verfal conqueft and the moft wretched flavery.

Had the Gauls,

who conquered Rome, entertained any view but of plunder, Rome would never have been more heard of. It was on the brink of ruin in the war with Hannibal. What would have happened had Hannibal been victorious? It is easy to judge, by comparing it with Carthage. Carthage was a commercial ftate, the people all employ'd in arts, manufactures, and navigation. The Carthaginians were fubdued; but they could not be reduced to extremity, while they had access to the fea. In fact, they profpered fo much by commerce, even after they were fubdued, as to raise jealousy in their masters, who thought themselves not fecure while a house remained standing in Carthage. On the other hand, what resource for the inhabitants of Rome, had they been fubdued? They must have perished by hunger; for they could not work. In a word, ancient Rome resembles a gamester who ventures all upon one decifive throw: if he lofe, he is undone.

I take it for granted, that our feudal fyftem will not have a fingle vote. It was a system that led to confufion and anarchy, as little fitted for war as for peace. And as for mercenary troops, it is unneceffary to bring them again into the field, after what is said of them above..

The only remaining forms that merit attention, are a standing army, and a militia; which I fhall examine in their order, with the objections that lie against each. The first standing army in modern times was established by Charles VII. of France, on a very imperfect plan. By an edict anno 1448, he appointed each parish to furnish an archer: these were termed franc-archers, because they were exempted from all taxes. This little army was intended for restoring peace and order at home, not for disturbing neighbouring states. This good prince had been forced into many perilous wars, fome of them for reftraining the turbulent fpirit of his vaffals, and most of them for defending his crown againft

gainst a powerful adverfary, Henry V. of England. As these wars were carried on in the feudal manner, the foldiers, who had no pay, could not be restrained from plundering; and inveterate practice rendered them equally licentious in peace and in war. Charles, to leave no pretext for free quarters, laid upon his fubjects a finall tax, fufficient for regular pay to his little army *.

any

First attempts are commonly crude and defective. The francarchers, difperfed one by one in different villages, and never collected but in time of action, could not eafily be brought under regular difcipline. They were idle when not in the field; and in the field, they display'd nothing but vicious habits, a spirit of lazinefs, of diforder, and of pilfering. Neither in peace were they of ufe: their character of foldier made them despise agriculture, without being qualified for war: in the army they were no better than peafants: at the plough, no better than idle foldiers. But in the hands of a monarch, a standing army is an inftrument of power, too valuable ever to be abandoned: if one fovereign entertain such an army, others in self-defence must follow the example. Standing armies are now established in every European state, and are brought to a competent degree of perfection.

This new inftrument of government, has produced a wonderful change in manners. We now rely on a standing army, for

This was the first tax impofed in France without confent of the three eftates: and, however unconftitutional, it occafioned not the flighteft murmur, because the visible good tendency of the tax reconciled all the world to it. Charles, befide, was a favourite of his people; and juffly, as he fhewed by every act his affection for them. Had our first Charles been fuch a favourite, who knows, whether the taxes he impofed without confent of parliament, would have met with any oppofition? Such taxes would have become cuftomary, as in France; and a limited monarchy would, as in France, have become abfolute. Governments, like men, are liable to many revolutions: we remain, it is true, a free people; but for that heffing, we are perhaps more indebted to fortune, than to patriotic vigilance.

defence

defence as well as offence: none but those who are trained to war, ever think of handling arms, or even of defending themselves against an enemy: our people in general have become altogether effeminate, terrified at the very fight of a hoftile weapon. It is true, they are not the lefs qualified for the arts of peace; and if manufacturers be protected from being obliged to ferve in the army, I discover not any incompatibility between a standing army and the highest industry. Husbandmen at the fame time make the best foldiers : a military fpirit in the lower claffes arifes from bodily ftrength, and from affection to their natal foil: both are eminent in the husbandman: conftant exercise in the open air renders him hardy and robuft; and fondness for the place where he finds comfort and plenty, attaches him to his country in general *. An artist or manufacturer, on the

