the political virtues
of prudence and courage. The arms of the republic, sometimes vanquished
in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the
Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the Ocean; and the images of gold,
or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their
kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome. [5000]

[Footnote 1000: Such are the figurative expressions of Plutarch, (Opera,
tom. ii. p. 318, edit. Wechel,) to whom, on the faith of his son
Lamprias, (Fabricius, Bibliot. Graec. tom. iii. p. 341,) I shall boldly
impute the malicious declamation. The same opinions had prevailed among
the Greeks two hundred and fifty years before Plutarch; and to confute
them is the professed intention of Polybius, (Hist. l. i. p. 90, edit.
Gronov. Amstel. 1670.)]

[Footnote 2000: See the inestimable remains of the sixth book of Polybius,
and many other parts of his general history, particularly a digression
in the seventeenth book, in which he compares the phalanx and the
legion.]

[Footnote 3000: Sallust, de Bell. Jugurthin. c. 4. Such were the generous
professions of P. Scipio and Q. Maximus. The Latin historian had read
and most probably transcribes, Polybius, their contemporary and friend.]

[Footnote 4000: While Carthage was in flames, Scipio repeated two lines
of the Iliad, which express the destruction of Troy, acknowledging to
Polybius, his friend and preceptor, (Polyb. in Excerpt. de Virtut. et
Vit. tom. ii. p. 1455-1465,) that while he recollected the vicissitudes
of human affairs, he inwardly applied them to the future calamities of
Rome, (Appian. in Libycis, p. 136, edit. Toll.)]

[Footnote 5000: See Daniel, ii. 31-40. "And the fourth kingdom shall be
strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all
things." The remainder of the prophecy (the mixture of iron and clay)
was accomplished, according to St. Jerom, in his own time. Sicut enim
in principio nihil Romano Imperio fortius et durius, ita in fine rerum
nihil imbecillius; quum et in bellis civilibus et adversus diversas
nationes, aliarum gentium barbararum auxilio indigemus, (Opera, tom. v.
p. 572.)]

The rise of a city, which swelled into an empire, may deserve, as a
singular prodigy, the reflection of a philosophic mind. But the decline
of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness.
Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the causes of destruction