L. 4. Ibid. L. 3. Carthagena, gave them in that Country an Empire almoft equal to that enjoy'd by Old Carthage in Africk. SECT. V. The Mines of Spain the fecond Source of the Riches and Power of CARTHAGE. Gold and Silver Mines found by the Carthaginians in Spain, were an inexhaustible Fund of Riches which enabled them to fuftain fuch long Wars against the Romans. The Natives had long been ignorant of thefe Treasures hid in the Bofom of the Earth. The Phenicians made the firft Difcovery, and, by an Exchange of fome Wares of little Value for this precious Metal, they amafs'd infinite Wealth. The Carthaginians knew how to profit from their Example when they became Masters of the Country, and the Romans afterwards when they had wrested it from them. THE Labour to come at these Mines, and to draw from thence their Gold and Silver, was incredible. For the Veins of thefe Metals rarely rose to the Surface: They were to be fought and purfu'd down through hideous Depths, where frequently Inundations of Water stopp'd at once the Labour, and feem'd to have defeated all future Purfuits. But Avarice is not lefs patient to undergo Fatigues than ingenious at finding Expedients. By Pumps of Archimedes's Invention in his Travels to Egypt, they threw up the Water out of these Pits, and left them dry. Infinite Numbers of Slaves perifh'd in thefe Mines to enrich their Masters, who treated them with the laft Barbarity, forc'd them to Labour with Blows, and gave them no Refpite by Day or Night. Polybius, as quoted by Strabo, fays that in his Time more than forty thoufand Men were employ'd in the Mines near Carthagena, and furnish'd the Roman People every Day with eight hundred fifty nine Pounds, feven Shillings and fix Pence 9. ONE ought not to be furpriz'd to fee the Carthaginians, after the greatest Defeats, fending fresh and numerous Armies again into the Field, equipping mighty Fleets, and fupporting for a Succeffion of Years, diftant Wars with prodigious Expence. But it muft feem very ftrange to find the Romans doing the fame with very fmall Revenues, before their Conqueft of the most powerful Nations; with no Help from Trade, to which they were abfolute Strangers; with no Gold or Silver Mines in a Country, where, if any, they were very rare, and confequently, muft by the Expence of working them have fwallow'd up all the Profit. They found in the Frugality and Simplicity of their Lives; in their Zeal for the Publick; and the Affection of the People for their Country; Funds not lefs ready or certain than those of Carthage, and far more honourable to the Nation. SECT. VI. WAR. ARTHAGE is to be confider'd as both a trading and a warlike Republick. Her Inclination and Conftitution led her to Traffick; and the Neceffity first of defending her Subjects against her Neighbours, and next a Defire of extending her Commerce and Empire, led her to War. This double Idea gives us, in my Opinion, the true Plan and Character of this Republick. We have fpoke of her Commerce. THE military Power of Carthage lay in her Alliances with Kings, in Tributary Nations from which she drew a Militia and impos'd Contributions in Money, in Troops form'd out of her own Citizens, and mercenary Soldiers purchas'd of neigh 925000 Drachms An At. ney, confequently 25000=859 !. tick Drachm, according to Dr. 75. 6 d.. Bernard 8 d. 4 English Mo K 3 bouring bouring States, ready form'd and of approv'd Merit and Reputation, without any Pains of her own either to levy or difcipline them. She drew from Numidia her light Horfe, a Cavalry bold, impetuous, indefatigable, and the principal Strength of her Armies; from the Balearian Ifles, the beft Slingers in the Universe; from Spain, an Infantry firm and invincible; from the Coafts of Genoa and Gaul, Troops of known Valour; and from Greece herself, Soldiers fit for all Operations of War, proper for Field or Garrifon, and who could either befiege Cities or defend them. THUS fhe fent out at once powerful Armies, compos'd of Troops felected from diftant Nations, without unpeopling her Fields or her Cities by new Levies; without fufpending her Manufactures or disturbing the peaceable Artifan; without interrupting her Commerce and weakening her Marines. By venal Blood the acquir'd Provinces and Kingdoms, and made other Nations the Inftruments of her Grandeur and Glory with no other Expence of her own but her Money, and