ever Attempt is begun by an Affembly, ought to be pursued to the End, without Regard to the greatest Incidents that may happen to alter the Cafe; to count it mean, and below the Dignity of a Houfe, to quit a Prosecution; to refolve upon a Conclufion, before it is poffible to be apprized of the Premiffes: To act thus, I fay, is, to affect not only abfolute Power, but Infallibility too. Yet fuch unaccountable Proceedings as thefe have popular Affemblies engaged in, for want of fixing the due Limits of Power and Privilege.

GREAT Changes may, indeed, be made in a Government, yet the Form continue, and the Ballance be held; but large Intervals of Time must pafs between every fuch Innovation, enough to melt down, and make it of a Piece with the Conftitution. Such we are told were the Proceedings of Solon, when he modelled anew the Athenian Commonwealth. And what Convulfions in our own, as well as other States, have been bred by a Neglect of this Rule, is fresh and notorious enough; It is too foon, in all Confcience, to repeat this Error again.

HAVING fhewn that there is a natural Ballance of Power in all free States, and how it hath been divided fometimes by the People themselves, as in Rome; at others by the Inftitutions of the Legislators, as in the feveral States of Greece and Sicily: The next Thing is to examine what Methods have been taken to break or overthrow this Ballance; which every one of the three Parties hath continually endeavoured, as Opportunities have ferved; as might appear from the Stories of most Ages and Countries. For, abfolute Power in a particular State, is of the fame Nature with univerfal Monarchy in feveral States adjoining to each other. So endlef

ther confidered in their Perfons or their States, that they will grafp at all, and can form no Scheme of perfect Happiness with lefs. Ever fince Men have been united into Governments, the Hopes and En. deavours after univerfal Monarchy have been bandied among them, from the Reign of Ninus, to this of the most Chriftian King: In which Pursuits, Commonwealths have had their Share, as well as Monarchies: So, the Athenians, the Spartans, the Thebans, and the Achaians, did feveral Times aim at the univerfal Monarchy of Greece: So, the Commonwealths of Carthage and Rome, affected the univerfal Monarchy of the then known World. In like Manner hath abfolute Power been pursued by the several Parties of each particular State; wherein fingle Persons have met with most Success, although the Endeavours of the Few and the Many have been frequent enough: Yet, being neither fo uniform in their Defigns, nor fo direct in their Views, they neither could manage nor maintain the Power they had got; but were ever deceived by the Popularity, and Ambition of fome fingle Perfon. So that it will be always a wrong Step in Policy, for the Nobles, or Commons to carry their Endeavours after Power fo far, as to overthrow the Ballance: And it would be enough to damp their Warmth in fuch Purfuits, if they could once reflect, that in such a Course they will be fure to run upon the very Rock that they meant to avoid; which I fuppofe they would have us think, is the Tyranny of a fingle Perfon.

MANY Examples might be produced of the Endeavours from each of these three Rivals after abfolute Power: But I fhall fuit my Discourse to the Time I am writing it; and relate only fuch Diffen

tions in Greece and Rome, between the Nobles and Commons, with the Confequences of them, wherein the latter were the Aggreffors,

I SHALL begin with Greece, where my Obfervations fhall be confined to Athens; although feveral Inftances might be brought from other States thereof.

CHA P. II.

Of the Diffentions in ATHENS, between the FEW and the MANY.

T

HESEUS is the first, who is recorded with any Appearance of Truth to have brought the Grecians from a barbarous Manner of Life, among scattered Villages, into Cities; and to have established the popular State in Athens, affigning to himself the Guardianship of the Laws, and chief Command in War. He was forced, after fome Time, to leave the Atheninians to their own Measures, upon Account of their feditious Temper, which ever continued with them till the final Diffolution of their Government by the Romans. It feems, the Country about Attica was the most barren of any in Greece; through which Means, it happened that the Natives were never expelled by the Fury of Invaders, (who thought it not worth a Conqueft) but con

tinued

in ATHENS and ROME.

13

tinued always Aborigenes; and therefore retained, through all Revolutions, a Tincture of that turbu lent Spirit wherewith their Government began. This Inftitution of Thefeus appears to have been rather a Sort of mixed Monarchy than a popular State; and for ought we know, might continue fo during the Series of Kings till the Death of Codrus. From this laft Prince, Solon was faid to be defcended; who finding the People engaged in two violent Factions, of the POOR and the RICH, and in great Confufion thereupon; refusing the Monarchy which was offered him, chofe rather to caft the Government after another Model, wherein he made due Provifion for fettling the Ballance of Power, chufing a Senate of four Hundred, and difpofing the Magiftracies, and Offices according to Mens Estates; leaving to the Multitude their Votes in Electing, and the Power of judging certain Proceffes by Appeal. This Council of four Hundred -was chofen, a Hundred out of each Tribe; and feems to have been a Body Representative of the People; although the People Collective reserved a Share of Power to themselves. It is a Point of History perplexed enough; but thus much is certain, that the Ballance of Power was provided for, elfe Pyfiftratus (called by Authors the Ty- Herodot. rant of Athens) could never have govern- lib. 1. ed fo peaceably as he did, without chang

ing any of Solon's Laws. These feveral Powers, together with that of the Archon, or chief Magiftrate, made up the Form of Government in Athens, at what Time it began to appear upon the Scene of Action and Story,

THE first great Man bred up under this Inftitution was Miltiades, who lived about ninety Years after Solon; and is reckoned to have been the first

great

great Captain, not only of Athens, but of all Greece. From the Time of Miltiades to that of Phocion, who is looked upon as the last famous General of Athens, are about one hundred and thirty Years: After which they were fubdued and infulted by Alexander's Captains, and continued under feveral Revolutions, a fmall truckling State of no Name, or Reputation, until they fell with the rest of Greece under the Power of the Romans.

DURING this Period from Miltiades to Phocion, I fhall trace the Conduct of the Athenians, with relation to their Diffentions between the PEOPLE and fome of their GENERALS; who, at that Time, by their Power and Credit in the Army, in a warlike Commonwealth, and often fupported by each other, were, with the Magiftrates and other Civil Officers, a Sort of Counterpoife to the Power of the People, who fince the Death of Solon, had already made great Encroachments. What these Diffentions were, how founded, and what the Confequences of them, I shall briefly and impartially relate.

I MUST here premise, that the Nobles in Athens were not at this Time a Corporate Affembly, that I can gather; therefore the Refentments of the Commons were ufually turned against particular Perfons, and by Way of Articles of Impeachment. Whereas the Commons in Rome, and fome other States, (as will appear in proper Place) although they followed this Method upon Occafion, yet generally pursued the Enlargement of their Power, by more fet Quarrels of one entire Affembly against another. However, the Custom of particular Impeachments being not limited to former Ages, any more than that of general Struggles, and Diffenti ons betwixt fixed Affemblies of Nobles and Com

mons