own nation. Inns were unknown in Germany; and to this day are unknown in the remote parts of the Highlands of Scotland; but for an oppofite reafon, that hofpitality prevailed greatly among the ancient Germans, and continues to prevail fo much among our Highlanders, that a gentleman takes it for an affront, if a stranger pafs his house. At a congrefs between Francis I. of France, and Henry VIII. of England, among other fpectacles for public entertainment, the two kings had a. wrestling-match. Had they forgot that they were fovereign princes? : One would imagine war to be a foil too rough for the growth of civilization; and yet it is not always an unkindly foil. War between too fmall tribes is fierce and cruel but a large ftate mitigates refentment, by directing it, not againft individuals, but againft the ftate in general. We know no enemies, but those who are in arms: we have no refentment against others, but rather find a pleasure in treating them with humanity. Barbarity and cruelty, having thus in war few individuals: for their objects, naturally fubfide; and magnanimity in their ftead transforms foldiers from. brutes to heroes. Some time ago,,it was usual in France to demand battle; and it was held difhonourable to decline it, however unequal the match. Here was heroifm without prudence; but in all reformations it is natural to go from one extreme to the other. While the King of England held any poffeffions in France, war was perpetual between the two nations, which was commonly carried on with more magnanimity than is ufual between inveterate enemies. It became customary to give prifoners their freedom, upon a fimple parole to return with their ransom at a day named. The fame was the custom in the border wars. between the English and Scots, before their union under one monarch Both parties found their account equally in fuch honourable behaviour. Edward Prince of Wales, in a pitched battle against the French, took the illuftrious Bertrand du Guefclin prifoner. He long declined to accept a ransom; but finding it whispered that he was afraid of that hero, he inftantly fet him at liberty with out a ranfom. This may be deemed impolitic or whimfical: but is love of glory lefs praife-worthy than love of conqueft? The Duke of Guife, victor in the battle of Dreux, refted all night in the field of battle; and gave the Prince of Conde, his prifoner, a fhare of his bed, where they lay like brothers. The Chevalier Bayard, commander of a French army, anno 1524. being mortally wounded in retreating from the Imperialists, placed himfelf under a tree, his face however to the enemy. The Marquis de Pefcara, General of the Imperial forces, finding him dead in that pofture, behaved with the generofity of a gallant adverfary: he directed his body to be embalmed, and to be fent to his relations in the moft honourable manner. Magnanimity and heroism, in which benevolence is an effential ingredient, are inconfiftent with cruelty, perfidy, or any groveling paffion. Never was gallantry in war carried to a greater height, than between the English and Scotch borderers before the crowns were united. The night after the battle of Otterburn, the victors and vanquished lay promifcuously in the fame camp, without apprehending the leaft danger one from the other. The manners of ancient warriors were very different. Homer's hero, though fuperior to all in bodily ftrength, takes every advantage of his enemy; and never feels either compaffion or remorfe. The politic of the Greeks and Romans in war, was to weaken the ftate by plundering its territory, and deftroying its people. Humanity with us prevails even in war. Individuals not in arms are fecure, which faves much innocent blood. Prisoners were fet, at liberty upon paying a ranfoin; and by later improvements in manners, even that practice is left off, as too mercantile, a more honourable practice being fubftituted, viz. a cartel for exchange of prifoners. Humanity was carried to a ftill greater height, in our late wars with France, by an agreement between the Duke de Noailles and the Earl of Stair, That the hofpitals for the fick and wounded foldiers fhould be fecure from all hoftilities. The humanity of the Duke de Randan, in the fame war, makes an illuftrious figure even in the prefent age, remarkable for humanity to enemies. When the French troops were compelled to abandon their conquefts, in the electorate of Hanover, their Generals every where burnt their magazines. and plundered the people. The Duke de Randan, who commanded in the city of Hanover, put the magiftrates in poffeffion of his magazines, requesting them to diftribute the contents among the poor; and he was beside extremely vigilant to prevent his foldiers from committing acts of violence *. The neceffity of fortifying towns to guard from deftruction the innocent and defencelefs, affords convincing evidence of the favage * Such kindlinefs in an enemy from whom nothing is expected but mischief, is an illuftrious inftance of humanity. And a fimilar inftance will not make the lefs figure that it was done by a man of inferior rank. When Monf. Thurot, during our late war with France, appeared on the coaft of Scotland with three armed veffels, the terror he at firft fpread foon yielded to admiration inspired by his humanity. He paid a full price for every thing he wanted; and in general behaved with fo much affability, that a country man ventured to complain to him of an officer who had taken from him fifty or fixty guineas. The officer acknowledged the fact; but said, that he had divided the money among his men. Thurot ordered the officer to give his bill for the money, which, he