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Show [ the Afcendant*. 62 ] [ 63 1 A Proof of this we have in Livy, even f0 far back as the Time of their lal't King Tarquz‘izz'ur Superaus: For one of the Complaints brought againl‘t that Prince was couched in the following Terms, That having BUT to proceed : The Genius of Rome being formed for War, the Romans pufhed their Con- quelts over Nations Ptill more remote : But alas ! the Quintet, the Body of the PeOple, were fo " neighbouring Nations lhould be degraded far from reaping any Advantage from thefe new Triumphs, that they generally found themfelves to be poorer at the End of their moft glorious Wars than before they begun them. At the Clofe of each fuccefsful War it was cuPtomary to divide a Part of the Lands of the Vanquilhed " into Stone-cutters and Mafons," though thefe among the veteran Soldiers, and to grant them Works were not the Monuments of unmeaning Polly, or the VVorlts of Oilentation, but evi- a Difmiflion in order to cultivate their new Acquifitions. But fuch Eflates being ftill more diftant from the City, became in faét fo much employed his Soldiers in making Drains and Common Sewers, "they thought it an high " Difgrace to Warriors to be treated as Me- "chanics, and that the Conquerors of the dently calculated for the Health of the Citizens and the Convenience of the Public. Had he led forth thefe indignant Heroes to the Extirpatron of fome neighbouring State, they would not have conlidered that as a Difhonour to their Character. the lefs valuable , and the new Proprietor had lefs Inclination than ever to forfake the Capital, and to banifh himfelf to thefe diftant Provinces. [For here let it be noted, that Rome was become, by this Time, the Theatre of Pleafure, as well as the Seat of Empire, where all, who wifhed to aét a Part on the Stage of Ambition, Popularity, . " T. Liv. lib. r. Romanos homines, vié‘tores omniu m Circa populorum, opifices ac lapicidas pro bellatoribus faétos. Thus reafoned the People of Rome, as form as ever they began to be famous in the Charaeter of Bel/atore: and Vzc‘i‘oru. .And, as this Vanity is natural to Mankind have not the'Frrends of Commerce too much Caufe to feair that our Opzfice: and Lapirz'dar, now turned into Vifiore r omzzz'w): mm Palm/cram, will reafon after the fame Manner? And yet the Roman; were not {0 mad as to fight for Trade ; they or Politics ; all who wanted to be engaged in Scenes of Debauchery, or lntrigues of State; all, in lhort, who had any Thing to fpend, or any Thing to expe&, made Rome their Ren< dezvous, and reforted thither as to a common Mart] This being the Cafe, it is not at all fur- (fight gnlyi fgr‘Conqueft and Dominion, which may beac%‘ 4 _y g ting. But to fight for the Sake of procuring prifing, that thefe late Acquifitions were de- BUT Wonder, that the Mafs of the Roman People fhould Fade, 13 a Specws of Madnefs referved only for Briton: .' ferred and fold for a very Trifle; nor is it any |
