THE DECLINE AND FALL

4-i

CHAP.

LXV.

courage industry and learning, and, by an equaland moderate assessment, to increase the reve-nue, without increasing the taxes, are indeed theduties of a prince; but, in the discharge of theseduties, he finds an ample and immediate recom-pense. Timour might boast, that, at his acces-sion to the throne, Asia was the prey of anarchyand rapine, whilst under his prosperous monar-chy a child, fearless and unhurt, might carry apurse of gold from the east to the west. Suchwas his confidence of merit, that from this refor-mation he derived excuse for his victories, anda title to universal dominion. The four follow-ing observations will serve to appreciate hisclaim to the public gratitude; and perhaps weshall conclude, that the Mogul emperor was ra-ther the scourge than the benefactor of mankind.1. If some partial disorders, some local oppres-sions, were healed by the sword of Timour , theremedy was far more pernicious than the dis-ease. By their rapine, cruelty, and discord, thepetty tyrants of Persia might afflict their sub-jects ; but whole nations were crushed under thefootsteps of the reformer. The ground whichhad been occupied by flourishing cities w'as oftenmarked by his abominable trophies, by columns,or pyramids, of human heads. Astracan , Cariz-me, Delhi, Ispahan, Bagdad, Aleppo, Damas-cus , Boursa, Smyrna, and a thousand others,were sacked, or burnt, or utterly destroyed, inhis presence, and by his troops; and perhaps hisconscience would have been startled, if a priestor philosopher had dared to number the millions