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ceftors, who have left them great Inheritances, together with an Hereditary Authority: Thefe eafily uniting in Thoughts and Opinions, and acting in Concert, begin to enter upon Measures for fecuring their Properties; which are beft upheld by preparing against Invafions from Abroad, and maintaining Peace at Home. This commences a great Council, or Senate of Nobles for the weighty Affairs of the Nation. The last Divifion is of the, Mafs, or Body of the Peo ple; whofe Part of Power is great, and undifputable, whenever they can unite either collectively, or by Deputation to exert it. Now the three Forms of Government, fo generally known in the Schools, differ only by the Civil Adminiftration being placed in the Hands of One, or fometimes Two, (as in Sparta) who were called Kings; or in a Senate, who were called the Nobles; or in the People Collective or Reprefentative, who may be called the Commons: Each of thefe had frequently the executive Power in Greece, and fometimes in Rome: But the Power in the laft Refort, was always meant by Legiflators to be held in Ballance among all Three. And it will be an eternal Rule in Politicks, among every free People, that there is a Ballance of Power to be carefully held by every State within it felf, as well as among feveral States with each other.

THE true Meaning of a Ballance of Power, either without, or within a State, is beft conceived by confidering what the Nature of a Ballance is. It fuppofes three Things. First, the Part which is held, together with the Hand that holds it; and then the two Scales, with whatever is weighed therein. Now confider feveral States in a Neighbourhood: In order to preferve Peace between thefe States, it is neceffa

ry

ry they should be formed into a Ballance, whereof one, or more are to be Directors, who are to divide the reft into equal Scales, and upon Occafions remove from one into the other, or elfe fall with their own Weight into the lighteft: So in a State within it felf, the Ballance must be held by a third Hand, who is to deal the remaining Power with the utmost Exactness into each Scale. Now it is not neceffary, that the Power should be equally divided between these three; for the Ballance may be held by the Weakeft, who by his Address and Conduct, removing from either Scale, and adding of his own, may keep the Scales duly poised. Such was that of the two Kings of Sparta; the Confular Power in Rome; that of the Kings of Media before the Reign of Cyrus, as reprefented by Xenophon; and that of the feveral limited States in the Gothick Inftitutions.

WHEN the Ballance is broke, whether by the Negligence, Folly, or Weakness of the Hand that held it, or by mighty Weights fallen into either Scale; the Power will never continue long in equal Divifion between the two remaining Parties, but (until the Ballance is fixed anew) will run entirely into one. This gives the trueft Account of what is understood in the moft ancient and approved Greek Authors, by the Word Tyranny; which is not meant for the feiz+ ing of the uncontrouled, or abfolute Power into the Hands of a fingle Perfon; (as many fuperficial Men have grofly mistaken) but for the breaking of the Ballance by whatever Hand, and leaving the Power wholly in one Scale. For Tyranny and Ufurpation in State, are by no Means confined to any Number, as might easily appear from Examples enough; and,

be

because the Point is material, I fhall cite a few to prove it.

THE Romans having fent to Athens, Dionyf and the Greek Cities of Italy, for the Co- Hal. 1. 10. pies of the best Laws, chose ten Legisla

tors to put them into Form; and during the Exercife of their Office, suspended the Confular Power, leaving the Adminiftration of Affairs in their Hands. These very Men, although chofen for fuch a Work, as the digefting a Body of Laws for the Government of a free State, did immediately ufurp arbitrary Power, ran into all the Forms of it, had their Guards and Spies, after the Practice of the Tyrants of those Ages; affected kingly State, destroyed the Nobles, and oppreffed the People; one of them proceeding fo far as to endeavour to force a Lady of great Virtue the very Crime which gave Occafion to the Expulfion of the Regal Power but fixty Years before, as this Attempt did to that of the Decemviri.

Tbucid.

THE Ephori in Sparta were, at first, only certain Perfons deputed by the King to judge in Civil Matters, while They were employed in the Wars. Thefe Men, at feveral Times, ufurped the abfolute Autho rity, and were as cruel Tyrants as any in their Age. SOON after the unfortunate Expedition into Sicily, the Athenians chofe four Hundred Men for Administration of Affairs, who became a Body of Tyrants, and were called in the Language of thofe Ages, an Oligarchy, or Tyranny of the Few; under which hateful Denomination, they were foon after depofed in great Rage by the People.

lib. 8.

WHEN

Xenoph. de Rebus

Grac. 1. 2:

WHEN Athens was fubdued by Lyfan der, he appointed Thirty Men for the Adminiftration of that City, who immediately fell into the rankeft Tyranny: But this was not all: For conceiving their Power, not founded on a Bafis large enough, they admitted three Thousand into a Share of the Government; and thus fortified, became the crueleft Tyranny upon Record. They murdered, in cold Blood, great Numbers of the best Men, without any Provocation; from the meer Luft of Cruelty, like Nero, or Caligula. This was fuch a Number of Tyrants together, as amounted to near a third Part of the whole City. For Xenophon

Memorab

tells us, that the City contained about ten Thousand Houses, and allowing one Man lib. 3. to every House, who could have any Share in the Government, (the reft confifting of Women, Children, and Servants) and making other obvious Abatements; these Tyrants, if they had been careful to adhere together, might have been a Majority even of the People collective.

IN the Time of the second Punick Polyb. Frag. War, the Ballance of Power in Carthage

lib. 6. was got on the Side of the People, and this to a Degree, that fome Authors reckon the Government to have been then among them a Dominatio Plebis, or Tyranny of the Commons; which, it feems, they were at all Times apt to fall into, and was at laft among the Causes that ruined their State: And the frequent Murders of their Generals, which Diodorus tells us was grown to an established Custom among them, may be another Inftance, that Tyranny is not confined to Numbers.

lib. 20.

I SHALL

I SHALL mention but one Example more, among a great Number that might be produced; it is related by the Author laft cited. The Orators of

the People at Argos, (whether you will lib. 15. ftile them in modern Phrase, Great Spea

kers in the House, or only in general, Reprefenta tives of the People Collective) ftirred up the COMMONS against the NOBLES; of whom 1600 were murdered at once; and, at laft, the Orators themfelves, because they left off their Accufation; or to speak intelligibly, because they withdrew their Impeachments; having, it feems, raised a Spirit they were not able to lay. And this laft Circumftance, as Cafes have lately food, may perhaps be worth noting.

FROM what hath been already advanced, feveral Conclufions may be drawn.

FIRST, That a mixt Government partaking of the known Forms received in the Schools, is, by no Means, of Gothick Invention, but hath Place in Nature and Reason; feems very well to agree with the Sentiments of moft Legiflators, and to have been followed in moft States, whether they have appeared under the Name of Monarchies, Ariftocracies, or Democracies. For, not to mention the feveral Republicks of this Compofition in Gaul and Germany, described by Cafar and Tacitus; Polybius tells us, the best Government is that which confifts of three Forms, Regno, Optimatium, & Popu- Frag lib. 6. li Imperio: Which may be fairly tranfla

ted, the Kings, Lords, and Commons. Such was that of Sparta, in its primitive Inftitution by Lycurgus; who obferving the Corruptions, and Depravations to which every of thefe was fubject, compounded his

Scheme