Travels of Anacharsis the Younger in Greece (Volume 5); During the Middle of the Fourth Century Before the Christian Aera. Tr. from the French.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1791 Excerpt: ...their talents to flatter its passions and its vices, to intoxicate it with the opinion of its power and glory, to excite its hatred against the rich, its contempt for law and order, and its love of independence. Their triumph is that of elo quence, which seems only to be brought to perfection in our time % to introduce despotism into the bosom of liberty itself. The republics which are wisely governed do not suffer these dangerous men to lead them; but wherever they acquire influence, the government speedily arrives at the highest degree of its corruption, and the people contract the vices and the ferocity of tyrantsf. Almost all our governments, under whatever form they may be established, contain within them-, selves many feeds of destruction. As the greater part of the Grecian republics are confined within the narrow limits of a city or a district, the divisions of individuals, which become the divisions of the state, the misfortunes of a war which seems to leave no resource, the inveterate and perpetually renewed jealousy of the different classes of citizens, or a rapid succession of unforeseen events, may in a moment shake to the foundations or overturn the constitution. We have seen the democracy abolished in the city of Thebes by the loss of a battle, and in those of Heraclea, Cumae, and Megara, by the return of some principal citizens, whom the people had proscribed to enrich the public treasury with their spoilsh. We have seen the form of government changed at Syracuse by a love intrigue; in the city of Eretria, by an insult offered to an individual k; at Epidaurus, by a fine imposed on another individual1: and how many seditions have there been which have not originated from more important causes, and which gradually spreading have at la..