the origin of the distinction of ranks-第31章

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　some　patriot；　and　demand　debate？　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　present　synod　speak　its　author　wise；　　　　　　　　　　　　　Assist　him；　Jove！　thou　regent　of　the　skies！（2*）

　　　　From　the　early　history　of　all　the　Greek　states；　we　have　reason　to　believe　that　their　government　was　of　a　similar　nature。　The　country　of　Attica；　in　particular；　is　said　to　have　been　peopled　by　colonies　which　were　brought；　under　different　leaders；　from　Egypt　and　some　of　the　neighbouring　countries；　and　which　formed　a　number　of　distinct　tribes　or　villages；　independent　of　one　another。　The　first　association　among　these　little　societies　happened　in　the　time　of　Cecrops；　the　founder　of　Athens；　who　became　their　general；　and　who　made　a　considerable　reformation　in　their　police　and　manners。　They　were　afterwards　more　intimately　united　in　the　reign　of　Theseus；　when　the　nobility；　or　principal　inhabitants　of　the　several　towns　or　villages；　were　persuaded　to　settle　at　Athens；　and　composed　a　senate；　or　national　council；　which　exercised　an　authority　over　the　whole　country；　and　obtained　the　chief　direction　of　religious　matters；　together　with　the　privilege　of　electing　magistrates；　and　of　teaching　and　dispensing　the　laws。　　　　　The　resemblance　between　this　and　the　ancient　Roman　constitution　is　sufficiently　obvious。　The　foundation　of　that　mighty　empire　was　laid　by　a　few　tribes　of　barbarians；　originally　distinct　from　one　another；　who　at　first　inhabited　different　quarters　of　the　city；　and　who　appear　to　have　lived　under　the　jurisdiction　of　their　respective　chiefs。（3*）　This　was；　in　all　probability；　the　origin　of　that　connexion　between　the　poor　and　the　rich；　which　remained　in　after　ages；　and　which　has　been　commonly　ascribed　to　the　policy　of　Romulus。　People　of　the　lower　class　at　Rome　were　all　attached　to　some　particular　patron　of　rank　and　distinction；　and　every　patrician　had　a　number　of　clients；　who；　besides　owing　him　respect　and　submission；　were　bound　to　portion　his　daughters；　to　pay　his　debts；　and　to　ransom　his　person　from　captivity；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　they　were　entitled　to　his　advice　and　protection。　Of　these　leading　men；　who　had　an　extensive　influence　over　the　populace；　was　formed　the　primitive　senate；　or　council　of　the　sovereign；　which　appears　to　have　had　the　absolute　determination　of　peace　and　war；　and　which；　in　the　first　instance；　had　not　only　the　privilege　of　deliberating　upon　all　public　regulations；　but　also；　upon　the　death　of　a　king；　that　of　naming　a　successor　to　the　royal　dignity。　　　　　It　must　not　be　overlooked；　however；　that　in　the　Roman；　as　well　as　in　many　of　the　Greek　governments；　there　was　originally　a　considerable　mixture　of　democracy；　arising　from　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　the　people。　The　different　tribes；　or　families；　united　in　the　formation　of　Rome；　or　of　the　independent　cities　which　arose　in　Peloponnesus　and　some　of　the　neighbouring　countries；　had　very　little　property；　either　in　moveables　or　in　land；　and　their　poverty　must　have　prevented　the　growth　of　authority　in　their　respective　leaders。　The　influence　of　a　chief；　in　each　of　those　petty　states；　depended；　in　all　probability；　upon　the　personal　attachment　of　his　followers；　and　their　admiration　of　his　abilities；　more　than　upon　his　superiority　in　wealth；　and　the　power　which　that　influence　enabled　him　to　assume　was；　therefore；　far　from　being　absolute。　For　this　reason；　under　the　kingly　government　of　Rome；　the　authority　of　the　senate；　composed　of　all　the　chiefs；　was　not　alone　sufficient　for　making　general　laws；　or　transacting　business　where　dissension　might　be　apprehended；　but　its　decrees；　in　such　cases；　were　usually　confirmed　by　an　assembly　consisting　of　the　whole　people。　The　same　practice　obtained　in　Athens　and　Sparta；　and　probably　in　most　of　the　other　states　of　Greece。　　　　　The　particulars　related　by　Caesar　concerning　the　inhabitants　of　ancient　Gaul　may　be　considered　as　affording　the　most　authentic　evidence　of　the　state　of　government　in　any　rude　country。　We　learn　from　this　author　that　the　whole　of　that　country　was　divided　into　a　number　of　separate　states；　independent　of　each　other；　and　differing　considerably　in　the　degrees　of　their　power；　as　well　as　in　the　extent　of　their　territories。　