fame treaty with the Medes, into which they entered afterwards with the Roman emperors;

that is to say, they stipulated with the ancient poffeffors, for the enjoyment of a joint partnership in their lands, and for that fingular manner of reigning with others, in quality of guests.(b) It is clear then that this fpecies of war refers to our first principle: the defire of quitting a rigorous climate, for a more mild climate.

(b) Confult the remarks of l'Abbé du Bos, on the French monarchy, in which this ingenious author proves, that the Franks, and the Lombards, who settled in Gaul, Spain, and Italy, gave out that they were the guests (hofpites) of the Romans, and that their chief stiled himself king of the Franks, and Lombards. but not king of the Gauls, and of Italy.

CHAP. II.

The means of estimating the happiness of mankind, and more particularly, the happiness of the people exifting during the first ages of antiquity.

OUR inveftigation of the first epochas of

history muft prove exceedingly useless, if, from the multitude of events with which it prefents us, we were unable to draw fome general facts; facts infinitely more certain than those which have been fo fedulously tranfmitted to us, and which, like grains. of duft, could have no weight, unless united in a fingle mafs. The facts, to which we allude, are thofe important ones, which historians have almoft conftantly neglected, as if

willing

willing to treat of every thing, excepting that which was incontestably true. It is not abfolutely certain that Cyrus, at the head of one hundred thousand Perfians, gained a victory over five hundred thousand Affyrians, Ægyptians, &c. or that Ninus built a city more than twenty-eight miles in length; but it is certain, on the one hand, that an army well disciplined, and commanded by a warlike king, triumphed over an ignorant, and undifciplined multitude; and, on the other hand, that a nation of flaves, almoft deprived of fenfe, by the impofition of a galling yoke, were condemned to labour in obedience to the caprice of a mad, and arbitrary tyrant.

Can we, amongst all the fpeculations to which history may give occafion, difcover one more excellent and more entitled to our attention, than that the great object of which is the happiness of human nature? many authors have, diligently, examined, how far one nation furpaffed another, in religion, in temperance, and in valour: but no one hath attempted to difcover which nation was the happiest. Were the Ægyptians, in this refpect, fuperior to the Medes; the Medes

to

to the Greeks, and the Greeks to the Ro mans? these are points, to determine which, but little pains have yet been taken. If any one hath ventured to discuss the subject, his conclufions hath been drawn from vague, and infufficient principles.

One great, and common error, amidst a multitude of other errors, is the confounding the people with the government. The people are fuppofed to be happy, whenfoever the government profpers: inftead of keeping in view the good of individuals, nothing is confidered but the growth, and duration of empires, as if the public profperity, and the general felicity, were two infeparable matters. For this, the Cynic was, facetiously, told that he should have changed the maxim, "falus populi fuprema lex efto," into "falus gubernantium fuprema lex efto." I fhall have more occafions than one to complain against thefe prejudices: but, for the prefent, I fhall confine myself to those reflections which have been fuggested to me by the facts under examination. I shall begin by an assertion that I do not think that any nation hath been happy, because it may have erected immense pyramids, or magnificent palaces. On the contrary,

contrary, I prefume that these fuperb edifices, and vast monuments, indicated the poor condition, and limited abilities of the people who affifted in the raising of them. As this truth results from very extenfive principles, I cannot dispense with the neceffity of explaining them. They belong to the science of Economicks; a fcience equally difficult, and obscure; to define it, hath been the business of multitudes; but to agree in those definitions, the lot of few. These principles will, then, have fome merit, fhould they prove true, and clear: and I dare flatter myfelf, that, in spite of the quantity of writings, which have appeared on this fubject, they will not be deftitute of novelty. It is, indeed, a cold, and dry difcuffion; but I should be guilty of injuftice to the age in which I live, and to my readers, were I to feel an inclination to avoid it.

In every attempt to estimate the happiness, or the misery of the people, the imposts with which they were laden, have been almost the fole objects of confideration. No estimation. hath been made of the rigour of these impofts, but from the mode in which they were levied; that is, according to their nearer,

or