CHAP. III.

ANALYSIS OF THE ROMAN HISTORY.

PART I.

THE ANTAGONIST PRINCIPLES OF ROMAN ARISTOCRACY AND DEMOCRACY. —— THE ARISTOCRACY CONTROLLED THE PEOPLE, BY CONTROLLING THEIR MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE THE PEOPLE REGAINED THEIR LIBERTIES AND SECURED THEIR POWER BY RECOVERING POSSESSION OF THE PUBLIC LANDS, AS THE SOURCE OF SUBSISTENCE.-MILITARY DESPOTISM CRUSHED THE REPUBLIC.

THE history of the ancient Romans has been often referred to, as affording valuable lessons to modern nations. Many passages of it have been cited as examples for modern people to imitate. But considerable injury has been done to the cause of true liberty, by a partial or injudicious application of those passages. Several tragical incidents have been held out, and have excited the feelings of an ardent people with the desire, but without the preparation, for freedom. Many of the events alluded to, together with the energetic and extraordinary characters who were actors in them, are more adapted for the romance of the stage, than for the imitation or guidance of a sober people, in pursuit of a rational freedom. But, to the British people, the history of the Romans must ever be interesting, as exhibiting features similar to what their own story presents. Of all the ancient nations, the Romans had the reputation

of enjoying the greatest degree of civil and political liberty; and the same with the British in modern times.

Each nation, in its own way, exercised considerable influence upon its government, but each was oppressed by an aristocratic power, that constantly endeavoured to crush the people under the burden of its exactions; the Romans, after a struggle of five centuries, fell down, and were crushed by the imperial government; the British people have been more fortunate, as they have been preserved from abasement, by the barrier of the throne standing between them and a faction, ever active and expert in the arts of corruption. At the end of a thousand years, under a regulated monarchy, the people are more powerful and intelligent than at any former period of their history; and, in another generation, they will be able to extract the fangs from the jaws of the monster that has so long devoured their substance. In another light, the Romans cannot but be considered with interest, mixed with a degree of awe; they conquered, and held in subjection for four hundred years, the British Islands, and our ancestors were consequently the vassals of that extraordinary people for that long period of time. A people that conquered the world, will always have a strong hold on the sympathies and admiration of future ages.

The people, or nation, entitled in history the Romans, were originally formed by the union of three races or tribes, on the western coast of Italy-the Latins, Sabines, and Etrurians. During the first two centuries and a half, their government was monarchical; with a senate or council composed of the men whose age, wisdom, or valour gave them authority with their countrymen; the people themselves, in public assemblies, ratified or negatived the laws passed by the king and senate. In a small community, the

suffrages of every male adult could be easily taken; and the fineness of the climate led the inhabitants to pass a great part of their time, both for amusement and business, in the open air. Climate possesses a powerful influence over the customs, laws, and institutions of a people.

The first king after Romulus was a blessing to the Romans. He united them, and established guilds or companies of trading burghers, which were the origin of the order of citizens; but, at the same time, the patrician or aristocratic body cemented and extended its power. The last of the kings proved a tyrant and a curse, to both the citizens and patricians, and was expelled the country; and the throne was overturned by the aristocratic party, in union with the people, who lent their assistance to a revolution which entirely changed the government.

A severe oligarchical power, under the name of a Republic, was established; and the people found, that for one despot, they were pressed down by a number of tyrants. From the expulsion of Tarquin, in the 507th year before the birth of Christ, to the establishment of the Imperial power under Augustus, about the time of that event, the history of the Roman people presents an uninterrupted series of efforts, on the part of the aristocracy, to found and perpetuate their dominion, by the possession of a complete control over the subsistence of the people, and of the struggles of the people to free themselves from the intolerable yoke. The history of no other nation developes with such force the principle of political power and the control of subsistence being identical. Numa, two hundred years before the dethronement of Tarquin, had established the division of lands, gained in war, among the poorer part of the people; and, previous to the expulsion of the tyrant, property was fixed as the basis of apportioning the taxes;

and for that end, and for the great object of the franchise, the city of Rome was divided into four tribes or sections, and all the able bodied citzens were ranked in classes. On the valuation of the property of the classes depended the tribute, the military accoutrements, and the place assigned in the order of battle; the highest class of citizens were embodied into the cavalry. The order of knights, or the equestrian order, was entirely founded on a propertyqualification; and even in the most flourishing time of the republic, it only required property to the amount of about £3,000, valued in modern sterling money, to qualify a citizen for the equestrian rank. The order of knights thus formed a monied body, between the people and the patricians, the hereditary aristocracy.

Very shortly after the banishment of Tarquin, the people found themselves exposed to the exactions of their new masters, and, in order to escape from them, abandoned the city, and retired to form another settlement. It was on this occasion that they were persuaded to come back, on hearing the application of the fable of the belly and the limbs of the body. But by this movement they gained the advantage of having certain officers, elected by themselves from their own body, to watch over and protect their interests, by possessing a veto on the proceedings of the senate. The people now made claims to property belonging to the public, but the patricians resisted them-resting their resistance on the possession of the property.

In consequence of the neglect of agriculture, caused by the disturbances, a severe famine ensued, and commissioners were sent to purchase corn of the neighbouring states. When a supply arrived, a dispute arose as to its distribution; the Senate claimed for itself the division of the grain, and Coriolanus, the stern and haughty leader of the aristo

D

cratic party, proposed that it should be portioned to the people on no other condition than the surrender and abdication, on their parts, of the rights so lately conceded to them. It is to be observed, that the corn thus imported was purchased with the public money, and the people naturally became indignant at this attempt to cheat them, and to starve them; but their tribunes brought the author of it to trial, and sentenced him to banishment from the territory. He withdrew to the most powerful enemies of the Roman people, and lending them the aid of his military talents, roused them to invade the Roman territory, where this mean and traitorous aristocrat wreaked his vengeance, by laying waste the lands of his own countrymen. He, however, met the fate that he merited, for the Volscians, availing themselves of the treason, but despising the traitor, put the "insolent villain" to death.*

Immediately after this, began the struggles between the people and the aristocracy for the passing of the Agrarian laws, which continued to form the main features of Roman history to the end of the Republic. The question was simply to establish the right, which the people had to a share of the public lands acquired by conquest. In early times, one portion was devoted to the gods-another to the state-and a third to the citizens; but at the period referred to, the patrician order, on every extension of the Roman

Shakspeare, who wrote for the people of every age, appeared to have had in his mind's eye the state of his own country in the year 1841-2, when he made the Roman citizens address the following observations to the Senators." Care for us! True, indeed! They ne'er cared for us yet. Suffer us to famish, and their storehouses crammed with grain-make edicts for usury to support usurers-repeal daily any wholesome act established against the rich-and provide more piercing statutes daily to chain up and restrain the poor! If the wars eat us not up, they will; and there is all the love they bear us."-Coriolanus, Act I. Scene I.