OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

1(>7

CHAP. V.

Public sale of the empire to Didius Julianas bythe prcetorian guards. — Clodius Albinus inBritain, Pescennius Niger in Syria , and Sep-timius Severus in Pannonia , declare againstthe murderers of Pertinax.—Civil wars andvictory of Severus over his three rivals. — Be-laxation of discipline.—New maxims ofgovern-ment.

The power of the sword is more sensibly chap.

felt in an extensive monarchy, than in a small_^_

community. It has been calculated by the Proporti-ablest politicans, that no state, without being military 6soon exhausted, can maintain above the hund-redth part of its members in arms and idleness. ber ° f ,lie

_ r t t people.

But although this relative proportion may beuniform, the influence of the army over the restof the society will vary according to the degreeof its positive strength. The advantages otmilitary science and discipline cannot be exert-ed, unless a proper number of soldiers areunited into one body, and actuated by one sold.

With a handful of men, such an union wouldbe ineffectual; with an unwieldy host, it wouldbe impracticable; and the powers of the ma-chine would be alike destroyed by the extrememinuteness, or the excessive weight, of itssprings. To illustrate this observation, weneed only reflect, that there is no superiorityof natural strength, artificial weapons, or ac-