nfortunate • Arifroph. Plut. Aft z. Scene 5. ~ Zenoph •. /I.-If<'"~""' L. 1. men, olt THE HuMAN SPECIES. men, who were thus doomed to a life of fervitude. To enumerate their various employments, and to defcribe the miferies which they endured in confequence, either from the f~verity, ~r the long and confia11t applicatwn of their labour, would exceed the bounds we have propofed to the prefent work. We {hall confine ourfelves to their perfona/ treatment, as depending on the power of their mafi:rs, and the protection of the law. T~eir treatment, if confidered in this light, wdl equally excite our pity and abhorrence. They were beaten, fiarved, tortured, murdered at difcretion : they were dead in a civil fenfe; they had neither name nor tribe . :-vere incapable of a judicial procefs ; wer; In lhort without appeal. Poor unfortunate I~en I to be deprived of all poffible protectwn I to fulfer the bitterefi of injuries without the poffibility of redrefs! to be condemned unheard! to be murdered with impunity I to be confidered as dead in that fiate, t~e very members of which they were fupportlllg by their labours ! Yet fuch was their general fituation : there were two places however, where their B condition, |