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Magiftrates eftablish'd in Old Carthage; for he fays that amongst the Prifoners taken at the New were two Magiftrates of the Body of the Old Men [in Ths repoσías] fo he calls the Council of the Hundred; and fifteen of the Senate [én Tйs Evуnλúт8.] Livy mentions only the fifteen Senators, but in an-L.26.n.51. other place he names the Old Men, and obferves L.30.n.16. that they were the moft venerable Council which

belong'd to the State, and had a great Authority in the Senate P.

ESTABLISHMENTS, conftituted with the greatest Wisdom, and the jufteft Harmony of Parts, degenerate infenfibly into Disorder and the moft deftructive Licence. Those Judges, whisk in a lawful Execution of their Power were a Terror to Tranfgreffors, and the great Pillars of Juftice, abufing fo boundless a Power, became fo many Tyrants and Oppreffors of Liberty. We fhall fee this verify'd in the Hiftory of the great Hannibal, who, during his Pretorship, after his Return to Africk, employ'd all his Credit to reform fo crying an Abufe, and A. M. made an Authority, which was perpetual before,3802. become annual, about two hundred Years after its Tears of Carthage

Inftitution.

› Carthaginienfes.... Ora- nam'd Afdrubal, taken from
tores ad pacem petendam mit-
tunt triginta feniorum principes.
Id erat fanctius apud illos con-
cilium, maximaque ad ipfum
fenatum regendum vis. Mr.
Rollin might have taken notice
of Civil Officers eftablished at
Carthage, with a Power like
that of the Cenfors at Rome,
to inspect the Manners of the Ci-
tizens. By the chief of thefe Of-
ficers, Hamilcar, the father of
Hannibal, bad a beautiful Touth,

bim, upon a Report that Hamil-
car was more familiar with this
Touth than was confiftent with
Modefty. Erat præterea cum eo
[Amilcare] adolefcens illuftris &
formofus Hafdrubal, quem non-
nulli diligi turpius, quam par
erat ab Amilcare, loqueban-
tur.... Quo factum eft ut a
Præfecto morum Hafdrubal cum
co vetaretur effe. Corn. Nep. in
Vita Amilcaris.

682.

DE

DEFECTS in the GOVERNMENT of
CARTHAGE.

ARISTOTL E, amongst other Reflections made by him upon the Government of Carthage, remarks two great Defects very contrary, in his Opinion, to the Views of a wife Law-giver, and the Rules of found Policy.

THE first of thefe Defects was the investing the fame Perions with different Charges, which was confider'd at Carthage as a Proof of an uncommon Merit. Ariftotle is of Opinion that this Practice was prejudicial to the Community. For, fays he, a Man poffefs'd of only one Employ is a great deal more capable to acquit himself well in the Execution of it, as Affairs are examin'd with greater Care, and gone through with readier Difpatch. It is never feen, continues he, either by Land or Sea, that the fame Officer commands two different Bodies, or the fame Pilot fteers two Ships. Befides, the Good of the State requires that Places and Favours fhou'd be fhar'd among many, in order to excite an Emulation among Men of Merit: Whereas Places heap'd upon the fame Subject, too often dazle him by fo diftinguifh'd a Preference, and raise in others Jealoufie, Heart-burnings, and Murmurs.

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THE fecond Defect remark'd by Ariftotle in the Government of Carthage, was, that to arrive at the first Posts, fuch an Eftate was requir'd befides Merit and Birth; by this Means, Poverty was thrown as an invincible Obftacle in the Way of the most fhining Merit unadorn'd with Wealth, which he thought was a great Evil in the Conftitution. For in this Cafe, fays he, Virtue being no Recommendation, and Money, by its Power to advance Men, carrying all before it, the Efteem which Riches are in, and a confequent Thirft of them, seize and corrupt the Minds of a whole Community; add to

this, that Magiftrates and Judges rifing by Expence, feem to have a Right of reimburfing themselves out of their Employs.

THERE is not, I believe, any Inftance in Antiquity to fhew that Employs either in the State or Courts of Juftice were made venal. The Expence therefore, which Ariftotle talks of to raise Men to Pofts at Carthage, must be understood of Prefents which were employ'd to procure the Suffrages of the Electors, a Practice, as Polybius obferves, very common at Carthage, where no fort of Gain was unreputable P. It is therefore no wonder that Ariftotle condemns a Practice where Confequences, it was easy to fee, might prove fatal to the Commonwealth.

