gh the just balance has
often been lost, that if either the aristocracy or the ruling power
gained any advantage, the evil, if too oppressive, was capable of being
corrected; but any advance gained by the democratic party, has never
been retraced, and that it has been by the preponderance of power being
thrown into its hands that nations have fallen. Of all the attempts at
republics, that of the Spartan, perhaps, is the most worthy of
examination, as Lycurgus went to work radically, and his laws were such
as to obtain that equality so much extolled. How far the term republic
was applicable to the Spartan form of government I will not pretend to
say, but when Lycurgus was called upon to re-construct its legislation,
his first act was to make the necessary third power, and he appointed a
senate.

But Lycurgus was wise enough to perceive that he must amend the morals
of his countrymen, and that to preserve an equality of condition he must
take away all incentives to ambition, or to the acquisition of wealth.
He first divided the lands into equal portions, compelled all classes,
from the kings downwards, to eat at the same table, brought up all the
children in the same hardy manner, and obliged every citizen after a
certain age to carry arms. But more sacrifices were necessary; Lycurgus
well knew:

Quid leges sine moribus vanae profleunt.
_Horace_, _Ode_ 24, _lib_. 3.

To guard against the contagion of corruption, he prohibited _navigation
and commerce_; he permitted no intercourse with _foreigners_; he
abolished the gold and silver coin as current money, that every stimulus
to any one individual to exalt himself above his neighbour should be
removed. If ever there was a system calculated to produce equality, it
was that planned by the wisdom of Lycurgus; but I doubt if the Americans
would like to follow in his footsteps.

What occasioned the breaking up and the downfall of this republic? An
increase of power given to the democratic party, by the creation out of
their ranks of the magistrates, termed Ephori, which threw an undue
weight and preponderance into the hands of the people. By this breach
in the constitution, faction and corruption were let in and fomented.
Plutarch, indeed, denies this, but both Polybius and Aristotle are of a
different opinion; the latter says, that the power of the Ephori was so
great as to amount to a perfect tyranny; the kings themselves were
necessitated to court their favour b