OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.

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vied with each other in the decoration of their chap.palaces and chapels; and their antique splen- Lxx 'dour was rivalled or surpassed by the suddenopulence of the papal families. In Rome thevoice of freedom and discord is no longer heard;and instead of the foaming torrent, a smoothand stagnant lake reflects the image of idlenessand servitude.

A Christian, a philosopher,* and a patriot, will Tbeecciebe equally scandalized by the temporal king-dom of the clergy; and the local majesty of ment -Rome , the remembrance of her consuls and tri-umphs, may seem to embitter the sense, andaggravate the shame, of her slavery. If wecalmly weigh the merits and defects of the ec-clesiastical government, it may be praised in itspresent state, as a mild, decent, and tranquil sys-tem, exempt from the dangers of a minority, thesallies of youth, the expences of luxury, andthe calamities of war. But these advantagesare overbalanced by a frequent, perhaps a sep-tennial election of a sovereign, who is seldom anative of the country; the reign of a youngstatesman of threescore, in the decline of his lifeand abilities, without hope to accomplish, andwithout children to inherit, the labours of his

ed by Dr. Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations, vol. i, p. 495-504), whoproves, perhaps too severely, that the most salutary effects have flow-ed from the meanest and most selfish causes.

* Mr. Hi me (Hist, of England, vol. i, p. 3S9) too hastily concludes,that if the civil and ecclesiastical powers be united in the same per-son, it is of little moment whether be be styled prince or prelate, sincethe temporal character will always predominate.

VOL. XII. C C

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