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bouring cities of Tuscany are accused of shame"fully abandoning their privileges and their wealth "to the Grand Duke, who, parfimonious in the

extreme, as to his own person and government, *is thought folicitous of feconding by his heavy "purse the wild projects of his brother the Empe

ror Jofeph, the little Republick of St. Marino, "on the contrary, has been increafing its popu"lousness, confirming its strength, and extending "the bafis of its government. For these advan"tages it is indebted to its mountainous fituation, "virtuous manners, and total want of ambition; "which laft-mentioned qualities, as antient hif❝tory teaches us, are far from being characteristic "of Republican government; though a Repub"lick that is without them, can neither fubfift "happily itself, nor allow happiness to its neigh"bours.

"In the Republicks of Italy (St. Marino alone "excepted), the people at large are excluded, by << the circumftance of their birth, from any prin

"elaborate investigation to fubftantiate), yet this local de "preffion would be compenfated and overbalanced by the

distinguished merit of the Popes, in the prefervation, ad"vancement, and diffufion of learning, civility, and "elegant arts; to which Rome, in barbarous ages, offered "the only, or the fafeft, afylum; and of which she still "exhibits the most inestimable models."

«cipal

*cipal fhare in the fovereignty. Instead of one

Royal Master, they are subjects of 600* petty "Princes; and their condition is far lefs eligible "than that of the subjects of Monarchies; be«cause the latter cannot be collectively degraded "by the rank of a Monarch, which, excluding

comparison, is fuperior to envy; and are indi"vidually entitled to aspire, by their talents and "merits, to the exercife of every magiftracy, "and to the enjoyment of every preferment and "every honour which their King and Country " can bestow. The Republick of St. Marino, on "the other hand, like feveral Commonwealths of "Antiquity, and like fome leffer Cantons of "Switzerland, for the greater are univerfally "moulded after the rigid Italian model, contains "what is found by experience to be a due mixture "of popular government among so fimple a people,

and in fo fmall a State. The Council of Sixty "is equally composed of Nobili and Cittadini, "Patricians and Plebeians. This Council, which

"In the fhop of an eminent book feller and publisher "of an antient and celebrated Republick of Italy, I was "explaining to a young patrician the nature of an English "Circulating Library. Why don't you, faid he, turn"ing to the bookseller, introduce such an institution? "The other replied, Sono troppo principi ?-We have too many princes." "may

46

U 2

"may be called the Senate, conducts the ordi "nary branches of public administration; but the "Arengo, or Affembly of the People, containing "a Representative from every house or family, is "fummoned for the purpose of elections and on "other important emergencies: it has always ap"proved the decifions of the Senate. In chufing "Senators and Magiftrates, the refpect of the citi"zens for hereditary worth commonly raises the "fon to the dignity before held by his father. "Indeed moft profeffions and employments de«fcend in lineal fucceffion among this fimple

people; a circumftance which explains a very "extraordinary fact mentioned by Mr. Addison, "that in two purchases made respectively in the

years 1100 and 1170, the names of the com"miffioners or agents, on the part of the Repub"lick, fhould be the fame in both transactions, "though the deeds were executed at the distance "of feventy years from each other.

Notwithstanding the natural and proper in"fluence of wealth and birth and merit, the liberties and properties of individuals are incomparably more fafe in St. Marino than they can ever poffibly be under the capricious tyranny of a levelling Democracy; and the people at "large have the firmeft fecurity, that their fupe"riors will not abuse their just pre-eminence,

"fince all the plebeians of full age are trained to "arms, and commanded by a fort of military Tri"bune of their own chufing, whofe employment "is inferior in dignity to that of the Capitaneos, "or Confuls, yet altogether distinct from the ju"rifdiction of thofe Patrician Magiftrates. This "important military officer is overlooked by Mr. "Addison, who has alfo omitted to mention the "Treasurer of the Republick. The bufinefs of the <latter confifts in collecting and administering the "publick contributions, and in paying the Stipen"diati or Penfionaries, whofe falaries, as may be

imagined, are extremely moderate; that of the "Commiffareo, or Chief Judge, amounting only to

fixty pounds a-year. His income is confider❝ably augmented by the sportule or fees paid by "the litigant parties; so that his whole appoint"ments fail little fhort of one hundred pounds per (c ann. a fum which in this primitive Common"wealth is found fufficient to support the dignity "of a Chief Justice.

"The laws of St. Marino are contained in a "thin folio, printed at Rimini, entitled, "Statuta "Illuftriffima Reipublicæ ;" and the whole history "of this happy and truly illuftrious, because

virtuous and peaceable, community is com"prised in the account of a war in which the "Commonwealth affifted Pope Pius II. against "Malatesta,

U 3

"Malatefta, Prince of Rimini; in the records of "the purchase of two caftles, with their dependent "diftricts, in the years 1100 and 1170; and in the "well-authenticated narrative of the foundation of

the State above fourteen hundred years ago by "St. Marino, a Dalmatian Architect, who, hay"ing finished with much honour the repairs of "Rimini, retired to this folitary mountain, prac"tifed the aufterities of a hermit, wrought mira"cles, and with the affiftance of a few admirers. "built a church and founded a city, which his re"putation for fanctity speedily reared, extended, "and filled with inhabitants. In the principal "church, which as well as that of the Francifcans contains fome good pictures, the ftatue of this "Saint and Lawgiver is erected near the high alHe holds a Mountain in his hand, and is "crowned with three Caftles; emblems which, "from what has been above faid, appear fitly chofen for the arms of the Republick.

«tar.

"Mr. Addison obferves, that the origin of "St. Marino must be acknowledged to be far "nobler than that of Rome, which was an afylum "for robbers and murderers, whereas St. Marino "was the resort of perfons eminent for their piety ❝ and devotion. This obfervation appears to me "to be erroneous in two refpects, decorating

with unfair honours the one Republick, and