he calls in another place the emperor a fecond majefty, inferior to nothing but the firft: (k) Religio fecunda majeftatis.

Among the Affyrians, and more particularly among the Perfians, the prince ufed to be ftiled, The great king, the king of kings. Two reafons might induce thofe princes to take that oftentatious title. The one, because their empire was formed of many conquered kingdoms, all united under one head: The other, because they had feveral kings, their vaffals, either in their court or dependent upon them.

(1) The crown was hereditary among them, defcending from father to fon, and generally to the eldeft. When an heir to the crown was born, all the empire teftified their joy by facrifices, feafts, and all manner of publick rejoicings; and his birth-day was thenceforward an annual festival, and day of folemnity for all the Perfians.

(m) The manner of educating the future master of the empire is admired by Plato, and recommended to the Greeks as a perfect model for a prince's education.

He was never wholly committed to the care of the nurse, who generally was a woman of mean and low condition: But from among the eunuchs, that is, the chief officers of the houfhold, fome of the most approved merit and probity were chofen, to take care of the young prince's perfon and health, till he was feven years of age, and to begin to form his manners and behaviour. He was then taken from them, and put into the hands of other mafters, who were to continue the care of his education, to teach him to ride as foon as his strength would permit, and to exercife him in hunting..

At fourteen years of age, when the mind begins to attain fome maturity, four of the wifeft, and moft virtuous men of the flate, were appointed to be his preceptors. The first, says Plato, taught him magick, that is, in their language, the worfhip of the gods according to their ancient maxims, and the laws of Zoroafter, the fon of Oromafus; he alfo inftructed him in the principles of government. The fecond was to accuftom him to speak truth, and to adminifter justice. The third was to teach him not to be overcome by pleafures, that he might be truly a king, and always free, mafter of himself and his defires. The fourth was to fortify his courage against fear, which would have made him à flave, and to infpire him with a noble and prudent affurance, fo neceffary for thofe that are born to command. Each of thefe governors excelled in his way, and was eminent in that part of education affigned to him. One was particularly diftinguished for his knowledge in religion,

(k) Apolog. c. i. p. 35. (1) Plat. in Alcib. c. i. p. 121, (m) Ibid.

gion, and the art of governing; another for his love of truth. and juflice; this for his moderation and abftinence from pleafures; that for a fuperior ftrength of mind, and uncommon intrepidity.

I do not know, whether fuch a diverfity of masters, who, without doubt, were of different tempers, and perhaps had different interefts in view, was proper to anfwer the end propofed; or whether it was poffible, that four men fhould agree together in the fame principles, and harmoniously pursue the fame end. Probably, the reafon of having fo many was, that they apprehended it impoffible to find any one perfon poffeffed of all the qualities they judged neceffary for giving a right education to the prefumptive heir of the crown; fo great an idea had they, even in thofe corrupt times, of the importance of a prince's education.

Be this as it will, all this care, as Plato remarks in the fame. place, was fruftrated by the luxury, pomp, and magnificence, with which the young prince was furrounded; by the numerous. train of attendants, that paid him a fervile fubmiffion; by all the appurtenances and equipage of a voluptuous and effeminate life, in which pleafure, and the inventing of new diverfions,. feemed to ergrofs all attention; dangers which the most excellent difpofition could never furmount. The corrupt manners of the nation therefore quickly debauched the prince, and drew him into the reigning pleafures, against which no education is a fufficient defence.

The education here spoken of by Plato, can relate only to the children of Artaxerxes, furnamed Longimanus, the fon and fucceffor of Xerxes, in whofe time lived Alcibiades, who is introduced in the dialogue, from whence this obfervation is taken. For Plato, in another paffage, which we fhall cite hereafter, informs us, that neither Cyrus, nor Darius, ever thought of giving the princes, their fons, a good education; and what we find in hiftory concerning Artaxerxes Longimanus, gives us reason to believe, that he was more careful than his predeceffors in the point of educating his children; but was not much imitated in that refpect by his fucceffors.

SECT. II. The publick council, wherein the affairs of ftate are confidered.

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S abfolute as the regal authority was among the Perfians, yet was it, in fome measure, kept within bounds by the eftablishment of this council, appointed by the ftate; a council, which confifted of feven of the princes, or chief lords, of the nation, no less distinguished for their wisdom and abilities,

than

than for their extraction. We have already feen the origin of this establishment in the confpiracy of the feven Perfian noblemen, who entered into an affociation against Smerdis, the Magian, and killed him.

The fcripture relates, that Ezra was fent into Judæa, in the name, and by the authority of king Artaxerxes and his feven counsellors (7) From before the king and bis feven counsellors. The fame fcripture, a long time before this, in the reign of Darius, otherwife called Ahafuerus, who fucceeded the Magian, informs us, that these counsellors were well versed in the laws, ancient cuftoms, and maxims of the ftate; that they always attended the prince, who never tranfacted any thing, or determined any affair of importance without their advice.

This laft paffage gives room for fome reflections, which may very much contribute to the knowledge of the genius and character of the Perfian government.

