, Scythians, and
even the Greeks and Romans, and consecrated by custom during a long series
of ages, can have been inspired by him only who was a murderer from the
beginning; and who delights in nothing but the humiliation, misery, and
perdition of man.

SECT. III. FORM OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CARTHAGE.--The government of Carthage
was founded upon principles of the most consummate wisdom; and it is with
reason that Aristotle(528) ranks this republic in the number of those that
were had in the greatest esteem by the ancients, and which were fit to
serve as a model for others. He grounds his opinion on a reflection, which
does great honour to Carthage, by remarking, that, from its foundation to
his time, (that is, upwards of five hundred years,) no considerable
sedition had disturbed the peace, nor any tyrant oppressed the liberty of
that state. Indeed, mixed governments, such as that of Carthage, where the
power was divided betwixt the nobles and the people, are subject to two
inconveniences; either of degenerating into an abuse of liberty by the
seditions of the populace, as frequently happened in Athens, and in all
the Grecian republics; or into the oppression of the public liberty by the
tyranny of the nobles, as in Athens, Syracuse, Corinth, Thebes, and Rome
itself under Sylla and Caesar. It is, therefore, giving Carthage the
highest praise, to observe, that it had found out the art, by the wisdom
of its laws, and the harmony of the different parts of its government, to
shun, during so long a series of years, two rocks that are so dangerous,
and on which others so often split.

It were to be wished, that some ancient author had left us an accurate and
regular description of the customs and laws of this famous republic. For
want of such assistance, we can only give our readers a confused and
imperfect idea of them, by collecting the several passages which lie
scattered up and down in authors. Christopher Hendrich has obliged the
learned world in this particular, and his work(529) has been of great
service to me.

The government of Carthage,(530) like that of Sparta and Rome, united
three different authorities, which counterpoised and gave mutual
assistance to one another. These authorities were, that of the two supreme
magistrates, called Suffetes;(531) that of the Senate; and that of the
people. There afterwards was added the tribunal of One Hundred, which had
great credit and influence in the republic.

_The Suffet