BUT if he pretended that the Posts of Command and Honour ought to be equally acceffible to the Rich and the Poor, as he feems to infinuate, his Sentiment is refuted by the general Practice of the wifeft Republicks: Whofe Opinion it has ever been, without any degrading Reflexions upon Poverty, that here the Preference ought to be given to Riches, because it is to be prefum'd that a better Education fills Men with nobler Views, and places them more out of the Reach of Corruption and unworthy Actions; and that the Situation of their Affairs unites them more clofely to the State for the Maintenance of Peace and Order, and the keeping at the greatest Distance from it, all Sedition and Rebellion.

ARISTOTLE, in the Conclufion of his Reflections upon the Republick of Carthage, is much pleas'd with a Custom in it of fending from Time to Time Colonies into different Parts, and thus procuring to its Citizens an honest Establishment. This Custom provided a Supply to the Neceffities of the Poor, who are equally with the Rich, the Members of the State; and it discharg'd the City of Multi

• Παρὰ Καρχηδονίοις πρὸς κέρδος ἐδὲν αισχρὸν τῶν ανηκόντων.

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tudes of idle, lazy People which were its Disgrace, and often prov'd dangerous to it: It prevented Commotions and Troubles by a Removal of these Perfons who are commonly the Occafion of them, and who, uneafy under prefent Circumstances, are always ripe for Disturbance and Innovation.

SECT. IV. The COMMERCE of CARTHAGE the first Source of its Wealth and Power.

C

OMMERCE was, properly fpeaking, the Bufinefs of Carthage, the particular Object of its Industry, and its peculiar and predominant Character. It was the greateft Strength and the principal Support of that Commonwealth. In one word, it may be faid that the Power, the Conquests, the Credit, the Glory of the Carthaginians flow'd from Commerce. Situated in the Centre of the Mediterranean, and stretching their Arms Eaftward and Weftward, they embrac'd, in the Extent of their Commerce, the whole known World, and carry'd it to the Coafts of Spain, of Mauritania, of Gaul, and beyond the Straits and Pillars of Hercules. They went every where to buy cheap the Superfluities of other Nations, which the Wants of others converted into Neceffaries, and oblig'd them to purchase at the dearest Rates. From Egypt the Carthaginians fetch'd fine Linnen, Paper, Corn, Sails and Cables for Ships: From the Coafts of the Red Sea, Spices, Frankincenfe, Groceries, Perfumes, Gold, Pearls and precious Stones: From Tyrus and Phenicia, Purple and Scarlet, rich Stuffs, Tapestry, coftly Furni ture, and divers Works of moft curious and artful Industry: In one word, they brought from different Countries every thing neceffary or capable to contribute to Eafe, Luxury and the Delights of Life. They brought back from the Western Parts, in Exchange for Commodities carry'd thither, Iron,

Tin, Lead and Copper: The Sale of all thefe Merchandizes enrich'd them at the Expence of all Nations, which they put under a fort of Contribution fo much the furer, as it was the more voluntary.

IN thus becoming the Factors and Agents of all Nations, they made themselves Lords of the Sea, the Band which held Eaft, Weft, and South together, and the neceffary Canal of their Communication; fo that Carthage rofe to be the common City of all the Nations which the Sea fupported,

and the Centre of their Commerce.

THE moft confiderable Perfons of the City were not afham'd of Traffick. They apply'd to it with a Care equal to that of the meaneft Citizens, and their great Wealth made them not at all lefs in love. with Diligence, Patience and Labour neceffary to procure Acceffions to it. To this was owing their Empire of the Sea, the Splendor of their Republick, their Ability to difpute it with Rome her felf, and an Elevation of Power which coft the Romans a bloody and doubtful War of more than forty Year's Continuance to humble and fubdue this haughty Rival. And even Rome triumphant thought Carthage was not to be entirely reduc'd any other Way than by depriving her of the Benefit of her Trade, which had fo long enabled her to hold out against all the Strength of that mighty Republick.

AFTER all, it is no wonder that Carthage, coming out of the greatest School of Traffick in the World, I mean Tyrus, fhou'd have been crown'd with fuch rapid and conftant Succefs. The very Veffels which conducted her Founders into Africk, ferv'd them afterwards for the Convenience of Trade. They began Settlements upon the Coafts of Spain, in Ports open to their Disembarkation. The Conveniences and Facility of their firft Settlements infpir'd them with the Thought of conquering these vaft Regions; and in the End, New Carthage, or Carthagena,

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