In the first place, the king there fpoken of, that is, Darius, was one of the most celebrated princes that ever reigned in Perfia, and one of the moft deferving, on account of his wif dom and prudence; though he had his failings. It is to him, as well as to Cyrus, that the greatest part of thofe excellent laws are afcribed, which have ever fince fubfifted in that country, and have been the foundation and ftandard of their government. Now this prince, notwithstanding his extraordinary penetration and ability, thought he stood in need of counsel; nor did he apprehend, that the joining a number of affiftants to himself, for the determination of affairs, would be any dif credit to his own understanding: By which proceeding, he really fhewed a fuperiority of genius which is very uncommon, and fuppofes a great fund of merit. For a prince of flender talents, and a narrow capacity, is generally full of himself; and the less understanding he has, the more obftinate and untractable he generally is. He thinks it want of respect, to of fer to difcover any thing to him which he does not perceive; and is affronted, if you feem to doubt that he, who is fupreme in power, is not the fame in penetration and understanding. But Darius had a different way of thinking, and did nothing without counfel and advice: illorum faciebat cun&a confilio.

Secondly, Darius, however abfolute he was, and how jealous foever he might be of his prerogative, did not think he derogated from either, when he inftituted that council; for the council did not at all interfere with the king's authority of ruling and commanding, which always refides in the perfon of the prince, but was confined entirely to that of reason, which confifted

(n) 1 Efd. vii. 14.

confifted in communicating and imparting their knowledge and experience to the king.. He was perfuaded, that the nobleft character of fovereign power, when it is pure, and has nei ther degenerated from its origin,, nor deviated from its, end, is to govern by the laws; to make them the rule of his will and defire; and to think nothing allowable for him, which they prohibit.

In the third place, this council, which every where accompanied the king, was a perpetual ftanding council, confifting of the greatest men, and the beft, heads in the kingdom; who, under the direction of the fovereign, and always with a dependency upon him, were in a manner the fource of publick order, and the principle of all the wife regulations, and tranfactions at home and abroad. Upon this council the king dif charged himself of feveral weighty cares, which he muft otherwife have been over-burdened with; and by them he likewife executed whatever had been refolved on. It was by means of this standing council, that the great maxims of the ftate were preferved; the knowledge of its true intereft perpetuated; affairs carried on with harmony and order; and innovations, errors, and overlights, prevented. For in a publick and general council things are difcuffed by unfufpected perfons; all the minifters are mutual infpectors of one another; all their knowledge and experience in publick matters are united toge ther; and they all become equally capable of every part of the adminiftration; becaufe, though as to the executive part, they move only in one particular fphere of bufinefs; yet they are obliged to inform themfelves in all affairs relating to the publick, that they may be able to deliver their opinions in a judi, cious manner.

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The fourth and laft reflection I have to make on this head is, that we find it mentioned in fcripture, that the perfons of which this council confifted, were thoroughly acquainted with the customs, laws, maxims, and rights of the kingdom.

Two things, which, as the fcriptures inform us, were practifed by the Perfians, might very much contribute to inftruct the king and his council in the methods of governing with wifdom and prudence. (0) The first was, their having publick regifters, wherein all the prince's edicts and ordinances, all the privileges granted to the people, and all the favours conferred upon particular perfons, were entered and recorded. (p) The second was, the annals of the kingdom, in which all VOL. II. the

(0) 1 Ef. v. 17. and vi、2.

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(p) Ibid. iv. 15. and Esth. vi, 1. Regimur à te, & subjecti tibi, fed quemadmodum legibus, fumus. Plia Paneg. Traj.

the events of former reigns, all refolutions taken, regulations eftablished, and fervices done by any particular perfons, were exactly entered. Thefe annals were carefully preserved, and frequently perufed both by the kings and the minifters, that they might acquaint themselves with times paft; might have a true and clear idea of the state of the kingdom; avoid an arbitrary, unequal, uncertain conduct; maintain an uniformity. in the courfe of affairs; and, in fhort, acquire fuch light from the perufal of thefe books, as fhould qualify them to govern the date with wisdom

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SECT. III. The adminiftration of justice.

O be king, and to be judge, is but one and the fame thing. The throne is a tribunal, and the fovereign power is the highest authority for adminiftring juftice. God bath made e you king over his people (faid the queen of Sheba to Solomon) to the end that you should judge them, and render juftice and judgment unto them. God hath made every thing fubject to princes, to put them into a condition of fearing none but him. His defign, in making them independent, was to give them the more inviolable attachment to juftice. That they might not excufe themselves on pretence of inability, or want of power, he has delegated his whole power unto them; he has made them mafters of all the means requifite for the reftraining injuftice and oppreffion, that iniquity fhould tremble in their prefence, and be incapable of hurting any perfons whatsoever.

But what is that juftice which God hath put into the hands of kings, and whereof he hath made them depofitaries? Why, it is nothing elfe but order; and order confifts in obferving an univerfal equity, and that force do not ufurp the place of law; that one man's property be not expofed to the violence of another; that the common band of fociety be not broken; that artifice and fraud may not prevail over innocence and fimplicity; that all things may reft in peace under the protection of the laws; and the weakest among the people may find his fanctuary in the publick authority.

(g) We learn from Jofephus, that the kings of Perfia used to adminifter justice in their own perfons. And it was to quaJify them for the due difcharge of this duty, that care was taken to have them inftructed from their tendereft youth, in the knowledge of the laws of their country; and that in their publick fchools, as we have already mentioned in the history of Cyrus, they were taught equity and juftice, in the manner a rhetorick and philofophy are taught in other places.

(1) Antiq, Judaic. 1. xf. c. 3.

Thefe