wear.

men perform wonders, whatever garb they The fall of Saguntum is a grand fcene; a people exerting the utmost powers of nature, in defence of their country. The city was indeed deftroy'd ; but the citizens were not fubdued. The laft effort of the remaining heroes was, to burn themfelves with their wives and children in one great funeral pile. Numantia affords a fcene no lefs grand, The citizens, fuch as were able to bear arms, did not exceed 8000; and yet braved all the efforts of 60,000 difciplined foldiers, commanded by Scipio Nafica. So high was their character for intrepidity, that even when but a few of them were left alive, the Romans durft not attempt to storm the town. And they stood firm, till fubdued by famine they were no longer able to crawl. While the Portuguefe were eminent for patriotism, Lopez Carafco, one of their fea-captains, in a fingle fhip with but forty men, fell in among the King of Achin's fleet of twenty gallies, as many junks, and a multitude of fmall veffels, Refolute to perish rather than yield, he maintained the fight for three days, till his hip was pierced

through

through and through with cannon-shot, and not a single man left unwounded. And yet, after all, the King's fleet found it convenient to sheer off.

Patriotifm at the fame time is the great bulwark of civil liberty; equally abhorrent of defpotifin on the one hand, and of licentioufnefs on the other. While the de

fpotic government of the Tudor family fubfifted, the English were too much depreffed to have any affection for their country. But when manufactures and commerce began to flourish in the latter end of Elifabeth's reign, a national spirit broke forth, and patriotifm made fome figure. That change of difpofition was perhaps the chief caufe, tho' not the most vifible, of the national struggles for liberty, which were frequent during the goyernment of the Stewart family, and which ended in a free government at the Revolution.

Patriotifm is too much cramped in a very small state, and too much relaxed in an extenfive monarchy, But that topic has already been difcuffed in the first fketch of this book.

Patriotifm is enflamed by a struggle for liberty,

liberty, by a civil war, by refifting a potent invader, or by any incident that forcibly draws the members of a state into ftrict union for the common interest. The refolute oppofition of the Dutch to Philip II. of Spain, in the cause of liberty, is an illustrious inftance of the patriotic spirit rifing to a degree of enthusiasm. Patriotifm, roused among the Corficans by the oppreffion of the Genoefe, exerted itself upon every proper object. Even during the heat of the war, they erected an univerfity for arts and fciences, a national bank, and a national library; improvements that would not have been thought of in their torpid ftate. Alas! they have fallen a victim to thirst of power, not to fuperior valour. Had Providence favoured them with fuccefs, their figure would have been confiderable in peace as in war *

But

*The elevation of fentiment that a ftruggle for liberty infpires, is confpicuous in the following incident. A Corfican being condemned to die for an atrocious crime, his nephew with deep concern ad-dreffed Paoli in the following terms. "Sir, if you pardon my uncle, his relations will give to the ftate a thoufand zechins, befide furnishing fifty

"foldiers

But violent commotions cannot be perpetual: one party prevails, and profperity follows. What effect may this have on patriotism? I anfwer, that nothing is more animating than fuccefs after a violent struggle: a nation in that state refembles a comet, which in paffing near the fun, has been much heated, and continues full of motion. Patriotifm made a capital figure among the Athenians, when they became a free people, after expelling the tyrant Pififtratus. Every man exerted himself for his country: every man endeavoured to excell thofe who went before him: and hence a Miltiades, an Ariftides, a Themistocles, names that for ever will figure in the annals of time. While the Roman republic was confined within nar

"foldiers during the fiege of Furiali. Let him be "banifhed, and he fhall never return." Paoli, knowing the virtue of the young man, faid, "You "are acquainted with the circumftances of that "cafe: I will confent to a pardon, if you can fay "as an honeft man, that it will be juft or honour"able for Corfica." The young man, hiding his face burst into tears, faying, "I would not have "the honour of our country fold for a thoufand "zechins."

row

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row bounds, aufterity of manners, and difinterested love to their country, formed the national character. The elevation of the Patricians above the Plebeians, a fource of endless difcord, was at laft remedied by placing all the citizens on a level. This fignal revolution excited an animating emulation between the Patricians and Plebeians; the former, by heroic actions, labouring to maintain their superiority; the latter ftraining every nerve to equal them: the republic never at any other period produced fo great men in the art of war.

It has been often remarked, that a nation is never fo great as after a civil war. The good of the state is commonly the object; and patriotifin is the ruling paffion of both fides, tho' not always well directed. The good of the state was not the object in the civil wars of Rome; and instead of advancing patriotifm, they annihilated the fmall portion that remained of it. Power and riches were the objects, which the grandees were violently bent to acquire per fas aut nefas, without the leaft regard to the public. Every joint of the commonwealth was relaxed, when the power

I

ful