even this furnished from her Traffick with foreign Nations. IF in the Courfe of War fhe receiv'd any Lofs, this was only grazing the Skin without any Stab in the Entrails or Heart of the Commonwealth. Thefe Loffes were fpeedily repair'd by Sums arifing out of a flourishing Conimerce as from a perpetual Sinew of War, by which the State was furnished with new Supplies for the Purchase of mercenary Forces: And from the extended Coafts, of which Carthage was in poffeffion, it was eafy for her in a very little time to raise Sailors and Rowers neceffary for the working and Service of her Fleet, and to find able Pilots and experienced Captains to conduct it. BUT all these Parts fortuitoufly brought together, did not hold by any Tie natural, intimate or neceffary, No common, no reciprocal Intereft uni ted ted them into a Body folid and unalterable. No Person of these mercenary Armies was fincerely affectionate to the Profperity of the State. They did not act with the fame Zeal, nor expofe themfelves to Dangers with equal Refolution for a Republick which they regarded as strange, and confequently indifferent to them, as they would have done for their own Country, whofe Happiness is that of every individual Member of it. IN great Reverses of Fortune the Kings in Alliance with Carthage might eafily be feparated from her Interest, either by a Jealoufy which the Grandeur of a more potent Neighbour naturally gives, or by the Hopes of greater Advantages from a new Friend, or the Fear of being involv'd in the Misfortunes of an old Allig*. THE tributary People, impatient under the Weight and Difgrace of a Yoke forced upon their Necks, flatter'd themselves with the Hope of finding one lefs galling in the Change of Masters; or, if Ser-, vitude was unavoidable, the Choice was indifferent to them, as numbers of Inftances in the Sequel of this History will affure us. THE mercenary Forces, accuftom'd to measure their Fidelity by the Largenefs or Continuance of their Wages, were always ready on the leaft Dif content, or the flightest Expectations of more Pay, to go over to the Enemy whom they lately fought, and turn their Arms against their late Mafters. THUS the Grandeur of Carthage, fuftain'd by foreign Supports, faw itself fhaken to the Foundation when they were once taken away. And if to this was added an Interruption of her Commerce, by which the fubfifted, through the Lofs of a Battle` at Sea, fhe believ'd her Ruin was at hand, and gave herself over to Defpondency and Defpair, as * of which Syphax and Mafiuissa are Inftances. K 4 was was evidently seen at the Conclufion of the first Punick War. ARISTOTLE, in the Book where he fhews the Advantages and Defects of the Government of Carthage, finds no fault with her entertaining foreign Forces; it is therefore probable that the fell not into this Practice till a long time after. Rebellions, which harrafs'd her in her later Years, ought to have taught her that no Miferies are equal to thofe of a State which is only fupported by Foreigners, from whom neither Zeal, Security nor Obedience are to be expected. THIS was not the Cafe of the Roman Republick. As fhe had neither Trade nor Money, fhe was unable to hire Forces to push her Conquefts with the Rapidity of Carthage: But then, as the drew every thing from her felf, and as all the Parts of the State were closely united, fhe had furer Refuges in her great Misfortunes than Carthage had in hers. And therefore the never dream'd of fuing for Peace after. the Battle of Canne, as Carthage had done. in a lefs preffing Neceffity. CARTHAGE had befides a Body of Troops form'd out of her own Citizens, but not very numerous; and was a fort of School in which the chief Nobility, and thofe whofe Minds were elevated, and who had Talents and Ambition to aspire to the first Dignities, ferv'd their Apprenticeship in the Profeffion of War. From their Body were taken all the General Officers, who were put at the Head of their different Forces, and had the principal Authority in the Army. This Nation was too jealous, too fufpicious to employ foreign Captains. But the carried not her Diftruft of her Citizens fo far as Rome and Athens; fhe invested them with large Authority, but took no Security against the Abuse which they might make of it to the Ruin of her own Liberty. The Command of Armies was neither annual, nor limited to any Time, as |
