THE ANCIENT

HISTORY

OF THE

EGYPTIANS, CARTHAGINIANS, Assy RIANS, BABYLONIANS, MEDES and PERSIANS, MACEDONIANS, and GRECIANS.

The Origin and Progrefs of the Establishment of Kingdoms.

I

N order to know how thofe States and
Kingdoms were form'd, into which the
World hath been divided, by what Steps

they arrived to that Degree of Greatness recorded in Hiftory, by what Bands Families and Cities united themfelves fo as to compofe one Body or Society, and live together under the fame Authority and the fame Laws; it will be proper to go back, as I may fay, to the Infancy of the World, and to thofe Days when Men difperfed into feveral Countries after the

Con⭑*

Confufion of Tongues, began to people the Earth.

IN thofe early Times every Father was the fupreme Head of his own Family, the Umpire and Judge of the Differences that arose in it, the natural Law-giver of the little Society that was under him, the Defender and Protector of thofe, who, by their Birth, Education, and Weakness, were plac'd under his Safe-guard, and whofe Intereft his Tenderness rendered as dear to him as his own.

How independent foever the Authority of thofe Mafters might be, they never used it but as Fathers, that is, with a great deal of Moderation. Little jealous of their Power, they never thought to domineer, nor imperiously to decide. As they found themselves neceffarily obliged to take in others to their Affistance in their domestick Labours, they also admitted them into their Deliberations, and confulted them upon any Emergencies. Thus all was unanimously done, and for the common Good.

THE Laws established by the paternal Care in this little domeftick Senate, being dictated by no other Motive but the publick Advantage, concerted with the eldeft Children, and received by the younger with a full and free Confent, were religioufly obferved, and kept in Families as an hereditary Policy, wherein confifted their Peace and Security.

DIFFERENT Motives gave Rife to different Laws. A Man, over-joy'd at the Birth of a Son which first made him Father, endeavoured to distinguish him among his Brethren by giving him a larger Portion of his Goods, and

a more

a more confiderable Authority in his Family. Another studying the Advantage of a dearly beloved Wife, or a favourite Daughter whom he was willing to fettle in the World, thought himself obliged to fecure their Rights, and increase their Advantages. The folitary and helpless State which a Wife might fall into by becoming a Widow, moved a third to provide before-hand for the Subfiftance and Comfort of a Person who was the Delight of his Life. From thefe and the like different Views fprung the different Customs of People, and the almost infinitely various Rights of NaLese right one the sauce met IN proportion as every Family increased by the Birth of Children and the Multiplicity of Alliances, their fmall Demefne was enlarged, and they came by degrees to form Villages and Towns.

tions.

THESE Societies growing in time very numerous, and Families being divided into feveral Branches, each of which had its particular Head, who might by their different Characters and Interefts disturb the publick Peace, it was found neceffary to commit the Government to the Hands of one Perfon, in order to unite all these Heads under the fame Authority, and to maintain the publick Peace by an uniform Administration. The Idea of the paternal Government that was still fresh in Men's Minds, and the fuccefsful Experience that had been made of it, infpir'd them with the Thoughts of chufing from among the best and wifeft, him who was most eminent for a fatherly Temper and Difpofition. In this choice Ambition

C 2

and

4

and Caballing had no Share: Probity alone and the being fam'd for Equity and Virtue were the Things that decided, and gave the Preference to the most deferving 2,

To give their new Dignity, the greater Luftre, and to put them in a Capacity of procuring Refpect to the Laws, of devoting themfelves entirely to the publick Good, of defending the State against the Invasions of Neighbours, and the Attempts of male-contented Citizens, the Name of King was given to them, a Throne was erected for them, and a Scepter put into their Hand; to them Homage was paid, Officers and Guards affigned, Tributes granted; and they were entrusted with a full Power to adminifter Justice, for which Purpose they were armed with the Sword to reftrain Injustice, and punish Crimes.

EACH Town had at firft its own King, who being more defirous of preserving than of enlarging his Dominions, confined his Ambition within the Bounds of his Native Country b. Quarrels that are almoft unavoidable amongst Neighbours, Jealoufy of a more powerful Prince, an active and reftlefs Spirit, warlike Difpofitions, the Defire of rifing and of difplaying one's Abilities, gave occafion to Wars, which often ended in the entire Subjection of the conquered, whofe Towns pafs'd under the Dominion of the Conqueror, and by degrees enlarged his Territories: By these

a Quos ad faftigium hujus majeftatis non ambitio popularis, fed fpectata inter bonos modera tio provehebat. Juftin. 1. 1. 6. 1.

b Fines imperii tueri magis quam proferre mos crat. Intra fuam cuique patiram regna fi niebantur. Jeftin. Ibid.

means,

means, one Victory begetting another, and rendring the Prince more powerful and enterprizing, many Cities and Provinces became united under one Monarch, and formed King-` doms of a larger or leffe Extent, according as the Conqueror pufhed his Conquefts with more or lefs Vigour.

AMONG these Princes fome there were whose Ambition finding itself too much confined within the Bounds of one Kingdom, rufh'd on all Sides, like a Torrent or a Sea, swallowed up Kingdoms and Nations, and gloried in difpoffeffing Princes who had done them no manner of Injury, in carrying Fire and Defolation far and near, and in leaving every where bloody Tokens of their having been there. Such was the Original of those famous Empires, which ingrofs'd great part of the World.

PRINCES made a different Ufe of their Victories, according to the diverfity of their Characters or Interefts. Some looking upon themselves as abfolute Mafters of the conquered, and thinking it enough to grant them their Lives, deprived them and their Children of their Goods, their Country, their Liberty; reduced them to a hard Slavery; put them upon those Employments that are neceffary for the Support of Life; fet them to the meaneft Drudgery about the Houfe; or to toil in the Fields; and often compelled them by in

Domitis proximis, cum acceffione vitium fortior ad alios tranfirent, & próxima quæque

victoria inftrumentum fequentis effet, totius orientis populos fubegit. Juftin. Ibid.

human