said, should be ftopped out of his pay, if they were fo fortunate as to return to France. Compare this incident with that of the great Scipio, celebrated in Roman ftory, who reftored a beautiful bride to the bridegroom, and it will not fuffer by the comparifon. Another inftance is no lefs remarkable. One of his officers gave a bill upon a merchant in France, for the price of provifions purchased by him. Thurot having accidentally feen the bill, informed the country man that it was of no value, reprimanded the officer bitterly for the cheat, and compelled him to give a bill upon a merchant who he knew would pay the money. At that very time, Thurot's men were in bad humour, and were difpofed to mutiny. In fuch circumftances, would not Thurot have been excufed, for winking at a fraud to which he was not acceflary? But he acted all along with the strictest honour, even at the hazard of a mutiny. Common honefty to an enemy is not a common practice in war. Thurot was ftrictly honeft in circumftances that made the exertion of common honesty an act of the higheft magnanimity. Thefe incidents ought to be held up to princes as examples of true heroifm. War carried on in that manner would, from defolation and horror, be converted into a fair field for acquiring true military glory, and for exercising every manly virtue. I feel the greateft fatisfaction in paying this tribute of praife to the memory of that great man. He will be kept Book I. cruelty that prevailed in former times. By the growth of humanity, fuch fortifications have become less frequent; and they ferve no purpose at prefent but to defend against invafion; in which view a small fortification, if but fufficient for the garrifon, is greatly preferable; being conftructed at a much lefs expence, and having no mouths to provide for but the garrifon, only. In the progrefs of fociety there is commonly a remarkable period, when focial and diffocial paffions feem to bear equal fway, prevailing alternately. In the hiftory of Alexander's fucceffors, there are frequent inftances of cruelty, equalling that of American favages; and inftances no lefs frequent of gratitude, of generofity, and even of clemency, that betoken manners highly polished. Ptolemy of Egypt, having gained a complete victory over Demetrius, fon of Antigonus, reftored to him his equipage, his friends, and his domeftics, fay ing, that "they ought not to make war for plunder,. but for glory." Demetrius having defeated one of Ptolemy's Generals, was lefs delighted with the victory, than with, the opportunity of rivalling his antagonist in humanity. The fame Demetrius having reftored liberty, to the Athenians, was treated by them as a demi-god; and yet afterward, of his adverfity, their gates were shut against him. Upon a change of fortune, he laid fiege to Athens, refolving to chaftife that rebellious and ungrate ful people. He affembled the inhabitants in the theatre, furrounding them with his army, as preparing for a total maffacre. But their terror was fhort; he pronounced. their pardon, and bestowed on them 100,000 measures of wheat Ptolemy, the fame who is mentioned above, having at the iege of Tyre fummoned Andronicus the governor to furrender, received a provoking and contemptuous answer. The town being taken, Andronicus gave himself over for loft: but the King, thinking it be-low his dignity to refent an injury against an inferior,. in remembrance by every true-hearted Briton, though he died fighting against us. But he died in the field of honour, fighting for his country. now his prisoner, not only overlooked the affront, but courted Andronicus to be his friend. Edward the Black. Prince is an inftance of refined manners, breaking, like a fpark of fire, through the gloom, of barbarity. The Emperor Charles V. after lofing 30,000 men at the fiege of Metz, made an ignominious retreat, leaving his camp filled with fick and wounded, dead and dying. Though the war between him and the King of France was carried on with unusual rancour, yet the Duke of Guife, governor of the town, exerted in thofe barbarous times a degree of humanity that would make a fplendid figure even at prefent: He ordered plenty of food for those who were dying of hunger, appointed furgeons to attend the fick and wounded, removed to the adjacent villages thofe who could bear motion, and admitted the remainder into the hofpitals that he had fitted up for his own foldiers; those who recovered their health were fent home, with money to defray the expence of the journey. In the period that intervenes between barbarity and humanity, there are not wanting inftances of oppofite paffions in the fame perfon, governing alternately; as if a man could this moment be mild and gentle, and next moment harsh and brutal, To vouch the observation, I beg leave to introduce two rival monarchs, who for many years diftreffed their own people, and difturbed Europe, viz. the Emperor Charles, and the French King Francis. The Emperor, driven by contrary winds onthe coaft of France, was invited by Francis, who hap pened to be in the neighbourhood, to take fhelter in his dominions, propofing an interview at Aigues-Mortes, a fea-port town. The Emperor inftantly repaired there in his galley; and Francis, relying on the Emperor's honour, vifited him on fhipboard, and was received with every expreffion of affection. Next day, the Emperor repaid the confidence repofed in him: he landed at Aigues-Mortes with as little precaution, and found a reception equally cordial. After twenty years of open hoftilities, or of fecret enmity, after having formally given the lie, and challenged each other to fingle combat, |