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Show 68 POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL f0 much the greater, in Proportion to their Suc~ Cd? in the very Means miftakenly propofed for enriching them. A FEW indeed, excited by the f'trong Infiin€t of an avaricious Temper, may gather and fcrape up what the many are fquandering away; and to the Impoverilhment of the Community may become the Enrichment of the Individual, But it is utterly impoflible, that the great Majority of any Country can grow wealthy by that Comic or Lite which renders them both very extravagant, and very idle. To illutlrate this Tmin of Reafoning, let us have recourle to Facts: But let the Fafts be firth as my Gpponents in this Argument would with (fall others to have produced on this OCcalion : And as the Example of the Roma/"Lt is ete'n lily quoted, from the Pamphleteer in the (.‘arret, tothe Patriot in the Senate, as extremely worthy of the Imitation of Britons, let their Example decide the Difpute. " 'l'he brave Ro" 1mm I That glorious i That godlike People! " 'l he Conquerors of the \Norld ! Who made " the noll haughty Nations to lilbmitl W'ho " put the Wealthicfi under Tribute, and " brought all the Riches of the Univerfe to " centre in the lmperial City of Rome I" Now this li‘eOple. at the Beginning of their State, had a Territory not To large as one of 0UP mlddlmg Counties, and neither healthy, [101‘ SUBJECTS. 69 'nor fertile in its Nature; yet, by Means of Fru~ gality and Induitry, and under the Influence 0f/it‘7717‘2fl71 Laws (which allotted from two to fix, or eight, or perhap~ ten Acres of Land to each Family) they not only procured a corn-fortz‘zble Subfifi‘ence, "but alto were enabled to carry on their .petty Wars Without Burden to the State, or pay to the Troops; each Huf- bandman or'little Freeholder fervtng gratis, and sprovniing his own Cloaths and Arms during the short Time that was necelTary for him to be ab- Ient from hisCottage and Family on tuch Expo ditions. BUTwhen their Neighbours were all fubdued, and the Seat of War removed to more ditiant Countries, it became impoflible for them to draw their Subliltence from their own Farms; or in other Words, to terve gratis any longer; and therefore they were under a Neceflity to accept or Pay. Moreover, .as they could teldom vifit their little littates, thelc Farms were unavoxiably neglected, and contequently were lbon dilpolecl of to engrofiit‘;g t‘urchiters: And thus it came to paths, that the Lands about Rome, in Spite ofthe zfig‘rcrimz Laws, and ot‘the feveral Revivals ot thoie Laws, were monopolized into :1 few their Conquet‘ts and by him of Succeflcs: And their very thus the Spirit of Induttry began to decline, Proportion as alto in the military Genius gained 5, 3 the Imwimmi v;-‘ ‘3" |