In　the　several　towns；　villages；　or　families；　belonging　to　each　nation；　there　were　certain　leading　persons；　possessed　of　great　influence　and　authority；　by　whom　their　respective　followers　were　governed　and　protected。　The　affairs　of　a　whole　nation　were　conducted　by　a　king；　or　chief　magistrate；　assisted　by　a　national　council；　and　when　different　nations　were　engaged　in　a　common　enterprise；　they　made　choice　of　a　general　to　command　their　united　forces。（4*）　　　　　The　German　nations　who　about　the　fifth　century；　over…ran　and　subdued　the　provinces　of　the　Western　empire；　were　in　a　different　situation　from　any　other　people　with　whose　history　we　are　acquainted。　While　they　remained　in　their　own　country；　those　nations　had　made　considerable　advances　in　the　pastoral　state；　and　had　thereby　acquired　a　good　deal　of　wealth　in　herds　and　flock。　By　their　settlement　in　the　Roman　provinces；　they　had　an　opportunity；　as　has　been　already　observed；　of　acquiring　large　estates　in　land；　which　tended　to　augment　the　authority　of　different　leaders　in　proportion　to　their　riches。　　　　　The　inhabitants　of　a　large　tract　of　country　were；　at　the　same　time；　associated　for　their　mutual　defence；　and　in　their　common　expeditions；　were　conducted　by　a　great　chief；　or　king；　whose　rank　and　dignity；　like　that　of　every　subordinate　leader；　was　supported　by　his　own　private　estate。　There　were　two　circumstances　which　rendered　the　associations　made　upon　this　occasion　much　more　extensive　than　they　commonly　are　among　nations　equally　barbarous。　　　　　As　each　of　the　nations　who　settled　in　the　Western　empire；　though　seldom　large；　was；　by　the　rapid　progress　of　its　arm；　and　by　a　sudden　improvement　in　agriculture；　enabled　to　occupy　a　prodigious　quantity　of　land；　the　different　proprietors；　among　whom　that　land　was　divided；　were　placed　at　a　great　distance　from　one　another；　and　spread　over　a　wide　country。　But　many　of　these　proprietors　consisting　of　kindred　or　acquaintance；　and　all　of　them　having　been　accustomed　to　act　under　one　commander；　they　were　still　inclined；　how　remote　soever　their　situation；　to　maintain　a　correspondence；　and　to　unite　in　their　military　enterprises。　　　　　The　state　of　the　Roman　provinces　was　another　circumstance　which　promoted　an　extensive　association　among　the　conquerors。　Each　province　of　the　Roman　empire　constituted；　in　some　measure；　a　separate　government；　the　several　parts　of　which　had　all　a　dependence　upon　one　another。　The　inhabitants；　not　to　mention　their　ancient　national　attachment；　had　usually　a　set　of　laws　and　customs　peculiar　to　themselves；　and　were　governed　by　the　same　officers　civil　and　military。　They　were　accustomed　on　public　occasions　to　act　in　concert；　and　to　consider　themselves　as　having　a　common　interest。　The　capital；　which　was　the　seat　of　the　governor；　became　the　centre　of　government；　to　which　the　gentry　of　the　province　resorted　in　expectation　of　preferment；　or　with　a　view　of　sharing　in　the　pleasures　of　a　court；　and　from　thence；　to　the　most　distant　parts　of　the　country；　innumerable　channels　of　communication　were　opened；　through　the　principal　towns；　where　trade　was　carried　on；　where　taxes　were　levied；　or　where　justice　was　administered。　　　　　The　connexions；　which　had　thus　subsisted　for　ages　between　the　several　districts　of　large　territory；　were　not　entirely　destroyed　when　it　came　under　the　dominion　of　the　barbarians。　As　the　ancient　inhabitants　were　no　where　extirpated；　but　either　by　submitting　to　servitude；　or　by　entering　into　various　treaties　of　alliance；　were　incorporated　and　blended　with　the　conquerors；　the　habits　of　intercourse；　and　the　system　of　political　union　which　remained　with　the　former；　was；　in　some　degree；　communicated　to　the　latter。　When　different　tribes；　therefore；　though　strangers　to　each　other；　had　settled　in　the　same　province；　they　were　easily　reduced　under　one　sovereign；　and　the　boundaries　of　a　modern　kingdom；　came　frequently；　in　the　western　part　of　Europe；　to　be　nearly　of　the　same　extent　with　the　dominions　which　had　been　formerly　subject　to　a　Roman　governor。　　　　　In　proportion　to　the　number　of　tribes；　or　separate　families；　united　in　one　kingdom；　and　to　the　wideness　of　the　country　over　whic