been laid down by some able physician, who was attentive only to the health of the prince, rather than by a legislator. The same simplicity was seen in all other things; and we read in Plutarch, of a temple in Thebes, which had one of its pillars inscribed with imprecations against that king who first introduced profusion and luxury into Egypt. The principal duty of kings, and their most essential function, is the administering justice to their subjects. Accordingly, the kings of Egypt cultivated more immediately this duty; convinced that on this depended not only the ease and comfort of the several individuals, but the happiness of the state; which would be an herd of robbers, rather than a kingdom, should the weak be unprotected, and the powerful enabled by their riches and credit to commit crimes with impunity. Thirty judges were selected out of the principal citíes, to form a body or assembly for judging the whole kingdom. The prince, in filling these vacancies, chose such as were most renowned for their honesty; and put at their head him who was most distinguished for his knowledge and love of the laws, and was had in the most universal esteem. By his bounty, they had rev enues assigned them, to the end that, being freed from domestic cares, they might devote their whole time to the execution of the laws. Thus, honourably subsisted by the generosity of the prince, they administered justice gratuitously to the people, who have a natural right to it; among whom it ought to have a free circulation, and, in some sense, among the poor more than the rich, because the latter find a support within them. De Isid. & Osir. p. 354. selves; whereas the very condition of the former exposes them more to injuries, and therefore calls louder for the protection of the laws. To guard against sur: prise, affairs were transacted by writing in the assemblies of these judges. That species of eloquence, a false kind, was dreaded, which dazzles the mind, and moves the passions. Truth could not be expressed with too much plainness, as it was to have the only sway in judgments; because in that alone the rich and poor, the powerful and weak, the learned and the ignorant, were to find relief and security. The president of this senate wore a collar of gold set with precious stones, at which hung a figure represented blind, this being called the emblem of truth. When the president put this collar on, it was understood as a signal to enter upon business. He touched the party with it who was to gain his cause, and this was the form of passing sentence. The most excellent circumstance in the laws of the Egyptians, was, that every individual from his infancy was nurtured in the strictest observance of them. A new custom in" Egypt was a kind of miracle. All things there ran in the old channel; and the exactness with which little matters were adhered to, preserved those of more importance; and indeed no nation ever preserved their laws and customs longer than the Egyptians. Wilful murder was punished with death, whatever might be the condition of the murdered person, whether he was freeborn or otherwise. In this the humanity and equity of the Egyptians was superior to that of the Romans, who gave the master an absolute power as to life and death over his slave. The emperor Adrian, indeed, abolished this law, from an opinion, that an abuse of this nature ought to be reformed, let its antiquity or authority be ever so great. 'Perjury was also punished with death, because that crime attacks both the gods, whose majesty is trampled upon by invoking their name to a false oath; and men, in breaking the strongest tie of human society, viz. sincerity and honesty. The false accuser was condemned to undergo the punishment which the person accused was to have suffered, had the accusation been proved. *He who had neglected or refused to save a man's life when attacked, if it was in his power to assist him, was punished as rigorously as the assassin: but if the unfortunate person could not be succoured, the offender was at least to be impeached, and penalties were decreed for any neglect of this kind. Thus the subjects were a guard and protection to one another; and the whole body of the community united against the designs of the bad. No man was allowed to be useless to the state; but every man was obliged to enter his name and place of abode in a public register, that remained in the hands of the magistrate, and to annex his profession, and in what manner he lived. If such a one gave a false account of himself, he was immediately put to death. C To prevent borrowing of money, the parent of sloth, frauds, and chicane, king Asychis made a very y Diod. 1. i. p. 69. 2 Idem. b Idem. judicious law. The wisest and best regulated states, as Athens and Rome, ever found insuperable difficul ties in contriving a just medium, to restrain, on one hand, the cruelty of the creditor in the exaction of his loan; and on the other, the knavery of the debtor, who refused or neglected to pay his debts. Now Egypt took a wise course on this occasion; and without doing any injury to the personal liberty of its inhabitants, or ruining their families, pursued the debtor with incessant fears of infamy from his dishonesty. No man was permitted to borrow money without pawning to the creditor the body of his father, which every Egyptian embalmed with great care, and kept reverentially in his house, as will be observed in the sequel, and therefore might be easily moved from one place to another. But it was equally impious and infamous not to redeem soon so precious a pledge; and he who died without having discharged this duty, was deprived of the customary honours paid to the dead.d с • Diodorus remarks an error committed by some of the Grecian legislators. They forbid, for instance, the taking away, to satisfy debts, the horses, ploughs, and other implements of husbandry employed by peasants; judging it inhuman to reduce, by this security, these poor men to an impossibility of discharging their debts, and getting their bread: but at the same time they permitted the creditor to imprison the peasants them This law put the whole sepulchre of the debtor into the power of the creditor, who removed to his own house the body of the father. The debtor refusing to discharge his obligation, was to be deprived of burial, either in his father's sepulchre or any other; and whilst he lived he was not permitted to bury any person descended from him. Made utæ ex τελευτησαντι είναι τάφης κυρήσαι μητ' άλλον μηδένα τον εαυτο απογενομένοι selves, who only were capable of using these imple'ments; which exposed them to the same inconveniences, and at the same time deprived the government of persons who belonged, and are necessary to it; who labour for the public emolument, and over whose per son no private man has any right. Polygamy was allowed in Egypt, except to priests, who could marry but one woman. Whatever was the condition of the woman, whether she was free or a slave, her children were deemed free and legitimate. 8 One custom that was practised in Egypt, showed the profound darkness into which such nations as were most celebrated for their wisdom have been plunged; and this was the marriage of brothers with their sisters, which was not only authorized by the laws, but even in some measure was a part of their religion, from the example and practice of such of their gods, as had been the most anciently and universally adored in Egypt, that is, Osiris and Isis. A very great respect was there paid to old age. The young were obliged to rise up for the old, and on every occasion to resign to them the most honour able seat. Egyptians. The Spartans borrowed this law from the The virtue in the highest esteem among the Egyptians, was gratitude. The glory which has been given them of being the most grateful of all men, shows that they were the best formed of any nation for social life. Benefits are the band of concord, both public and private. He who acknowledges favours, loves to do good to others; and in banishing ingratitude, the pleasure Diod. 1. i. p. 72. 8 Idem. 1. i. 22. b Herod. l. ii. c. 20. |