The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-02-20
TIL RSD AY, February 20, I772.

trious, than what were now exhibited.
Shift the lcene, pats by the revolution OF a
few centuries, and contemplate an Era,
when Rome is vulgarly laid to have reached
the fummit of grandeur; mean in the
fourth and fifth centuries, when the various
provinces of Europe were added to its domi-
iions. Produce me an initance in all this
length of time, of that true magnanimity of
mind, diGntereRed conduit, and refined pa
uiotifm, as once dazzled us in Cincinnatus,
Decius, and the two Brutus's. lnitead Of
this we are difguRed with the fight of En-
perors facri6cing the honour of government
to luxury and intemperance, acting only as
they were acted on, and dividing their mo-
ments between ienluaity and cruelty: OF tu.
bordinate rulers, who lived only to be
icourges to mankind, and whole only glory
was to be the oppreilors and the plunderers of
the people; of an army, who funk in vo-
luptuoufnefs, could not bear the hardfhips OF
the field, and whole diicipline being relaxed,
trembled at the face of rude barbarians, and
whole acts of valour were only exhibited in
rapes and murders on the citizens; of lubjeets
who thus oppreiTed and Narrated, had loft
every fentiment, had long been ifrangers to'a-
nv ideas of virtue or patriotllm, and had funk
below the character of men. How can we
account for this difference in the manners of
the fame nation! Perhaps thefe extremes
we're never feen in any people before. In
the early Ezra of the common wealth, Rome
gave law to the world, and the mott diitant
nations uembled even at her name. In the
fourth century fhe was contemplate, and
fhe feemed only to exit as an empire, to be
the fpolt of mankind, and to be sxpoied to
the infults and ravages of ignorant, unmean-
ing barbarians. Such was Rome, fuch have
been other kingdoms, and to fuch inifances
in hiaory, o Britain, DC attentive and learn
wiidom
We will now my countrymen, endeavour
to inveRigate the reaIont of 70 extraordinary
phenomena, and we may perhaps col!ecf
fome TRU Tbs, which WE in peculiar
manner ought to know. We are not to i'm
pute il to fuch caules as the barbarian gene
raj mentioned by Liutprandus, that the arts
and licences were the location, and that he
who trembled under the rod of pedagogue,
never could look undaunted on a fword.
No, the reafons mutt be fetched from their
contribution, and here they will naturally and
iuity apply themielves. When Rome was
republic, and each part of their contribution
was 70 balanced that the whole was naturally
productive of freedom the manfvy and Jsn-
timnts of the people were noble. 1t was
this farm Of their contribution, that animated
their thoughts andl0dionJ, and imprinted thofe
dIlds, that will ever make them illufrieus
And although luxury 70 frequently, but |
think zumsaningb, mentioned, had appeared
ever 70 formidable, it never would have pro-
duced 70 rsm0rkablE change as enfued, had
their contribution remained nnimpaired. Hence
it is notorious, the fpirit of liberty and virtue
was uniformly Preferved the whole of this
period, even to the verge of the mutation,
aad there we meet with as rigid manners
and true Roman fentiment in Cato and
Cicero, as was ever exhibited in Junius
Brutus and Cincinnatus. But how was il
when the government changed, and Rome
became an empHel When 9qOd piaenit
prinati, babsf Legis Nigsrsm became the
liandard of law, and the constitutional bar
riers of liberty gradually diminiihed | They
were mean race, and by rules founded in