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Show 72 POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL in Debt, as we find by their own Hifiorians, when we reflect, that their military Life indifpoled them for Agriculture or Manufaftures, and that j SUBJECTS. 73 Riches a few Grandees, the Leaders of Armies, the Governors of Provinces, the Minions of the Populace, or the Harpies of Opprefhon might their Notions of Conqueft and of Glory ren~ dered them extravagant, prodigal, and vain. HOWEVER, in this Manner they went on, continuing to extend their Victories and their Tri- have amafl'ed together, the great Majority of the People were poor and miierable beyond Ex- , umphs; and, after the Triumph, fublif'ting for as the Maflers of the W'orld, they had no other Means of fublifting, when Peace was made, and their Prize-Money l‘pent, than to receive aKind of Alms in Corn from the public Granaries, or to carry about their Bread Bafkets, and a while by the Sale of the Lands above-mentioned, or by their Shares in the Divifion of the Boory: But when thefe were fpent, as they quickly were, then they funk into a more prellion; and while the vain Wretches were ' ltrutting with Pride, and elated with lnfolence, wretched State of Poverty than before, eagerly wilhing for a new War as the only Means ofre- beg from Door to Door. pairing their defperate Fortunes, and clamour~ ‘ Land left unmortgaged, 0r lomething valuable mg agamfi every Perfon that would dare to appear as an Advocate for Peace: And thus they encreafed their Sull'erings, infiead of removing ; to pledge, found to their Sorrow, that the Interef't of Money (being hardly ever leis than twelve per Cent. and frequently more) would Moreover, fuch among them as had chanced to have a Piece of them. loon eat up their little Subltance, and reduce AT laf't they fubdued the World, as far as it was known at that Time, or thought worth lub- them to an Equality with the rel't of their illuftrious Brother Beggars. Nay, lo extremely low was the Credit of thefe Matters of the World, that they were trtiited with the Payment of their Interel't no longer than from Month to Month; than which there cannot be a more glaring Proof, both of the abjeét Poverty, and of the cheating Dilpolitions of thefe heroic Citizens of Imperial Rome. domg; and then both the Tribute, and the Plunder of the Univerfe were imported mtO Rama; then, therefore, the Bulk of the lnh3« bitants of that City mull have been exceedingly wealthy, had Wealth confil‘ted in Heaps of Gold and Silver; and then likewife, if ever, the Blai- fings of Victory mul't have been felt had it been capable of producing any. But alas ! whatever Riches Now this being the undoubted Fact, every humane and benevolent Man, far from confider- ‘ incr D xmnmnmm 7 ‘ ‘p' .v "gm " |