applaufe, he changeth hands, and maketh ufe of the best? Another great objection with me against the late party was the cruel tyranny they put upon confcience by a barbarous inquifition, refufing to admit the least toleration or indulgence. They imposed an hundred tests; but could never be prevailed on to difpenfe with, or take off, the smallest, or even to admit of occafional conformity; but went on daily (as their apoftle Tindal expreffeth it) narrowing their terms of communion, pronouncing nine parts in ten of the kingdom hereticks, and Thutting them out of the pale of their church. These very men, who talk so much of a comprehenfion in religion among us, how came they to allow fo little of it in politicks, which is their fole religion? You fhall hear them pretending to bewail the animofities kept up between the church of England and diffenters, where the differences in opinion are fo few and inconfiderable; yet these very sons of moderation were pleafed to excommunicate every man, who difagreed with them in the fmalleft article of their political creed, or who refused to receive any new article, how difficult foever to digeft, which the leaders impofed at pleasure to ferve their own interest. ་ I will quit this subject for the present, when I have told one story. "There was a great king in Scythia, whofe dominions 66 were bounded on the north by the poor mountainous territories of a petty lord, "who paid homage, as the king's vaffal. ་་ "The "The Scythian prime minifter, being largely "bribed, indirectly obtained his master's con"fent to fuffer this lord to build forts, and "provide himself with arms, under pretence "of preventing the inroads of the Tartars. "This little depending fovereign, finding he " he was now in a condition to be trouble"fome, began to infift upon terms, and "threatened, upon every occafion, to unite "with the Tartars; upon which the prime "minifter, who began to be in pain about his "head, propofed a match betwixt his master "and the only daughter of this tributary "lord, which he had the good luck to bring "to pass; and from that time valued himself 66 as author of a moft glorious union, which "indeed was grown of abfolute neceffity by "his corruption." This paffage, cited lite rally from an old hiftory of Sarmatia, I thought fit to fet down on purpose to perplex little fmattering remarkers, and put them upon the hunt for an application, NUM. NUMBER XX. Thursday, December 21, 1710. -pugnacem fcirent fapiente minorem. IAM very much at a loss how to proceed upon the fubject intended in this paper, which a new incident hath led me to engage in. The fubject I mean, is that of foldiers and the army; but being a matter wholly out of my trade, I fhall handle it in as cautious a manner, as I am able. It is certain, that the art of war hath fuffered great changes almoft in every age and country of the world; however, there are fome maxims relating to it, that will be eternal truths, and which every reasonable man must allow. In the early time of Greece and Rome, the armies of thofe ftates were compofed of their citizens, who took no pay, because the quarrel was their own: and therefore the war was ufually decided in one campaign; or, if it lasted longer, yet, in winter, the foldiers returned to their feveral callings, and were not distinguished from the reft of the people. The gothick governments in Europe, although they were of military inftitution, yet observed almoft the fame method. I fhall inftance only here in England: those who held lands in capite of the king, were obliged to attend him Scipio himself, had prefumed to move the fenate to continue their commiffion for life, they would certainly have fallen a facrifice to the jealoufy of the people. Cafar indeed (between whom and a certain general fome of late, with much discretion, have made a parallel) had his command in Gaul continued to him for five years; and was afterwards made perpetual dictator, that is to say, general for life; which gave him the power and the will of utterly deftroying the Roman liberty. But, in his time, the Romans were very much degenerated, and great corruptions had crept into their morals and difcipline. However, we see there still were fome remains of a noble spirit among them; for when Cafar fent to be chofen conful, notwithstanding his abfence, they decreed he should come in perfon, give up his command, and petere more majorum. It is not impoffible, but a general may defire fuch a commiffion out of inadvertency, at the infligation of his friend, or perhaps of his enemies; or merely for the benefit and honour of it, without intending any fuch dreadful confequences; and, in that cafe, a wife prince, or state, may barely refuse it without fhewing any marks of their difpleasure. But the requeft in its own nature is highly criminal, and ought to be entered fo upon record, to terrify others in time to come from venturing to make it. Another maxim to be observed by a free ftate engaged in war is, to keep the military power power in abfolute fubjection to the civil, nor ever fuffer the former to influence or interfere with the latter. A general and his army are fervants, hired by the civil power to act, as they are directed from thence, and with a commiffion large or limited, as the administration fhall think fit; for which they are largely paid in profit and honour. The whole fyftem, by which armies are governed, is quite alien from the peaceful inftitutions of ftates at home; and if the rewards be fo inviting as to tempt a fenator to take a poft in the army, whilft he is there on his duty, he ought to confider himself in no other capacity. I know not any fort of men fo apt as foldiers are to reprimand thofe, who prefume to interfere in what relates to their trade. When they hear any of us, in a coffee-houfe, wondering that fuch a victory was not pursued; complaining that fuch a town coft more men and money than it was worth to take it; or that fuch an opportunity was lost of fighting the enemy; they prefently reprove us, and, often with justice enough, for med-. dling in matters out of our fphere; and clearly convince us of our mistakes by terms of art, that none of us understand. Nor do we efcape fo; for they reflect with the utmost contempt on our ignorance; that we, who fit at home in ease and security, never stirring from our fire-fides, fhould pretend, from books and general reason, to argue upon military affairs; which, after all, if we may judge from the fhare of intellectuals in fome who |