* Numquam credo potuiffe dubitari, aptiorem armis rufticam plebem, quæ fub divo et in labore nutritur; folis patiens; umbræ negligens; balnearum nefcia; deliciarum ignara; fimplicis animi; parvo contenta; duratis ad omnem laborum tolerantiam membris: cui geftare ferrum, foffam ducere, onus ferre, confuetudo de rure eft. Nec inficiandum eft, poft urbem conditam, Romanos ex civitate profectos femper ad bellum: fed tunc nullis voluptatibus, nullis deliciis frangebantur. Sudorem curfu et campeftri exercitio collectum nando juventus abluebat in Tybere. Idem bellator, idem agricola, genera tantum mutabat armorum. Vegetius, De re militari, l. 1. cap. 3.-[ In English thus: "I believe it was never doubted, that "the country-labourers were, of all others, the best foldiers. Inured to the open "air, and habitual toil, fubjected to the extremes of heat and cold, ignorant of the "ufe of the bath, or any of the luxuries of life, contented with bare neceffaries, "there was no feverity in any change they could make: their limbs, accustomed to "the ufe of the fpade and plough, and habituated to burden, were capable of the " utmost extremity of toil. Indeed, in the earlieft ages of the commonwealth, "while the city was in her infancy, the citizens marched out from the town to "the field: but at that time they were not enfeebled by pleafures, nor by luxury: "The military youth, returning from their exercife and martial fports, plunged "into the Tyber to wath off the fweat and duft of the field. The warrior and the "hufbandman were the fame, they changed only the nature of their arms."]

VOL. II.

B

contrary,

contrary, is attached to no country but where he finds the beft bread; and a fedentary life, enervating his body, renders him pufillanimous. For thefe reafons, among many, agriculture ought to be honoured and cherished above all other arts. only a fine preparation for war, by breeding men who love their country, and whom labour and fobriety fit for being foldiers; but is also the best foundation for commerce, by furnishing both food and materials to the industrious.

It is not

But feveral objections of the most interesting nature occur against a standing army, that call aloud for a better model than has hitherto been established, at least in Britain. The fubject is of importance, and I hope for attention from every man who loves his country. During the vigour of the feudal system, which made every land-proprietor a foldier, every inch of ground was. tenaciously disputed with an invader: and while a fovereign retained any part of his dominions, he never loft hopes of recovering the whole. At prefent, we rely entirely on a standing army, for defence as well as offence, which has reduced every nation of Europe to a very precarious condition. If the army of a state happen to be defeated, even at the most distant frontier, there islittle refource against a total conqueft. Compare the hiftory of Charles VII. with that of Lewis XIV. Kings of France. The former, tho' driven into a corner by Henry V. of England, and deprived of the bulk of his provinces, was however far from yielding on the contrary, relying on the military spirit of his people,. and indefatigably intent on ftratagem and surprise, he recovered all he had loft. When Lewis XIV. fucceeded to the crown, the military fpirit of the people, was contracted within the narrow fpan of a ftanding army. Behold the confequence. That ambitious monarch, having provoked his neighbours into an alliance against him, had no refource against a more numerous army, but to purchafe peace by offering to abandon all his conquefts, upon which

he:

he had lavished much blood and treafure (a). France at that period contained feveral millions capable of bearing arms; and yet was not in a condition to make head against a disciplined army of 70,000 men. Poland, which continues upon the ancient military establishment, wearied out Charles XII. of Sweden, and had done the fame to feveral of his predeceffors. But Saxony, defended only by a standing army, could not hold out a fingle day against the prince now mentioned, at the head of a greater army. Mercenary troops are a defence ftill more feeble, against troops that fight for glory, or for their country. Unhappy was the invention of a standing army; which, without being any strong bulwark against enemies, is a grievous burden on the people; and turns daily more and more fo. Liften to a first-rate author on that point. Sitôt qu' un état augmente ce qu'il appelle fes troupes, les autres augmentent les leurs; de façon qu'on ne gagne rien par-là que la ruine commune. Chaque monarque "tient fur pied toutes les armées qu'il pourroit avoir fi fes peuples "étoient en danger d'être exterminées; et on nomme paix cet état "d'effort de tous contre tous. Nous fommes pauvres avec les "richeffes et le commerce de tout l'univers; et bientôt à force "d'avoir des foldats, nous n'aurons plus que des foldats, et << nous ferons comme de Tartares * (b)."

"As foon as one ftate augments the number of its troops, the neighbouring ftates of courfe do the fame; fo that nothing is gained, and the effect is, the ge"neral ruin. Every prince keeps as many armies in pay, as if he dreaded the ex"termination of his people from a foreign invafion; and this perpetual fruggle, "maintained by all against all, is termed peace. With the riches and commerce "of the whole univerfe, we are in a ftate of poverty; and by thus continually "augmenting our troops, we fhall foon have none elfe but foldiers, and be redu"ced to the fame fituation as the Tartars.

(a) Treaty of St Gertrudenberg.

(6) L'efprit des loix, liv. 13. chap. 17.

B 2

But